The Comedians

This has got to stop! Every night it's the same thing!

No, no! Don't you see what's going on?

You have a drinking problem!

And...

cut!

Great stuff, guys.

Maybe just hit the word "problem" harder?

You're hitting "drinking." It's not really about drinking.

It's about... It's about the problem.

Does that make sense?

How could that not make sense?

Can I give you a little note?

- Oh, yeah. - When you said "cut,"

could you just say "cut"?

- That's what I did. - You keep doing this long

"aaaaaaand."

It takes too long, and we're losing the light here.

Yeah.

Yeah. On a sound stage.

That's classic.

It's great... Great blooper reel stuff.

All right, guys.

Back to one, and remember,

it is "your drinking is becoming...

problem."

Aaaaaaand... Action!

Our head writer Mitch

has been acting as our interim director.

He was only supposed to do it for a couple of weeks,

but it's been more like a...

What year is this?

You know I've actually done quite a lot of directing?

Granted, it has been mostly for the stage, but what do they call that?

The stage.

And, yeah, there's a couple cameras out there.

There's some sound stuff, but it's pretty much the same thing.

We all like Mitch.

He's a terrific guy. He's a great writer.

He's a good writer.

Well, he's growing as a writer.

- Being around us. - Yeah, well, sure.

I just don't think,

as a director, he's ready yet.

- He's a little green. - Annoying.

Thing is,

Mitch is doing this unpaid and uncredited,

which is really good for us budget-wise.

Do you know the expression "You get what you pay for"?

I think what you mean to say is,

"You get what you pay for."

- No, you get what... - See, you're putting

the emphasis on the "for"... - Yes.

And you want it to be on the "what."

You get what you pay for.

You get what you pay for.

You get what you pay for.

You get... That's what I said.

Oh, that is what you just did.

Yeah, you're right.

Remember, back in, um, the pilot,

when we fired Larry Charles?

Billy fired Larry Charles.

Larry's work fired Larry Charles.

Technically, when you say the words "You're fired,"

it... I guess it counts as a firing...

Stupid Director's Guild thing...

And here is the bummer part...

You haven't got to the bummer yet... oh, Jesus.

We're still obligated to pay Larry Charles' contract.

What?

Screw me in the asshole!

What is with you?

What is with...

- What is with... - You?

- What... - Is with you?

And that is why having Mitch direct is so helpful,

because every time we hire a director,

we have to pay that person, and then we have to pay Larry.

Now, in theory, if we brought Larry back...

- No way, no way. - I'd be up for... no.

- No way. - I guess we're not gonna do it.

No way. I saw Larry

at an event the other night,

and he's still a little miffed.

you! You are... you...

I'm tired of hearing your shit!

I'm tired of ...

Yeah, right!

And that was at The Museum of Tolerance.

He's insane. He can't control himself.

I'm telling you, he's got anger issues.

Well, listen, we all knew that.

Isn't that part of his charm? His anger?

I hate asking friends favors, but I'm going to see

Rob Reiner this weekend, and, you know,

I could ask him.

- That sound good? - Would this be a free favor?

Different idea.

Connor Tate is in town from London.

Fantastic. Does he know a good director?

Yes, himself.

Uh... He directed "A Hand in the Bird"

- "Morals Compass" *** -Wasn't that like an intensity thriller

- So? - So we're making sketch comedy,

not sketch tragedy.

I know, but I've worked with Connor Tate,

and I can tell you from experience

he's a super funny guy.

Yeah, that scene where Rooney Mara

drowned her baby was a real chuckle-fest.

If you can make a great drama, you can make a great comedy.

I think George Lucas said that

right before he directed Howard the Duck.

Hang on a sec. You hand-picked Larry.

Okay? You chose his replacement.

Shouldn't I get a say in this at this point?

Yeah, but Josh, we're talking Rob Reiner.

He'd be a genius for this.

You just don't like this because this is my idea.

Oh, no, no, no. That is not true.

Look, can you just trust me on this?

Connor Tate would crush this show, Billy.

That's what I'm worried about.

So, you know, I think it's great

that you're doing television.

Right now is the golden age of television.

The best things are being done on television.

Yeah, we're having fun.

But the only thing is that...

- This stuff, with the cameras. - Oh, the cameras, yeah.

That I don't...

Yeah, they're with us all the time.

They started from the beginning.

It's like, um...

Extras for the DVD,

and they put it on the internet.

It's actually very, you know, innovative.

Oh, innovative? You're like,

"I didn't do this 30 years ago"?

It was called Spinal Tap. You heard of it?

- I remember. - You were in it.

- Morty the Mime. - "Mime is money."

- Exactly. - But...

those are actors playing characters.

- Right, right. - We're us.

We're just... so everyone is just us,

which reminds me, you're gonna have to sign a release...

No, I'm not signing a release.

- Okay. - So...

Let me understand, Josh wants a director that

you don't like because you think he's terrible?

Well, it's not that he's terrible.

He just... he just... He's not... just not funny.

The last movie he did was about incest in Syria.

Well, wait a minute, except for the incest...

- And the Syria... - Yeah.

There could be lots of laughs there.

Josh is your partner, right?

You gotta give him a win.

Rob, I'll give him a win.

I give him little wins all the time.

Look, look.

Years ago, I did a movie

that was a very personal project for me,

and I was working with a younger actor,

and we didn't always see eye to eye,

and we butted heads sometimes,

but once I let him in, I realized, "This is great!"

And we collaborated, we worked together,

and it was great for both of us.

Wow, I hear you. I hear you.

Who was that?

That was you. You remember?

A little picture called "When Harry Met Sally"

"I'll have what she's having"? You wrote that!

If I don't let you in you don't write that joke buddy.

Look at, look at this.

You gotta do this episode.

- No. - Why don't you do this episode?

I don't do TV.

I'm Batman!

I'm Batman. Hey, come on.

Hey, mate, I'm Batman.

That's not a grappling hook.

That's a grappling hook.

Yeah, yeah, come in.

- Hey. - Hey!

Uh, listen.

If you believe in Connor,

let's bring him in for a meeting.

Seriously?

Why are you so shocked? I'm open.

That's awesome.

- Hey, quick sketch idea. - Yeah.

What do you think about a bunch of Batmans

from all over the world?

One thing at a time.

Yo soy El hombre de bat.

Y Como Se dice "death wish"?

Porque that's what you have.