When my mind (and everything else) was in the sewer

Here's an episode of JUST SHOOT ME I directed. Things to look for: Lisa Edelstein guests. I had an orangutan to deal with, a water stunt, and a special glow-in-the-dark effect. All in front of a studio audience.

The orangutan was somewhat unpredictable. You'd give him an acting note and he'd forget it. I told the cast to just stay in character if he did anything bizarre, and I told the camera crew that if they saw him doing something strange stay on him -- don't go to your next mark. I can always come back and pick it up later. As a result we caught some magic. My favorite moments are the monkey dragging a chair and looking up Wendie's dress.

After the audience left I had planned to do a bunch of pick ups with the orangutan and his trainer said I had about ten minutes because it was nearing his bedtime.  I asked, "What happens if he stays up past his bedtime?"  The answer: "He gets mad and bites everybody."   Ohhh-kay.  Ed Wood never directed scenes so fast. 

It's a fun episode written by Andy Gordon & Eileen Conn, called (appropriately enough) "Sewer."