The Andy Man

Image credit: Andy Richter Controls the Universe: Randy Holmes/FOX

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Andy Richter Controls the Universe

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For Richter, the unreliable narrator is a way to inject the chaos of sketch comedy into the orderly world of sitcoms. On ''Just Shoot Me,'' in order to get to a visual gag of David Spade wearing a dress, writers would first have to dream up a scenario to get him there. ''But on our show, it's like, just put him in a dress,'' Richter says. ''It's a lot easier to [get to] something really silly, like me on fire, or me being strangled by a snake, just for the point of the joke. You don't have to think, how did they get a snake in the office?''

Truth is, Richter isn't much interested in the sitcom 101 truism that comedy isn't supposed to take precedence over characters and story. ''I think that's all well and good until you have 20 years of the same f---ing sh--,'' he says, his voice rising. ''All that stuff about character, I understand what people are saying, but I think a lot of that stuff is a big construct to keep people who aren't that funny in their BMW M3s. Because there's a lot of profoundly unfunny people out there writing 'comedy,' and I'm making little quotation marks with my fingers as I say that.''

Richter hastens to make clear that he isn't talking about exec producer Fresco or his writing staff. Still, Fresco, a veteran sitcom creator whose credits include writing stints on ''Alf'' and ''Mad About You,'' does have a more traditional take on sitcom structure. ''I don't want to get so far out into the visuals and gags that there's no story to follow,'' he says. ''We're hard-wired as humans to want to hear about stories and to want to relate to characters... [But] I don't think Andy and I are that far apart on stuff.''

In fact, in the three episodes Fox has made available to journalists, the ''controls the universe'' premise does seem to be secondary to -- you guessed it -- the characters (a group of wacky co-workers) and the stories (Andy dates a beautiful woman who turns out to be a virulent anti-Semite, Andy is unhappy when he has to share his office). Andy's fantasies do, however, provide some of the most memorable gags -- including a running bit in which the cantankerous, long-dead founder of his company gives him advice.

It remains to be seen how audiences will accept the show's balancing act. But Richter isn't worried. ''I think at this point the worst thing that could possibly happen is a noble failure,'' he muses. ''And even then you can parlay that into money for something else. I know how this town works.'' Especially when you control the universe.