I almost punched out Thomas Haden Church

It’s Friday Question Day. A common question is where do you leave the questions? In the comments section. Well, that’s all for today. See you next week.

Just kidding. (I wonder how many people still clicked off after that first paragraph.)

Ben K. has two questions:

A lot of hour long shows are incorporating as much comedy as drama these days ("Desperate Housewives," "Burn Notice," "Rescue Me," etc.). Does it make sense for someone who sees him- or herself mainly as a comedy writer to go up for these shows as well? Is there much crossover between writers for these shows and sitcoms?

It makes a great deal of sense. The more buyers you have for your services, the better. Especially today.

Sitcom’s last downward cycle was in the early 80s. There was great fear that the genre would go the way of Westerns and anything with Sonny & Cher. This gave rise to two billion spec MAGNUM P.I.’s – many from established comedy writers. There was some crossover then; there’s a lot more now. Many half-hour writers are drifting into hours. Half the FRASIER staff relocated to Wisteria Lane. Definitely write an hour dramedy… IF you feel you can do it well.

Also, now that there are about to be six major late-night talk shows (counting Leno at 10), are there more opportunities for joke writers on those shows? How do you go about trying to get one of those staff-writing jobs?

According to Mike Sack’s terrific new book, AND HERE’S THE KICKER, submit a 4-10 page sample packet featuring a couple of sketches, a page or so of monologue jokes, a couple of free floating ideas, plus a “bonus” which could be a funny article or story. The good news is you don’t need an agent to get hired on one of these shows. It helps a great deal but it’s not mandatory. Send your submission to the head writer or his assistant. Never send it to the star. Or anyone who ever worked on staff of MAGNUM P.I.

Anonymous wonders:

Does this scenario ever happen -- a writer and an actor disagree over a line, but eventually the writer wins out and the actor agrees to do it the writer's way.

Then, during the actual taping, the actor instead does the line HIS way -- hoping that it will get the desired response, or the director will let it slide?

Do directors automatically yell cut if someone varies a line, or is it a judgment call?

Usually the director will let the scene go but then re-shoot the scene. If the actor’s ad lib gets a huge laugh sometimes the producers will keep it. It’s tough though because you don’t want to set a precedent.

On MORK & MINDY there would be places in the script where the writers just kept replacing jokes all week. On show night Robin Williams would do the most recent version. And then in pick-ups and reshoots he did the discarded jokes. But the studio audience of course thought he was ad libbing and were in awe. It was amazing how quick this guy could come up with jokes right there on his feet! Except that it was a lie and he was really taking credit for other writers’ work.

I had a situation with Thomas Haden Church on the first episode I ever directed, a WINGS. I had been involved with that show since the beginning and had a great relationship with the cast (still do). I was particularly fond of Tommy. But he was testing me, good naturedly, since it was my first time calling-the-shots.

On show night, with a studio audience, he decides to ad lib a line in one of the scenes instead of performing what was written. I asked him to please do the line from the script on the next take. He didn’t. He did a different ad lib. I gently reminded him that I was not leaving that scene until he had done what was on the page. He nodded and apologized. On the next take he did a third ad lib. I calmly walked into the set, took him aside, put my around him like a father giving his son sage advice and quietly said, “Tommy, if you don’t do the line right this time I’m going to punch your fucking face in.” He smiled, we went back to our respective positions and he did the line perfectly on the next take. Of all the actor notes I’ve ever given as a director or producer that is still by far my favorite.

What’s your question?