Tackling the Mouse House

'Clerks' creator brings animation to small screen on ABC

The cartoon alter-egos of the cranky characters made famous in the movie "Clerks" debut in prime time this week

By Donna Freydkin
Reporting for CNN Interactive

May 31, 2000
Web posted at: 2:19 p.m. EDT (1819 GMT)

(CNN) -- You can't accuse director Kevin Smith of living in a fantasy world, at least when it comes to his work.

After a two-month delay, "Clerks," the animated series based on his 1994 hit cult comedy, is to premiere on ABC. It debuts Wednesday at 9:30 p.m., following a "Drew Carey Show" repeat. But Smith, 30, isn't exactly counting his chickens -- or Nielsen numbers -- just yet.

	CHAT TRANSCRIPT
Director Kevin Smith discusses the movie-based cartoon from the "days of grunge and flannel"

After all, he knows something about the roller-coaster world of showbiz. In addition to "Clerks," Smith has "Mallrats," (1995) Chasing Amy" (1997) and "Dogma" (1999) to his credit, films which have received different reviews and acclaim.

"Break a leg, right?" he asks, referring to the common show-business good-luck saying.

"Clerks," which takes a behind-the-counter look at the mundane lives of Dante and Randal, two convenience-store employees, isn't big on the ABC radar screen, so Smith has made it his mission to mouth off as much as possible about his series. Like that smelly substance at the bottom of your shoe that resists cleaning, Smith's diatribes about the fate of "Clerks" just won't go away.

Quite the contrary, in fact. Thanks to news outlets and the Internet, word is getting out about the new animated series.

"The squeaky wheel did get the grease," says Smith. "I think we were effective in getting as much press as we've gotten thus far. If I hadn't bitched and moaned, I don't think we'd be seeing spots on 'Who Wants To Be a Millionaire' or as much press as we've seen."

"Clerks" had a promising start, but then faltered before gaining momentum again.

Smith met with ABC some three years ago and pitched the network an animated version of his smutty comedy "Clerks." The Disney-owned network, coping with sagging ratings at the time, was all for it. In fact, it even bequeathed "Clerks" with a coveted advertising spot during Super Bowl XXXIV. The show was supposed to be on ABC's spring schedule.

"Their ratings were in the toilet and their stock was down and I think they were like, 'Let's try anything," Smith says. "We were part of that 'anything.' Then they got Regis, jumped to No. 1, and didn't feel so desperate anymore."

Smith refers, of course, to Regis Philbin, host of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." The show singlehandedly resurrected ABC in the ratings, and the buzz for "Clerks," which Disney head Michael Eisner reportedly didn't even like, faded.

Smith says he's learned a simple lesson from the whole debacle: "Never, never make a show on ABC."

Lessons learned

Smith, at his View Askew production company office in New Jersey, is guardedly optimistic about the fate of his show. He should be; after all, it's based on a film that cost Smith less than $30,000 to make and helped brand him as Hollywood's hot young indie filmmaker.

Smith says he will never work with ABC again

Other Smith films helped secure his reputation while simultaneously generating controversy that ruffled social and corporate sensibilities. "Dogma," his religious satire about two fallen angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) seeking to reenter Heaven, managed to arouse the ire of the Catholic League. Oh, and also brought about another scuffle with Disney, which finally dropped the movie.

So why work with Disney again, on an equally contentious project? "We were working on this before the whole 'Dogma' thing happened," Smith says.

But when was the last time loads of press hurt a movie? Perhaps because of the controversy leading up to its release, "Dogma" performed astoundingly well at the box office. Smith says he was shocked by the film's grosses, which exceeded $30 million.

"We did three times our budget," says Smith. "At the end of the day, we did that business because of the stars in it. Largely, I was shocked because it was a movie about Catholicism. It may have been the ultimate niche film and still to do that kind of business - I was pretty happy."

Smith, who says he'd work on another TV project in a heartbeat - "Absolutely. Just not with ABC" - is eager to leave his mark on the small screen.

"The pay-off is really, 'Wow, we had a cartoon for a few minutes there,'" he says. "Something to throw in the old hope chest and show the grandkids when they're older. When (his daughter) is of age, I can tell her that daddy worked on something really ill-fated."

For now, the director is content to stay in his native New Jersey, where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their 11-month-old daughter, Harley. He plans on releasing another film, which will feature the recurring characters of Jay and Silent Bob (played by Smith) for the last time, next summer.

And if a certain network came calling again?

"If it was ABC, I'd run in the other direction," he laughs. "I wouldn't even entertain the notion. And I don't think they would, either."

Review: 'Dogma' not the end of the world
November 12, 1999
Kevin Smith on New Jersey, fatherhood and 'Dogma'
November 12, 1999
'Clerks' filmmaker turns to matters of the heart
April 9, 1997

Clerks
ABC
The View Askewniverse

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