BPS 251: How to Sell an Original Show to Hulu with James Lafferty & Stephen Colletti

Our guests this week are stars from the early 2000s teen drama
television hit show, One Tree Hill, James Lafferty, and Stephen
Colletti. The buzz the show had was undeniable, and if you were a
fan of the show, then you would be glad to know that your favorite
characters, Nathan Scott and Chase Adams have a new project
together and they talk all about it this week’s
episode. 

But first, a summary of our guests’ track records in the industry.
Both James and Steven landed their first acting gigs in their late
teens and have since expanded their skills to writing, producing,
and directing. 

James, started out as a series regular on One Tree Hill in 2003,
having appraised one of the lead roles of the show for which he was
nominated four times by the Teen Choice Awards. Actor and
television personality. Stephen joined as a regular after recurring
his role as Chase Adams since the show’s premiere.

Half-brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott trade between kinship and
rivalry both on the basketball court and in the hearts of their
friends in the small, but not so quiet town of Tree Hill, North
Carolina. Here’s a first look at the characters in its pilot
episode:

Steven has consistently worked in film and television hosting MTV
specials Beach House, Spring break and the VMAs backstage live
among others. He’s made appearances on TV shows MTV reality
television series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, VH1 2013
romance drama, Hit The Floor, and Taylor Swift’s White Horse music
video.

Between 2009 to 2012, James began testing out the directing pond.
He directed four episodes of the nine-season run of One Tree Hill
and five episodes of The Royals, which he played another lead role
on. In 2016, he briefly graced our screens in six episodes of
Underground, the series, as Kyle Risdin.
With the country on the brink of the Civil War, the struggle for
freedom is more dangerous than ever. Underground follows the story
of American heroes and their moving journey to freedom.

The guys creatively reunited to create an original comedy
television series, Everyone Is Doing Great that’s streaming on
Hulu. They co-directed, produced, and wrote the show.  What
was remarkable was that they sold an independently produced show to
a major streamer, which never happens. We dive in on how they were
able to do that. 

The seven episodes show follows Seth and Jeremy, two guys who
enjoyed relative success from 'Eternal', a hit television vampire
drama. Five years after their show has ended, they lean on each
other as they struggle to reclaim their previous level of success
and relevance, awkwardly navigating the perils of life and love
amidst a humorously painful coming of age.  

I had lots of laughs with these two and can’t wait for you to
listen.

Enjoy my conversation with James Lafferty & Stephen
Colletti.

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