WATCH: Robert & Michelle King On 'The Bite,' 'The Good Fight' & 'Evil'
(CBS Local)-- Husband and wife Robert and Michelle King have created some of the biggest TV shows of the past decade in the "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight" on CBS & Paramount+. The Kings also have "Evil" returning to Paramount+ for season two and their new series "The Bite" from CBS TV Studios just dropped today for Spectrum Originals.
"The Bite" follow two neighbors in New York City as they embark on a journey involving a deadly virus and all different types of zombies. CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith caught up with the Kings to discuss their careers, what it was like to work with Taylor Schilling and making a TV show during the pandemic.
"There were great parts, which were working with all these actors, but it was also a more difficult show to produce safely during a pandemic than the shows we've made in the past," said Michelle King. "It was not easy."
"Michelle and I were walking during the pandemic saying our show has been shutdown and we don't know when Evil will come back and Broadway is going to be gone probably longer than TV and movies," said Robert King. "Our sense was to do a show that will keep everyone safe, but we didn't want to do a boring one. We love genre work. We love bringing a genre approach, it's a good prism to see current events through. I've always been attracted to the zombie genre, but that seemed like an interesting way to go because we are all cut into our little cubbyholes. What we thought was even scarier than a little protein slipping into your body is one that slips into your neighbor's body and turns them into a zombie."
While the Kings have worked with many talented actors in the past like Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Mike Colter and Katja Herbers, the producers and writers were thrilled to share a set with Schilling. The Orange Is The New Black star plays Lily in "The Bite" and the Kings gave her character plenty of runway to develop.
"She was fantastic and that was great fun because we never worked with Taylor before," said Michelle King. "She was so great and great in the part and brought lightness and comedy to it. She was splendid in every way."
"You are always aware of how does a cast mix and more so in this show because so much of it was talking like you and I are talking now," said Robert King. "We didn't know how Taylor and Audra McDonald would mix. That is a very odd couple and they come from very different acting styles. One is Broadway and one is not. You throw them together and you are not sure if you are going to create a big explosion or blandness. We were thrilled and starting writing toward this difference in their acting styles."
All six episodes of "The Bite" from CBS TV Studios are streaming now.