“No, we don’t support illegal gambling”: Chuck Lorre Tried Copying Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King Formula With a Show Even the NFL Objected to

Chuck Lorre’s name has become synonymous with the many legendary sitcoms he has created. The brain behind sitcoms like Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, and more, Lorre has left an indelible mark on television history with his consistent and innovative work.

Having begun his career as a writer, last year, Lorre created the comedy TV series, Bookie. While the series received critical success, Lorre tried to copy one master strategy of Taylor Sheridan, despite the NFL not wanting the series to be made.

When Chuck Lorre Tried to Copy Taylor Sheridan While Creating Bookie

Chuck Lorre and Taylor Sheridan are both masters in their respective fields. Having created several brilliant sitcoms, Lorre’s legacy as a sitcom creator is defined by his unparalleled ability to create enduring, beloved shows that captivate audiences across generations. Sheridan, on the other hand, has been truly remarkable when it comes to creating gritty and compelling stories rooted intrinsically in real life.

While Sheridan has done many splendid feats, he has been particularly crafty when it comes to portraying criminality in many of his TV series, including Sylvester Stallone’s starrer- Tulsa King. Offering a deeply immersive and realistic portrayal of the lives entangled in crime, Sheridan has written deeply compelling narratives about such individuals navigating such perilous waters.

Lorre, on the other hand, has redefined the sitcom landscape with his innovative and authentic elements. However, while making the series Bookie, Lorre more or less, apparently tried to adapt the Sheridan-esque criminality aspect in his sitcom about a veteran bookie trying to legalize sports gambling.

Starring Sebastian Maniscalco as the primary character, Lorre tried to create the 8-episode series in a little gray zone off the grid about a character struggling to survive in this criminal netherworld.

While he did manage to create an impressive depiction of such a life, he somewhat fell short of perfecting the concept as well as Sheridan did with his shows Tulsa King and The Mayor of Kingstown. Furthermore, Lorre struggled to get the series made for even the NFL did not want to do anything with it.

NFL Did Not Want to be Part of Chuck Lorre’s Bookie

Chuck Lorre is one of the top sitcom creators of all time, having created some truly visionary and the best TV shows of all time. However, while making his ‘sports gambling’ series, Bookie, the acclaimed writer-director-producer failed to win over the NFL while trying to include NFL footage into the series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lorre revealed,

The transition from criminality to legality is an interesting place in time. We had a very difficult time making Bookie. We tried to get footage from the NFL to put on TV monitors in the background. And the NFL said, ‘No, we don’t support illegal gambling.’

Made with the purpose of wanting to bring the real deal on camera, Lorre and his team carried out extensive research to be as authentic as possible. While Lorre might not have been able to perfect the concept of ‘criminality’ in his shows as well as Taylor Sheridan did, his persistence and efforts are nonetheless exemplary.

Bookie can be streamed on Max.