While Malory and Lucille are very similar and yes, Malory could be considered a “light-weight Lucille,” I don’t really think that it’s fair to compare the two. To begin with, Arrested Development fans rightly have high standards and Lucille lovers will always be left wanting for more, no matter how good the new material is. The fact that fans want to think of Malory, Len, and Cheryl as Lucille, George, and Kitty speaks volumes to the popularity of Arrested Development but does a disservice to the artists and is a set-up for disappointment. Multiple similarities aside, Malory is a different character, in a different show, with a different ensemble and has no reason to deliver the kind of quips that Lucille did. We need to forget that the voice behind the character is the same and focus on the interpretation of Malory. I think that she has had some great material, though I would like Malory to be an even larger presence and really carry the show.

The most important thing to keep in mind here is that as talented as Jessica Walter is as a voice-over artist – and I would argue that she is among the best – voicing Malory robs her of the ability to show off her extraordinary comedic timing and physical skills, both of which made her portrayal of Lucille so brilliant. Lucille was all about timing, while the Archer voices are all recorded separately and digitally edited, eliminating that natural interplay among the actors and shifting the performance burden solely to the artist’s manner of delivery. Jessica Walter often sold entire scenes on Arrested Development with her facial expressions and body language alone; cartoon Malory sloshing her drink could NEVER compare to the sight of Lucille attempting air quotes with martini in hand. As much as I enjoy Archer, I don’t think that the animation allows for “televisual magic,” as you put it, nor the “nuanced” characters for which Jessica Walter is so highly regarded. I don’t think that the writers or the producers are to blame. The medium is simply too different.

It’s amusing to catch glimpses of Lucille in Malory, but it’s also wonderful to see Jessica Walter as Elaine Robbins on TVLand’s Retired at 35 and Evangeline Harcourt in Anything Goes on Broadway. Too many people associate her only with Lucille, though as you pointed out, she’s been on the screen for nearly 50 years. Playing drunken mothers didn’t become her calling card until the last decade or so and it’s her long and varied history in multiple genres and media that, for me, makes her interpretation of Malory that much funnier.

I don’t need to view the whole world I need to focus on the world I’m creating in 120 pages or less. Or maybe I think that way because I get easily distracted…OOOOOOOOhhh look! Something flashing on the computer screen – let’s play!!!

Xandy, good call on the simplest way to outline. I like the idea of a beat sheet and then an outline. They haven’t failed me yet in completing a script. Only rewriting fails me now!

And as you say – creativity is by no means flushed down the toilet because of an outline or even a very detailed treatment. On the contrary – it can help you focus that creativity. And – the way I do it – I always keep the door open and tell the producers that I’ll be in touch in case some other brilliant ideas pops up that is even better than what’s in an outline.

So yeah – while free flow is wonderful – screenwriting is a business and you better get used to writing outlines – your collaboration partners will otherwise look for someone else who will put them more at ease.