Vince Vaughn, ‘Ted Lasso’ co-creator Bill Lawrence bring good fun to Carl Hiaasen’s ‘Bad Monkey’

By ALICIA RANCILIO There’s an old saying “don’t meet your heroes” but for TV creator, showrunner Bill Lawrence, it was a dream come true. Lawrence’s new series “Bad Monkey” for Apple TV+, premiering Wednesday, is based on a novel by Carl Hiaasen, one of his favorite authors. “I started reading Carl Hiaasen books when I was 15 years old.

There’s a direct line from Carl’s surreal satires and wildly insane character pieces to, like, ‘Scrubs,’” explained Lawrence, who also created that long-running Zach Braff sitcom. “The guy helped me to be a storyteller. He turned out to be as cool as I hoped and such a good dude.

” “Bad Monkey” stars Vince Vaughn, whose observational humor and quick one-liners make him a good fit for the writing styles of both Hiaasen and Lawrence. Natalie Martinez, from left, Vince Vaughn, standing background, Meredith Hagner, Charlotte Lawrence and Ronald Peet, cast members in the Apple TV+ series “Bad Monkey,” pose together at the Four Seasons Hotel, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Los Angeles.

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Vince Vaughn, a cast member and executive producer of the Apple TV+ series “Bad Monkey,” poses at the Four Seasons Hotel, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Meredith Hagner, a cast member in the Apple TV+ series “Bad Monkey,” poses for a portrait at the Four Seasons Hotel, Tuesday, Aug.

6, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Natalie Martinez, a cast member in th.