Two seasons in, and “Bookie” still feels like a surprising line on creator Chuck Lorre’s IMDB page. It’s precisely because the Max dramedy differs so drastically from the work he’s typically known for that the executive producer is so passionate about the sports betting comedy he co-created with Nick Bakay.
“For many years, I’ve wanted to do something that I’m not familiar with. I wanted to do something where I was uncomfortable and I did not have the skills necessary, but I could learn them or I could find people who knew them and rely on them to make these things work,” Lorre told TheWrap. “‘Bookie’, from day one, was a stretch for me, but it was something I sought out. I didn’t want to keep doing something that I was comfortable with. I wanted to do something that frightened me.”
Sebastian Maniscalco’s Danny would certainly feel uncomfortable next to Sheldon Cooper or Alan Harper. Unlike Lorre’s other worlds, which often live in the bubble of sitcom logic, there’s a sharp danger to “Bookie,” a series that follows a veteran sports booker as he tries to deal with his irrational and increasingly dangerous clients. It’s not unusual for Danny to end an episode with a bloody nose or a death threat. Yet, as he faces these daily battles, there’s a bigger threat looming over the horizon in the form of legalized sports betting. Rather than a warm family comedy or a series about quirky friends, “Bookie” stands as a panicked and somber reflection on a dying industry wrapped in dark humor.
While working on the first season, Lorre and Bakay quickly realized that the “beating heart” of their series was the relationship between Danny and his partner, Ray (Omar Dorsey). The importance of this relationship is heightened in Season 2.
“Despite the aura of tough guy bookies, they’re really victims. They’re victims at home, they’re victims at work, their clients are ridiculously difficult. They’re victimized in success because they don’t know how to handle enormous amounts of cash. Cash is an incredible problem, and you have to figure out how to launder the money so that you can use it,” Lorre explained. “The big discovery for Nick and I in Season 1 that carried over in Season 2 is our alpha dogs are not alpha dogs.”
Though Lorre admits that he’s scared to pursue this new form of storytelling, that feeling harkens back to why he’s drawn to TV in the first place.
“Failure’s built into this thing. It’s my belief that 20% to 30% of any script that I think is bulletproof stinks. I have to recognize that and be prepared to make those changes on the fly,” Lorre said. “That’s scary when you have to walk over to the actress and go, ‘Let’s take a break here. I want to rethink the entire scene.'”
“I guess it could be called scary, or it could be called exciting, depending on how you look at it,” he reflected.
Over the course of his storied career, Lorre has been responsible for some of the most beloved shows on television, from “Two and a Half Men” and “Dharma & Greg” to “Young Sheldon” and “Bob Hearts Abishola.” But there’s one thing the acclaimed showrunner hasn’t done that he’s eager to try: CGI.
“I love watching things where I don’t understand, ‘how did you do that?'” Lorre said, pointing to “Gladiator II” as a good example. “I love being overwhelmed with awe at filmmaking and television shows that are remarkable and frightening and exciting and amazing. The idea of someday being able to do something with tools that I’ve never laid a hand on, that’s still out there for me.”
“Literally anything you can imagine, you can create with this technology now,” he continued. “Can you use that technology and make a comedy? I’d like to find out someday.”
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