Monday, March 31, 2014

I've killed a TV character too, y'know

So for the producers of THE GOOD WIFE, I know what you're going through.   Note to Michelle & Robert King:  We got nominated for awards. 

12 comments :

mike carroll said...

what is a Zamboni? I'll take French Canadian characters on American TV for $400, Alex...

Angry Gamer said...

OK I'll SECOND this...

Anyway KEN you move my thinking on this issue. In the past I would have said "don't negotiate with terrorists". But in the end... it's the dollar signs that lead the optimal solution. If the Good Wife would make more money by paying some actor his price... then so be it.


But it IS a check the EGO at the door moment... not easy in Hollywierd.

Clavinator said...

I remember hearing you talk about that episode with N.Y. Yankees broadcasters John Sterling and Jay Johnstone in 1990.

Here's Ken's earlier post about Jay Thomas.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2006/07/kiss-of-death-for-eddie-lebec.html

Rob said...

I guess they killed Henry Blake on MASH before you came on board?

You must have heard some background on that decision. Obviously the actor left the show and they decided they wanted to show that people die in war.

But then during the off season, Wayne Rogers quit too and he was allowed to remain alive so he could star (with a different actor) in a contemporary series).

Any thoughts or insight on that?

Anonymous said...

Bays & Thomas killed their mother. That could have been their Blackadder moment, or they could have closed on the umbrella. But instead they cut & pasted Ross & Rachel & retroactively ruined their show. Twin Peaks, Star Wars, HIMYM: i'd like to think creators destroy their art in order to understand it, but maybe they just don't understand it.

sepatu boots said...

this is it. good

Mike said...

We got nominated for awards.
Rhea Perlman stuffed the ballot box in gratitude.

If a wooden actor is felled in a TV programme no-one watches, does their agent make a noise?
"Will's been shot. Timberrr!"

Terrence Moss said...

I hope you're joking with that spoiler. I haven't watched the episode yet. If not, a pox on you.

Mark said...

Hi Ken,

The series finale to How I Met Your Mother has provoked a lot of heated discussion online due to certain events that occurred within in it.

One of the complaints is that the creators were too set in their plan for the ending a decade ago and failed to change course in the same way their own characters changed course.

I was just wondering if you could do a post regarding such emotional responses from fans in regards to storylines, and whether you think the creators should be open to changing their plot goals as the story evolves naturally or should stick solidly to one particular vision from the outset?

James said...

Do you have some kind of special club where membership is limited to writers who killed popular characters? The arguments trying to one-up each other. I killed John Amos on GOOD TIMES. Well, I killed Chuckles the Clown. I killed Bobby Ewing! But I killed Henry Blake. People CRIED when Henry Blake died. Nobody cried when Bobby Ewing died except his agent. I killed Peter Campbell! Did YOU have people spend the entire summer talking about who killed Henry Blake?

Barbie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
grosir said...

Twin Peaks, Star Wars, HIMYM: i'd like to think creators destroy their art in order to understand it, but maybe they just don't understand it.