Chuck Lorre isn't a gambling man, but the themes in 'Bookie' are all too familiar
LOS ANGELES — When Chuck Lorre, the veteran TV producer behind such hit comedies as "Two and a Half Men," "The Big Bang Theory" and "The Kominsky Method," was considering bookies who operate on the fringes of legality in sports betting as the next subject to mine for laughs, it didn't seem all that personal on the surface.
But a risky profession confronting technological advances? It's all too familiar.
"The thing that first resonated with me about bookmaking is how it's become a sort of anachronism," Lorre says. "An age old profession threatened by technology and legalization. I couldn't help feeling that there was a parallel with being a sitcom writer. When I started, there were probably 56 comedies being made every week. Now, the number is maybe six. The image that comes to mind is a dinosaur looking up at the sky, watching a meteor hurtling down and wondering if he should be concerned. And yeah, I'm the dinosaur."
"Bookie" stars comedian Sebastian Maniscalco ("The Irishman," "Green Book") as Danny, a Los Angeles bookie struggling to maintain his grip on sports betting while disruption of his business looms. He's joined by Omar J. Dorsey ("Queen Sugar," "The Blind Side") as Ray, a former NFL player who serves as Danny's sidekick and enforcer.
Lorre co-created the series with frequent collaborator Nick Bakay, who has experience in the sports betting world and
