Comedian John Heffron and his wife were at a Linens ‘n Things earlier this year shopping for towels – debating on whether to splurge for the pricier ones – when his cellphone rang.
His agent called to tell Heffron that ABC and NBC had started a bidding war for his services to develop and star in a sitcom.
He told his wife, “‘Let’s get the nicer towels. It’s a sign. It’s a sign to get the better towels.”‘
Heffron settled on ABC and is in the midst of meetings about the sitcom, visiting writers and tossing around ideas.
Life is looking plush indeed.
But Heffron still finds time to take his stand-up act on the road almost every week. He’s at the Comedy Works tonight and Saturday.
The networks took notice of him when he made his third appearance on “The Tonight Show” a couple of months ago. Those appearances came after he won the NBC talent show “Last Comic Standing” in 2004.
That show begins its fourth season May 30 with a two-hour special. Heffron offered the new contestants some advice.
“Don’t save anything,” Heffron said. “I think a lot of people on a show like that might want to go, ‘Well, if I make it past this round then I’ll save this set to do later on.’ And you don’t know if you’ll make it all the way to the end. Do what’s funniest every time.”
Winning “Last Comic Standing” didn’t mark Heffron’s start in show business. He has been a touring standup for 16 years.
But the victory certainly kicked his career up to a new level, securing him more bookings and bigger venues.
“I’ve been going nonstop every week for the last two years,” he said. “I think I’ve had three or four weeks off.”
A nationwide tour of theaters with two other comics is scheduled for later this year.
Heffron said he couldn’t reveal details of the tour because its major commercial sponsor wants to make a big splash announcing it.
One thing you can assume is that his wife will travel with him to some of the shows.
Heffron got married right after “The Stand Comic Standing” ended. His wife spent a lot of time on the road with him at the start but since has cut back on her travel.
“She’s honed it down to cities she likes,” Heffron said. “A pretty good rule of thumb is if there is a casino anywhere nearby she will be there.”
Marriage not only gave him a road companion, it had a role in his landing the ABC contact. The material he used on the third “Tonight Show” visit centered on life as a newlywed.
“I think the set I did on ‘The Tonight Show’ that night, they (the producers) kind of saw they could base a show on it,” Heffron said.
Funny thing: The process of lining up writers for the ABC project is a lot like a courtship.
“Most studios have writers they have deals with,” Heffron said. “You kind of go in and meet with the writers. You see which writers you get along with the best. If it’s a successful show, it is kind of like a marriage for at least 10 years. So you don’t want to hook up with the first person you meet.”
Heffron said he’ll have input in the show’s scripts but doesn’t expect to play a major role as a writer.
“I do almost all my writing on stage,” he said. “Since college, anytime I sit at the laptop to write something I feel like I’m doing a term paper or something.
“I think your mind works a little bit quicker when you have 400 people staring at you, opposed to when you’re just sitting in your underwear in your hotel room looking at your computer.”
Heffron also has a new CD waiting for release. It was recorded live during his last time at the Comedy Works.
“It’s going to be out in the next couple of months,” he said. “The problem is, I can’t think of a good name.”
Choices can be harder when you don’t have a clear-cut sign.
Staff Writer Ed Will can be reached at 303-820-1694 or ewill@denverpost.com.
John Heffron
STAND-UP COMEDY|Comedy Works, 1226 15th St.; 8 and 10 p.m. today and 6:30, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday |$25| 303-595-3637 or comedyworks.com
