This you've got to see. Jon Hamm rapping to the TAXI theme, and pretty much explaining the series. As I heard this I thought: Now this would be an interesting way to pitch a pilot to a network.
To the second Anonymous... it's not like Ken's the one who makes the videos or creates the code when embedding them. THAT would be something you'd need to address with the host of the video or Google for the Blogger end of it.
Hello, Ken. Here's a possible Friday question for you:
Tonight, the station I was watching re-aired the "Frasier" episode "Room Service" by you and David Isaacs. A great episode, by the way.
When Frasier said how he and Niles were like "two brothers out of an O'Neill play" as well as an inter-title card being "A long days journey into night", I thought how though the references were great and clever, I also was wondering if there were ever any notes from the network when it came to some of the references on "Frasier" that would appear to go over the head of most viewers; and if so how were the producers and writers ever able to win those battles?
Who the hell thinks Reverend Jim made Taxi jump the shark? It was letting Andy Kaufman play Latka with split personalities that (almost) did that. IIRC, they reigned that in after not too long.
Damn it. Jon Hamm is so talented, handsome, funny and humble, it's altogether plausible he's nothing more than a computer generated personality created by the North Korean military in a long term conspiracy to make all other American men so unattractive that the birth rate of the US plummets and becomes ripe for North Korean colonization by 2025. Judging by my wife's actions, the war has begun.
Your mention of Eugene O'Neal suggested to me a casting 'game' of casting actors from Cheers in The Iceman Cometh
So here are my initial ideas (going the 'non-traditional' casting route):
Ted Danson as Harry Hope Woody Harrelson as Hickey Rhea Perlman as Larry Slade Shelley Long as Willie Oban Roger Rees/George Wendt - the former Boer War rivals Kelsey Grammar - Jimmy Tomorrow Dan Hedaya: Night Bartender John Ratzenberger: Ed Mosher Bebe Neuwirth - Don Parritt (the most youthful-looking of the cast) Kirstie Alley - Cora Jackie Swanson (Kelly, Wooody's girlfriend) and Jean Kasem (Loretta Tortelli) as the streetwalkers
After this I'm stuck. The best candidates for Don Parrett (Harrleson or Grammar) are already taken, and I'm a little hazy on other characters in the play.
That's clever... and shows a different, looser and more likeable side of Jon Hamm. Now, the big question: would you want him riffing over the CHEERS theme (with some extra rhythm) in detailing your series' evolution over its lifespan?
Agree with Jim the Cheer fan that taxi almost jumped the shark with the multiple personalities.
Disagree with Chris about Carol Kane. Putting her on the show killed that damn shark for good.
Though I was glad when Latka went back to one personality, it was even less realistic than when he got the others in the first place. He's born and raised in a foreign country, has a very thick accent when he comes to America, yet then develops another personality that speaks perfect English? Highly unlikely, but that's ultrarealism compared to having his peronalities merged, and ending up with the one that speaks in broken English!
I think making Simca (ka?) a semi-permanent cast member was the real sharkjumper. She was dreadfully annoying and most plots in which she was featured would go overboard with absurd humor which didn't gel with the more realistic tone of the series. That being said, at least the first two seasons were sitcom at its very best and Marilou Henner was '70's sexiness personified. Man, if only HBO had been around then...
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that's a pretty good christopher llyod impression
ReplyDeleteKen - love your blog, but can you please see what can be done to get the videos to render on IOS devices? Be Apple friendly, man!
ReplyDeleteThat IS a pretty good Christopher Lloyd!!!
ReplyDeleteTo the second Anonymous... it's not like Ken's the one who makes the videos or creates the code when embedding them. THAT would be something you'd need to address with the host of the video or Google for the Blogger end of it.
ReplyDeleteWhitney-- ...but Ken DOES have influence how content is delivered in his own blog. Perhaps he needs to find a different delivery mechanism.
DeleteHello, Ken. Here's a possible Friday question for you:
ReplyDeleteTonight, the station I was watching re-aired the "Frasier" episode "Room Service" by you and David Isaacs. A great episode, by the way.
When Frasier said how he and Niles were like "two brothers out of an O'Neill play" as well as an inter-title card being "A long days journey into night", I thought how though the references were great and clever, I also was wondering if there were ever any notes from the network when it came to some of the references on "Frasier" that would appear to go over the head of most viewers; and if so how were the producers and writers ever able to win those battles?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJeremiah:
ReplyDeleteI would assume that any reference that would go over the heads of most viewers, would go waaaay over the heads of the network suits!
Who the hell thinks Reverend Jim made Taxi jump the shark? It was letting Andy Kaufman play Latka with split personalities that (almost) did that. IIRC, they reigned that in after not too long.
ReplyDeleteAny show--ANY SHOW--that added Carol Kane to its cast jumped the shark.
ReplyDeleteDamn it. Jon Hamm is so talented, handsome, funny and humble, it's altogether plausible he's nothing more than a computer generated personality created by the North Korean military in a long term conspiracy to make all other American men so unattractive that the birth rate of the US plummets and becomes ripe for North Korean colonization by 2025.
ReplyDeleteJudging by my wife's actions, the war has begun.
Jeremiah Avery said...
ReplyDeleteYour mention of Eugene O'Neal suggested to me a casting 'game' of casting actors from Cheers in The Iceman Cometh
So here are my initial ideas (going the 'non-traditional' casting route):
Ted Danson as Harry Hope
Woody Harrelson as Hickey
Rhea Perlman as Larry Slade
Shelley Long as Willie Oban
Roger Rees/George Wendt - the former Boer War rivals
Kelsey Grammar - Jimmy Tomorrow
Dan Hedaya: Night Bartender
John Ratzenberger: Ed Mosher
Bebe Neuwirth - Don Parritt (the most youthful-looking of the cast)
Kirstie Alley - Cora
Jackie Swanson (Kelly, Wooody's girlfriend) and Jean Kasem (Loretta Tortelli) as the streetwalkers
After this I'm stuck. The best candidates for Don Parrett (Harrleson or Grammar) are already taken, and I'm a little hazy on other characters in the play.
^^^^^ Whoops:
ReplyDeleteThis is what I guess for not proofreading my posts carefully enough, meant to start the above post with @Jeremiah Avery
That's clever... and shows a different, looser and more likeable side of Jon Hamm. Now, the big question: would you want him riffing over the CHEERS theme (with some extra rhythm) in detailing your series' evolution over its lifespan?
ReplyDeleteHamm better work his Christopher Lloyd into a sketch the next time he does SNL.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Jim the Cheer fan that taxi almost jumped the shark with the multiple personalities.
ReplyDeleteDisagree with Chris about Carol Kane. Putting her on the show killed that damn shark for good.
Though I was glad when Latka went back to one personality, it was even less realistic than when he got the others in the first place. He's born and raised in a foreign country, has a very thick accent when he comes to America, yet then develops another personality that speaks perfect English? Highly unlikely, but that's ultrarealism compared to having his peronalities merged, and ending up with the one that speaks in broken English!
I think making Simca (ka?) a semi-permanent cast member was the real sharkjumper. She was dreadfully annoying and most plots in which she was featured would go overboard with absurd humor which didn't gel with the more realistic tone of the series.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, at least the first two seasons were sitcom at its very best and Marilou Henner was '70's sexiness personified. Man, if only HBO had been around then...