Lights, Cameras… BIRDS!
Meet the feathered cast of HBO’s “John From Cincinnati.”

01 November 2007, By Elizabeth Anderson, BirdTalk

Famous birds on TV have been few and far between, and many of them weren’t even real birds – think Big Bird and Tweety. But the latest kids in the flock are from HBO’s 2007 series, “John From Cincinnati.”

Comet, a nanday conure, plays Zippy, owned by Ed O’Neill’s character Bill Jacks. From the first episode where Zippy is found dead and comes back to life, it’s clear he’s no ordinary parrot.

But before Comet was cast in the part, the writers had simply referred to the character as “a parrot,” according to Scott Stephens, one of the executive producers on “John From Cincinnati.” In fact, Zippy was originally slated to appear just in the first episode, but instead played a pivotal role, demonstrating both healing and telepathic powers. “There’s a miracle quality to the bird,” Stephens said. [Link]