Royal Pains Interview + CONTEST!

Posted June 3, 2009 by shooting in Uncategorized / 59 Comments

Interview with: Mark Feuerstein

Conference Call with Various Websites (My question is in bold…sadly, I could only get one question in but the whole interview is great and you learn a lot about the show. Mark was very kind and gave us all tons of details on the show.)

Contest: You’ll have to get to the end of the interview to find out!

M. Feuerstein I would like to thank you all for being here. I apologize beforehand for any awkward moments when I can’t hear you or you can’t hear me, or we step on each other; that’s just part of the game.

Moderator Our first question will come from the line of Jamie Steinberg with Starry Constellation.

J. Steinberg Hello. It’s a pleasure to speak with you.

M. Feuerstein It’s a pleasure to speak with you.

J. Steinberg What made you want to be a part of the show?

M. Feuerstein What made me want to be a part of the show?

J. Steinberg Yes.

M. Feuerstein Well, first of all, I grew up in New York City, going to first a public school, then a private school, and when I got to the private school in Manhattan, I learned of what we called “The Promised Land,” which are the Hamptons. I’ve always had an affinity for the Hamptons. I think it is one of the most romantic, beautiful, pristine, exclusive, in a private and kind of meditative way, places on earth.

So, when I heard about a show which was about a doctor set in the Hamptons, I jumped at it, then I found out it was my friend, Andrew Lenchewski, who had written the script, and then I found out that the role of Hank Lawson was a guy who was a dramatic, comedic, and romantic lead with all this dimension and everything that a good cable show has to offer, and that it was on USA, the number one cable network – which supports its shows rather than makes them crazy, as they do sometimes at the networks – and I just decided that this was just my new vision quest and I had to have it. A month later, after a relatively rigorous audition process, I got it, and I was in heaven and I still am.

J. Steinberg What about the role do you find challenging?

M. Feuerstein Well, Hank is a complicated guy, because as a child his father lost all the family’s money in the stock market, and then you find him at the beginning of the pilot getting fired for not bending over backwards and risking a neighborhood kid’s life to save a rich guy. So, he has a very tenuous and conflictual relationship to money, and there he is being asked to take care of people with a lot of it. So, I love the inner conflict just built into the situation, but I also think he’s just a good guy at heart, whose heart is in the right place, who wants to do good and make good on his Hippocratic Oath to take care of people. But also he’s a good brother, and I don’t know, he looks out for people and his heart is in the right place.

J. Steinberg What have you liked about working with Paulo Costanzo?

M. Feuerstein Paulo Costanzo is insane, and I love every part of his insanity. He is someone with no filter, whatever is appearing in his brain will come out of his mouth, and I love that about him and I love the way that that translates into his portrayal of Evan Lawson. Evan Lawson as a character is someone who, I don’t know, he’s sort of on some level the opposite of Hank. He doesn’t think about anything before he does it. He loves money. He loves the good life. He’s sort of living the Dionysian fantasy, and we’ve put him the perfect place to live it out. So, Paulo Costanzo only is perfect to play a part like that, because he is Dionysus himself.

Moderator And we’ll go on to Chandra Williams with TV Jots. Please go ahead.

C. Williams Hello, Mark.

M. Feuerstein Hello, Chandra. How are you doing?

C. Williams Fine, thank you. Thanks for answering our questions.

M. Feuerstein My pleasure.

C. Williams How does Royal Pains fit into USA Network’s hit lineup of character-driven dramedies, and what makes this show and your character appropriate additions?

M. Feuerstein Well, it could not be a more perfect network to have Royal Pains on it, and I’ll begin by telling you that I’ve been on my share of network dramas and comedies, and the problem sometimes in a network is they have a single-minded focus on making the show true to whatever genre it is. So, if you’re on a drama, it better be procedural, it better fulfill all the demands of a procedural show, and you better keep those episodes independent, so that if I’m watching the show in seven years as its syndicated on some other cable network, I don’t have to know what happened before or after the episode, and everything is meant to support the procedure. If you’re on, say, a comedy, everything has to be funny and wacky and zany.

But somehow USA has found the perfect marriage of procedural drama and comedy, and they have it in Psych, they have it in Burn Notice, they have it in Monk, they have it in In Plain Sight; every show manages to somehow blend comedy and drama and tell a story that might be slightly serialized. So that you do have to tune in every week to see, say in our case, the relationship between me and my landlord, Boris is at, where my relationship with me and Jill, the romantic relationship that I’m involved in, where we’re at with those. But at the same time every week if you tune in, you’ll watch a medical drama, a medical story told from beginning to middle to end, and it will also satisfy all the demands of a procedure, while giving you all this character, all this story, all this nuance and comedy along the way.

C. Williams What do viewers need to know about your character, Dr. Hank Lawson, that might not be so obvious from the premiere episode?

M. Feuerstein You’re saying what characteristics are there in the character of Hank that might not be so obvious?

C. Williams Yes, in the premiere.

M. Feuerstein What you don’t get to learn in the premiere, which frankly Hank doesn’t know, is what the heck he’s doing there in the Hamptons. You know he meets a girl he kind of likes, maybe loves, but beyond that, he was meant to be an emergency surgeon in a hospital at a good job in Brooklyn, and he lost it, but why wouldn’t he just go to another big city and find another job as an emergency room. Well, he’s landed in the Hamptons, and he’s going to stay here to see what it holds for him. He’s taken a turn in his life, where he’s decided he’s going to be more impetuous, less planned out, because the plan he had of the perfect life didn’t work out.

So really every week we’re figuring along with Hank what he’s doing there. In episode three, it turns out that there are all these people who are not rich who have been left behind by the medical care system, and he and his love interest, Jill, end up becoming like a Bonnie and Clyde type of team, where there’s this pile of papers of people who all have lost their medical coverage, their COBRA’s have run out, their Blue Cross/Blue Shield premium has gotten too expensive, and I steal some of those papers from Jill and decide to go find these people.

I find a guy who works on the docks in Montauk, and he has hepatitis C, and I decide he’s going to be my patient and I’m going to take care of him, even though the system won’t. So, at the end of the episode, Jill calls me the “Robin Hood of medicine,” because I steal from the rich and give to the poor. When that phrase came out, which was actually the result of last-minute rewrites between Michael Rauch, our executive producer, and Don Scardino, our director, but when that phrase was born I said to myself, okay, now I have some sense of what Hank is doing there. He’s going to help use the system out there, all the money out there, to help all the people who don’t have it.

Moderator And our next question will come from Troy Rogers with deadbolt.com. Please go ahead.

T. Rogers Hello, Mark. How are you doing?

M. Feuerstein Good. How are you?

T. Rogers Not too bad. Not too bad. Hank seems like a very cool, nice guy. I was wondering, is there anything about him that you didn’t like or that you’d like to change?

M. Feuerstein Wow. First of all, in television oftentimes the character that you’re seeing portrayed is not so far from the people who are playing them. In other cases, that’s not so true, especially in the case of serial killers. But in the case of Hank Lawson, you know, I wish I were as noble and altruistic as he is, but there’s definitely things about who I am that I try to bring to the table. So, off hand, my answer is no, there’s nothing that I don’t like about Hank Lawson, because he’s me and he’s perfect.

But I will say that Hank might fall prey to the tendency to possibly think too much, to overanalyze a situation. There are many situations where professionally he doesn’t think at all, he just goes with his gut, and it works out for him. But there are moments in his romantic life and moments with his brother where he has a tendency to be either too good or too thought out and might possibly forego certain experiences in his life because he’s trying to do the right thing or plan too much, so that could be one thing that he could work on. Sure.

T. Rogers Okay. Cool. I also wanted to know, back in the day when you were a young bachelor; did your apartment ever smell like a moose mixed with Chinese food?

M. Feuerstein All the time. It was hard, because at the time I was in fact a moose hunter, and I let all the carcasses just sort of lie there, then I would pour the beer on all of it, so that’s how it got that smell. But I’ve since changed my ways and now it’s just elk.

Moderator Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Melissa Lowery with nicegirlstv.com. Please go ahead.

M. Lowery Oh, gosh. I’m still laughing over that image.

M. Feuerstein Thank you.

M. Lowery Nice.

M. Feuerstein Thank you. Sorry to put that in your brain. I wish I had a switch or a vacuum to take it out, but you know, it happens.

M. Lowery
Yes. Yes. That’s great. Well, you know, that sense of humor is something that I saw watching the pilot episode between you and Paulo as Hank and Evan. Can you talk to us a little bit about the relationship between these two brothers and how that’s going to unfold?

M. Feuerstein Yes. I have an older brother myself, and I think the relationship between Evan and Hank is very similar to my own real relationship with my brother. I mean, the beauty of brotherhood, brothers having several different people representing a generation of a family, is that each member represents a different point of view. So, Evan is the one that, you know, we both watched my father, our father lose his shirt in the stock market, but what you bring away from that depends on who you are. So, my younger brother watched that and said, “Well, if my father got lost in the shuffle, I’m going to make the money that he never made. I’m going to figure out a way to live the good life that he was never able to live.” That’s a perfectly valid way to approach it, and a perfectly valid response.

Hank watches what happened and says, “You know what, my father put too much premium on money, and it was superficial, and it was fleeting, and screw that. Money is not the be-all and end-all. It’s about taking care of people and living a somewhat stable existence.” That’s exactly the life he was trying to build for himself before he lost his job and his fiancée and all of it went to hell in a hand basket.

So, you know, I think the relationship between me and my brother is the yin and the yang of life, and as a result of that we have a lot of conflict, but at the end of the day, we have more love and that’s what keeps us together.

M. Lowery Well, that’s going to be a lot of fun to watch, and especially I think in this setting, whereas you said earlier, Evan is something of a Dionysus individual. So, is he just going to flourish here? Is he ever going to go back to his accountant practice?

M. Feuerstein Well, first of all, you will learn in an episode, maybe the fourth episode, you will learn something about why he left his practice, and it may have something to do with certain dealings on his part that were not entirely kosher. So, that’s one part of the backstory that comes out in episode four, and it makes one believe that he might never return to being a CPA, and why he’s far more dependent on HankMed than maybe I am. But you will also watch him flourish in the Hamptons, because this is his Promised Land. It’s where everyone has the thing that he fantasizes about most: money and nice cars and nice clothing and beautiful women.

So, he is just in heaven and he’s making every moment count and loving life. It’s great to watch, because Paulo’s fabulous and the enthusiasm and giddy joy he gets out of all these rich houses and beautiful cars and beautiful women, is just a joy to watch. You always want to see someone appreciating all the artifice of the world while I’m trying to get in there and bring some substance to the table.

Moderator And our next question comes from Sheldon Wiebe with eclipsemagazine.com. Please go ahead.

S. Wiebe Hello, Mark.

M. Feuerstein Hello, Sheldon.

S. Wiebe When I was talking with Andy and Michael last week I noticed in the pilot that it’s really structured oddly. You love the guy right off the bat, I’m talking about Hank here, for doing the right thing, and then there’s that epic self-pity montage that kind of reaches a point where you could hate him, but then he rebounds. What I’d like to know is, going into that, how do you prepare and how do you work it so that you remain sympathetic to the audience, even though it’s really pushing the edge like that?

M. Feuerstein That’s a very well crafted question, and I appreciate it, Sheldon. Thank you. First of all, it’s the … of the pilot that determines how the character handles his actions and his choices after he makes certain decisions. In the playing of it, I think at that moment in time self-pity is not necessarily appealing, but the humor with which we … can make it slightly more so. So, for me, like when there’s the moment where I’m sitting by the table, I don’t know, ice cream is dripping off my chin and I’m watching the movie Mask, and in the middle of my depressed … the odd kiss between Eric Stoltz and Laura Dern, where she’s trying to kiss him through his weird catcher-mask face, kind of look at them and I’m just …, and though I’m sitting there wallowing in my own pity, it’s kind of haunting to me that I’m noticing that. So I love that little montage just for that moment.

Then you watch a guy, at least by not protesting, just agree to go out to the Hamptons and have a good time, and then suddenly he’s back in action, saving the model who drops on the floor at Boris’ party. So, you’re watching a guy who’s basically, he’s a human being, you know, he loses his dream job and his dream fiancée and suddenly has to realize that his dreams are not all they were cracked up to be. I feel like he’s entitled to a moment of depression, but he quickly bounces back and then kind of goes with his gut and I hope audiences will sympathize with that and appreciate that.

S. Wiebe Cool. Also, the show’s other major coup, as far as I’m concerned, besides getting you to play Hank is having Campbell Scott want to play Boris, who is a very mysterious character. I’m just wondering what kind of a relationship builds between Hank and Boris, and how much fun is it to work with Campbell Scott?

M. Feuerstein I’m so glad you asked that question, because I love Campbell Scott. Before we did the show I only loved him as an actor, and really admired his work; now I love him as a person. It’s a dream to work with him, not just because he’s so professional and he shows up and he is like beyond perfection on the first take and then the second one is even more brilliant than the last, but also because nobody else could perform this very odd role of a German baron named Boris in the Hamptons. But somehow in his person and in his delivery every line comes out in the most nuanced, unique, original way.

And Paulo and I, who are already living the male fantasy in the show, are living out the actor fantasy when we get to perform with Campbell, because any actor would dream to do a scene with Campbell Scott, he’s just one of the best actors we have. And when he says a word, like my name, “I have plans for you, Hank,” or when we’re talking about the scene where he has a shark in his basement, that’s all I’ll say for now, and he’s looking at it and he talks about how sharks have buoyancy, and he just has fun with the word. He just says, “Yes, these sharks, they have so much buoyancy.” Then there’s a line where I’m doing a scene with Paulo, and he says, “Because Hank, the best things in life are free.” No one can do the delivery the way he does it, but it makes you stand there, wonder what the hell just happened, why am I scared, and who am I dealing with, and then when you stop and they yell, “Cut,” you go, “I’m dealing with the most brilliant actor I’ve ever gotten to work with.”

So, in conclusion, it’s pretty good. I like working with Campbell Scott. He’s amazing.

Moderator And our next question will come from the line of Lauren Becker, Shooting Stars Magazine.

L. Becker Hello, Mark. Thanks for talking to us.

M. Feuerstein It’s my pleasure. Great questions coming from this team.

L. Becker You were talking before how Royal Pains is not like a medical drama, it’s not a comedy like on a lot of other networks, and USA is really good with having realistic and multidimensional characters. I was just wondering, what kind of demographic you feel would like this show, like what shows on USA are kind of similar, do you have any idea, or do you think it works for anybody?

M. Feuerstein I always believe that my greatest audience will come from 70-year-old Jewish men and Jewish women, but that’s me from my experience of going to High Holiday services and being adored by the women with free candy in the back. But then beyond that I think we should have a large following from the gay men of America; I’ve certainly noted their appreciation and fascination with me. Beyond that, it’s hard to say, but I’m hoping that all women are enticed by our charm, wit, and our whimsy, and all the men are appreciative of the beautiful women and intense medical drama that ensues. Beyond that, it’s hard to say because you never really know who’s going to respond, but I hope everyone does.

L. Becker Well, I think you have most people covered, so we’re good.

M. Feuerstein Okay, cool. Cool.
L. Becker Yes.

Moderator And our next question comes from the line of Jay Jacobs, popentertainment.com.

J. Jacobs Hello, Mark. How are you doing?

M. Feuerstein I’m good, Jay. I like the alliteration in your name.

J. Jacobs Oh, thank you. My mother had a strange sense of humor, what can I say?

M. Feuerstein My son is Frisco Feuerstein, so I appreciate that.

J. Jacobs Okay, great. Now, were you familiar of the concept of a concierge doctor before getting this project? I have to admit, when I first heard of it I thought it might be made up, but apparently it’s a real thing.

M. Feuerstein I was not aware of it at all. And my brother and I both, like we would wonder when we were sitting after getting banged in the head or breaking an arm in a wrestling match, sitting in the emergency room for five hours waiting for a doctor, we would turn to each other, going to a private school in New York like good, superficial children, saying, “What do rich people do when they get hurt? Are they sitting here for five hours, waiting for some triage nurse to get you?” Here’s the answer: it’s concierge medicine. It’s private physicians for hire. The good thing is the character has evolved, so I’m not just taking care of rich people, that I take from the rich and also give to the poor.

But I had not heard of concierge medicine before. Now I’m realizing, not just because I’m doing this show and everyone’s talking to me about it, but the truth is I just read an article in the New York Times that in this economic crisis of this country lots of things are getting hit, but one of the few things that is not only remaining stable as an industry but actually growing is concierge medicine. I guess it’s because even in times of panic or especially in times of financial crisis, people are still most concerned about their health and if there’s anything, they would still spend the money on is to guarantee that they don’t get sick. Even furthermore, that in times of financial crisis their jobs will depend on their physical and mental wellbeing, so it will behoove them to protect that above all else.

J. Jacobs Right. Now, also, in the pilot, you sort of explained, I was wondering, I had only seen the pilot and I was wondering if he would use the rich people to help the poor, and you did answer that. But it just was interesting to me because Hank doesn’t really seem like the type to put up with the rich people’s foibles, do you think that he’ll be able to sort of balance doing all of his good with dealing with sort of spoiled heirs and people who have flat tires and stuff like that?

M. Feuerstein You watched the pilot very well. I appreciate your viewing comprehension. I think that Hank as far as … world, like any stereotype, if you believe that rich people are inherently bad in such a general way you will eventually be corrected, and our show is totally not trying to say that people with money are evil. Our show is trying to paint a detailed and specific world filled with nuance and accuracy. So, instead of just superficial rich people you have a character like Tucker, who is the child of wealth, but who has an absentee father who doesn’t give the son the father that he needs. So, he’s constantly in pursuit of an example, a role model, a male companion, and Hank comes in in episode three and provides that much-needed support to this kid. So, you know, Hank becomes more than a doctor, and the rich people become more than just superficial and pedantic.

C. Fehskens And we have time for one more question.

Moderator And that question will come from the line of Bryan Jones with tvovermind.com. Please go ahead.

B. Jones Hello, Mark. I appreciate you doing this. I loved the pilot. It was great.

M. Feuerstein Oh, thank you.

B. Jones I couldn’t help but notice there were a lot similar, kind of visual elements, as well as just kind of overall style between Royal Pains and Burn Notice. So, I was curious what you thought other than being a spy and killing people, your character might have in common with Michael Westen and what things he certainly doesn’t have in common with him.

M. Feuerstein What a great last question, I have to say. I love it. My answer has 17 parts that I’d like to address, so we’ll be on the phone for a couple of hours. No, I like the question because, first of all, I love Jace Alexander, who is one of our co-executive producers, and Jace directed the pilot of Burn Notice and he directed the pilot for Royal Pains, so, another A for viewing comprehension.

What I love about the way he shot Royal Pains, like there’s one tracking shot that though it doesn’t advance the story as much, it creates this beautiful picture of the world, I think they had to fight to keep that shot. But it’s such an awesome tracking shot through the whole party, as everyone’s looking at me wandering through the party, you get to see the faces of the people who live in the Hamptons, so, the hot ladies, the rich men, the plastic surgeons, the kind of characters who live in the world. And you get to see it through this very cool, very slick camera move that says to the viewer, “This show is going to move along at a fast clip, and it’s going to be fun, and you’re going to get characters and stories along the way.” I think that’s part of USA’s entire aesthetic. So, the camera work is consistent with sort of the message of the entire network, which has its own sort of personality and brand at this point.

The other thing that I wanted to say is that USA is so smart in the way that they market our shows that they’ve actually managed to sort of create this universe … who could in some … live in the same universe. And they’ve done that in a crossover promotion, where Michael Westen, the character from Burn Notice, is actually sending a letter off and in the letter he says, “Hey man, I know what it’s like to come to a new place and set up shop when you don’t anybody and you don’t know the lay of the land. So, here are a few things that might help you. Here’s a bottle of suntan lotion”—which is perfect for him in Miami and me in the Hamptons. “Here’s a pair of sunglasses.” Perfect. “And here’s some C4 explosives.” So, here I am at the end of the promo, staring at a package of clay explosives, not knowing what to do with it, and that, of course, is where our characters diverge. But on all other fronts they’re quite similar. They have a sense of humor, it’s slightly dark, and they’re in this very … and beautiful place, in the case of him, Miami, and in our case, the Hamptons, to do a job. So, somehow USA managed to create this very uniform, very diverse but sort of well-tied-together world.

I think that’s it. So, I want to say to everybody thank you for the time you’ve spent, and we’re really excited about our show. So, we really appreciate all the time and all the information and all the support that you guys have given us. Thanks.

C. Fehskens Thanks again, Mark. That’s all the time we have for today, folks. Transcripts of today’s call will be distributed in 48 hours, so please look out for those, and of course, remember to tune into the series premiere of Royal Pains next Thursday at 10:00/9:00 Central on USA Network. Have a great day, everyone.

M. Feuerstein Goodbye, guys.

Now…time for the contest. But first, I have to say AGAIN that Royal Pains debuts on USA tomorrow night (thursday) at 10/9c and though I’ve seen the pilot episode, I will be watching it again with my family because I just loved it that much. You should definitely check it out.

Contest-

To Enter: Comment on this interview with what you thought of it, what you think of the show, etc.

Open To: U.S. Only!

Ends: June 22

+5 Extra Entries: Watch the pilot episode and leave another comment here with your thoughts on the show!

Prize:

One Grand Prize Winner will receive prizing valued at over $300!

ROYAL PAINS SUMMER TOTE

A perfect bag is a perfect prescription for fun! Filled with all the essentials for a lazy summer weekend, the Royal Pains tote is just what the Hamptons ordered!

-First Aid Kit
-Travel Scrabble
-“Cure Your Royal Pains” T-Shirt
-Prescription “Candy” Bottle
-Hamptons Magazine
-Oversized Beach Blanket
-Royal Pains Red Band-Aid Box with Custom Band-Aids
-The Hamptons Dictionary
-Tate’s Cookie Carton
-Kiehl’s Summer Lotions Kit
-Playing Cards
-Inflatable Inner Tub

Final Details:

ROYAL PAINS stars Mark Feuerstein as Hank Lawson, a young E.R. doctor who, after being wrongly blamed for a patient’s death, moves to the Hamptons and becomes the reluctant “doctor for hire” to the rich and famous. When the attractive administrator of the local hospital asks him to treat the town’s less fortunate, he finds himself walking the line between doing well for himself and doing good for others. The series also stars Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty.

Visit the official site at http://www.royalpains.usanetwork.com/, follow Royal Pains on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/RoyalPains_USA, and be a fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RoyalPains

59 responses to “Royal Pains Interview + CONTEST!

  1. The name of the show puts me off it sounds really snobby but after that interview it sounds right up my alley. One thing I'm left wondering about after that interview is; is Frisco really a name? If it is, I'm glad it's not mine because it just makes me think of Crisco and that can lead to poor schooling experiences. *laughs* Wonderful interview however very funny and definitely makes me want to tune in.

    forgot this
    teensatthelibrary@yahoo.com

  2. I will be watching tomorrow night and I think the show looks great (plus I trust your awesomeness Lauren!) I really liked the interview-Mark is very funny and I like that even though it's a medical show, it's not like the other medical shows out there.

  3. Wow that was really really long. Haha. Kudos if you had to type that up. But you had a great question. Obviously, he was very fun to talk to. I will check out Royal Pains. I like USA shows, I just don't watch them too much because my mom really loves them. Don't ask me how that goes together. Man, I wish the 4400 were still around. It was really cool you were able to participate on that conference call.

  4. Summer: It is pretty long, Mark was quite a talker…but that's awesome, it shows he loves the show and his role. And no, thank goodness, I didn't have to type it up. I just went through and bolded things.

    It was a lot of fun and I'm so glad people enjoyed the interview. I'm glad you are going to check out the show now. I need to watch more USA shows but I LOVE Psych…so I agree, they do really well on the shows they pick.

    Sarah: Yay, I hope you love it as much as I did. I'm so excited to watch the first episode again and then continue the rest of the season. 🙂
    Agreed, he was definitely funny and a great pleasure to talk too/listen too.
    I'm glad it's a new kind of medical show too…it seems like so many of the ones out there are very similar and that gets old.

    Brittany: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the interview…and you know, thanks coming from my end with the one question I asked. 🙂 I'm glad you're more interested in the show b/c of the interview though as opposed to the name. There are some snobbish people but the main characters aren't…so I think you'll like it! And I've never heard the name Frisco…but I have to admit, I AM glad it's not mine as well.

    Shelley: Aw, yay! I'm so glad to hear that. I hope you enjoy it.

    -Lauren

  5. I hadn't really heard much about this show but it sounds like a great set of characters in a really cool setting – hope it does well

    msboatgal at aol.com

  6. Deb

    I like how this show has a lot of the look and feel of Burn Notice, one of my favorite shows. USA is definitely doing something right!

  7. I totally got hooked to House when I started watching it, and this sounds similar. Well, with the doctor thing. But it also sounds unique – I think I'll have to check out the pilot!

    The interview was great, and Mark is hilarious. I think this pretty much sold me on the show.

  8. Chelsea: You most definitely have too! I think it'll be a great new show and that's exciting. Yay, I'm glad. I know, the interview made me MUCH more stoked for the show b/c of the details Mark gave us on future episodes and just how friendly he was about everything.

    Deb: USA is great, I do agree! And hopefully you like this one as much as Burn Notice.

    Tetewa: Thank you!! I hope you enjoy it. Definitely come back and leave your thoughts.

    littlehype: It really does have some fun humor and I'm glad the interview just makes you more anxious.

    I Heart Monster: Whenever is just fine, I hope you like it!!!

    scottsgal: I do agree. I hope it does well too b/c it's a fun show that I want lots more of!

    -Lauren

  9. I really enjoyed the interview! I have always loved watching doctor shows! And I think the Hamptons will be a great setting for this show! It sounds like a fun show with a fun group of characters! I think that Royal Pain is going to be a real winner! I am really looking forward to the start of the show!

    Sylvia
    bbort10356@aol.com

  10. Chris was me, sorry! I didn't switch users I guess. 🙂

    Cookie/Sylvia: Definitely, I really love the characters and I think it'll be a great addition to the USA lineup. I just hope others enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first episode. I'm glad you liked the interview and thank you for leaving a comment/entering the contest.

    -Lauren

  11. my dad and I caught the show after the season premiere of Burn Notice–I liked it quite a bit, though I fear it'll be a show I watch by myself (dad wasn't so into it…but then again he has less reason to watch it for Mark's gorgeous eyes…)

    Great interview though!

  12. I really enjoyed watching the debut of Royal Pain, it had a great mix of drama, humor and action! I love the character Dr Lawson, he is not only good looking and sexy, he is a great actor!

    The entire show was fabulous! I especially loved how Dr. Lawson came through and diagnosed and saved the woman at the party in the Hamptons! Then he continues to diagnose and save others throughout the show. I could not take my eyes off the TV screen, not knowing what was going to happen next! The show was great from start to finish!

    Royal Pain has a lot of great possibilities, I can see this show going far and I mean far! I am looking forward to many seasons of Royal Pain!

    By the way, I also enjoyed the background music played during the show! Great Stuff!!

    Sylvia

  13. Sylvia: Thank you so much for writing back again with your thoughts on the show, and I'm so glad you could watch the pilot. I absolutely agree with everything you said. I think Hank is a great character and I can definitely see a lot of possibilities for this show. I really do hope it does well and we can have many more seasons. The music was a great asset to the show as well, I agree! I'm a big fan of music, so it was nice to see some things I knew and some I didn't.

    Lexie: Thank you very much for your thoughts on the show. I'm sorry you might be watching it on your own, but I'm glad to hear you did enjoy it, and yes, your dad might not be willing to watch a show based on the main person's eyes…I have no clue why though! 😉

    -Lauren

  14. Wasn't sure if I'd like the show b/c I thought it might be snooty being set in the Hamptons and all. Wow! It was really good! I loved the characters – little brother kept me laughing! I'm so glad they decided to stay in the Hamptons – everyone loves the Dr! This is one I'll be watching.

  15. Danielle: You're welcome and I'm sorry you missed the pilot. You might be able to find it online, but definitely see the next episode.

    Shelburns: Yay, I'm glad you want to continue watching. And I know, Evan is definitely a favorite of mine. He's great. And I'm very glad they stayed in the Hamptons too. 🙂

    -lauren

  16. Caught it online this morning. LOVE it. Will definitely be tuning in for more. If you missed it and didn't record it, you can go to http://www.usanetwork.com/series/royalpains/video/fullep/ and catch up…

    I love is it Divia? the PA girl. She cracks me up and looks like she has the potential to be a great character. And I'm really excited to watch more.

    Thanks to you guys 'cause I'd never have even caught this great show if it wasn't for you – I didn't hear about it anywhere else! :o)

  17. Cool interview! I like that he thinks his built in demographic is the old Jewish crowd.

    Parts of the prize would definitely be fun on my trip this summer.

    I'll try to watch the pilot to see what I think.

  18. Very detailed interview! Unfortunately, I don't have the USA network, so I have not had a chance to see this yet. 🙁 But this is a fantastic giveaway, so please count me in!!! Hopefully I'll get a better cable package soon and can actually check this out, LOL!

    ~Beeb
    supercoupongirl AT gmail.com

  19. Beeb: It really is, isn't it? I loved the questions asked and the answers that Mark gave. He was very open and willing to discuss the show. It was great, so I'm glad you enjoyed the interview.

    You're definitely entered and I'm sorry you can't see the show, but I hope you can in the future…or maybe online or something!

    Livinia: hah yes, I really loved his answer for that one! 🙂
    Very true, if you're going away anywhere, this prize pack would be quite handy. Definitely see the pilot and post again with your thoughts.

    I Heart Monster: Yes! I'm so happy to hear you love it too. And thanks for the link. I'll try and post that sometime soon so everyone knows they can catch the episode if they missed it or don't have the channel.

    I believe it's Divya, and yes, she's amazing. I'm very excited that she's such a career-oriented girl with a wicked sense of humor. The way she talks to Evan is just great!

    Really? Well, I'm so glad we could tell you about it and that's great you're a new fan. I hope the rest of the season is just as great.

    -Lauren

  20. I've really been dying to see this show since I've been seeing the ads. I love the idea of a concierge doctor in the Hamptons!

    BookCrossingKitten22[at]gmail[dot]com

  21. I really enjoyed the pilot. It was fun and light and perfect for summer. I totally love the guy who plays Hank's younger brother. And who doesn't love a bar of gold as payment for services? 🙂

    BookCrossingKitten22[at]gmail[dot]com

  22. Kitten22: I do like the idea, it really is nice to have a "doctor show" that doesn't take place in a hospital. Oh yeah, I'd take the bar of gold too! lol But yes, Evan is great!! I'm glad you enjoyed the show.

  23. Excellent interview! I'd love to be entered into this contest.

    yvone473[at]optonline[dot]net

    I watched the premiere episode and I'm already hooked! I'll be watching every week.

    Thanks for the interview and contest!

  24. loved the interview Lauren! very interesting question by the way…

    I watched the pilot episode on the premiere night and I just love the show… its gonna be an awesome season! woohoo! 🙂

    romancebookaddict(at)hotmail(dot)com

  25. Yvonne: Thanks so much, and I'm glad you're hooked on the show. I am for sure!

    Dani: Aw, thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the overall interview. It was very interesting to me too.

    I can't wait either!! I'm so happy you liked the pilot and are going to continue watching.

    -Lauren

  26. Fun interview. I've enjoyed doctor shows ever since Dr. Kildare (which really dates me). I think he's just as cute as the young Richard Chamberlain. Thanks for the contest.

  27. This was a really interesting interview. You asked a great question. I know I have told you this before, but I think your work here is awesome. I am impressed.

  28. I was already hooked on Burn Notice. So it was natural that I would also watch Royal Pains. I loved how Dr. Hank changes from a snob to a fairly normal person. It was so funny how everyone knew everything about everybody else. I am hooked on this show and would really, really love to win the prize package.

    Thank you,

    Christine
    womackcm@sbcglobal.net

  29. I love how open Mark is about not just the show but USA in general. He's right that this show hints at the same dynamics as many of the other USA suspense/comedies with good writing and the right mix of situations.

  30. After watching the permiere you can definately see the foil between Hank and Evan, but it certainly works to get Hank involved in the situations where Evan's bluster gets things done, such as getting in the front door at the party. So the question now is – gold bar or dead weight?

  31. Peggy: Awesome, and I'm a definite fan after the first episode. Can't wait for more.

    Stepper997: Nice thoughts on the show, and I have to agree with your thoughts on the brothers. I liked how open Mark was in the interview as well. Very interesting!

    Christine: Thanks for entering and your comments, I'm glad you read/enjoyed the interview and yay for liking the show. I was cracking up whenever anyone said "it's the hamptons, word travels fast." It's a good show!

    Leland's Mama: Aw, thank you so much. I'm glad you liked my question and the interview as a whole. I'm so glad you enjoy the zine.

    Valerie: Oh, it is. I highly recommend giving it a shot. 🙂

    -Lauren

  32. What a fun contest and great interview! I've been watching the promos and since I'm a huge fan of Burn Notice it got my attention. It was so interesting hearing about the concept of the show and the commercials tying the two shows together. Very clever! I'm a sucker for medical shows too so it's an interesting twist to have the doctor make "house calls". It's so true that USA Network does a great job creating good dramedies.

    5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

  33. I did watch the pilot episode and it was really good! I'm always curious to see how a show will handle a characters fall from grace. He lost everything making the right choice but it sets him up for something better. It was easy to hate his girlfriend and it was easy to like his sidekicks. The emergency situations were interesting the way they were handled by the super rich. A teen uses a credit card to get a private medical helicopter! I loved the line the boy's girlfriend said "What are you McGyver?" although she would be too young to even know who he is. I'm going to keep watching this one. I love the humor mixed in. That's the best part!

    5wrights1[at]verizon[dot]net

  34. Shelly: Well, I'm glad. I'm definitely a fan.

    Danielle L: I'm glad you thought so, thanks for the comment.

    Wrighty: I'm glad you liked the interview. USA has some great shows, I agree. They really do try and make things unique. The commercials that mix USA shows are always fun to watch. I loved the Royal Pains/Burn Notice one.

    That's great you watched the pilot and enjoyed it! I do agree the humor is a definite plus for this show. Makes it a lot of fun to watch. I hope you like the rest of the season.

  35. I really liked the pilot (we watched it last week because my brother likes Burn Notice so we were already watching that)…. it did a great job mixing the comedy and the fun of the rich-y Hamptons craziness with the medical bits. I'm glad it's on again already today 🙂 It should be a great show for the summer.

    book.splot[at]gmail[dot]com

    (and congrats on getting to ask your interview question!

  36. We did watch the pilot and I really liked it — I wasn't sure at first about it because I thought it might be too silly but I found myself caught up in the characters and I plan on continuing to watch it.

    marielay@gmail.com

  37. It's funny that I came across this blog. I am currently an accounting undergrad student and have never heard of this show. I just might have to check it out. Thanks for the info and the giveaway.
    Be well from Amber!karmakaytlyn@yahoo.com.

  38. I also have not heard of the show. Now I want to make sure I check it out. I enjoyed the interview. Please enter me – what a great prize package!
    pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

  39. Great interview!

    +5 I've watched the pilot and the rest that have showed. They are on my tivo! yay! and he's totally hot!

    enter me please!

    cnhand84 at yahoo dot com

  40. I've been lurking around the blog for a couple of weeks after stumbling upon it. But seeing numerous ads on USA and beginning this interview motivated me to finally get around to watching the episodes of Royal Pains on my DVR today. I am seriously impressed with the casting on the show –USA continuously does a superb job in finding great characters to fit their brand. Mark Feuerstein sounds like an awesome guy and he's a great leading man. I think my favorite thing about the show so far is actually either Hank's relationship with Tucker and Evan's with Divya. I think Hank could end up being a father figure to Tucker after seeing him call Tucker at the end of the Pilot and stand up to Mr. Andrew McCarthy in the second episode that aired.

    Anyway, that's so cool that you guys got to be a part of this interview. Good question. 🙂 And I love that you all post about a bunch of different things; I'm finding some great stuff on here –particularly some new reading material. Best of luck to you guys and thanks for this crazy giveaway.

  41. As for the first episode I really liked it. When the first few minutes played, I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I really like the show. The characters are fun, and I like the premise.

    So far, I've seen three episodes! I'll watch the fourth one when it comes on hulu.

Leave a Reply

(Enter your URL then click here to include a link to one of your blog posts.)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.