David G. starts us off:
Following up on the "Bebe Neuwirth as a regular on Fraiser" question: Was it ever on the ... uh ... radar to have Larry Linville come in as a regular on "AfterMASH"? (Actually, that's a serious question. There was a switchover in the hospital administrator character between seasons, and it would've made an interesting character dynamic for Frank Burns to show up as Potter's boss!)
We absolutely approached Larry, but he wasn’t interested. The studio was big on bringing back anyone from MASH. I remember one of the execs lobbied hard for us to bring Hot Lips back. We made an offer to Loretta Swit who declined. And this exec said, well, does it have to be her? Why can’t we just get another actress to play Hot Lips? I said I’d put an offer out to Diana Ross.
suek2001 asks:
In the MASH episode "Wintchester Tapes"..there is a mention of a "Beanpole Levine"..Was that a shout out to you?
Yes, and no. I pronounce my name Lee-Vine, not La-Veen, but I was in the rewrite when we came up with that. And I was a beanpole… back then.
From Michael:
We supposedly get royalties based on some formula, but it’s all bullshit. We basically get nothing. Between the various series I’ve written for and directed, I must have at least 100 episodes streaming right now. Like I said, even with that sizable number, I make practically zip.
Douglas Trapasso wonders:
Since the launch of the Simpsons, and King of the Hill and (sigh . . . ) Seth McFarlane's shows, animation has become a more common presence in the past two decades on TV. But most of the successful shows have been of the family/sitcom genre. Can you picture a drama with deeper themes e.g. Mad Men, The Wire, succeeding as an animated show?
Well, anything is possible – certainly today. But I think it would be difficult. Lots of adults don’t respond to animation or they think it’s just for kids. The argument can also be made, if you’re going to realism in drama, why not use actual people?
The beauty of animation is that you have the ability to stretch reality. Why not take advantage of that?
Bill Jones is next.
That Harry Coyle video was awesome. But I have a follow-up question: What are the announcers watching in the booth (besides the live game, of course)? Do they have all the monitors, or a subset of the monitors, or just one monitor with the same thing the home viewer sees?
Also, how do the announcers know that an instant reply is about to be shown?
We just have one monitor that shows what is going out over the air. We also have headsets and the director can speak directly into our ear. They’ll tell us when they’re going to a replay or want to show us the bullpen or alert us to a promo coming up.
It takes a certain skill to be talking on television while the director is yammering into your ear. You need great concentration and focus to not be distracted and also to process the director’s instructions.
What's your Friday Question?
"I pronounce my name Lee-Vine, not La-Veen".
ReplyDeleteRight, and I'm Jerry Cougar Mellencamp..."
Ken Said:
ReplyDelete"The beauty of animation is that you have the ability to stretch reality. Why not take advantage of that?"
I think both drama that engages the viewer deeply and animation can work together. I'd guess it's currently hard to get all the people/elements on the same page creatively. Great writing, great voice acting, directing etc, and I think it can work.
Here's a clip from one of my favorites. I wouldn't call the voiceover work seller, but the writer is top notch, and the animation (claymation) is pretty good, as well as the direction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpaRouocBes
Best thing about animation is it can tackle big ideas on a relatively small budget. As Ken said, seems like it might be wasted on a closed world like "Mad Men."
– Stewey
I always thought that the most intruiging thing about King of the Hill was that, unlike The Simpsons or Family Guy, it did not have to be a cartoon. They never took advantage of being animated except that the characters don't age. I don't think they ever did anything, except perhaps a dream sequence, that wouldn't have been within the budget of an inexpensive cable sitcom. Of course they wouldn't have had that distinct look and feel, but they intentionally limited themselves to the real-world laws of physics so that the characters would feel like real people.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, Bob's Burgers is in the same category.
Elf - King of the Hill did a lot of stuff that would have cost money - blowing up the Mega-Lo-Mart, the trip to Bill's ancestral manse in the Louisiana backwoods, driving an eighteen-wheeler backwards down a mountain, etc.
ReplyDeleteKen - Right now MASH, Cheers, Frasier, and Wings are all streaming on Netflix. That's probably well over 100 episodes there alone.
Everyone - Cheers has returned to Amazon Prime streaming in an absolutely spectacular HD edition. It's like being right there in the bar.
Mike Judge's "Beavis and Butthead," like his "King of the Hill," similarly stuck, for the most part, to "real world" rules and laws of physics, very rarely doing anything "cartoon-y."
ReplyDeleteUgh, I'm getting really sick of this misconception of what people thing "family" shows are. THE SIMPSONS, KING OF THE HILL, and FAMILY GUY are not "family" shows.
ReplyDeleteA "family" show refers to a show that's acceptable and appropriate for family audiences, meaning anyone from young kids to older adults can watch the show without worrying about what kind of content the show will present: the above-mentioned shows are nothing like that.
Shows about families are "Domcoms," short for "domestic comedy," and they're not always suitable for family audiences.
I don't think you're a soccer fan, so you're probably not familiar with the excellent studio host on NBCSN's Premier League coverage, Rebecca Lowe.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/05/22/si-media-podcast-rebecca-lowe
She was asked about differences between working here and in England, and said that it was standard over there to have two or three directors/producers speaking through the host's earpiece. She wasn't sure why it's different, but appreciated the transition to just hearing one voice. On the other hand, she said Americans who switch to the UK are driven crazy by the extra chatter.
Joseph, I thought "50 Shades of Grey" was a DomCom ... Although the 'Com' part was unintentional on the filmmakers part.
ReplyDelete@Scott Bah-dum-bum-KSSHH!
ReplyDeleteThere are some great animated dramas, they're just in Japanese :)
ReplyDelete_Kids on the Slope_, for instance, is a fantastic period piece romantic drama.
Here's my Friday Question, Ken: We all know how hard script writing is, even for professionals, yet you often hear of a movie being "mostly improvised". As these movies usually turn out pretty decent, I have to wonder, are they exaggerating as to how much was improvised? I mean, I can see how it might work with comedians, but sometimes it's regular actors or even non-actors. Any thoughts? Thanks!
ReplyDelete"Lee-Vine sells cartoon balloons in town..." I guess it could work, but about as natural as turning "La-veen" into "Lee-Vine." At least Joe Theismann wanted his name to match the sound of a football award. Perhaps you were inspired by licorice?
ReplyDeleteThis is only for snark. You can say your name however you please (you have my permission).
I Goofed, posted this on Thursday, not Friday. Or something.
ReplyDeleteKen, a friend (really true) asked me to ask you the following:
When presenting an original half-hour comedy pilot to a producer, not a network, is it helpful or necessary to also include a show bible along with character descriptions? Or should the script stand on its own without needing the extra material for explanation?
Thank you.
I was half right. I said La-Vine.
ReplyDeleteKen, do you consider yourself a Jewish comedian? Not in the Alan King or Myron Cohen vein (or vine), but with that certain sensibility of Jewish humor that's hard to define. If this makes no sense feel free to ignore it.
Lee-Vine? Do you also pronounce it Froderick Fronkensteen?
ReplyDeleteHaven't watched it recently, but The Simpsons used to be a family show, despite the attacks it got from conservatives.
ReplyDeleteKing of the Hill too, even if maybe a bit more mature.
I've seen much worse on Nickelodeon and ABC Family.
There was one where a sixth grader just comes in and casually mentions she's pregnant.
Talking about speaking into the talent's headset (called IFB, if you want to get fancy) reminds me of a story I once heard Mike Gottfried tell. He's the former college football coach who's been a color commentator for ESPN for many years.
ReplyDeleteWhen he did his first game, the "family of networks" was only ESPN and espn2, so as a newcomer he was assigned to a game on The Deuce. The producer knew Mike was inexperienced and a little nervous, so he talked in Mike's ear to get him pumped up. As the play-by-play man was finishing up his call of the first play, the conversation went something like this:
Producer (in IFB): "Alright Mike, now all you've got to do is tell everybody what you think of what you just saw."
Mike (out loud): "Okay, got it."
Producer: "No Mike, you can't talk directly back to me. Everything you say is going on the air."
Mike: "Aw geez, I'm sorry..."
Producer: "STOP TALKING TO ME!!!"
Kostas is impressive, if a bit precious. (Oh, and his 'commentaries' at the Olympics can be cringe-worthy.) But one thing that could help him with all of those challenges you mentioned would be for him to STFU.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean just him, though he does go on and on and on sometimes. I mean: Some moments on TV are best experienced without the announcer talking. I even have wished that, during the opening/closing ceremonies of the Olympics, the SAP channel would offer just ambient sound - everything but the announcers.
Like, at the end of the last game of the World Series (especially if the home team won), it's great when the network just shows the celebrations and the announcers take a break.
Good announcers are golden, absolutely. But as the old saying goes, sometimes silence is, too.
Well, seems I was in phonetic mode with Kostas/Costas. Mea kulpa.
ReplyDeleteI heard a rookie color man continually saying, "What?" and "Huh?" when the director was talking to him through his headset.
ReplyDeleteIf you want a dark animated show with adult themes, check Bojack Horseman on Netflix.
ReplyDeleteHis character description, not exactly standard cartoon material:
An anthropomorphic horse who starred in the 1987–96 sitcom "Horsin' Around" where he played a character called "Horse." Frequently overwhelmed by frustration and self-loathing, he's grown bitter and spiteful since the show ended and often hints at hating what he has become in his later years. Though usually petty and lacking self-control, BoJack has frequently shown himself to be intelligent and level-headed in certain situations, when not overwhelmed by self-loathing or alcoholism.
Potential Friday Question: If one of the networks ever decided to reboot "M*A*S*H," who do you think might make for a good Hawkeye and Trapper John?
ReplyDeleteI agree totally with Igor that a little silence would be great at those celebratory moments in sports. Announcers aren't needed at those moments to explain, interpret, or comment on anything. Although I will say that when the much beloved Dan Jansen (American Speed Skater) finally won his first Gold Metal at the 1994 Olympics, one of the most touching things I have ever heard was the ecstatic yelling from the Norwegian announcer. Not a word could be understood by Americans since he was yelling in Norwegian, but they could sure understand that the several minutes of screaming was punctuated every couple of seconds with DAN JANSEN!!
ReplyDeleteBecky says: My dad & I were having a conversation the other day and were wondering: how do actors, writers, directors physically get paid for jobs? Do you get checks? Giant lottery-type checks? Bank drafts? Bags of nickels with giant dollar signs on them? And when do you get paid? If you're commissioned to write a movie do you get a check up front or live out of your car until the script is finished then buy a nicer car to live in? When actors are paid $1 Million Dollars per episode do they get all of the money up front or does a production assistant hand the actor $50,000.00 every time the say a usable line on camera? Us mere mortals are very curious about the way the big bucks are passed around in Hollywood. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAs a follow-up to the AfterMASH discussion, I have one.
ReplyDeleteAs a deaf person who was basically raised on MASH, I found Father Mulcahy's story arch in the finale particularly suitable. The listener becomes deaf. I had never even seen a Deaf person on television except for a Happy Days episode (which is still a pretty big deal to many in the Deaf community).
Anyway, as I say, I found that a particularly important ending for Fr Mulcahy. I was very disappointed that this was immediately thrown away in AfterMASH. Any idea why this happened?
thanks!
"Society for the Elevation of Pole Dancing": Good, but too modern. Howzabout:
ReplyDelete"The Exotic Dancers' Benevolent Fund. The more funds, the more benevolence."
"Orthopedic Tassels for Aging Strippers"
"The Strippers' Retirement Villa. For fifty bucks they send a thank you note. For a hundred they keep quiet."
"Sweaters for the Overdeveloped"
"The Progressive Dance Conservatory and Bar"