The TV Chick

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the “Paging Nurse Jackie” event at the Paley Center. I was able to speak individually with Edie Falco (adore her) and Eve Best (Dr. O’Hara is quite wonderful and she was so lovely) and will be posting those next week. The event started off with a screening of next week’s episode. Because a lot of the cast members were in attendance, it was great to watch their reactions to different moments on the show. When the screening ended, the panel was introduced: Edie Falco, Richie Jackson (Executive Producer), Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius (Co-Creators). I was a bit disappointed that they weren’t able to have the rest of the cast on the panel, but I know it’s Edie’s show and I was thrilled to be there none the less. Fun tidbit: On the red carpet, a fan asked her what it’s like working with a vampire (Peter Facinelli) to which Edie responded that he knows she’ll bite back.

In any case, the panel started with Edie saying how she got a script from a neighbor called “Nurse Mona.” It was way too dark and had some sci-fi elements to it. The main idea for a nurse was taken from that script. Liz and Linda wanted to write a script that Edie wanted to do, so they made “Nurse Mona” lighter and opened it up. Edie had no idea what she wanted to do next after The Sopranos, but she thought Mona was fascinating. She was a wise-ass, smart, sarcastic woman and all of that appealed to her. Liz and Linda knew with Edie they had a capable woman who could be the storyteller. They knew she just came from a world where Tony Soprano was the center of the universe and they wanted to take her and put her in the center. The creators knew they could be dark and edgy with Showtime.

Edie was asked if she did research for the role, she said that she did but she’s normally not a research person. She spent some time at Bellevue, and she joked that she didn’t actually spend time as a patient at Bellevue. The show has great advisers to make sure the show looks authentic. However, Edie doesn’t think the show is about the hospital, she thinks it’s about the people. When asked about healthcare in the news, Liz said that healthcare being in the news just makes them feel better about telling these stories. They want to be a part of the dialogue without lecturing. Richie Jackson added that Jackie is an advocate for patients, and that if you look closely the beds are always full in the hallways of All Saints which is subtly pointing to the healthcare problems.

The panel was then asked about the daughters, which is one of my favorite parts of the show. Linda said that they all talked about this and they wanted the kids to be real. They want to take time to tell Grace’s story and not simply wrap it up in one episode. Liz added that Fiona is clumsy to get the attention of her parents which is generally on Grace. Linda expanded on this by saying how carefully they picked the child actors and that the kids are Jackie’s Achilles heel. Edie chimed in when asked about going from the Soprano family to this one by saying that you never really know if you are making the right choice. Her criteria for a show is that she finds it interesting. The challenge was internal: what could keep her guessing? She is challenged on this show in a way she wasn’t before. Linda added that Edie is a partner on the show, and that she is a great barometer. She jokingly added that she will be a camera operator soon. Edie said she doesn’t want to be a producer because she doesn’t want to have to answer for some things. Edie said she understands the way Jackie’s mind works, and that addiction is a very specific mindset. She thinks that the addiction is at the core of much of her behavior. She thinks adultery might be in part because of the addiction. Jackie compartmentalizes her life, in denial that the other part exists.

When asked if they have heard from actual nurses, Liz said she goes to the Facebook fan page to read fan reactions. Now they think Jackie’s crazy but they root for her. Some nurses say that Jackie says everything they wish they could say. And then of course there are the Akilitus’ of the fan page who say that the show is a disgrace to nursing, but that is about two percent of the posts. She added that the nursing  community is her favorite fan group. Instead of a premiere party, the show had the RX Games where the cast and real nursing professionals competed in various different games for charity.

The panel ended and then the audience Q&A began. Besides a ridiculous question from an actor/writer who wanted to pitch a show to the creative team, most were very thoughtful. One audience member said the show reminded them of Saint Elsewhere, and the creators said they definitely were fans of that show as well as MASH. The creators said their biggest compliment is that the show feels too short. I wanted to ask about Mo-Mo, but someone else beat me to it. Apprently, he is on the Upper East Side working in a dermatologist’s office, making three times the money. In “Nurse Mona,” Mo-Mo was Jackie’s best friend. In this show, the season started to morph and Jackie became best friends with Dr. O’Hara. They said that they miss him, too. (Mo-Mo, come back!)

Another fun fact about the show is that the pilot shot in St. Mary’s hospital in Brooklyn, which is where Edie’s grandpa was born. It was a requirement for the show to be shot in New York, because of Edie. She never thought she’d be in a position to be able to say that when she was a waitress trying to make it as an actor. She realizes it is a very lucky position to be in. She added that she is having a ridiculously inappropriate amount of fun on the show. Linda also added that Jackie is the sun and everything revolves around her. I couldn’t agree more!

It was great to see what the creative minds behind the show had to say. Edie was great, humble and hilarious as she talked about Jackie. I am so excited that the show has already been renewed for season 3 and cannot wait to see more antics, and whether Jackie’s secrets will ever be revealed. The only thing I wish the moderator asked was what happens if people find out about her addiction. Does that mean the end of the show? Would she go into rehab? I doubt there is any plan to completely reveal her double life to anyone but the audience anytime soon but I’m curious. The Paley Center never disappoints in terms of their panels and events, and Paging Nurse Jackie was no exception. I can’t wait to see what they have planned next.