>> good evening from los angeles. i'm tavis smiley. tonight having a conversation with emmy award winning actress, lisa kudrow about her acclaimed hbo series, "the comeback" after a nine-year absence which skewers reality and television and other targets is a sharp-edged comedy about the lure of stardom that's both hilarious and heartbreaking. we're glad you have joined us. conversation with lisa kudrow coming up right now.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> with an emmy award, multiple nominations and two screen actors guild awards, a writer, plus ten years on "friends" lisa kudrow knows a thing or two about fame producer as well as actress, she co-produced the come back about a less than talented sitcom actress desperate for the limelight. after a nine-year hiatus the comeback has made a comeback, let's take a look at the series.

>> hi. valorie. >> of course. how's it going? nice meeting you. i knew this was low budget they got you working the gate now, too? is that what you do? >> hey. >> thanks dude. nice meeting you. >> he's the best. i think it's important to give chance a leg up in the business. >> you're doing it again. just like the original? cool. >> can i see some id. >> really? you need his id? maybe he can show you some of his worldwide box office grosses? >> i have those in my glove compartment if you need it. actually. >> that's so funny. these are for you. anyway. here. >> oh, you didn't have to do that. >> happy birthday. it spilled a lot. oh god. okay. i'm really sorry. here. you know what? you do it. >> exactly, yeah. you know, we just met. give me an hour at least. >> that's funny stuff. glad to have you back.

>> thanks. happy to be here. >> let's jump right in. why did the come back, why has the come back made a come back? >> i think the people at hbo who were there now, they always liked the come back. you know, they called up michael patrick king and said will you and lisa come in? we miss valorie. we think others miss her. and if you have any ideas, then let's do it. we were in shock after that meeting we were waiting for our cars going who gets that? >> i was in shock when i read about it. what do you make of that that in this business, this happens so rarely that years later they call you in and say you know what? let's look at this again. >> i don't -- i think it's -- it was a bunch of factors and you know, not the least of which look, entertainment weekly kept putting the comeback on a top list of shows from the decade and all these wonderful things and i noticed that people

younger and younger discovered the comeback and they loved it. >> right. >> and i think when it was on in 2005 it was just a little too uncomfortable for people. since then we have had stuff like that. >> what do you think has changed in our society from 2005 when this first premiered to 2014 that makes us a project like this more digestible, more relevant? you tell me? >> first of all, reality tv, we did this in 2005 it was really only the second season of amazing race and there were no real housewives of anywhere yet. you know? i think orange county started in 2006 so we also didn't have a point of reference for women humiliating themselves that much for fame. sorry housewives, but you do. and you know why you're doing it and that's what makes you smart.

[ laughter ] but we're just used to everybody just putting themselves out there for a little spotlight. everyone broadcasts themselves on the internet. everyone publishes themselves on the internet. everyone is doing that. >> there are at least one or two ways to read through your artistry here what you make of reality television in real life. >> uh-huh. >> i can put it that way. >> i don't understand it either. >> yeah yeah yeah. one read is that as you joked a moment ago, i think you were joking that these reality tv stars are really pretty smart to do what they're doing, knowing what they're doing and getting paid while they're doing it. >> some of them. >> or this is your send up, this is your spoofing of something that is completely stuck on stupid.

>> it's both. i mean it is. you're right. that's a lot of it. back in 2005 especially it was reality tv exits ridiculous and manipulated and then a send up on the type of person who thinks well i can control it. no you can't. you really can't. and anything to do with entertainment, that's the goal. especially with reality tv it's depending on you humiliating yourself for it to be a good show. thinking anything else is fool hearty. >> let me explore that a second. if i'm the actor in a reality series and i know what i am doing is acting, they may call it reality but it's acting, how am i humiliating myself any differently than jim carrey in dumb and dumber? what's the difference in humiliation? >> well, to me the difference is

it's your name. >> right. >> it's your children it's your husband, your actual life. and then to say yeah but that's not real. well, what is real? i think that's an actual question. that's not anything that me or michael patrick king who created the show with me, it's an actual question. that's sort of one of the -- we have different motif themes going through the series. this time there is that question is when is it you and when is it not you and it seems to be dependent on convenience. we will have valorie playing a character, a villainized version of her. written by a guy who tortured her nine years ago who hated her, this is his villainized

version of her. it's all that. and she has decided, you know, in one moment that's me. they can't do that and then she's offered the job and it's not me it's the character. it's okay it's not me. and we watch in every episode that's not me or that's me. you can't have it -- you know, like so what's the difference. you can't decide that. >> as i listen to you talk now i wonder whether or not this is really an expose on human beings at large, not just reality stars or bona fide actors but who we are as human beings that we want to pick and choose and ebb and flow when we want to be real and not real, when it's really us or not. that's an indictment on us as human beings in society today. >> indictment is harsh. >> yeah. actor portrayal?

>> i'm going to play it safe and call it an observation. >> okay. okay. i'll take that. i'll go with observation for 500 please. [ laughter ] we'll go with that. observation. you mentioned -- you're funny. that's why you do what you do. >> thank you. >> and you get paid for that, too. >> sometimes. >> you mentioned -- not today you're not. you mentioned motifs and themes. mention some in the come back now and i'm curious about whether or not those themes because time has passed are different than what you exposed us to in 2005? >> some of them are different. i think the one about who are you and what does that mean? who you are and who you think you are, but also something that is kind of similar and we end it on the note of what about your marriage? how does that stack up as a priority to you? the personal stuff. personal relationships, i guess. with mickey the hairdresser is

kind of -- you know, he's an employee but also we come to see they mean a lot to each other. it's -- it's that stuff, you know, when is work the priority over your personal life and at what cost which is not, you know, something brand new but we thought we wanted to really take a look at that nine years later a marriage of 13 years not four years any more. >> how interested are you or not interested in getting us to wrestle with and marinate on themes in our real lives through your artistic work or is that not what this is about in anyway, not even a small percentage. >> it's in there if you want. >> but do you want us to see that? is that what you are after or is it just about acting and doing a funny project for you? >> well, it's both.

it's not mandatory that anyone get everything that's in there. we do feel, you know, maybe, you know, we think a little more of ourselves than we should. but there are certain layers to this. but the bottom line is that it's entertaining or strikes a cord and even if you can't articulate what the cord is beyond some discomfort, then that's fine, too. you know? yeah. and also i learn a lot from what people write about it when i am brave enough to read what people write about it that their take away is that is in there but that wasn't the intention. >> i'm glad you said that. do the take aways sometimes surprise you? you discover stuff that you didn't even intend or know or see? >> yeah. there is a little, just a little moment that someone picked up on in the second episode when valorie is telling mark. you like hbo, you like mad men and he's like that's on hbo?

no it's on a & e. it's not on a & e. and someone said how funny they said mad men and hbo passed on mad men so it's a dig at hbo. well, not intentionally. you know, that's there. i think you meant broader themes but little things, were we unconsciously? i don't know. >> since you mentioned hbo a few times. and comeback is on hbo. >> and it's mentioned a few times in the show. >> just a few, yeah. how much of the success the first time around in being allowed to come back a second time has to do with the success of the platform of cable television? >> oh, i don't know. that's a good question. it does feel like that contributed. there is sort of an anything goes and things are brought back.

netflix brought back a fox show in arrested development and hbo brought back project green light, too. i think it's sort of what's -- to me what's great is that people are starting to focus again on like the actual content. >> uh-huh. >> you know? and if it was good then, why does it need to be good? and i think that would be great if people would start revisiting shows or scripts. they weren't crazy. they were good but for whatever reason they were not done. >> is there particular freedom of expression that you find on cable? >> yes. oh, definitely. do we -- you mean on hbo? yeah. they were dreamy nine years ago and they're dreamy again. but to me just the idea that there are so many networks now. there are so many platforms for,

well i guess you have to call everything content. but netflix, all of it, that the competition now, it's just huge. there is so much opportunity that it's really great. as long as your requirement is not to make network money from 27 episodes a year, you know, like it used to be, then i think everyone has -- not everyone, but i think there's much more opportunity to you know, get your show done or have your idea out there. >> let me try to be half way serious for half a second here. >> that wasn't it? >> i haven't got serious yet. i'm on the way. i'm really curious about this. having had you on this program a few times i'm going to use a word and you feel free to strike the word if it doesn't fit your narrative. how blessed, how fortunate do you feel not just that the come back had a come back but that

your career has had come backs what i mean is you could have gone to live happily ever after with the success of friends, the money you made from friends, the notoriety you have from friends. you don't have to be doing this. i suspect it's about the work, you want to express your gift. how blessed do you feel to be having another shot at this on a major platform? >> i feel so blessed that i get nervous. >> yeah. wow. >> that there's going to be some balancing force in the other direction. >> seriously? >> yeah. you mentioned friends. who can't not. friends is the reason that i don't have to worry about the mortgage or anything like that. i don't have to work unless i really want to unless it's close to home. i am raising a son as a teenager now and for us i want to be there.

so definitely blessed and lucky that i can do things that will -- that better be worth it to do if i'm going to take time away from any of them. any of them, my family, you know? >> yeah. how -- how does that economic freedom -- we talked about artistic freedom. how does that freedom affect your choices? >> oh, hugely. >> yeah. >> because we could do something like web therapy, you know? >> you're like on two networks simultaneously. >> yes. >> you are all there. on two different networks. >> it's on showtime. >> yes. like y'all missed that. she's on hbo and showtime. that's like unheard of. >> yeah. except if you're not important enough to be exclusive to either one of them.

>> only you would read it that way. you are such a masochist. >> that's great. that's part of what we're talking about. like lay low. don't ask for too much. do everything you want, you know? you can price yourself out of working if you want to. if you insist on that. for better or worse, like with web therapy, the costs aren't huge so why not keep doing them? you know? it's a great arrangement and then, you know, not you need the money and you're going to be honest, then you're out of luck. but, but that's a huge factor. you know? the money, there is no requirement for a great amount of money but the more you do you can win in the end. >> yeah. >> and by winning you mean what exactly? >> winning is always money. we always say that. >> i'm just asking. >> we're in america. winning is money.

>> exactly. [ laughter ] i figured your definition was a bit more expansive. >> winning is not losing money, okay, but also having enough. web therapy has been on showtime for four seasons. that's great. who do you think you are has been on five seasons. more will be on after the beginning of the year. those are huge successes. my producing partner. we have a company called is or isn't. we've been open for 11 years. we don't have a deal at a network or a studio which is kind of unique and we're immensely proud of that. >> how did you and the other friends haven't done badly for themselves. >> they're okay. >> okay. yeah. how did you make this transition

that is to say that you're obviously continuing to act but the producing and the creative side, how did you, were you planning this during the friends run? how did this happen. >> yeah, i was planning it. around 2002, 2003, i saw that we might be finishing up soon and i thought we should have a production company and i knew we could get a deal at warner brothers because they did vanity deals but my secret is this can't be a vanity deal. and so i partnered with dan who is a writer, actor, and producer. and as opposed to, you know, a person who had been in development and executive somewhere, i chose more of an artistic creative person. and that's because i knew that when i was done with friends i could do independent films and one day i might want to do a tv

show in which case i might want some creative input so i might want to establish myself as a producer first. let me ask you a question that might seem strange but i'm going to ask it anyway. i'm thinking of two people whose name i will not call now but two people i have talked to over the course of my career who made tons of money at a particular thing but they're not particularly happy with the thing they made the money at. >> oh. >> you follow me? >> yeah. >> i sense you don't feel that way about friends but when you look back on your work at this point in your career, 20, 30 years later. >> well, 20. let's not get crazy with 30. wouldn't make sense. >> okay. yeah. don't want to age you. we'll stop at 20. when you look back. >> can't we always stop at 20? >> i wish. don't i wish. we look back on that now. you think what? >> nothing but good. every aspect of it honestly. honestly.

there was so -- so much fun. just laughing every day for ten years. no fights or tension with the people you're working with every day for ten years. that's a miracle. it was a good show. the writing was really great. it really was. and really funny. and the audience loved it. we made people happy and you know what? the thing is i don't know if i have said this before but right after 9/11 happened, i know when i would be driving in traffic and a car would pull up next to me and just look over and give me a very solemn thank you and i knew what they were talking about. it's good to laugh. and it kind of sunk in that, you know, everyone says you're not curing cancer, you know? but it really is nice to laugh at the end of the day at 11:00 instead of the news and you can watch something light and fun,

people that care about each other and i think that is a value. i really do. so i'm proud. very proud of it. >> in a post 9/11 world, particularly given where we are right now with all this happening in this universe, how are you navigating raising a teen-aged boy? what do you make of that journey? >> i'm going to knock -- this is wood isn't it? >> cheap wood. >> it counts right? i'm asking. >> i hope. >> he is great. >> uh-huh. >> he's a really good person. my husband and i honestly feel like he's a better person than we are so that's good. >> it's supposed to be that way. >> it is? >> i don't have kids yet but i have nine brothers and sisters and 31 nieces and nephews. my sense has always been, may sound a little weird, but i think when god allows us to have children, he gives us another chance to try to get it

right. the point of having children is to try to put into them those things that you think will help them live a better life, create a better world. >> right. >> that's my assessment. what's the point of having a kid if you're not going to make the investment in this kid or children to leave the world better than when you found it. >> i agree but i don't think everyone agrees on how to accomplish that. >> nor should we. >> a lot of people enter into it with a sense of panic and desperation and then that's what the kids get. not that my husband and i haven't done that because we're human beings and we have. but he is just innately smarter. big picture smarter. what's the big deal what's not a big deal. >> it ain't so much innate. you're being too modest. he has parents. people say all the time he was a self-made this and that. nobody is self-made. we are who we are because somebody loved us.

>> right. >> your son is a brilliant young man because somebody loved him. i don't mean to push back so much. >> it's true. the good thing about him is that he also loves himself and i think that's built in. >> that's important. >> hopefully we haven't interfered too much with that. and i'm not really trying to be modest, honestly. anyway, so i think as far as having a teenager goes so far it's been good. doesn't have his license yet so we'll see. >> yeah. [ laughter ] >> but i do feel like i need to be around. >> yeah. >> that's all. i still don't feel like i can go shoot something out of town for a couple months or do a play in new york. >> fortunately since the come back has made a come back you can stay home. >> yeah yeah. i can stay here. >> you can watch it on hbo. i am always so happy when you come to see us. >> oh, thanks.

. >> i always learn from something from you >> really? really? >> i mean that. i wouldn't just say that. >> i'm proud of myself. thank you. >> i'm proud of you, too. and i'm glad you came back. that's our show for tonight and as always, keep the faith. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. >> join me next time for a conversation with smokey robinson about his latest cd, smokey and friends. that's next time. see you then.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> be more.

>> rose: welcome to the program. as 2014 comes to a close, we take this time to look back at some of our favorite programs. tonight, a conversation with bill murray. >> i like the whole gypsy mentality of the movie business where you get together with a bunch of people you live very intimately for a couple of months. and then you scatter. you may never see these people again. >> an encore presentation of bill murray when we continue. funding for charlie rose is provided by the following:. additional funding provided by: and by bloomberg