ʃˈændlɪŋ sˈɛt ˌʌp ðə fˈɪlm wˌaɪl stˈɑːɹɹɪŋ ɪn ˌeɪtʃbˌiːˈoʊz ðə lˈæɹi sˈændɚz ʃˈoʊ wɪð ɪnˈɪʃəl dɹˈæfts ɹˈɪʔn̩ baɪ ˈɛd sˈɑːlɑːmən ænd mˈaɪkəl lˈiːsən, bᵻfˌoːɹ ɐ ɹᵻɹˈaɪt wʌz pɚfˈɔːɹmd baɪ ʃˈændlɪŋ ænd hɪz fˈɔːɹmɚ “sˈændɚz” pɹədˈuːsɚ pˈiːɾɚ tˈɑːlæn.
Shandling set up the film while starring in HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show with initial drafts written by Ed Solomon and Michael Leeson, before a rewrite was performed by Shandling and his former “Sanders” producer Peter Tolan.