AMERICANWAY

By Terry Gardner SHOW BUSINESS If These Walls Could Talk When it comes to recycling in HOLLYWOOD, off the air doesn’t mean off the lot. T 28 JUNE 15, 2011 elevision shows may die, but their walls and windows have an afterlife. Bits and pieces of old programs such as Benson, The Facts of Life, Married with Children and countless others are still working in Hol- lywood — as repurposed scenery for current shows. Not every recycled set is instantly recognizable, but the White House’s Oval Office does tend to get resur- rected. Leonard Harman, art director for NBC’s recently canceled The Event, says President Elias Martinez’ Oval Office began life on either 24 or The West Wing and was also seen onHeroes. Geena Davis’ Oval Offi ce from Commander in Chief had cameos in the fi lms National Treasure: Book of Secrets and W Disney/ABC Television Group began recycling sets AA.COM/AMERICANWAY in the early 1990s, says Charles Gooden, backlot and set-inventory director at ABC Studios. “It was one of the starring moments of my career when Frank G. Wells [president and chief operating offi cer of Disney at the time] contacted me on the backlot and requested that we start an offi cial program to recycle and repurpose sets for the environmental benefi t.” Environmental groups had requested that Disney do more to actively protect the environment because lauan, a fl exible hardwood often used for set walls, typically comes from the tropical rain forest. Now, “all of our lauan comes from a certifi ed rain forest steward, which means that every time we cut a tree down, we plant two seedlings,” Gooden says. The Tim Allen comedy Home Improvement helped

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