KnitWits & KnitWits Revisited

A dear friend owned and ran a yarn store in New York. I would spend Saturday afternoons there, knitting and chatting with a half dozen other regulars, enjoying the quiet back-and-forth with people from all different neighborhoods and socio-economic backgrounds.  All we shared was the quiet clicking of needles. But after a few hours of discussing the news, problems with work, problems with husbands or children, we’d always announce-- “Well, we solved the problems of the world!” and giggle.

So it was natural when I was asked if I had any ideas for a TV series, that I came up with KnitWits (this was 1996-- years before "The Voice" premiered). I read magazine articles about how women speak and solve problems.  Unlike men who would give solutions for whatever issue, women tended to tell parallel personal stories that might suggest another way to look at the problem.  I insisted that this was a natural for animation for a couple of reasons-- instead of endless “talking heads” with live action women sitting around a table, using animation we can “see” the story.  With animation we can be as outrageous as necessary for a point-- something that real actors (at that time) would be embarrassed to do, or standards wouldn’t allow.  And I wanted to inject humor to all of this. Liz Lewis, the casting agent, rounded up a group of comedians. The cast was set with great people, except for the loudmouth leader of the group-- none of them seemed to fit my expectations. She asked me who I’d imagine it to be and tentatively I said “Joan Rivers?” And she agreed!

Before it was completed, the New York Film Festival contacted me asking if it would be done for Opening Night in 1997.  I still needed to transfer the computer files to 35mm film.  It would be shown in Avery Fisher Hall-- with an incredibly long throw from the projector to the screen and no time to fix. It actually was a magical night! The film looked and sounded great! I was backstage with the cast and crew of Ang Lee’s “Ice Storm” listening to hundreds of people laughing at my jokes. And a wonderful Opening Night party at Tavern on the Green, recognizing me in my borrowed Nicole Miller gown… a wonderful memory!