9JKL Creators Mark Feuerstein and Dana Klein Use Their Marriage to Build a Stronger Show

For some people, mixing their personal and work lives is a dangerous mix, but for Dana Klein and Mark Feuerstein -- the creators of the CBS freshman comedy 9JKL -- it's a match-made in heaven.

The married couple are co-executive producing the series with Klein running the writer's room and Feuerstein starring in the series premiering this fall on the network. The two have to work closely as they mine their personal lives for story, but it's given them a chance to bond.

"Dana has to, the poor wife of an actor, has to watch his work on TV and on stage. The husband of a writer doesn't really get the privilege of watching a wife work," Feuerstein told critics at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Tuesday. "I have had the privilege of of watching her for two months run our writer's room. I can tell you from experience that she is absolutely brilliant at it."

Here's When Bull, S.W.A.T., The Big Bang Theory and More CBS Shows Premiere

The show is based on Mark's real time living next door to his parents and his brother in New York while filming his USA hit Royal Pains. 9JKL showcases Josh, Mark's fictional alter ego, as he tries to establish boundaries with his adoring family and find the next phase of his career. At the start of developing the show, Klein and Feuerstein were hesitant to spend all day working together, but feel now that it's worked out for the best.

"We were a little wary going in just that we had never done that before," Klein said. "It's really been amazing. For me, I really feel a connection to all of the actors. I'm very comfortable with Mark of course, but I feel like he's the liaison between the set and writers' room."

Feuerstein is all in favor of their marriage being a way to bridge the often broad gap between the writing team and the actors. As for working together non-stop, that doesn't seem to be a problem either.

"Our basic itinerary is that we work all day in the writers room, we go home and sit down with our dinner and we work some more," he said. "There's no one I'd rather do it with than this one."

9JKL premieres Monday, Oct. 2 at 8:30/7:30c on CBS.

(Full disclosure: TV Guide is owned by CBS)