Veteran actor, comedian and film director Bobcat Goldthwait will step behind the camera as a television producer for the first time for truTV’s new comedy/horror anthology series, Bobcat Goldthwait’s Misfits & Monsters.
The series, which premieres on July 11, mashes up different genres to tell suspenseful stories with funny, imaginative twists and will feature such guest actors as Seth Green, Melissa Joan Hart, Michael Ian Black and Bridget Everett. Goldthwait spoke with Multichannel News about his newest project, going beyond his Bobcat standup comedy persona and the emergence of the anthology series.
MCN: What should audiences expect from Misfits & Monsters?
Bobcat Goldthwait: It’s an anthology series, so each week it offers a different format and genre, but they’re all slightly scary. There’s fantasy and monsters, but the big thing for me is that there’s some satire in it as well.
MCN: You’re known mostly for your comedy, so why did you decide to take this show in a different direction?
BG: Many folks may not be aware of it, but I made a lot of indie films, so this gives me a chance to tell a whole bunch of stories and to challenge myself. Each week it’s a different style — can I do a mockumentary and make it funny? The small movies I did were all different, so I like to challenge myself.
MCN: Why do you think the anthology series format is gaining momentum on both the traditional and digital platforms?
BG: I don’t know. I went out with this idea of an anthology show about seven years ago, and I think the industry’s approach to anthology series has changed since then. Before, the industry was trying to come up with shows that had mass appeal, but now it’s looking for a show that grows its own fan base. I hope tonally we deliver something that people are pulled in to watch each week.
MCN: Given the multitude of distribution outlets both on the traditional TV and digital platforms, is this an opportune time to be a content producer?
BG: I’m new to being a television producer, so I don’t know. As a storyteller, I think it’s a great time because people do need content and stuff that’s different. Being different used to be a bad thing, and now it’s an asset.
MCN: Will you appear in any of the episodes of Misfits & Monsters?
BG: No I won’t appear, mainly because I’m directing most of the episodes, and each week it’s a different cast and a different monster, so there’s a lot of juggling going on. To then have to remember words would be difficult — I can’t even remember dialogue that I wrote!
MCN: At this point in your career, would you rather be behind the scenes as opposed to acting?
BG: Yes. I jokingly say I retired [from acting] the same time people stopped hiring me, so it worked out well. In reality, people did want to still hire me, but for a persona that they knew and they really weren’t interested in anything different, which is fine because I’m so happy to be behind the camera. I love telling stories and I don’t see this as a vehicle to promote me; I see it as a way for me to get the stories that I want to tell out there.
MCN: What other projects would you like to do?
BG: I’d like to just keep telling stories and keep trying to do all different types of genres. I just want to keep making different kinds of things — I don’t want to stop on just one kind of story … I want to do everything. I hope the thing that keeps people coming back to Misfits & Monsters is that, hopefully, there’s a tonal thing in how I see the world. Hopefully it works for some people and that’s why they watch the show.
MCN: Do you ever see yourself performing standup comedy again?
BG: I thought no, but I direct a lot of people’s comedy specials and I do feel I have another special or two in me.
