NEW SHOW. ABC'S MONA KOSAR ABDI SAT DOWN WITH THE PAIR TO LEARN MORE. >> IT'S EASY SO VIEW YOUR THERAPIST JUST AS AN AUTHORITY FIGURE WHO KNOWS THE BEST FOR YOU. BUT THEY'RE ALSO JUST A HUMAN BEING GOING THROUGH THEIR OWN STRUGGLES AND ADVERSITIES AND ROCK BOTTOMS JUST LIKE YOU ARE. >> Reporter: THAT THERAPIST, ACTOR JASON SEGEL'S LATEST CHARACTER. A COUNSELOR IN WAY OVER HIS HEAD. >> WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND TODAY? >> LIKE, I WANT TO CHANGE BUT I'M NOT PARTICULARLY OPEN TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES. >> THEY SAY LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE. >> I'VE ALWAYS FELT LIKE COMEDY IS MORE THAN JUST ESCAPISM, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO TACKLE ISSUES. >> Reporter: THE COMEDIAN PLAYING A GRIEVING CLINICIAN WHO DEPLOYS UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS TO HELP HIS CLIENTS IN APPLE TV'S NEWEST COMEDY "SHRINKING." >> HE KEPT GOING ON AND ON ABOUT HOW DUMB I AM. BUT HE LOVES ME. >> YOUR HUSBAND IS EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE, HE'S NOT WORKING ON IT, HE DOESN'T INTEND TO. JUST LEAVE HIM. >> OKAY. >> EXPLAIN THIS ALTERNATIVE APPROACH THAT JIMMY ENDS UP TAKING. >> IT'S A BREAKDOWN. IT'S A GUY WHO IS STUCK IN HIS OWN LIFE, STUCK IN HIS OWN GRIEF, WHO IS FACE-TO-FACE WITH A BUNCH OF PATIENTS WHO ARE STUCK IN THEIR CYCLE. I THINK HE MAKES THEM A REFLECTION OF HIMSELF AND SAYS, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. AND TRIES TO BREAK THAT CYCLE AND JUST STARTS TELLING HIS PATIENTS WHAT TO DO. WHICH I THINK IS WISH FULFILLMENT, RIGHT? DON'T WE WISH OUR THERAPISTS WOULD JUST SAY, "I KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS." >> DAD'S MAKING YOU GO TO THE DANCE? WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT? >> Reporter: HE'S KNOWN FOR "FREAKS AND GEEKS." >> YOU KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO PLAY DISCO, RIGHT? DISCO SUCKS, I HATE DISCO. >> Reporter: AND LATER FOR "HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER." ANOTHER FAMILIAR FACE BEHIND "SHRINKING," BRETT GOLDSTEIN, KNOWN FOR PLAYING THE IRRITABLE YET LOVEABLE SOCCER LEGEND IN "TED LASSO." >> AGREE TO DISAGREE. I FIND IT HILARIOUS. >> HIGH PRAISE. >> Reporter: NOW WEARING HIS EXECUTIVE AND WRITER HAT FOR "SHRINKING" ALONGSIDE COCREATOR BILL LAWRENCE. WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO SHOW THIS ALTERNATIVE APPROACH THAT HE TAKES AND ALSO THE HESITATION FROM HIS CO-WORKERS? >> I JUST THINK IT'S SUCH AN INTERESTING WORLD. WE'RE ALL BIG BELIEVERS, PROPONENTS OF IT. I THINK ANYONE WHO HAS ACCESS TO IT SHOULD HAVE IT. BUT THERE ARE BOUNDARIES, AND THEY'RE THERE FOR A REASON. AND IT'S QUITE A FUN -- IN TERMS OF COMEDY AND DRAMA, TO PLAY WITH THOSE LIMITS. >> DON'T YOU EVER WANT TO SHAKE THEM? >> WE DON'T SHAKE THEM. >> DO YOU THINK THAT NOW IS A REALLY RELEVANT TIME TO HAVE A SHOW WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH WHEN THE CONVERSATION IS SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH? >> WHETHER WE REALIZE IT OR NOT, WE'RE ALL COLLECTIVELY GRIEVING THIS IDEA THAT WE'VE LOST SOMETHING WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET BACK. WHETHER IT'S AN ACTUAL LOVED ONE, WHICH IS HAPPENING ON THE SHOW, OR JUST THIS TIME FROM THE PAST FEW YEARS. LIKE, OUR NORMALCY. >> Reporter: HIS CHARACTER, JIMMY, STRUGGLING THROUGH HIS OWN CYCLE OF GRIEF AFTER TRAGICALLY LOSING HIS WIFE. WAS IT DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT SUCH A HEAVY TOPIC? AS JASON SAID, PUT A LITTLE COMEDIC FLAIR TO IT? >> LAWRENCE AND JASON HAVE BEEN ASKED ABOUT THE TONE OF THE SHOW, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE TRAGEDY WITH THE COMEDY AND THE LAUGHS? I SORT OF GO, IT'S JUST BASIC LIFE, ISN'T IT? THAT'S DAILY EXISTENCE. >> OH, HEY, PAUL. I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU, KID. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN GRIEVING, YOU'VE BEEN NUMBING. >> Reporter: "SHRINKING" STARS THE LEGENDARY HARRISON FORD AS A WISE BUT STOIC THERAPIST CONFRONTING HIS OWN BATTLES. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU FOUND OUT HARRISON FORD WAS JOINING THE CAST? >> LIKE A JOKE. "WE'D LOVE HARRISON FORD, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL NOT GET HARRISON FORD." THEN IT WAS HARRISON FORD. "OBVIOUSLY HE'S NOT GOING TO COME TO SET." I THINK EVERYONE FELT THAT WAY FOR TEN EPISODES. >> THE CRAZY THING ABOUT HARRISON FORD, WHO REALLY COULD SHOW UP ANY WAY HE WANTED. HE COULD SHOW UP NOT CARING, NOT KNOWING HIS LINES. HE WAS THE MOST DEDICATED TO MAY GO MAKING THIS THING GREAT. I DON'T THINK HE'S HAD THE CHANCE TO DO COMEDY THE WAY HE HAS IN THIS SHOW. I THINK IT WAS EXCITING FOR HIM TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW FUNNY HE IS. >> Reporter: THE SHOW EXPLORING THE MANY FACETS OF GRIEF, FROM ILLNESS AND HEARTBREAK TO THE PASSING OF A LOVED ONE. >> WHO DO YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE TAKES AWAY FROM THIS? >> THAT YOU WALK AWAY FROM ANY OF THESE THINGS FEELING HOPEFUL AND EXCITED. LIKE, OH, I'M PART OF A COLLECTIVE HUMANITY THAT'S TRYING TO MAKE IT THROUGH A REALLY CONFUSING TIME. >> WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE SHOW, I THINK IT DOES HAVE REALLY HEAVY, HEAVY STUFF IN IT, BUT I DO HOPE AT THE END YOU FEEL BETTER. IT'S LITERALLY A JOURNEY FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT. >> OUR THANKS TO