Press Release from Amdram Productions:
My phone has been ringing off the hook, and my email is overflowing with commentary about Mick’s recent dissatisfaction of his current role as Color Commentator for Smackdown. Everyone wants to know if he is up again for the lead in our sitcom, which was originally scripted for Mick, entitled Hey, Dude!
While we would love to work with Mick on one of our Amdram projects should he become available and should he be able to solidly commit to us on paper, the fact remains that he is presently under contract with the WWE. To the best of my knowledge, he still hasn’t the time to devote to taking the lead role in Hey, Dude!
And while we would love to have Mick re-commit, we realize that his schedule may not coincide with our current schedule… this does not mean that we aren’t flexible. Of course, we would be more than willing to work around Mick’s schedule if it meant him signing onto the project; for we believe that Mick would not only be a good fit for Hey, Dude!, but it would also elevate Mick to another level of his career that we at Amdram know he’s capable of…
To set the record straight, no… we have not signed anyone for the lead, as we are still in the midst of deciding on all open roles for Hey, Dude! As of this writing, the lead role is still currently under negotiation, and we’re optimistic in that we will come to a decision very, very soon. We’ve got to have just the right fit for this role… without saying too much, we do have certain criteria in what we’re looking for (which is why we’re careful about our choice)…our talent should be able to laugh at himself, must be willing to be thrown into silly scenarios for comedy’s sake, such as wearing a dress in a scene. Our lead should also be comfortable working with many pop-culture guest-stars that will be appearing on the show.
All in all, our talent should be able to laugh at himself. We’re producing a cutting-edge, satirical take on the "real-life" of a wrestling superstar. Choosing the right talent is essential. This is why Amdram Productions is so dedicated to this end.
Jonathan Mankuta, one of my Amdram producing partner’s (and cast as one of the lead roles for Hey, Dude!) recently made an appearance at Comic Con in San Diego. He was asked by quite a few wrestling fans to spill the beans regarding our casting decisions for the new lead for Hey, Dude! because there have been quite a few names on our list, such as Diamond Dallas Page and Kevin Nash. However, at the time, Jon never figured Mick would be a possible forerunner again due to Mick’s WWE commitments. By coincidence, both Mick Foley and Diamond Dallas Page were also appearing at Comic Con. When the news broke of Mick’s (possible) unhappiness at WWE on the Internet chat boards two days ago, Jon was asked if Mick would be reconsidered for the role should he became available. Jon’s response was "If Mick does become available, I’d love to work with him; he’s a great talent and a very funny guy. And, just like me, he’s a native Long Islander… we’re pretty darn funny people…just ask Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin James, and Rosie O’Donnell!"
Hey, Dude! is a truly comedic endeavor, and while it will be nothing short of fantastic time throughout (might be a foreign concept to some, but Amdram has fun while working!) the decisions we make on everything from choosing talent to writing script, to basic and involved business decisions have to be taken seriously, cautiously, and wisely.
If any of your readers have any feedback, we’d love to hear about it, as we feel the best way to give a great show is to simply give ’em what they want.
Warm Regards,
Gail Bleckman
Producing Partner
Amdram Productions, Inc.