>> Stephen: HEY, WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY.
MY FIRST GUEST IS AN EMMY AND TONY AWARD WINNER WHO STARRED
FOR SEVEN SEASONS IN "THE GOOD WIFE."
HER NEW SHOW, "THE GOOD FIGHT," PICKS UP WHERE THAT ONE LEFT
OFF.
>> THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MY FINANCIAL SITUATION.
I'M ALSO AFRAID I WOULD MISS PRACTICING THE LAW.
I WAS IN THE MIDST OF THE KENDALL DEPOSITION AND I
THOUGHT, MY GOD, I LOVE THIS.
THIS IS WHAT I DO.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?
THAT I NOT LEAVE.
THAT I CLOSE THE CASE AND, UM, THAT I STAY ON.
>> IN WHAT POSITION?
THIS POSITION.
MY CURRENT POSITION.
>> YOU SIGNED YOUR EXIT AGREEMENT.
>> WELL, YES, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST WE RIP THAT UP FOR THE
MOMENT.
>> UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK THAT WORKS FOR US.
>> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME CHRISTINE BARANSKI!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> YOU'RE MY DATE!
IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY.
>> Stephen: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY.
WOULD YOU LIKE?
>> I WOULD, THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: IT'S A WHITMAN SAMPLER, ONLY THE FINEST.
( LAUGHTER ) >> MY GRANDFATHER GAVE MY
GRANDMOTHER WHITMAN SAMPLERS.
>> Stephen: ON VALENTINE'S DAY?
>> YES.
YOU'RE MY DATE TONIGHT.
WHERE'S THE KEY?
>> Stephen: WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR?
YOU POINT TO SOMETHING AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS.
>> I LIKE DARK CHOCOLATE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE.
GOOD CHOICE.
YOU'RE CLASSY.
( APPLAUSE ) MMM, MMM --
>> OH, MINE'S GOOD.
>> Stephen: VERY TOUGH.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU REALIZE THAT
CHARDONNAY -- >> Stephen: WOULD GO GREAT
NOW.
>> IT WAS WELCHS WHITE GRAPE JUICE WHICH HAS SO MUCH SUGAR IN
IT I'M ON A SUGAR BUZZ.
>> Stephen: I'M SO SORRY WE DIDN'T HAVE REAL WINE FOR YOU.
>> THAT WOULD BE INTERESTING.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: MY RULE IS YOU
SHOULD PROBABLY EAT THE CARAMEL IN REHEARSE TOLL MAKE SURE YOU
KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES.
LICK YOUR TEETH A LITTLE BIT.
LET ME SEE.
MM-HMM.
RIGHT OVER HERE.
I REALLY AM YOUR DATE.
BECAUSE ONLY -- ( LAUGHTER )
>> IS THAT RIGHT?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WELL, I'M SORRY,
CHRISTINE.
THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TIME FOR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) LAST TIME WE SAW EACH OTHER IS A
SALUTE TO A GREAT AMERICAN SONG BOOK AT THE LINCOLN CENTER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW YOU HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SINGING
VOICE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) WHY AREN'T YOU ON BROADWAY MORE
OFTEN?
>> BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN DOING SEVEN YEARS OF "THE GOOD WIFE"
AND WE WENT RIGHT INTO "THE GOOD FIGHT." >> Stephen: SLID RIGHT INTO IT?
>> YOU KNOW WHAT WE HAD IN COMMON IS THE FIRST MUSICAL I
DID IN NEW YORK IS "COMPANY."
I SAW YOU IN "COMPANY."
>> Stephen: I DID THAT FOR ONE WEEK IN LINCOLN CENTER.
IT WAS THE MOST TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE.
WHAT WAS TERRIFYING TO YOU.
>> STEPHEN SONDHEIM, AND THAT VOICE, BOBBY, BOBBY, COMING OVER
FOR DINNER -- >> Stephen: BOBBY BABY?
YEAH.
>> Stephen: AN UNFORGETTABLE SOUND TRACK.
>> TRY SWEENY TODD.
BUT AT THE SONG BOOK EVENT, I GOT TO BE ON STAGE WITH CAROL
BURNETT AND JULIE ANDREWS.
>> Stephen: UNBELIEVABLE!
( APPLAUSE ) I SEE YOU ON STAGE WITH THEM
BECAUSE YOU'RE THE CONSUMMATE PRO.
YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY THE KIND OF PERFORMER WHO CAN LAND A PUNCH
LINE LIKE A DIME IN A SHOT GLASS FROM 20 FEET.
YOU'RE JUST ABSOLUTELY SUCH A BRILLIANT AND PRECISE PERFORMER,
I JUST ADMIRE YOU SO MUCH.
>> CONTINUE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: WELL, NOW WE'VE
GOT "THE GOOD FIGHT" -- >> IT'S CALLED "THE GOOD FIGHT."
>> Stephen: SOUNDS A LOT LIKE "THE GOOD WIFE."
>> MM-HMM.
>> Stephen: IN THIS -- HOW SIMILAR IS IT?
>> I'M SIMILAR IN THAT I WAS ON THE "THE GOOD WIFE" FOR SEVEN
YEARS AND NOW I'M IN THE PILOT AND I'M THE OSTENSIBLE SERIES
LEAD.
BUT IT IS THE DIANE LOCKHART CHARACTER YOU SEE IN THE PILOT
BEING VERY DIANE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAW IN THAT SCENE.
YOU KNOW, SHE'S ABOUT TO RETIRE, SHE'S REACHED THE TOP OF HER
GAME.
SHE'S ALWAYS WELL DRESSED AND DIGNIFIED, BUT ONE-THIRD THE WAY
THROUGH THE PILOT, SHE LOSES ALL HER MONEY IN A MADOFF PONZI
SCHEME AND SHE'S LOOKING FOR WORK AND THAT'S THE SCENE YOU
SAW IN HER OWN LAW FIRM.
IT'S A WOMAN HAVING TO START HER LIFE AGAIN.
>> Stephen: NOW THAT -- I UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE BIGGEST
PERKS IS -- I LOVE THIS SHOT.
WHAT'S THIS SPHNCHTS THIS LASTS ABOUT TEN MINUTES BUT WHEN
THEY'RE PROMOTING A SHOW, YOU'RE ON BILLBOARDS AND BUSES PASS BY
AND YOUR PICTURE.
THIS PAST SATURDAY, I WAS GOING TO THE THEATER IN BROOKLYN, AND
I HAILED A CAB ON LEXINGTON AVENUE, AND IT PULLED UP AND I
OPENED THE DOOR AND I WENT -- I SAID TO THE TAXI DRIVER.
I SAID, COULD YOU JUST HOLD FOR A SECOND?
STAND THERE TAKING PICTURES OF MYSELF.
AND I SAID, I'M SORRY, MISTER, BUT THAT'S ME ON THE TOP OF THE
CAB AND NEXT WEEK I WON'T BE ON THE TOP OF THE CAB.
>> Stephen: THOSE SOUND LIKE TWO LINES FROM A SONDHEIM SONG.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YES, EXACTLY!
>> Stephen: YOU HAD TO RESHOOT THE FIRST SCENE OF THE FIRST
EPISODE, RIGHT?
>> WELL, WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE WERE SHOOTING THE PILOT JUST
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER THE ELECTION, AND THE PILOT WAS
WRITTEN ON THE SUPPOSITION WE WOULD HAVE A FEMALE PRESIDENT.
( AUDIENCE REACTS ) >> Stephen: I KNOW THE
FEELING.
( LAUGHTER ) >> ANYWAY, SO THEN, YOU KNOW, WE
SHOT THE PILOT, BUT IN EDITING, THEY REALIZED THEY HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY.
IT WAS A BRAND-NEW -- A BRAVE NEW WORLD WE ARE NOW IN.
SO THEY CHANGED THE OPENING OF THE PILOT, WHICH IS --
>> Stephen: WE ACTUALLY HAVE IT HERE.
>> DO YOU HAVE IT?
I DONALD JOHN TRUMP DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR --
>> I DONALD JOHN TRUMP DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR --
>> -- THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY EXECUTE --
>> -- THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE --
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: HARD TO PLAY?
DID YOU HAVE TO DIG DOWN DEEP FOR THOSE FEELINGS?
>> NO, BUT THIS WAS SHOT BEFORE THE INAUGURATION, IT WAS SHOT
AFTER THE ELECTION BUT BEFORE THE INAUGURATION, SO I HADN'T
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF SEEING THE INAUGURATION, BUT THE
DIRECTOR SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE THAT YOU'RE SHOCKED.
I SAID, NO WORRY.
I CAN PLAY THIS.
>> Stephen: NOW AS YOU WERE IMAGINING THIS, HOW BIG DID YOU
IMAGINE THE CROWD WAS IN YOUR MIND?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) NOW, ONE THING ABOUT THE NEW
SERIES WHICH IS GREAT, I'M JEALOUS OF BUT IT'S ALSO QUITE
SHOCKING IS THAT IT'S YOU, IT'S, YOU KNOW, A GREAT ENSEMBLE CAST,
CUSH JUMBO.
>> GAME ON "THE GOOD WIFE," LUCCA QUINN.
>> Stephen: ON CBS ALL ACCESS, YOU GUYS CAN USE BAD LANGUAGE.
>> I EVEN DROPPED THE F WORD A FEW TIMES.
IT WAS SO LIBERATING.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: I HAVE LINES HERE THAT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOU
SAY.
>> WE'RE ON CABLE NOW.
>> Stephen: WE'LL BLUSTBLEEP IT FEW I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOU
SAY THESE THINGS.
THESE ARE LAWYER THINGS WITH BAD WORDS IN THEM.
>> I'M GOING TO SUBPOENA THE (BLEEP) OUT OF YOU!
( LAUGHTER ) I APPROACHED THE -- MAY I
APPROACH THE (BLEEP) BENCH?
YOUR HONOR, I (BLEEP) OBJECT!
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW WHAT?
SUSTAINED!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) "THE GOOD FIGHT" APPEARS ON CBS
ALL ACCESS STREAMING SUNDAY!
STICK AROUND!
( BAND PLAYING )