My partner and I discuss our ersatz careers and try to look cool on television
Recently, David Isaacs and I guested on an internet interview show called "the Writers Room" hosted by writer Mark Reisman. Here's the show. It's an hour long. In that time we tell everything we know. Twice.
All this time, I thought your name was pronounced "Le-veen"... I guess, because of that M*A*S*H episode where Hawkeye and B.J. are pranking Charles with his uniforms making him think he's losing weight, then gaining weight...
HAWKEYE: Whose are these? B.J.: Levine's. HAWKEYE: Bean-pole Levine? B.J.: That's right. HAWKEYE: I'm glad you're not my enemy.
Great interview. I guess it's true that long term couples start to look like alike after so many years. It's like you're the Before and After photos in a Hair Club for Men ad.
Friday question about "earning the moment" - did you see last week's "How I Met Your Mother" episode? Do you think they earned the last scene where out of nowhere Lily tells Marshall that his father had a heart attack and died? What about the gimmick of the countdown leading up to it where numbers from 50 to 1 were hidden in the scenes leading up to it?
Seems as good a place as any to ask a Friday question -- I've just started watching the Showtime series EPISODES, which is about the attempt to transfer a hit UK sitcom Stateside without compromising it TOO much. I was wondering, have you ever written for such a show, and how did that work out? Did you have to endure the wrath of the show's original writers as you desecrated their life's work?
Certainly, the track record isn't all that great, THE OFFICE aside (actually, the Stateside OFFICE is actually a rather deeper, more complicated creation than its UK original). SANFORD AND SON all but neutered the tough, complicated original, STEPTOE AND SON--as funny as Red Foxx was, he wasn't playing the life-sucking monster that the original writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson created, and that took all of the edge out of the character script-wise (Foxx put some in simply through his performance, but never quite enough).
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All this time, I thought your name was pronounced "Le-veen"... I guess, because of that M*A*S*H episode where Hawkeye and B.J. are pranking Charles with his uniforms making him think he's losing weight, then gaining weight...
ReplyDeleteHAWKEYE: Whose are these?
B.J.: Levine's.
HAWKEYE: Bean-pole Levine?
B.J.: That's right.
HAWKEYE: I'm glad you're not my enemy.
I was assuming that was a nod/jab to yourself.
Joseph
ReplyDeleteHe answered on last year's phone seminar that Le-Vine is how they say it on the west coast la-veen is how they say it out east.
It was probably the most important thing he said.
kidding.
David Lee here.
ReplyDeleteLoved the show, boys. Was the section of the men's store where they sell clothing with color closed?
Great interview. I guess it's true that long term couples start to look like alike after so many years. It's like you're the Before and After photos in a Hair Club for Men ad.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ken, I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteFriday question about "earning the moment" - did you see last week's "How I Met Your Mother" episode? Do you think they earned the last scene where out of nowhere Lily tells Marshall that his father had a heart attack and died? What about the gimmick of the countdown leading up to it where numbers from 50 to 1 were hidden in the scenes leading up to it?
ReplyDeleteSeems as good a place as any to ask a Friday question -- I've just started watching the Showtime series EPISODES, which is about the attempt to transfer a hit UK sitcom Stateside without compromising it TOO much. I was wondering, have you ever written for such a show, and how did that work out? Did you have to endure the wrath of the show's original writers as you desecrated their life's work?
ReplyDeleteCertainly, the track record isn't all that great, THE OFFICE aside (actually, the Stateside OFFICE is actually a rather deeper, more complicated creation than its UK original). SANFORD AND SON all but neutered the tough, complicated original, STEPTOE AND SON--as funny as Red Foxx was, he wasn't playing the life-sucking monster that the original writers, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson created, and that took all of the edge out of the character script-wise (Foxx put some in simply through his performance, but never quite enough).