Daily Inspiration Quote by Thayer David

There is a sly practicality in Thayer David crediting Dan Curtis with the notion that audiences “like to see a stock company of actors.” On the surface, it’s insider shop talk: a producer’s hunch about casting strategy. Underneath, it’s a neat distillation of how TV and genre entertainment in the late-60s/70s sold familiarity as a feature, not a limitation. A “stock company” isn’t just efficient; it’s branding. You’re not merely watching a story, you’re returning to a stable of faces that promise a certain tone, a certain competence, a certain kind of fun.

David’s phrasing is tellingly deferential: “has the idea,” not “knows” or “proves.” It frames the practice as instinct and showmanship rather than art-school doctrine. Coming from an actor, that’s loaded. It politely flatters the producer while also staking a quiet claim: these recurring performers aren’t interchangeable parts; they’re part of the audience’s relationship to the production. The repetition becomes a pact - viewers get continuity, actors get security and a repertoire, and the producer gets speed, chemistry, and a built-in fan comfort zone.

In Curtis’s orbit (think Dark Shadows and the made-for-TV horror cycle), this approach also smuggled theatrical tradition into mass media. It turned limited budgets into a recognizable “company” style, where the pleasure isn’t only the plot twist but the casting itself: oh, it’s him again - let’s see what he does this time.