Actress Jamie Lee Curtis said she hated filming her guest appearances on the sitcom New Girl because the production lacked a live audience.
The comments highlight a long-standing divide in television production between the energy of live performance and the controlled environment of single-camera filming.
Speaking Wednesday during an NBC backlot press day in Los Angeles, Curtis said the experience was "awful" [1]. She made six guest appearances on the series [4]. The actress said she did not enjoy the process because the show used a single-camera format, which prevents actors from interacting with a crowd in real time [1].
Curtis distinguished her feelings about the production process from her opinion of the final product. "I love the show, but I hated filming it," she said [3].
For Curtis, the appeal of comedy lies in the immediate feedback of a studio audience. She said she prefers multi-camera sitcoms because they provide a specific rush and energy that single-camera formats cannot replicate [1, 3].
Single-camera comedies are filmed more like movies, without a laugh track or a live crowd, allowing for more cinematic storytelling. Multi-camera shows, conversely, are typically filmed on a stage with a live audience and a fixed set, a format Curtis finds more rewarding for comedic timing.
During the panel, Curtis said the lack of audience interaction made the experience feel stagnant. "It was awful. I didn't enjoy it because it's a single-camera show and you don't have a live audience," she said [1].
“"I love the show, but I hated filming it."”
This critique reflects a fundamental technical difference in how television comedy is produced. While single-camera shows like New Girl offer more flexibility in editing and visual storytelling, they strip away the theatrical element of live performance. Curtis's preference underscores the value some veteran performers place on the symbiotic relationship between a comedian and a live audience to drive the rhythm of a scene.
