Mike White: Enlightened

Mike White's existential, dark style of comedy, like in his 2000 script for Chuck and Buck, can be really hard to describe. He takes a crack at likening his latest venture, Enlightened, to "Notes from the Underground but the new-age, suburban, do-gooder version." The show stars Laura Dern as Amy Jellicoe, a self-destructive woman who experiences a re-awakening after an on-the-job meltdown leads to several weeks in a rehabilitation facility. White also co-stars in the show, as Amy's co-worker Tyler, who often gets sucked into her schemes to blow the corporation out of the water. He talks about his inspirations, his approach to writing, and, as Elvis puts it, 'trying to see Cote du Rhone in a Pepsi world.'

Banner image: Larry Hirshowitz