'Hey, Dude!' Producers Set Records Straight About McMahon Nixing Foley, More

The producers of Hey, Dude! sent this email to WrestlingInc.com:

There have been many comments and articles lately strewn across various Internet sites regarding our sitcom, Hey, Dude!, a show that was to star Mick Foley as our central character. In the interest of writers and publishers getting the correct information, myself, along with my three producing partners- Jonathan Mankuta, Steve Strangio, and Richard O'Sullivan – would very much like to set the record straight regarding our affiliation with Mick Foley, as well as where we are at this point in time.

The "development deal with CBS with a desired spot on HBO" is actually an Amdram Productions show which we have interest in from multiple stations. However, as of this writing, there has been NO commitment from our team at Amdram to any particular station- either cable or network. If I'm not mistaken, the rumor mill has it that this will be an HBO production... as of this writing, there is no contractual agreement between us and HBO; however, we would very much like to home this at HBO. You should also be aware that there are no commitments for any other entity to handle the casting; again, as of this writing, we will be responsible for all the casting, not HBO nor any other distributor or firm.

It is indeed a sitcom, and some of its stylistic elements have been compared in a similar vein to Curb Your Enthusiasm, but with many ground-breaking differences, and a very "edgy" type of humor.

There is much positive buzz about the show... unfortunately that's how rumors start, hence this email to you to set the record straight.

The show is co-executive produced by myself, Gail Bleckman, as well as my other producing partners: Jonathan Mankuta, Richard O'Sullivan, and Steven Strangio. Amdram Productions is truly an innovative team. Our show entitled Hey, Dude! (working title, please include the punctuation marks too!) would have involved Mick Foley as a co-executive producer had he not left due to his contractual commitment as color commentator for Smackdown. Moreover, although we have created the character of an agent/manager for Hey, Dude! which embodies a similar dynamic of Curb's Jeff Green (played by Jeff Garlin) to Larry David, it should be stressed that Barry Bloom has had NO creative involvement in the project, nor was he to be involved in the production of it, other than handling the negotiation of Mick's contract as his manager.

It should also be noted that I, Gail Bleckman, while an old friend of Mick Foley's on a social level, did not go to high school with Mick... we had met shortly after our high school years.

The show is indeed still in the pre-production stage but shooting is not committed to October; our shooting schedule will be dependent upon the schedules of our production team and the talent involved. Our producing partner, Rich O'Sullivan, has just had a TV pilot project greenlit (also centers around the wrestling industry) and is involved with the production of a movie involving a few Hollywood A-listers. Jonathan Mankuta is currently cast in a major role... he's off filming in an Indy comedy project overseas, and has some other professional commitments this summer. Steve Strangio is currently in development with two of his screenplays? Journey to the Strip Mall and Sex Ain't Love, as well as signing a deal to debut six of his full length plays over the coming years. And I am currently producing a reality series to be aired towards the end of the summer. At this point in time, we are finessing negotiations as well as developing our first season's scripts for Hey, Dude! , so life for us all is quite a bit hectic! That stated, we cannot currently commit to a final production schedule, although we do have a tentative one in place (but even that is still subject to change).

A replacement for Foley's role has NOT yet been solidified, however a few well-known names have expressed interest in the lead role. Some that we are indeed considering: Kurt Angle, Dallas Page, Kevin Nash, and a few other pro-wrestlers. Rock star Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Rupert Boneham ("Survivor") are two other names in which are in the mix to co-star. Additionally, there are some other "known personalities" that we are considering (yes, Roddy Piper's name came up as well!)...

It should also be noted that while Mick Foley would have played himself, it is indeed a scripted sitcom, and not a reality show.

Hey, Dude! is to be shot in L.A. as opposed to New York. In our phone conversation about his new job, Mick was indeed regretful that he needed to back out, primarily due to a time commitment issue. Foley, a family man, would not have been able to handle a commute back and forth to California with his rigorous schedule as color commentator for Smackdown coupled with being a devoted father and husband. And, while it is true that we would have worked around Mick's schedule, he would have literally had no time to devote to his familial responsibilities.

It should also be noted that Vince McMahon did not "nix" Foley's involvement with Hey, Dude! Mick has the contractual freedom to write his own ticket. I can speak for myself and my producing partners when I say that we would welcome any cross promotional opportunities with the WWE that would not interfere with our production and creative control of Hey, Dude! As WWE is already aware, featuring pro-wrestlers in the mainstream is always a smart move, much like they did with the Great Khali in the movie Get Smart.

The fact of the matter is that we have a unique, original premise for a sitcom (much of which remains tight-lipped by our team) and, while Mick Foley would have brought a very distinct persona to the lead character, as of this writing, he remains unavailable to star in Hey, Dude! While it is also true that Mick's personality cannot ever be duplicated, we are very confident that we shall be able to find a suitable lead for the role. Our loss of Mick Foley's comedic talents have been somewhat of a setback, however, to coin the old phrase... the show must go on!

On behalf of my producing partners at Amdram Productions, I would like to very much thank you (in advance) for any support of our show! We are very interested to find out what your readers think of this type of a show. It is indeed a series with a unique flavor which will not only draw in the ever-expanding professional wrestling fans, but will also find an audience that just wants to watch, well, one damn good sitcom! I should also mention that while some may try to duplicate our concept, we happen to have a phenomenal script that incorporates many well known names, and a writing/production staff that is fresh and very much in touch with the pop culture surrounding the industry? our show Hey, Dude! is basically unrivaled by every stretch of one's imagination!

Thank you very much for the opportunity to set the record straight...

Warm Regards,
Gail Bleckman
Producing Partner/Show Runner
Amdram Productions