Nancy Hower and John Lehr have made careers out of embracing the unexpected.
For evidence of that, one need look no further than their show, Quick Draw, an improvised Western comedy that's finishing up its second season on Hulu.
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Lehr stars in the 1875-set show as John Henry Hoyle, a full-of-himself sheriff who's as ridiculous as he is charming. Hower, meanwhile, sits in the director's chair, which can be the most difficult job on set, as it falls on her shoulders to capture the action with a mere outline as a guide, never knowing when the best moments will come.
"I learned early on while directing to keep John on a single shot because John will crack everybody else up," she says. "So if he's on a single and everybody cracks up, it doesn't ruin the take. That's the worst thing, when somebody says something absolutely hilarious [and someone laughs] because you can never recreate it the same way it went."
In two seasons, though, Lehr says the cast has learned how to look away when breaking character or hide their smirks. Most people, anyway. "Other people just crack up blatantly, but also it happens with the crew. Cameras will shake and you'll realize the camera man was laughing," he says. "It's so spontaneous and nobody knows when the jokes are coming, but I love that. That means we're on to something."
In the editing room, this can sometimes provide a challenge, however. Piecing together the best of the best and keeping it consistent can be a puzzle. Often, they'll find themselves having to choose between several completely different versions of one scene.
"It's a very weird process in that sometimes we'll get get something and everybody knows on the day that it's the funniest thing and there's no way that take won't make [the final cut]," says Hower. "And sometimes it's a matter of taste."
Take, for instance, the scene above, from the show's Season 2 finale, streaming now on Hulu. The two scenes they had after editing have vast differences, but they ultimately chose the first cut because it was a better season capper. "If you're a fan and this is the finale, we felt like this was a moment where fans could look back on the season," says Hower, adding that they are still awaiting word on whether there will be a Season 3. "It had a nostalgia to it."
Check out the two takes above, in this video exclusive to Mashable.