"Drew Carey" Returns to Roots
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -- "The Drew Carey Show," which took a ratings hit last season, is undergoing a com-plete overhaul. Among the changes: Thesp Christa Miller is departing the ABC sitcom, and Carey's character will get a new job when the Winfred-Louder Co. is taken over by a dot-com. What's more, executive producer Bruce Helford plans to return "Drew" to its roots, focusing more on relationships and less on stunts. The show, which Helford created with Carey, will begin its eighth season in September. "We're going to go back to the early tone of the show," Helford said. "In our need to be innovative and get attention, a lot of the human ele-ment was pushed to the side, (and) that's what made the show great. We don't apologize for what we did, but the craziness of the show is going to go away." Miller's exit will open the door for the introduction of a new fe-male character, an old friend of Drew's who pops back into his life. Carey said his character's new job won't be clearly defined. "The whole year he is going to be trying to find out what the hell he does in this company and what his job is exactly," Carey said. "Drew" still has two seasons remaining as part of a three-year deal ABC struck with producer Warner Bros. TV for the series. Helford said it's important for the series to get a makeover now so that it ends its run the way it began. "We don't want this show to go out and be remembered for the goofiness," he said.
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) -- "The Drew Carey Show," which took a ratings hit last season, is undergoing a com-plete overhaul. Among the changes: Thesp Christa Miller is departing the ABC sitcom, and Carey's character will get a new job when the Winfred-Louder Co. is taken over by a dot-com. What's more, executive producer Bruce Helford plans to return "Drew" to its roots, focusing more on relationships and less on stunts. The show, which Helford created with Carey, will begin its eighth season in September. "We're going to go back to the early tone of the show," Helford said. "In our need to be innovative and get attention, a lot of the human ele-ment was pushed to the side, (and) that's what made the show great. We don't apologize for what we did, but the craziness of the show is going to go away." Miller's exit will open the door for the introduction of a new fe-male character, an old friend of Drew's who pops back into his life. Carey said his character's new job won't be clearly defined. "The whole year he is going to be trying to find out what the hell he does in this company and what his job is exactly," Carey said. "Drew" still has two seasons remaining as part of a three-year deal ABC struck with producer Warner Bros. TV for the series. Helford said it's important for the series to get a makeover now so that it ends its run the way it began. "We don't want this show to go out and be remembered for the goofiness," he said.
