BEVERLY HILLS -- Chris Rock has had a hell of a year. Besides hosting this year's Academy Awards, he had two big movies open on the same day: Madagascar and The Longest Yard.
Yesterday, he was front and centre at the TV press tour, the star attraction of UPN's highly touted new comedy Everybody Hates Chris.
A critic asked: Did he consider 2005 to be his best year yet? "There's still time for this to be a s--tty year," said Rock, always eager to lower expectations. "I could still mess it up."
The 40-year-old comedian is the co-creator and narrator of Everybody Hates Chris. The Wonder Years-like sitcom, which has been scooped up in Canada by CHUM's CITY-TV, has the hottest buzz of any new comedy for fall. Rock fielded plenty of questions about whether he'd actually stick with the series. The show was originally developed at Fox. Word is executives there walked away from the series, convinced Rock would get too busy with movies and other stuff and that the promise of the pilot would soon fade. "My name is Rock -- not Chappelle," he slammed to ooohs from the packed press conference.
The third season of the hit Comedy Channel series Chappelle's Show was derailed recently when Dave Chappelle, the man who stole Rock's title as the "funniest man in comedy," suddenly went AWOL. Rock says he's no quitter. "What have I walked out on?" he asked critics. "I'll be around. My name's on it."
Rock does have a well-earned rep for dropping the "N" bomb and other taboo language during his HBO concert specials. The taboo racial epithet even snuck into the pilot for Everybody Hates Chris, which is based on Rock's childhood memories of growing up in a mostly white neighbourhood in Brooklyn, N.Y. "People that curse have families, too," said Rock about his family comedy. "If (censors) say I can use the F-word, there's a bunch of them coming, too."
Critics persisted. Can you really use that kind of language on TV today?
"S'cuse me, n-----," Rock blurted, cracking up the four young kids in the cast, including 12-year-old Tyler James Williams, a former Sesame Street tyke who plays the young Rock.
Where did they find Williams? "I was at Michael Jackson's house, right in the driveway," said Rock to howls from the room. "This kid ran out -- 'SAVE ME!' "
Williams was then actually asked if he had ever been to Jackson's house. "No, and I don't plan to," he deadpanned, proving himself a worthy chip off the ol' Rock.
Dressed in a plain white, untucked shirt, black pants and white tennis shoes, Rock dominated the session and was swarmed on stage later by reporters. Dawn Ostroff, the president of UPN, admitted she chased Rock like a terrier, hounding him with cellphone calls and e-mails until his Fox deal ran out and he committed to her network.
Plus, "she hired me a hot nanny," kidded Rock, who actually just appreciated being wanted.
The title of the show sounds like a goof on Everybody Loves Raymond, and it is, but Rock said it was just something that flew out of his head one day. Ostroff backed it and the title stuck.
What were some of the other suggestions? "Let's Shoot Chris In The Head," Rock joked. "Mad About Chris Rock. Rock-feld."
Rock says his favourite sitcoms growing up were The Jeffersons ("My all-time favourite show"), The Odd Couple, Newhart and The Cosby Show.
Today he watches Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Simpsons -- "Still the best show on TV." With two daughters at home, he doesn't have a lot of time for sitcoms. "The Wiggles are big in our house," he said.
What sucks on TV? Three's Company always sucked, he said. Even at age 7 he could "see those plots a mile away." And special guest stars always suck, especially on so-called "Black" comedies. "Oh, it's Shaq," he mocked. "Just some horrible excuse for him to dunk. Always bad."
He didn't dismiss my question about him maybe sneaking on camera in his series, if the right cameo came along. At this point, co-executive producer Ali LeRoi admitted Rock would be just too big a distraction. "Just look at this session," he said.
