TV Writer/Comedian Sierra Katow
TV Writer and Comedian Sierra Katow is on the Письмо team crafting savvy plots and smart quips for this new Disney+ comedy series, “Earth to Ned.”
The Показать is the brainchild of those magical puppet people over at The Jim Henson Company and Marwar Junction Productions. And, Sierra helped to pen the recently released first 10 episodes, which includes celebrity guests such as Rachel Bloom, RuPaul, Taye Diggs, Raven-Symoné, Joel McHale and many more.
Sierra first proved she could make people laugh as a stand-up comedian. She was the youngest comic featured on Season 9 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and appeared on MTV’s Актёрское искусство Out, NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly, Just for Laughs Digital, and Laughs on FOX.
Since setting her sights on TV writing, she worked on Eko’s interactive comedy series, Epic Night, and Wong Fu Productions original rom-com series Dating After College. She was also a writers’ assistant for Drop the Mic on TNT/TBS and Take My Wife on STARZ. She graduated from Harvard with a Computer Science degree and served as VP of The Harvard Lampoon – so yeah, she’s smart. Plus, she likes to keep things positive by hosting and producing her original interview podcast, Stay Podsitive.
Sierra Katow recently answered some Вопросы about “Earth to Ned” and more.
Tell us about the new series “Earth to Ned.”
SIERRA: “Earth to Ned” is a new talk Показать on Disney+ hosted by Ned, an alien from outer space, and his sidekick Cornelius! All 10 episodes are up to binge and feature guests like Andy Richter, Gillian Jacobs, RuPaul, and Rachel Bloom. Plus, it was all filmed and created by the legendary Jim Henson Company!
How was it Письмо for a puppet? And, did Ты approach it differently because he’s not a real person?
SIERRA: Ohh definitely! On our first week, we got an incredible tour of the Jim Henson Company’s Creature Магазин to introduce the care and specificity of their puppets. Ned alone was operated by 6 separate puppeteers, so we made sure that if we wanted to write a particularly physical joke, it was something that Ned’s many-limbed body could pull off. However, the puppeteers were all so talented that they pulled it all off and made bits even funnier!
You also had a lot of Знаменитости on the show. What was that like and did Ты write their dialogue или was it improved?
SIERRA: Almost all of the interview dialogue was improvised, especially those fun reactions when guests first got to talk to Ned and Cornelius! The only parts we planned were certain questions, facilitated by the talented segment producers. So often the best parts that made it into the Показать were unplanned, like when Tom Lennon gets zapped by BETI for correcting her about American Gothic.
Any fun stories from the set Ты can share with us?
SIERRA: In an upcoming episode, there may или may not be a CLOD slingshot. (The CLODs are the little non-speaking creatures that live on Ned’s ship. IYKYK.) The incredible Благодарности team had built this slingshot for this bit we wrote, so naturally they needed to try it out in the parking lot. We cheered them on as they shot a few test CLODs across the parking lot. There were a couple misfires, but by the third, it was a success!
What’s the biggest lesson Ты learned from working on this project?
SIERRA: Well, aside from learning that aliens are real, I felt that my biggest takeaway from this project is to be flexible. Since a Показать like “Earth to Ned” had truly never been done before, it was always changing and improving as we were making it. I felt like the best energy I could offer was Показ up every день ready to contribute ideas even with an ever-moving target.
Do Ты have anything else in the works?
SIERRA: I’m currently Письмо for an animated kids Показать for Дисней that hasn’t yet been announced! And I have an adult animated Показать in development for FXX.
And, now just for fun:
Who’s your Избранное actor или comedian?
SIERRA: I’m a big Tiffany Haddish fan. Everything that comes out of her mouth is hilarious. Not to mention, she has such an inspiring story, and I’ve been thrilled to see her career blow up after following her stand-up for awhile.
What Показать from the past do Ты wish Ты could have been a writer on?
SIERRA: I would Любовь to write for “Succession” on HBO. I have no experience as a part of a Machiavellian media mogul family, but what a fun, hilarious cast of characters. I’d enjoy getting inside the twisted mind of a Roy – или even a Roy-adjacent slimeball.
Favorite movie или TV Показать from your childhood.
SIERRA: As a kid, I remember being obsessed with “Lilo & Stitch.” I was obsessed with Lilo because I also wanted to be a loud, expressive little girl. And that movie had aliens too, so I guess I found my way back to it with “Earth to Ned.”
Tell us one thing that would surprise our readers to learn about you.
SIERRA: I’m a stand-up comedian who began performing at 16!
How can Фаны keep up with you?
SIERRA: I’m on Instagram @sierrakatow link
and Twitter @sierrakatow link
And I’m always releasing new episodes of my self-help-themed podcast, “Stay Podsitive.” www.staypodsitive.com link
Thanks, Sierra – keep the laughs coming!
"Earth to Ned" on Disney+
Sierra Katow on "Earth to Ned"
Sierra Katow and team behind "Earth to Ned"
Sierra Katow - stand-up comedian
Sierra Katow host of "Stay Podsitive"
