Lisa Kudrow: 'Time Bandits' heroine thinks she knows everything

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Friends icon Lisa Kudrow says she had some reservations, but ultimately loved the inherent silliness of her new sci-fi comedy series, Time Bandits.

"I was nervous heading into it just because, with every new thing, you are just hoping you're hitting the right tone," Kudrow, 61, said during a recent Zoom round-table interview with reporters.

"Comedies are so much harder because there is such a huge difference in tone from one to the next. I wanted to make sure I was doing right by [the filmmakers] with it. But I forgot! They have editing and everything else and, also, the ability to speak and say, 'Can you do it this way?' So, I'm glad it worked out for all of us."

Wrapping up its first season Wednesday on Apple TV+, the live-action show follows British, 11-year-old history buff Kevin (Kal-El Tuck) as he joins the titular time-hoppers on hilarious, death-defying adventures through the past.

"Every day we were stepping on a new set was like stepping into a piece of artwork," Kudrow said, referring to how the travelers appeared to be in medieval times in one episode, then the Ice Age or the 1990s in others.

"It was so thrilling and, honestly, I've never been on something that took my breath away with how beautiful it was, like the top of the Mayan temple at sunset," she added. "I felt like, 'Where am I going to travel to where I will experience this?' Because it felt very real. ... So, hopefully, that's the experience when you see it."

Kudrow plays Penelope, an independent woman with no partner or children of her own, who serves as the unofficial leader of the group.

"Penelope and the rest of the bandits are from the realm of the Supreme Being, so she's not in a formal relationship," Kudrow said.

"She was apparently engaged to somebody and then he got lost. She lost him. We don't know what that means, but it's very fun to play someone who's just ignorant of the ways of the world, but has the confidence, the arrogance of someone who thinks they know everything."

The cast for the 10-episode series includes Tadhg Murphy, Roger Jean Nsengiyumva, Rune Temte, Charlyne Yi, Rachel House, Kiera Thompson, James Dryden, Felicity Ward and Francesca Mills.

Show creators Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi guest starred on The series.

The duo also previously collaborated on What We Do in the Shadows, Flight of the Conchords and Eagle vs. Shark.

Kal-El Tuck, who is now 12, is not only adorable, but a gifted comedian who steals many of the scenes he shares with his older co-stars.

"Kal-El Tuck was a dream," Kudrow confirmed. "He's so smart and he's such a good actor. He's so good! People were improvising and he was keeping up, listening, talking."

The adults working on the production affectionately looked out for the youngest member of their ensemble, but didn't feel like they needed to babysit him, according to Kudrow.

"His mom Louise was there, and she is phenomenally great and just like a good friend to talk to," Kudrow said.

"If there were times when she couldn't be close to set or something, then some of us would say, 'Yeah, Louise, we'll keep an eye on him,'" the actress added. "Everyone had eyes on Kal-El."

Kudrow said she enjoyed -- but wasn't a die-hard devotee of -- the original Time Bandits, the 1981 film by several members of the Monty Python comedy troupe, which inspired the new TV show.

"I like the movie. i don't think I'm that level of fan where it's got to be the same. I'm not fanatical about it. I think if you're going from a story that's two hours and stretching it to almost 10 hours, there's got to be some changes," she added.

"If you really love Time Bandits and don't want anything to change with Time Bandits, then you should probably just watch the movie, but I think the series is fun. I think it's in the same spirit."

This job required the cast to do a lot of running, jumping and fighting -- skills the Mad About You, Romy & Michele's High School Reunion and Booksmart star isn't really known for.

"I tried to make it the least physically challenging as possible, so that just meant me saying, 'Oh, no!'" Kudrow laughed, explaining she had a great stunt double who completed the action scenes the actress couldn't or wouldn't.

"I ran through forests and didn't get hurt. There were some stunts like floating through the air in the time portals [that I did]. I was kind of proud of myself for some of the stuff I was able to do."