It's only 20 minutes. It's like a haiku or something. The development of Cusack's dream job wouldn't be short, though. A big sticking point was that she wanted to work not in Los Angeles or New York, but at her home base of Chicago, where no such show had ever been staged. After all, the point of doing a sitcom was to remain close to her husband, kids and the rest of her family, including parents Dick and Nancy.
People have their lives and their families and kids.
Eventually, things would come together for Cusack. A production facility on Chicago's West Side was prepared. A large portion of the writing staff and supporting cast were brought in from other places, while much of the crew is native to the area. Kyle Chandler, who plays Cusack's straightlaced love interest on What About Joan , happened to be in town anyway, fresh from his four years on the Chicago-based drama Early Edition . And TV veteran Brooks, who came on board as the show's executive producer, remained in L.A., using a video-remote system to monitor episode tapings.