Anchored in dumb reality

A former head writer on “Saturday Night Live,” Adam McKay is set to make his feature directing debut with “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” co-written by McKay and the film’s star, Will Ferrell. The two began working together on “SNL,” and McKay is quick to point out that he considers Ferrell, star of “Elf” and “Old School,” a “legitimate writer” and that the script came from long sessions locked together in a hotel room.

“Anchorman” is set sometime “before cable,” and Ferrell’s character is a bumbling San Diego television newsman who must fend off not only a rival news team led by Vince Vaughn but also his station’s first female anchor, played by Christina Applegate.

McKay had directed two seasons’ worth of short films for “SNL,” and in trying to explain the overall tone of his work says, “I like to call what Will and I do ‘smart dumb’ humor, which according to who you talk to, is either the smartest thing people have seen in the world or the dumbest. It’s that weird kind of satire where you’re making fun of it but you’re also doing it.”

McKay acknowledges the benefits of having a performer like Ferrell to help get their brand of aggressive comedy across. “We think there is a way to create a churning, uproariously funny comedy that also has smart, obscure stuff in it,” he says. “That’s always been our belief. You can get audiences to laugh at some pretty strange stuff if you do it right. And Will specifically is able to take audiences to some pretty weird places.”