Laura Prepon playing in new NBC sitcom "Are You There, Chelsea?"

Former "That '70s Show" actress Laura Prepon stars a 20-something Chelsea Handler in the new show, NBC's new sitcom, "Are You There, Chelsea?," while Handler herself plays her older sister Sloane. NBC's entertainment chief insists that it wasn't squeamishness over booze that got "vodka" dropped from the television version of Chelsea Handler's memoir.

Prepon stopped by "Live! With Kelly" (weekdays on ABC) to talk about the inherent weirdness of the show's casting. Prepon told Kelly Ripa and her guest co-host, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, that Handler explained the casting by saying, "I'm sick of being myself. You do it." The sitcom premieres on Wednesday Jan. 11 at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC.

Edwards asked Prepon if part of preparing for the role included brushing up on her boozing skills, since the show is based on Handler's book, "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea." Although Prepon said "No," she did say that Handler gave her a case of Belvedere Vodka to prepare for the task ahead.

Prepon added that in addition to copious amounts of drinking on the show, "Chelsea is very open about certain experiences she has with the gentlemen folk." "I've heard that about her," Edwards said, putting himself in the same category as anyone who's ever watched an episode of "Chelsea Lately."