Life Swapper

A few days before the NAACP screening, Cutler let a reporter come over to his Sunset Boulevard offices. The architecture is artist loft, the dress code low-slung jeans, T-shirt and hip shoes. The staffers eat lunch at their desks, and it is exhausting just watching Cutler, who carries a notebook printed with the words "READ ME READ ME READ ME."

In rapid order, over the next two hours, Cutler sits at the head of a conference table, thumbing his PDA, taking calls, getting briefed on the progress of the shows in development, shows being cast, shows in pre-production, shows being shot. They're finalizing episodes of "30 Days" and discussing the insurance implications of having someone walk over hot coals. They're booking crews in India. Now he is signing checks. Now they're talking about "Level 5 background checks" for possible characters in an upcoming series.

Cutler takes a call from a network executive. "Let's just make the damn show," he says, mock frustrated. Then: "I'm so thrilled to be working with you!"

Afterward, someone reviews tape they shot "of bantering addicts." That's another show in development.

Cutler tells his team about the success they're having getting "Thin," the HBO-financed Laura Greenfield documentary about eating disorders and body image, into film festivals. One of his casting producers updates Cutler on a show they're doing for CBS with personal finance coach Dave Ramsey of "Total Money Makeover." She tells him one character "belongs on a reality show" and Cutler asks, "Why, is she inside out?" meaning does she exude, will she reveal? "She's the boss. She'll give Dave the most trouble." That is good; that is conflict.

Then the casting producer tells Cutler "you'll love this," and relates how she got pulled over for speeding on the way home from the casting sessions. The cop let her go with a warning, after she told him she was working in reality. Then the cop pulled her over again. To pitch her an idea for a show. "Really," Cutler says. "What was it?"

"Socialites on skid row."

Hmm, he says. He'll pass.

At the end of the NAACP screening, to Cutler's great relief, the audience approves. The consensus: It felt real, even though it was obviously as unreal as it could be, because you can't make someone black or white. But you can give them a glimpse.

"We didn't want to lie to America," Ice Cube says. "But we didn't want it to be boring either." Ice Cube says the show doesn't end on a happy note.

That was obvious at the NAACP screening. In a Q&A afterward, Bruno asks the audience if there isn't such a thing as black racism towards whites. Then Brian says to him: "After six weeks of dealing with you and the Brunos out there -- this is why America is so screwed up."

Afterward, Bruno and Brian stand together for a few minutes. "We can still have a drink together. We can still work together for the good of show," says Bruno.

"As long as we don't talk about race," Brian says. "That's the ground rule we don't break."