The cameras started rolling, but the question remained: Would viewers likeWatch What Happens Live?
We were this ridiculous, low-budget show.
I wanted to proveWWHLcould be something big; luckily, people immediately responded to it.
Flash-forward to today, andWWHLhas become both a Bravo juggernaut and late-night staple.
It was an extension of my original blog.
That was abigconversation for me.
Afterward, he pitched aWatch What HappensTV show to Bravo.
They asked me if Id be open to trying it out, and I absolutely was.
Deirdre Connolly:It was the summer of 2009 and Bravo had givenWWHLa 10-episode order.
Cohen:I cant overstate how small our budget was.
Connolly:Caissie was very instrumental in creating the voice of the show.
She really understood Andys humor.
In 2010, supervising producer John Jude Schultz joined the team.
Cohen:We knew wed have a couple of guests anda lotof viewer interaction.
John Jude Schultz:Weve always been lucky to have great executives at Bravo [like] Eli Lehrer.
I cant recall one note [from him] asking us to change anything we were developing.
Connolly:We had a lot of creative freedom because of Andys existing position at Bravo.
Schultz:Maintaining the interactive format from the web show was super important.
Connolly:Theshows format seemed to grow week by week.
We didnt start with a studio audience, for example.
But after we had one, we thought, Wait, why not have an audience every week?
Schultz:TheShotskiis another example of how the show found its feet over time.
Cohen:I wanted the Clubhouse to look like my living room.
I remember buying two chairs from a thrift store, thinking they looked perfect for a late-night talk show.
I also knew wed be drinking on the show.
If I invited you over to my house at night, I would serve you a drink.
Connolly:I remember asking, Are people allowed to drink alcohol on air?
Id never heard of that before!
The First Live Show
WWHLwas set to premiere at midnight on June 16, 2009.
Cohen:There wasnt a ton of pre-production for the first live taping.
We rehearsed a lot, but ultimately, the show is live.
You cant really plan for that.
Connolly:The studio was so small and lacked proper air conditioning.
Andy was sweating like crazy.
The control room was also very tiny.
Cohen:I washot, but I wasnt nervous.
Looking back, I was surprisingly very calm and quite butch.
Connolly:Our first guest wasThe Real Housewives of New Jerseys Danielle Staub.
She came in wearing this tutu dress.
I had taken notes on the latestRHONJepisode and gathered fan questions, which we put on Andys interview cards.
Cohen:There was a lot going on, but I thrive in stressful situations.
I was thinking, Oh, this is fun.
Connolly:It went great, but I was thinking to myself, Is anyone actually watching this?
Once wed wrapped, we celebrated in Michaels office with champagne.
We were scrolling through Twitter to see audience reactions.
Viewers were asking, What is this?
but seemed to love it.
I wanted that feeling to last forever.
Cohen:I got the ratings the next morning and they were really good.
I couldnt believe it.
Connolly:Being mostly live, the show has suffered its fair share of technical challenges.
I remember havingThe Real Housewives of Atlantas Sheree Whitfield on for a fashion show extravaganza episode.
Minutes into the show, I realized we werent live.
Our signal was down.
We ran aHousewivesrepeat while frantically trying to fix it.
Andy had no idea.
Cohen:Deirdre [eventually] says in my ear, Were not on the air.
Somethings gone horribly wrong, but keep doing the show anddonttell Sheree.
I was sitting in my chair thinking, What?!
Connolly:We eventually got it out for the West Coast feed, at least.
Schultz:Andy leans into the messiness, which you have to do with live television.
I remember the fire alarm going off mid-show.
Cloris Leachman, Jeff Lewis, and Andy had to evacuate the studio.
Cohen:One moment that stands out to me is whenRegina King and Jackee Harry got really drunkon air.
We also had a guests boyfriend throw up in the audience during a live taping.
Schultz:Weve had some pretty awkward moments, too.
I think it was calledAndy Loves Crotchy.
Amber Rose also wore her sunglasses for her entire interview and wouldnt really answer questions.
Andys dog, Wacha, oncenipped at Carol Burnetts chinandate Maury Povichs glasses.
Connolly:There was once a turtle on set in honor of Kim Richards, because she loves them.
It took a horse-sized dump on the rug that stunk up the whole Clubhouse.
Cohen: AndKim Zolciak calling into the showto confront Nene Leakes on air was alsowild.
It wasone of the first viral moments.
The two of them were just going at it, and I was so uncomfortable but also incredibly amused.
I didnt know what to do.
Schultz:Idloveto still be here in 15 years.
Connolly:I hope we stay true to our viewer-first, interactive format.
Schultz:Fans tell me they watch the show every night before bed because its dependable.
Cohen:I would love to book some of my dream guests.
We still havent gotten Madonna, and Id really want Michelle Obama on the show.
These interviews were edited and condensed for clarity.
