Trying to find the connective tissue between Ben Silverman and Guymon Casady’s previous shows — the likes of which include big-name successes like The Office and Game of Thrones — and Stick is not easy. But look hard enough and you’ll find it, they say.
For the TV producers, signing on to the new Owen Wilson Apple TV+ series about a washed-up pro-golfer (Wilson) who takes a young hotshot (Peter Dager) under his wing, the only connection that they needed to find was an interest in the story being told and the way it is delivered.
“One thing in my own career is I tend to try and do things that are happy and aspirational and kind of in those worlds, whether it’s Ugly Betty or Jane the Virgin or The Office,” Silverman, a long-time comedy producer and former head of NBC, told DECIDER in a recent interview. “And I really think there’s a lot of connectivity to Stick in that work. It’s optimistic, it’s aspirational, it’s characters that you wouldn’t necessarily find together if it wasn’t for the circumstances of the story.”
Additionally, he credits the streaming service for handing over the reins to series creator Jason Keller, who was inspired by his own father, a professional baseball player whose career was cut short. Silverman said that by trusting the creative minds at work, Apple TV+ has given everyone involved the space to create the best and funniest project possible, and it shows. He also thinks that even for those who have no clue what is left or right in golf, Stick is a hole-in-one.
“I think Apple’s given us the opportunity to do television in a cinematic way. And that’s one of the things that’s very exciting about the show to me. It is very cinematic,” Silverman said, adding that the directors range from the visionaries behind Little Miss Sunshine to Meet the Fockers. “Golf is just a backdrop here in the same way that horse racing was for Seabiscuit or rowing was for Oxford Blues. It’s not like a centerpiece of why you’re watching the show.”
Check out DECIDER’s full interview with the producing duo below.
DECIDER: I want to start by asking you guys, what first drew you to this project? I think so many people are going to come in and not know anything about golf. Me, I had to Google what a “stick” in professional golf means. What really pulled you in initially?
GUYMON CASADY: I would say just with Ben being the golfer of the two of us, I think one of the things that the show does so well is it explores broader themes than just golf. The show was inspired by Jason [Keller], the creator’s father, who was a former baseball player, a pro baseball player whose own career was cut short. And it was a big inspiration for Jason in creating the Pryce Cahill character, and then us deciding to put the show in the world of golf. We all think that golf is such a great metaphor for life, and it allows these characters to go on this incredible journey to realize each of their potential, starting from a place of circumstances where they’re stuck in their own way, and then finding each other and going on this trip together in this sort of dysfunctional family, found family way. I think it allows for the show to have incredible appeal beyond just being a golf enthusiast.
I think between your previous projects, Ben with The Office or Guymon with Game of Thrones, people are gonna look at this and say, “I don’t see the connection on how they all come together.” Is there a through line that you think from your previous project to this one that you really looked for when you were reading the script the first time?
BEN SILVERMAN: One thing in my own career is I tend to try and do things that are happy and aspirational and kind of in those worlds, whether it’s Ugly Betty or Jane the Virgin or The Office. And I really think there’s a lot of connectivity to Stick in that work. It’s optimistic, it’s aspirational, it’s characters that you wouldn’t necessarily find together if it wasn’t for the circumstances of the story. I don’t know if we would have seen Pryce and Santi having dinner at the mall if it wasn’t for this connectivity around this opportunity that Pryce sees in Santi and the journey that they go on together. I think there is connectivity, at least in how I view my work.
And I think Apple’s given us the opportunity to do television in a cinematic way. And that’s one of the things that’s very exciting about the show to me. It is very cinematic. The directors of our first two episodes are the directors of Little Miss Sunshine. We have the directors and the people involved with Meet the Fockers. We have directors and people involved with so much premium kind of A-list movie storytelling, but they’re in this television episodic narrative genre with us. And Owen Wilson’s a movie star doing TV for the first time. So there’s a lot of elements that I think the fans will connect to. And as you know, as somebody who has no love or interest in golf, golf is just a backdrop here in the same way that horse racing was for Seabiscuit or rowing was for Oxford Blues. It’s not like a centerpiece of why you’re watching the show.
CASADY: And it’s a show that families can watch together. It’s multi-generational and unlike Game of Thrones maybe, this is a show that I look forward to being able to watch with my kids and I hope others congregate around and this becomes a show that they can — families can watch together.
SILVERMAN: There are no dragons in Stick.
No dragons in Season 1 but what about Season 2?
SILVERMAN: Exactly. Well, many times on the golf course, you could think a dragon was coming at you, but unfortunately, it’s [a ball coming at] your own head.
The first six episodes of Stick are now streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes release Wednesdays.
Apple TV+ comes with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers and has just one ad-free streaming plan available for $9.99/month.
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