3Way (www.3waytv.tv)
As its tag line tells you 3Way is “the hottest lesbian comedy not on TV”.  I caught up with Nancylee to find out more about this hilarious show

3Way – Nancylee Myatt – Exec. Producer / Writer


Could you describe the show in your own words?

It’s a gay “Three’s Company.”  Straight girl, Siobhan, goes through a bad divorce.  She moves her best friend, Roxie, who is a lesbian, into her home to help her get back on her feet – emotionally and financially.  And in true lesbian fashion, within two weeks Roxie moves in her new girlfriend, Andrea.  And of course there’s the ex-girlfriend, Geri, that won’t go away either.  Now Siobhan is re-entering the dating world with a house full of lesbians as her guides.

Was the need to have a number of out actress on board important?

Yes.  But more importantly, actresses who were great at comedy and be cool and fun to work with during our guerilla creative process.  It’s also not a bad thing that our cast brings a great fan base with them.  Jill Bennett, out actress, was looking for something to show her comedy chops with and she brought a huge and dedicated following.  Maile Flanagan, also out, has a gigantic resume and is comedy gold.  She is also a writer and producer on the show.  Cathy Shim, our other “gay for pay” actress, comes from comedy shows like “Mad TV” and “Reno 911” and our casting director G. Charles Wright brought her to us.  She’s been such a great surprise – and she and Jill have great chemistry on screen – which is good for everyone!

How does the writing work for the show. Are most things improvised based on a plot, or are most things written?

The show lives in two worlds, Episodes and Confessionals, which is a unique approach, we thought.  The episodes are scripted.  And we treat those like any sitcom staff would – we find an idea, break a story, and pound it out.  Paige, Maile and I are the main writers on the show.  However, for the writing of the first three episodes Maeve was right there with us, as it’s loosely based on her real story.  She also just happens to be wickedly funny and great at pitching stories.  The confessionals are mostly improv.  We wanted to do a send up of what the reality shows do – where people talk to the camera, trash each other, tell their side of the story, etc…  On a practical level, we also discovered that since webisodes are usually only about 10 minutes long, we didn’t really have time to put in back-story.  So, the confessionals became a great way to inform the episodes with back-story, character development, and random funny.  Paige directs the confessionals.  We talk about what the themes are, then everyone watches each other do their confessionals so they’ll know what to play off of.  Then Maeve and our editor John Higgins put them together.  The whole process is a wild ride, but I think they are brilliant.  Next season they make a little different turn, adding fantasies and dreams and re-enactments.

With the success of the L Word, has making this show been easier do you think?

If this show was on network or cable television, I would say “Yes.”  But because we didn’t have to prove to a network we had a fan base or that advertisers would support lesbian stories or characters we really do exist in our own space.  But I will say this, when I shot my pilot “Nikki and Nora” which was a show about two lesbian cops and lovers in New Orleans – having the “L Word” on the air and successful helped a lot.  We didn’t have to break any new ground.  I would say that “Will and Grace” also probably helped us in an odd way – having a successful comedy where the GLBT community could laugh with and at themselves allows us to do the same.  And let me tell you, lesbians need to lighten up.  3Way is here to help them find their funny bone.  And FYI “Ladycops” is my send up of “Nikki and Nora” with Liz Vassey and Christina Cox who were in that pilot.  It’s also my stab at network TV and how they portray strong women and lesbians… who solve crimes.

If a large sum of money fell on your desk to get 3Way made for TV, how would that change the show?

We shot the show during the strike when no one was working.  So we were able to get great talent willing to work on this show for no money.  But now that everyone is back to work it’s getting harder to get people to stay invested.  Being able to pay our wonderfully creative people would really help.  Beyond that, it would be fun to take the show out of the house more often to fun locations.  BTW the house where the show is shot, is also the production office and the editing and post facility and it’s where Paige and I live.  So since November we have been living and breathing 3Way.  So money would also help us get offices and give us our lives back.  We are very excited about our hiatus that’s coming up and being able to walk around the house in whatever we want or don’t want to wear.

What can we expect from season 2?

Our first order of business is to put our Season 1 DVD out.  We hope to make it available sometime in mid-July.  We are also taking 3Way on the road to various film festivals and GLBT events.  And any video we shoot will become more content for our website.  Let me tell you, the internet is a hungry animal and it must be fed!!  Then if we can raise the money and get our advertisers and distribution in place we will be able to get to work on Season 2.  Here’s what I can tell you we’ve been talking about, don’t worry, no spoilers here.  Our season finale is going to set in motion some changes in the relationships in the house and a new set of rules.  Lots of estrogen and Alphas under one roof, you gotta know some fur is going to fly.  Siobhan will actually start to get a love life, which will stir things up in the house, as well.  And we hope to spend more time with the girls at work and add or change up their jobs a bit.  We will still do our Previously Ons and Next Ons – which are just gags and scenes that make us laugh and don’t reallt have anything to do with the episodes.  This amuses us.  And we are also going to be doing more episodes of our two shows within the show “Young Doctors Who Cry” and “LadyCops.”  And maybe look to have fun with more things like that.

What’s the most uplifting compliment you have received about the show?

Uplifting… hmmm.  We’ve gotten such great feedback from, literally, all over the world, and that’s one thing the internet gives us.  I used to get very uplifting compliments when I was writing and producing “South of Nowhere.”  That show touched a lot of families and lesbians of all ages.  I guess what I love about the response we get from “3Way” is that we are making people laugh and letting them see themselves and their friends in an ongoing series.  Not just a lesbian kiss or storyline when the networks need to boost their ratings.  And honestly, the biggest compliment I get is when I walk on the set of “3Way” and these amazing talented people are giving us their A game and having a great time doing it.

In terms of lesbian representation on TV/Film/Online, what do you think have been the most significant changes?

I think it’s a slow process, still.  It’s still hard to sell a gay storyline to network television, unless it’s buried in an ensemble or introduced after the show is already a hit.  Cable has been a bit better – but you’ll still hear things like, “We already have “The L Word” so we don’t need another lesbian show.  Can you imagine if someone said that to an African American writer/producer who was pitching a new show?  I have to tell you from my personal journey that Afterellen.com is responsible for a lot of the awareness and shift.  That site, and Sarah Warn, have become such a force for visibility for all things lesbian media and entertainment it’s getting harder for people who distribute entertainment and sell advertising to ignore our audience.

What is your motto in life?

“Do what you love, with those you love.”
Oh, and “Drunk and Out of Town Doesn’t Count.”