Just leave it in the comments section. I especially want to hear from the "lurkers." I know there are a lot of people out there who follow the blog but never comment. And that's cool, but today I'd love to hear from you.
And finally, let me take this opportunity to thank you for reading this blog. It's getting harder to keep coming up with stuff after almost 15 years but it's gratifying to know you're out there still reading it.
So who are you?
Hi fron a New Yorker living in exile in Central NJ. A friend (now former friend - jerk!) introduced me to your blog several years ago, and I've been reading it daily ever since.
ReplyDeleteA lady never tells her age ;)
I generally enjoy most of your posts - thank you for fifteen years of great entertainment!
I have been following your blog for many years and I heard about it through Mark Evanier's blog. I am a great fan of MASH, Cheers, Mary Tyler Moore (just got through watching it again after all these years on Hula) and the Dick Van Dyke Show. The 70's and 80's were the best time for television and I used to watch these shows when they first ran. Saturday nights were so special with Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, that I would sometimes opt not to go out in order to watch the shows. I am also a staunch Democrat and agree with your take on what is going on or not in this crazy world. I hope that you continue your blog for many years to come as I will continue to enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI read your blog every day. I live in Pennsylvania and was born in 1941. I rarely post as I seldom can think of much to say.
ReplyDeleteHey Ken, I host a sports talk show here in LA and I honestly don't remember how I found the blog. I know you're a baseball guy, like myself, so maybe I saw something about baseball that made me click a link. Not to mention, huge Cheers fan.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm out here! Enjoy the blog, thanks for what you do.
Travis Rodgers
Still here after all these years. Been reading since close to the beginning. Went to your book signing in Seattle when we were there for DFC reunion. And went to se your play in Indiana a few months ago while staying here.
ReplyDeleteThen started listening to your podcast which I really enjoy.
Love all of it except the baseball. Grew up with every football and basketball.
Hi! I've been reading for...years and years, here and on Facebook. I'm 46 and grew up on Cheers and the reruns of MASH that our local ABC station aired at 5:30 every afternoon, right before dinner. I'm a college professor and live in New England.
ReplyDeleteI particularly enjoy posts about the writing process; even though I write nonfiction for academic journals and presses it's helpful to peek into somebody else's process. Your recent post breaking down MASH episodes by script pages and plotlines was a revelation.
Tom Asher here... 42, born and raised in Philadelphia, still in the area... favorite TV show is "M*A*S*H" and favorite movie is "MASH". Big four sports fan (the Philly teams and the broadcasters of the past and present)... Top 40 radio junkie (I asked you about your Mount Rushmore of DJs and you hated my Terry Young pick)... dead retail junkie (stores that don't exist any longer)... cigars... IPAs... married with two kids. Big fan of the blog, I've read a couple of your plays, and I justify many of my TV watching decisions by telling my wife "well Ken Levine says..."
ReplyDeleteOK. I've answered this before. I've been coming here for about a decade because I read on Evanier's site about a GUEST post (by whom I no longer remember) on your blog about some FRASIER narrative.
ReplyDeleteI've commented occasionally. Believe me, I understand why you don't allow for comments on your anti-Trump diatribes. I happen to agree with you 100% on your latest tirade. And it's not just that he got COVID but now he's making light of it. {Insert a series of obscenities here}
Ken, long-time reader, Bill in Toronto. If I'd discovered my sitcom-writing talent at a younger age, I would've gambled on a career in L.A. You've been good enough to answer a few of my Friday questions over the years. I have another for consideration. I'm a fan of certain classic scripted radio series and note that the heyday of CBS and NBC's two networks ran about 30 years, then the medium enjoyed another 30 years as music-only before limping on to its current state. CBS and NBC/ABC dominated the new TV medium for more than another 40 years until it, like radio, is in decline. Streaming is the next new thing; how did the networks fail to assert their dominance once again? (P.S. I know you're not old enough to have lived that entire continuum.)
ReplyDeleteI’m a freelance writer originally from North Carolina, currently living in the other Carolina in a small town called Conway.
ReplyDeleteMark Evanier’s blog led me here probably seven or eight years ago.
The behind the scenes stories are what I enjoy the most, but I like all of your content, (including baseball and political talk.)
Longtime reader currently living in CT. Former TV columnist (The Columbus Dispatch in late 1970s, The Arizona Republic in 1980s) who then went into local TV news. Now writing about motorcycles (ride-ct.com) and classic cars (wheels.rep-am.com). Got hooked after being tipped by Howard Hoffman, as I recall. Enjoy what you do tremendously.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken,
ReplyDeleteI'm a retired teacher living in Westerville, Ohio. Before that, I made documentaries for PBS. I'm a huge fan of your writing, going back to your days with MASH and Cheers. I was told about your blog from an old friend and have been a daily reader for about 8 years. Always enjoy your thoughts on writing, the Friday questions, baseball, award ceremonies, and politics. Thanks for providing so many years of fun...
I'm an artificial intelligence scientist from Vienna, Austria. My main area of research is computational humour—that is, how to get computers to understand and produce humour. (This is useful for any sort of application area that requires computers to process human language, such as machine translation or virtual assistants.) I've been reading the blog and listening to the podcast for about three years now, though of course I've been following your work (via Cheers and Frasier) since the 1980s.
ReplyDeleteI'm a 3D artist from the UK. More corporate than entertainment, but the same screenwriting laws apply. Or ought to :) Learned a ton from you, Go Into The Story, Jane Espensen, John August etc... but mostly by watching.
ReplyDeleteBeen reading for around 10 years I reckon - actually stumbled here by accident 'cos I thought you were the Ken Levine behind the superb Bioshock games. Happy accident. Thanks for keeping at it Ken! (And if you do want to step into the gaming world you'll have a head start before anyone realises they've got the wrong guy, so there's that)
I live in the "other" Conway from Reggie Smith above, Conway, Arkansas, and teach mathematics at a small liberal arts college. I found you through your appearance on the Kevin Smith/Matt Mira podcast, which sadly seems to have stopped. I started listening your podcast and have been an almost daily reader of the blog since. I think I have posted once or twice, but mostly am happy to lurk.
ReplyDeleteI like most everything you talk about, but especially the "what really happens" in the process of making a TV show/movie.
Good morning. I've been here at least five years (probably a lot more, but my first comment appears to be 2015), after discovering it through Mark Evanier's NewsFromME blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently a freelance copywriter for a political strategy group, looking to widen my writing work (baseball, pop culture). I've also done project management in the publishing industry, and most of my career was spent as a print production manager for such book publishing companies as St. Martin's Press and the American Bar Association. I'm in my "mid-50s."
And as a baseball and pop culture fan, this blog has become a must-read experience for me on a daily basis.
Hope all is well with you, Ken, and thanks for keeping the blog going.
63, Germany, Bavaria here.
ReplyDeleteDiscovered the blog via MASH about 7 years ago, was delighted about the radio stories (having worked in radio myself).
I still think the Friday Questions are a wonderful thing.
As a german I could live with less baseball and Trump. But I guess you would be happy with less Trump, too.
Thank you for your work, I am looking forward to the next 15 years.
I am an attorney in Denver, and I started reading your blog for ~8 years after hearing about in Time. What impresses me most about your blog is how you write something interesting five days a week. I cannot think of a single time when I started reading a post and didn't make it to the end. I appreciate and welcome your posts on politics in these crazy times. A little over four years ago I started writing sketches for a local improv and sketch theater, and you posts on the writing process have been very helpful.
ReplyDeleteMy name is William Jansen. I'm from Denmark. I've dabbled in semi-pro-theatre, but these days I work with special need-kids. I've been coming here for more than a decade, usually because the backstage-stuff fascinates me. Mostly concerning Cheers and Frasier, which I grew up on, whereas a lot of your other shows never made it to TV over here. Nowadays I think we as an audience gets too much of a glimpse into the backstage-dealings of the stars, so it is fascinating to hear the stories of the less glamorous professions involved with making the stories I grew up on.
ReplyDeleteI don't particularly care for baseball and I am obviously not as emotionally involved in American politics as you are going to be, but I am fine with a certain part of your blog being for a different audience.
Hi Ken, I'm one of your lurkers. I'm not one who has much to say, so comments and questions are rare. I have listened to the podcast since the start, really enjoy it. I'm in Battle Creek, MI, work as an aircraft mechanic and am a car nut. I found your blog when Kevin Smith had you on his short lived "Fraiser" podcast and have read everyday since. I have delved into the archives a few times. I enjoy pretty everything you add. I'm not involved in entertainment, so the how to do better in Hollywood stuff is unrelatable to me, but still enjoy it. Thanks for the fun.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago, for a forgotten reason, I was searching for a clip of Sam's "g-g-g-groin injohree" rap. Your blog entry about the episode came up; I enjoyed reading it, and have been reading ever since.
ReplyDeleteI'm Mike and I've been reading this blog for almost 15 years, I've been a fan of Ken's work both in TV and when he was announcer for the Seattle Mariners. I love the fact that this blog not only is daily, but doesn't limit itself to one topic, but can follow whatever is in Ken's mind at the time. I love the fact that Ken, in spite of his success as perhaps TV's top writer, he remains accessible and down to earth.
ReplyDeleteI'm now 63 and live in Maple Valley, a town located between in the Seattle area. My wife and I run 2 UPS Stores in Bellevue.
I also have a blog (plug), which was inspired by my late cousin, Jan, a Bay Area and later Palm Springs based writer. At the time I started there were hundreds of blogs for almost everything. When the blog went out of style, I continued. It is kind of a daily exercise for me to come up with something that inspires me.
Hi, I've been a long time reader. I work in a creative industry but I'm not a writer (far from it). I also have no ambition to be a writer. But I find the process of comedy fascinating. I don't buy much drama on DVD but my shelves are full of comedy DVDs - they'll always be watched repeatedly, and I have a particular love for a good commentary (e.g. I'm Alan Partridge has commentaries that really go deep into the amount of work they put into the backstory of the characters, as well as the process of getting from script to screen). So I'm a big fan of your Friday Questions especially.
ReplyDeleteI don't know a single thing about baseball, being from the UK, but that's OK, that's what the "page down" button is for. If I had any requests, I'd love to know more on your thoughts on British comedy, especially recent shows, from an USA writer's perspective - we've had some incredible shows here over the last few years (Peep Show, The Inbetweeners, Friday Night Dinner, Grandma's House, Fleabag, Roger And Val Have Just Got In, Don't Forget The Driver, Back To Life, Home etc etc etc)
I'm in Missouri and currently work in marketing, PR, and broadcasting in college sports. I came here several years ago when I picked up screenwriting as a hobby.
ReplyDeleteIt was an awesome blog to discover, not only because of occasional writing tips, but growing up, I watched MASH, Cheers, and so many things Levine & Isaacs have created. The broadcasting stuff entertains me because of my background and he and I have some common experiences and contacts through minor league baseball.
I've enjoyed all of the content - even 'reruns' (which are rare), but I haven't read every entry so I don't mind seeing something repeated...and even if I HAVE seen it before, everything is good enough to read again.
Thanks for your dedication to this space Mr. Levine!
Lurker. New Hampshire. Gen X. Folk music agent in my 20s turned lawyer in my 30s. Graduate of Providence College (alma mater of your friend David Angell). Turned on to your blog by law school classmate who writes legal procedurals in LA. Kept reading your blog for a lot of reasons, including your insight on the writing/editing process (most civil litigators spend a great deal of time writing and editing); as well as the possibility that you will one day confirm that the B Story in M*A*S*H’s Dear Uncle Abdul episode (S8/E12) is take-off on The Aristocrats. Listen to the podcast when swimming. Thanks for all you do to keep us entertained on the blog and with the entire body of your work.
ReplyDeleteI found out about this blog from Mark Evanier about 5 years ago. I'm a Filipino-American born in Chicago nearly 53 years ago. Lately, during this pandemic as the Fall TV season is slowly coming together, I've watched lots of classic movies ('50s, some '40s-'60s) with my mom who I live with. Four with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (Charade, It Takes a Thief, The Philadelphia Story, An Affair to Remember, Roman Holliday, Funny Face, Sabrina), two with Fred Astaire (FF, The Band Wagon), three with Gene Kelly (Bridgadoon, 40 Carats, On the Town), and three with Humphrey Bogart (The African Queen, Casablanca, Sabrina), among other classic movies. We've now lost several musical icons that I've grown up with (Helen Reddy, Mac Davis, Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Nash, Bill Withers) as well as two female stars of "The Avengers" (Honor Blackman, Dame Diana Rigg). I grew up in Louisiana so I bleed Purple, Black, and Gold (Geaux Tigers and Saints! Who Dat!). And among my favorite shows are "Taxi" and "Cheers". And I consider myself enough of an American that I would want the current pres. to be voted out of office because of how stupidly arrogant he has increasingly become especially after his current health situation. I guess I'll leave it at that right now...
ReplyDeleteI'm a San Fernando Valley transplant now living in Beaverton, Oregon. I am the age of fun sex and have been following the blog for some time. Once an aspiring writer (spec scripts for MASH, WKRP, Kate & Allie, Fantasy Island, as well as numerous originals), I ended up in the wine business until retiring in 2016. I now write short stories for the fun of it, follow the Dodgers, hate trump and all of his cronies, and play my 1971 Ovation guitar every day.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kevin Johnston. I'm a jack of all trades who went back to college in 2013 to become a professional chef and caterer. Once upon a time, I made a decent living working in retail. I also was on-air at a college radio station as a DJ and ran my own tiny Part-15 AM radio station.
ReplyDeleteI'm 54 years old and widowed with no children. I've lived within walking distance of both the Atlantic Ocean (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) and the Pacific Ocean (San Francisco). I've moved away from my hometown area of Johnson City, NY four times and come back four times, and yes, there's a lesson in there, somewhere.
I live in Binghamton, NY at this time, and have for the last three and a half years.
I have no clear memory of how I found this blog, but I'm glad that I did. I enjoy reading all of your stories. I have listened to a few episodes of the podcast and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Fifteen years is a long time to do anything. I hope you can keep it up for many more years.
Someone who heard you on a podcast, perhaps Gilbert's, perhaps your own. Chicago native, living outside Rockford. Blog writer since March of 2005. Living life, Being as happy as I can be. Great blog, Mr. Levine.
ReplyDeleteI'm a former TV news producer who retired nearly seven years ago from WDRB in Louisville. In a different life I'd have tried to make it as a TV writer. As it is, I submitted scripts to various STAR TREK shows back in the Rick Berman days when they took unsolicited scripts. A couple of my rejections were through a legal firm, and I'm told that means I got close. All of which means I most enjoy your stories about how particular scripts were conceived and written.
ReplyDeleteAs it is, I'm a science fiction novelist and short story writer, with about 30 stories and a dozen books professionally published.
I first discovered your blog through BUFFY and FIREFLY writer Jane Espenson. And, just the opposite from many of your readers, I discovered Mark Evanier's blog from you.
Hi Ken,
ReplyDeleteChris Ingram here. I currently live in Maine, after about six years in South Florida. I spent about 30-years in broadcasting, most of that in news, though I did spend a few years deejaying. I’ve been reading your blog since around 2015, I think; it’s a regular, pleasant part of my day. I really enjoy peeking inside a writers room, particularly as I try to bring a work of mine to the screen. Your insights and experiences provide a sort of mini primer in TV writing. Thanks for doing this!
Hi Ken--mostly a lurker here, but we met briefly when you were in Lowell, MI for "Our Time" a couple of years ago. (I used to go by the handle of "Mork".) I don't remember how I found out about your blog, but I've been reading it for years now. And I'm still jealous of Jennifer Quail for winning more games of Jeopardy! than me and getting two episodes of your podcast. But I bought your books, and that's what's really important...:-)
ReplyDeleteMostly lurker from the mountains of NC. Not sure why but always enjoyed the behind the scenes accounts of television particularly the quality MTM shows. Brandon Tartikoff's memoir was wonderful and then sometime back in the day Time magazine (remember magazines) thought your blog was good. Since Time also liked Bill Simmons Sportsguy blog, I thought yours worth checking out and it's been a daily first checkin for who knows how many years. Your discussions of your work on the best shows in television were the original draw, but then your baseball accounts proved a wonderful bonus. Also as a bonus, enjoyed the reading of one of your travel reminiscence books during a trip to visit our son as a Peace Corps volunteer given your movie experience and found ranch dressing had replaced Coke as the new gold standard import at least in Mozambique. Have not been as regular with the podcast, though have enjoyed many of them. Hope you manage to keep things going. All the best.
ReplyDeleteWhere you're from? How you found the blog? Your age? How long you've been reading (or listening)? And any thoughts on what you like or don't like.
ReplyDeleteI live in Strongsville, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. My sister, who's an editor for a trade magazine, told me about your blog. I'm 58. Been reading for 12 years now. Used to leave a comment every day, but, well, I'm gainfully employed now, so only do it occasionally. I read all the pop culture stuff, particularly when it comes to television, an art form I weaned myself on as a child (much to the dismay of my parents, who wanted me to go outside and play.) Oddly, I don't watch TV that much anymore, but still want to see what you have to say about it. Despite living in what seems like the sports fan (and sports bar) capital of the world, I'm not much of one myself. Still, if the Indians ever again get into the World Series, I'll read what you have to say about it (and it better be good!)
Hello Ken! I'm from Rhode Island (Upstate NY originally), and I've been reading your blog for 5 or 6 years now. I always enjoy it (even when it's baseball oriented!). Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken. Lurker here. I'm from Pittsburgh. Love the blog. Have been reading for years. So many that I don't remember when I started nor how I found you. I've posted a few times but not enough that you'd remember me. I'm a medical physicist during the day and used to be a jazz musician (pre-pandemic) at night.
ReplyDeleteIts been probably 10 years that I have been following the blog. I'm good with baseball posts (Better luck next year Cardinals!) and anything you want to share.
ReplyDeleteI have 11 months, 24 days until I can start collecting my social security (if the asshat will leave it alone). I'm 65, from St. Charles MO (a suburb of St. Louis), am a buyer with a college bookstore, and am a voracious reader.
Thanks, Ken, for you insight and writings. Anything that can bring a smile to my face these days is more than welcome.
VOTE!!!!!
Pam Meers Purtle, St. Louis
I'll be 40 in a couple weeks and I grew up watching the shows you worked on. My dad loves M*A*S*H so I've seen those a bunch of times when I was a kid, and then my parents watched Cheers, then I watched every episode of Frasier in its original run (I was aged 12 to 23 during those years, but I loved it anyway).
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how I found the blog but I'm glad I did. Thanks for the daily break!
Longtime reader and commenter -- your site led me to start Carole & Co., now also a blog teenager (what does that make us in dog years?), with more than 4,300 entries. Wanted to be a baseball announcer in my youth until I realized I neither had Harry Kalas' voice nor his verbal dexterity, had my dreams of working in Top 40 radio (RIP to the format) scuttled for the same reasons, and after many years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor, am giving screenwriting a chance (why I moved to Los Angeles in 2014). My rom-com feature script "Stand Tall!" has won a few festival awards, producers have inquired about the comic thriller "Fugitive Sweetheart," and I'm working on a Hollywood time-travel comedy (think "Back To The Future" meets "Singin' In The Rain"). So essentially you're everything I wanted to be, which may explain the vicarious pleasure I get from your blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken,
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog daily now for two years, but discovered it before that. I've been in television for 43 years, the last 25 as a writer/producer of non-fiction shows and specials for A&E, Food Network, Disney Channel, TCM, TV Land and many more. My first love is comedy. In the 80's, I wrote for Steve Allen on his Start of Something Big Series (Steve recommended me after reading my Caesar's Hour Revisited script which included all new sketches for Sid and company).I am 70 and after Bill Persky praised my the Van Dyke Show script I wrote last year, I wished I was 35 years younger so I'd have a shot at getting on a writing staff. But that doesn't stop me from writing original scripts. You've inspired me to write one act plays. May your blog continue forever!
Hi Ken, I'm Pierce Horvath, one of the "lurkers" who enjoys your podcast while working on animation projects. I came to the blog in search of Dick Van Dyke material and found more than I had hoped for! I'm a huge fan of classic film and television so your blog is a daily stop while getting things shaking for the day. I sent an email out to you a while back and figured you're still getting through the many others you've received. Hope to hear back from you soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this blog, it's a digital diamond mine for people in the entertainment industry!
Hi Ken-I'm definitely a lurker. I'm from New York and I've been reading your column for many years. I first heard of it when I was reading a Frasier forum on the now defunct "Television Without Pity" site. Someone posted a link to your column about Lisa Kudrow being originally cast as Roz on Frasier and I've been reading ever since. You often mention that people probably don't go back and read old columns but I definitely did once I found your site.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite feature of your blog is Friday Questions. It reminds me first that it's Friday, and also of getting the Sunday paper as a kid and reading the TV questions on the inside page of the Parade magazine.
Your podcast is great too, just the right length for a long walk.
Thank you for all of the great content over these years.
Hi there Ken. I found you through Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast, and listen every week, plus read. Lived mostly in New York State, now I’m happily voting in NE PA! Today, by the way, is the 48th anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah. Fan of your forever, loved MASH, Cheers, and can watch Frasier episodes over and over again. I’m a lifelong Mets fan, so I live a life of eternal disappointment. You are incredibly entertaining and insightful, I love your work!
ReplyDeleteHave always been interested in the performing arts. Certified Geezer. Been reading this blog for several years.
ReplyDeleteI think that amongst friends I can reveal my real identity. I'm Colonel Flagg of the U.S. Army. I am a CIA spy who pretends to be an internet blog reader, just to fuck with people's sense of complacency. Everything on this blog goes into microfilm and into your permanent record.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe I'm a married white guy in his mid-40s who grew up on MASH and CHEERS. Who knows what's true anymore?
Hi Ken -- Thank you so much for starting, and continuing to publish, this blog. I feel like I've been reading it for about 14 years. (I'm 54.)
ReplyDeleteMy name is Joe, and I live just outside Washington, D.C. I can't remember how I found your blog -- it's lost to the mists of time. But I'm glad I did.
I first knew you from your work with the Orioles in the early 1990s; I've probably mentioned before that I once worked as a part-time DJ at a small AM radio station in Leesburg, Va., back then and frequently worked as a board-op for Orioles games. I still work in radio part time (now a SAG-AFTRA member, baby!) but my main job is as a writer in the media department of a large North American labor union.
I like everything you write, from your memories of the television business, your opinions on the state of things today. Please keep up your great work.
Born in 1956 and started listening to top-40 radio around 1967 (the era of the Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine"). Editor and occasional keyboardist. I especially enjoy the behind-the-scenes entries here; in the late 1970s when I lived in center-city Philadelphia, I would buy weekly Variety at newsstands (75 cents, on newsprint). I've been reading this blog, occasionally commenting, for at least 10 years. Thanks for the much-needed diversion, although confronting the facts (as in the most recent political post) is welcome too. Getting the facts is always preferable to wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteI'm only here for the free stuff and a guest starring role for the BIG WAVE DAVE'S reboot.
ReplyDeleteI'm a lurker from the Philadelphia area. I've been reading your blog for several years, and I can't recall how I found you. Someone else mentioned the website Television Without Pity, so maybe found you through that?
ReplyDeleteI have no aspirations to write for TV but I like learning the "behind the scenes" stuff. I also like your comments about baseball. I hope you keep writing!
lyle e davis, age 82, still publishing a weekly newspaper, The Paper (thecommunitypaper.com) - 40,000 readers weekly, hard copy, as well as websie readers.
ReplyDeleteDivorced, primary caregiver for ex-wife, Mary, who has dementia.
Two adult sons, one 9 year old granddaughter.
Avid reader and admirer of your blog.
Best.
lyle
James Lileks turned me on to you. I've long since given up on James and his politics, but love reading you. I would have thought you would run out of things to write about, but think you are better at this than before. Please don't stop!
ReplyDeleteI'm younger than both guys running for president this year, but not by much.
ReplyDeleteI was born in Arkansas, have lived in 7 western states but grew up mostly in California and live now near Palm Springs.
I found this blog via a link on Mark Evanier's blog, newsfromme.com. I first met Mark at Shel Dorf's house shortly before the third or fourth San Diego Comic Con. I've written, drawn, and published comics off and on for decades and currently prepare and publish eBooks for myself and others.
I knew and recognized your name as a writer whose work I enjoyed before I followed Mark's link, principally your scripts for MASH. I confess to being only an occasional viewer of Cheers, but I always enjoyed it.
I almost always enjoy this blog and visit it four or five times a week. Thanks for being here and sharing your memories and insights.
Rob, from a small town outside Toronto in Ontario, Canada. It's been quite a few years now, but I think I stumbled across your blog after a reference on Wil Wheaton's blog. Absolutely no connection with the film/tv industry, but a rabid baseball fan, and as I said, have been reading for years. And I find it interesting how often in conversation I end up saying "There's this blog I read...." Always enjoyable and keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jeff and I live in the Philadelphia suburbs. I work in insurance claims. I have always loved the entertainment industry. I believe I found this blog on a list of great blogs or something along those lines maybe 15 years ago. I am proud to say that I watched CHEERS from the day it premiered. I was a college student and an avid reader of TV Guide (remember the eagerly-awaited Fall Preview?) and other publications, and I remember reading several good reviews for the Cheers pilot.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this blog Ken. And I forgive you for always ignoring my Friday questions!
Ken,
ReplyDeleteI'm a 42 year old policy guy from New England. I found your blog back when those were a big deal, and never stopped following. I'm not very much a sports guy, but I grew up with my parents watching MASH, and I liked Cheers. I don't care much about television or the West Coast.
I've dropped a couple comments, but I enjoy reading the thoughts and experiences of people different than my own. Mostly I enjoy your writing style, and view of things that aren't a big part of my world.
Libra...and my name is Brian. And I like a gir...I mean, I have been reading the blog since a little after its inception. I live in Georgia and I have enjoyed you and your collaborators' work for many years and I am still resentful of the network's "fixing" of "Almost Perfect".
ReplyDeleteThanks for the podcast episodes. I actually found one entry helpful, as I made it to the second round of Jeopardy! testing, but, alas, I didn't make the cut. I also appreciate the writing tips and what little writing I have done has tried to employ what I have learned here.
Thanks, as always.
Hello from Toronto. I've been a full-time comedy screenwriter for about 25 years. When I was just starting out I would watch the two episodes of Cheers repeats that aired every weekday from 5 to 6 pm on CTV and take notes about the structure, the characters, the methodology of it all. I also went to film school - but in the long run my hour a day of Cheers was much more valuable.
ReplyDeleteYour blog was recommended to me by a colleague about 10 years ago. You're how I start my day.
(Ps - the reason I didn't wind up living/working in LA is the last meeting I had there about 20 years ago ended with a producer saying, "If you don't sign off on this deal you'll never work in the town again." Who knew they actually said that down there. And meant it!)
Ken: I grew up in Studio City and would walk past CBS Radford on my way to elementary school in the sixties. I was in distribution in the record business, when there was a record business, for 40 years. My mail order company specialized in selling to prison inmates. We once had an order sent to a prisoner at Attica. It was returned to us, marked: "Escaped - No Forwarding Address." The funny thing was that the return message was rubber-stamped, as if inmates escaping happened all the time. I grew up watching quality TV shows and would make a point of reading the credits. I knew that if I saw your name and David Isaacs' in the credit that it would be a good show. My cousin Barry G is a former writer/producer and he turned me onto your blog. The two of us said hello to you when we attended a performance of "Going, Going, Gone" at the Hudson.
ReplyDeleteHey Ken 70 year old from Michigan's thumb read you every day enjoy your baseball stories and the rest of your stuff.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ken -
ReplyDeleteI'm originally from the metro New York area and live in the Southwest United States now.
I wanted to be an actress and writer but ended up a teacher which lets me use a little of both ambitions.
I align pretty closely to you politically, and I'm usually sorry when you disable comments because a lot of what you say works for me and I'd love to send the occasional message of support and sometimes ask follow-up questions.
You've worked on a lot of tv series and films I've loved, and with many, many performers and directors I admire, and I always enjoy your 'backstage' stories.
In fact, you're the only blogger I read every day. I also listen to your podcast.
I'm getting on in age, successfully fighting cancer over the past nine years (I was supposed to be dead seven years go, but life is too darn interesting to leave). I have a husband and a dog, both are devoted, funny and occasionally turdish.
I read your tributes to the Angells and Larry Gelbart whenever you reprint them and I always, always mist up.
I know of you from Jon W as I worked staff at JAM for 6 years and have been a producer/singer in the Dallas jingle biz for over 40 (and understand you're quite the jingle freak). I'm one of the only people I know with a SAG card who can't act. I admire those who can and those who put the words in their mouths (it's a lot harder than it looks folks). I enjoy your great writing and proficiency to pull it off on a daily basis (I too suffer from 'deadline fever' as a way of life). Thanks Ken!
ReplyDeleteI'm in Tucson. 61. Bookbinder and book conservator. Have no idea how I found your blog, but you answered the first question I asked, which was a thrill. And, even more, answered a question I had been mulling over for a few decades and it was nice to put that question to rest! (It was about why actors leave successful tv shows only to have their careers ruined by "Hello Larry" etc.)
ReplyDeleteI love it all, including the baseball stuff. I used to run around Green Lake, in Seattle, listening to you call the Mariners and it was my favorite thing to do. What a great way to spend on hour.
But it's your blog. Only takes a few minutes to read and if it doesn't interest that much (which rarely happens) I read it anyway because it takes less than three or four minutes, so why not? Listen to all the podcasts as well, heard them wandering in frozen SLC evenings trying to find a hat and scarf, on planes and wandering around the desert down here. They're both a great antidote to all the ^#%& that's going on in the world right now.
Thanks for it all, Ken.
My name is Sean.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started reading your blog, I lived in NoCal. I found it after it was linked from Wil Wheaton's blog. I moved to Central Texas three years ago because I can't afford California anymore.
And damnit! I love the baseball stories! Go Giants! BEAT LA!
I've been following this blog for I don't know how long. Certainly since before your book about growing up in the 60's was published, since I purchased it in e-book form through a link on your blog site.
ReplyDeleteI am 60 yrs old and work as an IT project manager for a local government agency. I live on Bainbridge Island, just a ferry ride across Elliott Bay from Seattle.
I greatly enjoy your blog, your podcast and all of your interesting insights to the entertainment business. I remember your stint as a announcer for the Seattle Mariners and also enjoy your baseball stories - keep them coming. I've even had of couple Friday Questions answered on your blog.
Thanks for all you do for us.
Hi Ken! I am a long time lurker here. Currently live in Charleston, South Carolina with the horrible bugs, humidity, and Trumpsters. I am originally from San Diego, though, so I can appreciate your Los Angeles posts. I think I have been reading for over 10 years. Look forward to it every day. I have read all of your books and of course have loved the shows you have worked on. I love your take on classic LA things, writing (of course) and since we have similar sensibilities, your political commentary. I guess I am not too fond of the baseball talk, but that is about it!
ReplyDeleteI hope you never run out of ideas and we get to read this blog for many years to come.
I've been reading for years but comment once or twice a year at most. I'm in central Indiana, I'm a software developer, I was a radio disk jockey 30 years ago. I love your radio stories, and always enjoy Friday Questions.
ReplyDeleteWhere you're from? How you found the blog? Your age? How long you've been reading (or listening)? And any thoughts on what you like or don't like.
ReplyDeleteFrom Clinton & Worcester Massachusetts. 37 as I write this. Been reading for just under a year I think. I really enjoy the Friday questions and the background/insight on the industry when you give us something we haven't heard about before! The only time I skip over a post is when it's about someone that recently passed. They're not bad posts, just not my cup of tea for a site I use for some funny posts and insider information on my favorite shows.
Hi Ken! Brent from Grand Rapids, MI. I initially found the blog via a recommendation from Mark Evanier... always glad he recommended me here. 45 going on 80... I think I've been reading and listening for at least a few years now. I like pretty much anything you post, but I especially love reading about and listening to your Hollywood experiences... past, present, and future... your podcast is always great for that with your own reminiscing as well as your great guests. Nothing in particular that I don't like, though I'm pretty much of the same political bent as you are so the stuff you post in that regard tends not to bother me. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ken,
ReplyDeleteFaithful reader for about 12 years. I live on Saltspring Island BC. in Canada. 58 years old and my mom's favorite shows growing up was All in the Family and MASH. I really look forward to your blogs and reading your blog.
For fellow habitual commenters, if you want to have fun, into the search engine, just to see what you may have said in previous years.
ReplyDeleteMichael,
ReplyDeleteI have been reading the blog for at least 6 years and don't recall how I found it. I am one of the lurkers from North Carolina originally from Oregon. As you know we don't like people from California. I loved the post a few weeks ago about Adele. I like all topics. It nice to have a change up every once and a while.
Hello Ken,
ReplyDeleteI am at least a six year lurker. My name is Michael and I currently reside in North Carolina but was raise in Oregon. I enjoy all topics. The Adele post a few weeks ago was a treat.
I am from Racine Wisconsin. 73 years old. I probably found it through twitter. Some one must have retweeted something from your blog. At this point I have no idea how long I have been following but it has been quite a while. I like it almost all the time. I will skip if it something about writing a script. There are probably a couple of other things that don't interest me. But would say I read 99 per cent of the time.
ReplyDelete"Where you're from?"
ReplyDeleteNew York City, specifically the Bronx.
"How you found the blog?"
I think it was one of the M*A*S*H fan sites that mentioned it.
"Your age?"
51.
"How long you've been reading (or listening)?"
I dunno, a year? Two? Time has lost all meaning in 2020.....
"And any thoughts on what you like or don't like."
I don't always agree with you, but you always present your arguments cogently and sensibly, and are therefore opinions I can respect, even when I don't agree -- and, I should add hastily, I agree with you quite a bit. I especially like when you talk about writing, but that's only because I'm a writer myself (albeit of prose fiction rather than scripts).
Keep up the excellent work!
---Keith R.A. DeCandido
Hello! Long-time lurker. Orioles fan and former entertainment technical crew professional. Please excuse my recycling of this wordplay: I like the inside baseball you provide about both topics.
ReplyDeleteHi, Brian from North Carolina here. I found your blog from another blog written by a programmer at Microsoft. It must have been around 2005 or 6 when I started following your blog. Thanks to the power of Google, I found my comment from 2007
ReplyDeleteI live in the mountains of North Carolina. I also heard about your blog from Raymond Chen, the Microsoft programmer. I love the stories about what it was like writing and working on on shows like Mash, Cheers, etc. Things like where ideas came from and what the actors were like. I also like the great TV moments you post.
Hello! I'm from Las Vegas and found the blog doing a search one day that involved you. I'm not sure what it was now because I've been reading it for more than a decade, but my guess is that it concerned your broadcasting career, and I have a copy of your book on the baseball shelves in my house!
ReplyDeleteI'm 55 and I grew up watching MASH, so I knew the dynamic duo of Levine and Isaacs, and I'll add a word of admiration for the Lilith episodes on Frasier in particular.
Mostly a lurker. Born in 1946 and live in Toronto. First found the blog after watching the NBC live production of Peter Pan in 2014. I Googled the broadcast looking for reviews because it seemed to me that Christopher Walken was drunk and wondered what others thought. Found your review and was hooked. From your blog I found fellow Torontonian Earl Pomerantz and am still saddened over his sudden and early passing. During COVID I have been trying to walk every day and am now up to date on your podcasts which I have enjoyed very much. When I responded to one of these 2 years ago I said “Like everything you write about. In awe of your energy and output. Hate your president and the fact our right wingnuts have started to emulate him. Love your rants.” That’s pretty much how I still feel. Oh, and based on recent world and local events I believe we are doomed.
ReplyDeleteHI Ken.
ReplyDeleteCanuck from Edmonton, found your blog through Mark Evanier's blog about 6 or 7 years ago.
My parents only allowed an hour of tv to watch from Monday to Thursday, so Mash and Cheers were stables for me. I really enjoy reading about the history from the mid 70's to late 80's.
However, I do have to admit that I'm also fascinated by the politics in the US at the moment. World's greatest democracy seemingly self destructing.
Looking forward to reading your blog for many years to come.
Been reading for at least 10 years now, found you through a 'Wings" search. Blogging for 15 years myself at https://xmastime.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteKeep it up! :)
I'm a 55 year old Engineer in Minnesota (I'm loathed to say Minneapolis anymore...) I had the pleasure to attend your stage reading here last Fall. Wonderful night.
ReplyDeleteI love learning about the process of how things are made, particularly creative process like TV and film. Your blog and podcast are exactly what I love. I discovered you through your appearance on Smith's Frasier podcast.
I usually sign off with a "Cheers" but that suddenly seems odd. Well anyway.
Cheers, Robbie
50+ years as a writer/producer/director for radio and television specials/documentaries, Ken. I've been reading your blog for close to 10 years now. I believe our mutual friend Jon Wolfert mentioned it to me.
ReplyDeleteSo these days, I read your blog daily and listen to Jon on Rewound Radio on Sundays (usually the one day you don't post).
I do love your radio stories and especially anything about my all time radio hero, the Real Don Steele. I was fortunate enough to live and work in LA in 1970 (for radio consultant Ted Randal) and listen to him on KHJ every afternoon. Made my day a whole lot brighter. Used to occasionally see Don, Robert W. Morgan and Bill Drake at Martoni's, just a block away from my office (not always together though). All three are gone now, but what an interview that would have made for your Hollywood & Levine.
By the way, that Natalie Wood photo is the least like Natalie Wood I've ever seen you post.
Have answered these a couple of times, so will just repeat the basic details: female, 41, from Israel, have been reading daily for about 5 years. Thanks Ken!
ReplyDeleteCount me in as one of the lurkers.
ReplyDeleteI love the blog, read it every day, and you never fail to pick me up. Given our current circumstances, that is no small accomplishment.
A friend of mine in the business tipped me off about your musings 10 years ago and I have tipped off several more people since. I live in LA and I love the local references as much as I love film noir images of our fair city. Also, count me in as a huge baseball nerd. Go Dodgers!
BTW, I am of a "certain age" and glad of it. Keep up the great work!
Age - 61 (and counting)
ReplyDeleteBorn and raised (played baseball in) and still live in a flyby State (Alaska)
Five college years in a flyover state
Lakers fan since Wilt/Jerry/Goodrich that finally got rings
Originally a Giants fan (got the games on radio up here) - just before Willie was traded to the Mets.
Tried to get the M's (Root Sports) to "let you in" as guest announcer at an Angels game - no luck, but I DID get a note from Dave Sims!
What I like - roughly from best to least:
That you still get crushes on lovely actresses (Claire Danes for instance)
That I still get crushes on lovely actresses - even if they don't answer my letters and telegrams
Reviews - Film, TV, music, books (more of these, please)
The podcasts - especially show-biz interviews
Baseball pieces (let the non-fans "log out" for a day)
Hollywood stories - even recycles and even non-first-hand stories
Friday Questions answers
The Comments (great bunch of regulars here)
Annie Updates
Obituaries
Oscar and Emmy pieces (haven't cared about those for decades - EXCEPTION - lovely actresses on the runway - whoop! red carpet)
Football pieces (really?)
Honorable mention for Natalie Wood pics
And another request - for another memoir of you as a grownup.
Cheers!
PS - you COULD post more from I Dream of Gina (better to produce it - at least as a play).
I am Indiana born and raised. Originally from Paoli, (hour south of Bloomington if you want to look at a map), I now live in Ingalls, which is northeast of Indianapolis. I am 48, and have been married 24 years. I have three kids, my son is 22, one daughter 19, and another daughter 18. Will be an empty nester soon. I actually have known of you for a number of years through TV, but am relatively new to your podcast and blog. I discovered your podcast through listening to an interview with you on Jon Wolfert's show on Rewound Radio. It was a great interview, and I immediately started listening to your podcast after that, and actually went back to the very beginning of it and went forward. Picked up on your blog shortly after. I went back and looked in my email and it was July of last year that I first wrote to you, and of course you wrote back, which I truly appreciate. There is really nothing you could improve upon in your podcast or blog. Everything has been great and I really enjoy the variety.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I hope you and yours our staying healthy and safe. Keep up the great writing and I hope I can catch one of your plays live when all this is over.
Tim from Seattle, mid 50's, accountant. Heard from a friend my second favorite one-time Seattle Mariners broadcaster had a blog around 10 years ago. I enjoy almost all your entries, particularly when you are able to get interesting people to talk in an entertaining way about things those of us not in the business have no idea about (of course that includes you). Hope you can keep it up. I generally don't see the "weekend post" until Monday, so if you want a couple days off I will still like you.
ReplyDeleteI’m a Pittsburgh native now living halfway between Baltimore and DC who first became aware of you when you broadcast Orioles games. I’m 64 years old and have been reading the blog since my wife pointed me to it about ten years ago. I always enjoy the posts on writing as I’m a published author myself, with ten published books and two Shamus Award nominations from the Private Eye Writers of America.
ReplyDeleteKeep plugging away. You are my “must read” blog.
Not sure how long I've been reading your blog. Can't even remember how I stumbled across it. I know it was at least a year or two, maybe more, before Time magazine mentioned your blog as one of the Top 25 to read. Technically, I'm from my mother's womb. Age....old enough to know better, young enough not to care.....let's just say I was born in the same decade as you. Least favorite posts are baseball related [but you do make them interesting enough to read]. Podcasts I try to listen to but I'm not good at multi-tasking so I have to concentrate on listening. If I try and do something else at the same time, it doesn't stick in my head. And my name is the same as my "handle" on the comments just read it right to left [and drop the I at the end.]
ReplyDeleteI shall lurk no more.
ReplyDeleteI was a writer at THE MIDDLE when you visited us in our writers room to regale us with your amazing tales of showbiz triumph and woe. I've been a huge fan ever since. (Of your personal musings, that is. I was a fan of your work on CHEERS, M*A*S*H, etc. well before that.) I meant to comment a few weeks back when you sang the praises of my former MIDDLE boss Eileen Heisler's COVID essay and THE MIDDLE in general, but I got sidetracked.
I'm originally from Wisconsin (Go Brewers...we're gonna go all the way next year, I swear), but I currently live in Burbank, and continue to ply my trade as a TV writer/producer. As for my age, on the day I was born, the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 was "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" by the Supremes.
Can't say I have any suggestions -- just keep doing what you're doing! Thanks, Ken!
Hi
ReplyDeleteAge: 35
Location: Hull, England
How I found this blog/how long I’ve been reading: since Matt Mira recommend it on the Talked Salad podcast
Misc: What the hell was Christopher Walken doing on that boat?
Hi Ken. Mark Little, 74, Greenville South Carolina. Been a lurker for a very long time. Once in a while I’ll ask a possible Friday question. Haven’t been chosen yet. I feel a kinship with you because when I was in college and shortly thereafter in the Navy. I worked as a radio announcer. I had enough talent to be a big fish in a small town but that was it. I saw enough of the business to know that talented guys like you and competition would really make it difficult for me in a big market. Besides, I saw I enough bloodbaths when everybody got fired and the format changed to make me wary. I did have some wonderful experiences though. Top 40, on the air preachers., Stock car races. A lot of things that made radio in the South unique. I admire your work ethic and professionalism. That’s the main reason I stick around.
ReplyDeleteHello from a long-time reader who comments about once a year other than this annual tradition. I'm a mathematician in south central Michigan who really enjoys your radio stories--I did college radio for several years. As with so many of us, Mark Evanier's blog led me here first, and it was so long ago that I don't remember the year.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI am a 37 year old from New Jersey. I found your blog when I was watching through the Mary Tyler Moore Show and was Googling articles about it, and one hit brought me to a blog entry of yours. I recognized your name from watching Mash, Cheers, and 2 Simpsons episodes. I have been here as a daily reader/listener for over 10 years (I've now been with you longer than I was with my ex-wife). I've been with your podcast since it started. I would definitely count as a "lurker", this is only my 2nd response in over 10 years. I really enjoy the guest bloggers and interviewees you bring in.
I found your blog from your award from TIME years ago. I love it and am a frequent reader/lurker ever since. I love hearing about script writing, about being a writer, the writing process, snarky reviews of Emmys/debates/etc, behind the scenes stories... and even the baseball posts! I often share your jokes (always with attribution!) with my family. I work in higher education administration, marketing and communications. I'm a middle-aged mom of teenagers living in beautiful Colorado searching out the little silver linings of the COVID times. Thanks for putting a smile in my day so frequently. You spread joy... and now more than ever, that's important work... so thank you for all the hard work these 15 years. It is appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI'm a long time reader, born in Hollywood, living in West L.A. and about to partially retire after 45 years in local radio and TV news. I enjoyed your first book, haven't read the second one, but probably will. I won't state my age, but I've been paying into Social Security for 51 years.
ReplyDeleteI've answered this query a number of times and am happy to say I am now thirty years old with a washboard stomach and buns of steel.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it was heartening to read from so many blog fans from so-called "flyover country".
Came across your blog doing a 'writing forum' type search. I've been following it for a few years now. I've gone back and read the prior posts and listened to the podcasts - which are fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI'm an old geezer in my late 60's, watched FAR too much TV when younger, but loved it all.
I bought your books and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Your topics are always fascinating and politically, I agree with you 1000%.
Keep up the great work, Ken!
Been reading a long time, rarely comment because by the time I read the entry, everybody has said everything that needs to be said. I work in baseball analytics so for job safety sake I can't reveal full name or location. Someday I'll get you to be less analytic-hostile, it's not that bad.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever get into broadcasting again I hope to be able to meet you in person.
--Mike
Found your blog via a link re:old TV shows; been reading a couple of years. I enjoy the "behind the scenes" stories, gives context to a lot of our favorite shows. And it gives us a nice break from the goofy jackass in the White House, thanks! 70 year old fart in Tucson, dodging all the goofy weather in the rest of the country.
ReplyDeleteHey Ken, daily reader/ultra-rare commenter here. I've been hooked on your blog for several years now, but have no desire for rehab... Lived in NYC and/or Upstate pretty much forever, and for about 20 years I worked for the leading premium pay cable channel. Can I mention the name on the air? Okay, it was HBO. Was in Media Relations and screened, by our estimate, around 7,000-8,000 feature films during that time, as well as all our original programming. And the very first film I screened and wrote about? Yes, "Volunteers." (Loved it, BTW.) And of course it was one of ours (Tri-Star.) Split after 20 years for MTV Networks. Split from MTV after a few years for the retail travel industry, from which I am currently furloughed for the foreseeable future, or so it appears. Over the years I also wrote about a half-dozen full-length screenplays (all with two different partners) and sold two, both still unproduced. At least the checks cleared...
ReplyDeleteWow, I feel pretty naked after writing this. I guess you really bring out the best in people, Ken!
I'm 56, and I live in Lexington, Kentucky, my hometown.
ReplyDeleteHave been a television viewer since the days of bow-tie antennas, black-and-white Motorolas, and only two local channels, which divvied up the former Big 3 networks.
Favorite shows: "Mary Tyler Moore," "M*A*S*H," "Barney Miller," "Lou Grant," WKRP in Cincinnati," "The Paper Chase." "Frasier," and "Mom."
I'm a former local magazine writer, and I've contributed op-ed pieces to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
I discovered this blog while looking up information several years ago on Wayne Rogers's departure from "M*A*S*H," and have been a fan and a daily reader ever since.
Inn owner in Vermont. Novelist. (Think Dick Loudon, but even more frazzled).
ReplyDeleteFound your blog back in 2009 via a mention in a writer's group I belong to. Have enjoyed it ever since.
I’m Bob- 64, living in Vegas. Used to listen to you broadcast Mariner games...Frasier is a favorite- the pomposity! Lived in LA back in the day- minor rock star. Born in Holland...survived 4 open heart surgeries and wrote a very entertaining book about it- why don’t I forward you the PDF and together, we can write a spec script- we’ll both make cameos...and make seven figures! Oh- I also abhor our Cheeto-in-chief...
ReplyDeleteMario - 56 - living in Chicago, working in IT for a large food distributor. Been reading for at least 10 years if not longer. I've heard all the podcasts. Not sure how I found the blog it's been so long. Enjoying my annual comment.
ReplyDelete50. Just found your blog a couple months ago while looking for insight on why Sam and Diane didn't end up together on Cheers. Perennial question. Surely we'll all still be talking about it in another 25 years. Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI’ve been following you for several years. I’ve done entertainment journalism writing, but I primarily work in marketing, in the Twin Cities. I’ve watched MASH and Cheers since i was a child and truly appreciate your insight into the entertainment industry. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI'm Dan. I live in North Canton, Ohio which should make where y'all live a paradise by comparison. Let's face it -- NO one chooses to retire to North Canton, Ohio. Yes, it's a long story and no, I won't recount it here.
ReplyDeleteI'm a retired Army colonel (29 years, 20 active). I also retired from the civil service two years age and the pension I earned pays for my beer and that's about it. Whatdya want for five years service, am I right?
I also spent about ten years in Hollywood trying to be an actor. Given where I landed here in Ohio, you can probably guess that I wasn't all that successful. I did have a great career on the tech side. I worked for E!, MTV, ABC and a few others during my stay in LA and I admit that I DO miss show business. I also know that it's way different now than I remember it, particularly with the whole COVID thing.
Ken, I know I've mentioned our mutual friend from the 222nd, Jim Overman before. I stay in touch with him on Facebook and had brunch with him before I left Virginia two years ago. Still a terrific guy and a fine officer as well.
Oh, and I'm back in college to make use of the leftover GI Bill benefits. I'm taking something really easy so I don't have to work hard. Always set your goals low enough so you can be sure to achieve them.
Be well, everyone, and stay safe out there!
DW
Ken, I've responded before but I've moved and wanted to check in.
ReplyDeleteI'm Louis. I'm in my 50s (but fortunately look younger). I met you at your 10th anniversary shindig at the WGA in 2015 but I had known about you for decades before then. I'd seen your name on sitcom credits since the 1970s and heard you on postgame Dodger Talk when I first moved in Los Angeles (although I believe you were not much more of a fan of many of the callers' comments than I was). Last year I moved back home near Nashville. I have elderly relatives who needed some help but I also had a chance to get some writing done without a pesky job interfering. Since Covid broke out I've been glad I'm not living there for now. I've adjusted to living in a rural area. Your blog has become a part of my daily routine since I discovered it in 2014 (after seeing it on a list of recommended blogs in Time magazine). As with your sitcoms I enjoy your voice as a writer now. I wish you good health and plentiful supplies of toilet paper for 2021.
I was searching on some topic a few months ago, forgot what exactly, and came across it. Liked the content and the regular updates, now not common in what's left of the blog world. I like your insights into life in Southern California, shows I used to watch like MASH, and the hellish national situation.
ReplyDeleteI’m Steve, long time reader and first time caller. The virus has left me stranded back in my home state of New Mexico. I am a professor of history at an American college’s China campus. I have one book out that has probably sold dozens of copies.I started 2020 on vacation in Thailand, and spent most of the year in DaNang, Vietnam before returning home. I haven’t seen my apartment or most of my belongings in over ten months. But with any luck, we are scheduled to return next month. I find it sad I felt safer overseas during the pandemic than in the United States.
ReplyDeleteHey there. I'm 67, live in Las Vegas and have been reading the blog for about ten years. I can't recall how I found the blog (probably through a Google search on either Mash or the Simpsons). I really enjoy stories that go behind the scenes of shows like Cheers, Mash and Frazier. I usually pass on the posts that delve on how to write for television / the theater.
ReplyDeleteMike, living in Southern California like you. Years and years ago a work friend told me about your blog because she knew I wrote humor too.
ReplyDeleteSo I show up every day and read, learn, enjoy.
Hi Ken...Stu from La Habra, CA which is 10 miles straight north of Disneyland up Harbor Blvd. Found your blog close to 15 years ago when Don Barrett on laradio.com said to follow this tasty blog...he was right (sorry to see the end of laradio.com). Big fan of MASH, top 40 radio and baseball broadcasting. Bucket list for me would be for you and Josh Lewin to call games. Also loved your books...especially your year with the Orioles. I also love your rants...keep them coming. Hope you stay around especially after the final laradio.com post. Both were my morning break from work. Thanks for 15 years and keep on keeping on (as my grandpa would tell me).
ReplyDeleteHi from Vancouver. Been reading this blog for probably at least ten years, and I stumbled across it when I first started freelancing and was looking for information and inspiration. It's always entertaining, and I've certainly learned a lot. And it doesn't hurt that I love a lot of the shows that you write about.
ReplyDelete39 male. Love Cheers,that has been my goto escape in a few tough times. found the blog by chance looking up random facts about the show. Thought it amazing that a writer of a great show would be interacting with fans decades after it aired. The internet can be an awful place but sometimes it hits a home run, like it did with you and this blog.
ReplyDeleteCheck in everyday, helps I'm an O's fan. But, I appreciate the writing quality on multiple subjects.
if you have to cut back to less days per week, I think everyone will understand and be good with it.
Hi also from Vancouver. I've been reading your blog for ten plus years, I'm sure. I enjoy anything to do with the sitcom or movie writing process - I harboured that ambition for quite a number of years (I've got a couple of novels out instead). And I also love baseball - so your blog is a good fit.
ReplyDeleteAs long as we're here, maybe I'll slip in a Friday question: you talk a lot about breaking a story, outlining, etc. Would you be willing to share a breakdown or outline for an episode so we can see what that would actually look like?
Hi Ken! Native Californian living in Texas now. Mid-40s. Love the blog, it is a highlight of my day.
ReplyDeleteAs a 13 year old watching MASH and Cheers re-runs I noticed this Ken Levine (of course I thought it was la-VEEN) and David Isaacs and both shows and wondered what that was all about. (Ok, tells you a lot about my youth). To later discover your blog and realize you also have been a professional baseball announcer has pretty much convinced me you must lead the most charmed life ever.
Thank you for putting your heart & great thoughts into the blog and the podcast. I enjoy it more than I could ever convey in a blog comment. Which is why I never got to be a screenwriter!
I found the blog somewhere around 2007 or 2008 looking for behind the scenes info on Frasier. I live in LA, I've been part of the entertainment industrial complex since I was 8 (actor), I'm now 49 (tech). Friday questions are probably my favorite thing here. Thanks for doing what you do.
ReplyDeleteHello, I've been reading the blog for eight years or so. A mention by Mark Evanier led me to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly a lurker but I have commented a few times.
I'm 67 and a retired computer programmer who lives in Lexington KY. I enjoy everything you write but especially the stories about MASH and CHEERS. I walk on a treadmill each day and right now I'm watching CHEERS on DVD while I walk which keeps me from getting bored and quitting the exercise.
Thanks and all the best,
David Tussey
Don here, age 62 from LA metro area, attorney for the county which is a second career. Corporate retail theft investigator for over 20 years before that so my life is filled with humor. What? Grew up in Chicago, life long Cub fan. Actually got into comedy as a whole genre in grade school when my buddy's brother and a friend would screen Super 8 shorts of Laurel and Hardy, WC Fields, Buster Keaton, et al. That developed into a life long passion, especially for my buddy's brother, who animated a ha's Take On Me and Paul Abdul videos, among others.
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing the blog, it's been quite an enjoyable thing to read over the years, much like Mark Evanier's, who I need to quit writing, because he just published a letter I wrote him.
Hi. I'm from suburban Chicago. Finding the blog: probably Google. My age: about 15, mentally. Physically, 62. How long reading: I just checked my Facebook page, and the first blog of yours I shared was in 2015; so let's go with that. Likes: Backstage show business stories. Dislikes: I'm not a big sports guy. I don't really dislike the posts, I'm just not as interested.
ReplyDeleteI will state that this is the only blog I read every day.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI come from Latvia, and I've been reading your blog for a few years ago. I stumbled upon your blog by accident, seeking some information on Cybill and its main actress, and started reading backwards - did it for weeks! -, as I'm a massive fan of Frasier and Mash, and I've seen also other shows you've worked on.
As much as I like US shows, it's the Britcoms that are my favourites - Blackadder, Yes (Prime) Minister, Coupling, Vicar of Dibley, 'Allo 'Allo, Still Game, various classics like Porridge, Open All Hours, and lately also awesome Irish show Derry Girls (Netflix, thank you!) And so many others.
1. Where you're from?
ReplyDeleteJean Shepherd’s hometown
2. How you found the blog?
The Stew Shoe Stick podcast, if autocorrect is to be believed
3. Your age?
42, if I, even when anonymous, is to be believed
4. How long you've been reading (or listening)?
About seven years
5. And any thoughts on what you like or don't like.
I like everything you write or record -
the humor, the anecdotes, the show biz/lit lessons, the politics....
and even the comments I don’t write
I check your blog many times daily, hoping for multiple posts
48 year old writer, photographer, journalist and Lego builder from Norway. I found your blog and podcast by accident 2-3 years ago. I remembered your name, as I'm a huge MASH-fan and loved Frasier. So I just started following.
ReplyDeleteHello Ken
ReplyDeleteMy name is Michael and I live in Hobart Tasmania.
I am 61, and have been reading your reflections for about 7 years.
-
I first came to it via Mark Evanier's blog
(he also introduced me to your mutual friend Stu's Show - for good or bad I've not yet figured out yet)-
Your comments are read immediately after Mark's, as your icon is directly to the right of Mark's on my Google setup.
My favorite blog entries are those re TV, though I do read all but the baseball entries.
I do not necessarily agree with everything you write (eg Donna Reed Show), but enjoy your myriad of musings.
And I'm also glad in this part of the world we are allowed to social distance but without a mask, thanks to the early prompt and strict actions by our Prime Minister and State Leader to reduce the impact of Covid's consequences.
Hi Mr. Levine! I've been reading your blog about ten, eleven years now (the memory is the first thing to go...) I was initially sent looking on your blog from an article on Mark Evanier's blog. I'm Eric from Greater Cleveland. I just love reading your take on... well, everything. Your extensive expertise on your specialty topics are a joy, and I love your particular "voice". So I plan to stick around and keep on reading! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am a New York-based actor and writer. I stumbled onto this blog trying to find out why Terry Ferrell was dropped from Becker. I have no complaints and appreciate your publishing many of my Friday questions.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken, long-time reader and listener, occasional emailer, and rare commenter. I've been hanging out here ever since Mark Evanier plugged your then-upcoming podcast. I stay around because I love the "Inside Hollywood" view of my favorite era of sitcoms -- the 70s and 80s. Demographically I'm 45 and Canadian.
ReplyDeleteAnd as of right now I'm only four weeks behind on my podcast listening.
You already know me, but I'm still here. I can't tell you my age because that would give you a hint as to my wife's age, and then I'd have to kill you.
ReplyDeleteI've submitted to this before, but I just can't resist. I'm 59 years old and live in Florida. I saw your name on TV credits for years (but always mispronounced it as "La-VEEN"), but I think I became aware of your blog after reading about it at Mark Evanier's blog. I forget how many years ago that was, but reading your blog became a daily ritual years ago. Like you, I worship at the feet of Larry Gelbart, and the Blythe Danner episode of "M*A*S*H" is, like yours, one of my favorites. I've also written and directed a few local plays, so it's always fun to read your insights into the playwriting process.
ReplyDeleteI'm a lurker - been reading your blog for so long I can't remember how I found it but you are one of my daily blog reads. I'd guess I've been reading for 10 years or close to it. Grew up watching MASH and MASH re-runs nearly every night with the family and watched Cheers from the very beginning till the end so i imagine I came across your website somehow because of those shows. Huntsville, AL - Age 50 - female.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken,
ReplyDeleteI'm Darren, from Bloomfield Hills, MI. I'm 49. I can't remember specifically how I found the blog. I think it was a link from something about Cheers. I've been reading your blog for a few years now, and I really enjoy it. I'm a huge baseball fan, so I love the baseball stories and I always look forward to the Friday Questions. I'm not a writer but I'm interested in all of the info you've given about television and sitcoms, whether it be behind-the-scenes info or pointers on how to write an episode or play. Thanks for the stories, insights, and answers!
Hi, Ken! I'm Phil, I'm 46, and I'm from Brookfield, WI. I mainly lurk here but I thoroughly enjoy reading. I think I first found your blog via Mark Evanier. Been reading for over a decade, possibly from the first time Mark linked to something you wrote. Thank you so much for your dedication to the blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Ken, I am from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Love the blog & have read the blog everyday for years now. Big fan & can proudly state that I voted for FDR 4 times.
ReplyDeleteI'm in my mid 50s, live ~14 miles from Chicago, a computer consultant, been reading this blog for maybe 10 years thanks to Mark Evanier. I love MASH (when I was in grade school, I would rush home to catch the rerun in the afternoon, then catch another one at 6:30pm. On Mondays I would watch it at 8pm, so I watched at least twice a day and 3 times on Monday) and Wings. Don't like Becker.
ReplyDeleteLove your work and blog, I stay 'unknown' trying to keep my internet footprint low, not to piss you off.
Thank you for your work. I'm not a robot
Hi Ken, I'm Brandon, 37, from Norfolk, Va. I love reading about TV history, and have seen your posts linked either on Facebook or on various message boards. However, I'd always forget to check your blog more often, so I'm doing so more now. Thank you for the entertaining stories, and please keep em coming!
ReplyDeleteHi Ken, I've commented occasionally but am mostly a lurker. I currently live in the California Bay Area and am 51. I found the blog when I was looking for screenwriting resources about 10-12 years ago when I thought I would make a late in life go at it. The closest I got was being a quarter-finalist in a Scriptapalooza contest. I like Health Insurance and pension plans too much I suppose. Also a reader of Mark Evanier's blog as long as I can remember and even his column from the Comics Buyers Guide way back when, so I may have gotten here from there as well. Memory gets foggy in your 50's. I like reading everything even the baseball stuff, which is surprising because I've never had an interest in sports in my life outside of sports movies.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken, 95% of the time I'm a lurker. I live in Baltimore (pronounced "Balimer, Merlin. Nited States of Murica", if you remember your time here.:). I remember you on WBAL from your short time on the air. Thank you for the best blog around!
ReplyDeleteHi Ken!
ReplyDeleteThis is Janet, from DC, I've been reading for about five years now and listening to the podcast for nearly that long.
Like others I have to thank you for the daily fun!
I regularly recommend both blog and podcast, and have been editing some online forums and publications over the last year or so, and have occasionally linked to them.
Hope you keep on, keeping on, except that I'd love to see you back on the air, too.
I have been reading this blog for about 14 years. I knew your name from episodes of CHEERS and FRASIER that I always liked, and I read about the blog in Alan Sepinwall's column. At the time, I was living in New Jersey and working in the television industry in New York City. I then moved to Los Angeles and did some work in television before moving into higher education marketing and development. I have also gotten married, bought a house, and had a child.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think about it, this blog is probably one of the most consistent aspects of the past 14 years. I read it every single day and listen to the podcast when I am interested in the guest. Except for a few close relationships, I can't think of too many things that have endured with me like that. I think you know the tough time that people are going through now, and I know that it is hard to keep coming up with content, but -- now, more than ever -- it genuinely does make a difference. Thank you, and here's to another 15 years!
You got me, Ken. I'm a lurker. Bob Rosenzweig from Shoreline, just north of Seattle. I've been a fan since you worked with Dave Niehaus on the Mariner broadcasts. I've always enjoyed your entertaining and informative work. I loved your book "Wait a Minute..." and now am able to follow you on the blog. Keep up the fine work! We, your fans, are out here.
ReplyDeleteHi. I'm 50 year old male from Vancouver Canada. Started listening to your blogs after reading about them in Mark Evanier's blog. Enjoy them a lot and usually listen while I'm working. Fun to hear about Hollywood stories. Keep 'em coming. Helps us keep our sanity!
ReplyDeleteBrian from Vancouver :)
I found the blog as I was reading a Frasier group on Facebook. I only use Facebook for groups of tv programmes I'm interested in as you sometimes find out things you wouldn't otherwise find out.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this blog are the inside stories and anecdotes, I have zero interest in celebrity gossip but do like to hear of funny stories or how things were achieved.
I don't like your political rants, yes I realise you may tell me to bot read anymore or don't follow you on social media etc. Well I don't follow anyone on social media and I don't do twitter/Instagram as I think they are mind numbing after a while. I don't like your arrogance and how you talk down to people who do not believe the same things the as yourself. Maybe those people are not in the same situation and people's lives normally change their political views. I thought the idea of a democracy is you could vote for who you want.
I'm not a Trump supporter, I'm 41 and live in London, England. My political views are that Conservative/Labour, Republican/Democrat are basically the same thing regurgitated over and over. Despite who you have nothing ever really changes despite which empty suits are filling the role at the time. Left wing/right wing, the body is always the same.
Hi, Ken, I'm a retired editor who has been reading your blog for about 10 years and listening to the podcast for about 5. If you've already addressed this, sorry for the repeat. I'd like to know how much thought went into your decisions to make Frasier older than Kelsey. I'm keenly aware of Kelsey's age because we share a birthday; he was born in 1955, I'm 3 years younger. Anyway, "Fortysomething" aired in 1994, when Kelsey was 39. Four years later in "Frasier's Curse," the episode about his having a class reunion while he was unemployed, one of the subtitles is "Class of 1968." That would make Frasier 5 years older than Kelsey. It's kind of refreshing, especially after watching 62-year-old Patricia Heaton playing a 50-year-old on "Carol's Second Act," but I wonder how Kelsey felt about that.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
I have never posted but read every day. I don't think it matters what subject you choose, I find it interesting because you are a good writer. So even when you are writing about baseball, I'll read your post. I am 68, retired and live in the Seattle area.
ReplyDeleteHey Ken. Sal from New York here. Found your blog many years ago via Mark Evanier's blog. I'm not a regular commenter but I have contributed a few times. My favorite part is definitely Friday questions. As a big fan of Frasier and M*A*S*H I also enjoy your behind the scenes insights. Coincidentally we were watching some old episodes of The Simpsons and I heard a familiar voice.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of my daily routine!
L A native former Bob's & Apple Pan addict. 77 years old 42 year resident of NorCal former 222 PID.
ReplyDeleteI'm a marketing communications type who has known Shelley Herman and Kathy Roat for 29 years. Shelley posted your blog on Facebook and once I read your voice, I was hooked. You, you I started reading, enjoying and so grateful for you as a blessing who lets me laugh, this year. I would like to hear stories of your growth as a writer. When your path took odd turns or diverged, what was top-of-mind in your choices? What fantastic things have you created that we may never see because you killed that darling for the sake of the project? Thank you from South Bay treehouse dweller!
ReplyDeleteHi Ken! My name is Kyle and I’m 36 and live in Tampa, Fla. I’ve read the blog for years and really love reading your insights on showbiz and sass about awards shows. Cheers is my among my favorite TV shows, which I’ve recently revisited on Hulu and had to turn it off because I can’t handle crazy Kirstie right now — such a stupid woman. Keep fighting the good fight and GO BIDEN!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from South Canada (Duluth MN). As a former radio DJ and voice over artist, that's what caught my eye about this blog (the K-EARTH 101 Johnny Mann post). Been here ever since.
ReplyDeleteSpent most of my life in Ohio. Now in the south. Mid 50s. Found the blog when looking for obits of Harry Morgan when he died. Used to comment fairly often, but now since I normally read it on my phone and hate typing more than one word on there I don't. I purposefully moved to the computer today to answer this.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy most everything, especially the behind the scenes posts. I don't enjoy the political posts because this is escapism, not reality.
Ken, hi. I am 49 in St. Louis, MO. I found your blog at the time of "Barney Miller" complete DVD release in 2011 when was searchig for information about Danny Arnold. I found your eye-opening account of working with him, and Tom Reeder's guest entry.
ReplyDeleteI have been a fan of Good TV since the fifth grade. My favorite shows at the time were "Barney Miller" and "M*A*S*H". Today I work in a completely unrelated field, albeit from home during the past seven months. At least I have been working.
As you requested, lurker here, though I've been known to chime on rare occasions. Been a reader for many years though admittedly this year has changed my blog-reading habits. Before the pandemic I had a set selection of pages that I'd read while at work, and then life went haywire and I was off work for a while and then returned part-time. Now I'm back full-time but I'm so behind on so many pages I just don't even feel up to the task of going back and catching up.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken, My name is Maryjo. I live in the suburbs of Chicago and am 63. I have been reading your blog for many years and enjoy it very much. I found it through the TV critic Maureen Ryan when she used to be at the Chicago Tribune. I love your political rants. You so beautifully express what so many of us are feeling. I don't much care for your opinion of Mindy Kaling as I find her delightful. While we are stuck at home I have been watching Frasier starting at the first episode. What a great show!
ReplyDeleteHi, Ken. Doug, 46, in Columbus, OH and this is not the first year I've responded to your blog "census." I've been reading it for at least 6 or 7 years now. I can't remember exactly how long but I can remember coming across it in a Google search having something to do with FRASIER. Between your blog and the Emmy TV Legends interviews, there isn't much I don't know about the FRASIER series. And thanks to the concept of syndication, I also got hooked on M*A*S*H later on (I was 8 when "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen" was first broadcast) and thanks to the DVDs, I get to see the scenes and jokes that were cut to get the episodes down to 22 minutes.
ReplyDeleteBetween your blog and the Emmy TV Legends interviews, it has made me realize how much I like listening to/reading people who are so good at what they do simply discussing their work because I was never creative enough to be a television writer. If I had been, my writing probably would have been on the level of THE DUKES OF HAZZARD!
Hey there. I can’t believe I didn’t see this until now. My name is Mark. I’m a long time lurker. I stumbled upon your blog here way back when IMDB still had forums to discuss stuff on. I used to frequent the Cheers IMDB page forums and you were linked often there. So I found hearing from you very fascinating and I’ve never left. I’m 31 years old and I grew up in a tiny town in northeast Mississippi. My town had a max of 2000 people living in it. So everyone sort of knew everyone. Growing up I was of course a 90s kid who was in love with Nickelodeon. This meant I watched Nick@Nite religiously. Back then they showed great old shows ranging from I Love Lucy to All in the Family, to Threes Company and yes finally to Cheers. I was very young but I loved these shows. Cheers was my favorite and I used to fantasize to own my own bar when I was a child just like Sam Malone, lol.
ReplyDeleteSo I have to say thank you for keeping this blog running all these years later. It’s been fun.
Hi, Long time mostly lurker. I have been following this blog before when you were doing your emails. My late father would pass them on to me with his instructions to read them. He really enjoyed your travelogues and reviews of award shows. So did I.
ReplyDeleteI live in Vegas. I love the mixture of tv, baseball and radio stories.
I'm a couple of days late, but I've responded before.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog via Mark Evanier more years ago now than I can recall, but as someone who very much enjoyed the shows that you and David wrote for, your posts were (and are) a delight. I've read at least since you were co-hosting Dodger Talk.
As far as favorite content, I tend to like it all.
Demographics: 60 year old white guy from Michigan, the land of nearly-kidnapped governors.
Hi, Ken. My name is Stan. I'm an (almost) 70-year-old guy who, like more than a few of your other readers, first heard about your blog from Mark Evanier. Being the age I am, I was around to see most of the shows you were involved in, and I've always been a big fan of your writing. I've probably been reading your blog pretty much every day for the last 7 or 8 years. I enjoy reading about your stories from all your TV work, but really anything you write about winds up being interesting to me. Keep at it!
ReplyDeleteWho is this Mark Evanier guy?
ReplyDeleteHe’s someone who is very big in cartoons and animation, and has been for a long time. He has a blog, https://www.newsfromme.com/, where it writes about that, but also talks a lot about TV and movies and politics and...well, whatever’s on his mind. He and Ken are friends, and he’ll recommend Ken’s blog from time to time. That’s where I first read about Ken.
ReplyDeleteI'm a 48-year-old high school English and drama teacher from Illinois. I found this blog years ago ... I'm not really sure how, but I was drawn by the opportunity to read "behind the scenes" stories from some of my all-time favorite shows.
ReplyDeleteHello! I’m a 45-year-old music journalist living in London... Always had a huge soft spot for Cheers, and stumbled across this blog after my wife bought me the box set a few years ago (we’re rewatching it in quarantine). I must have been reading for four or five years now, saving up several posts so I can binge-read once a week or so. Love the podcast too.. keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI'm a 54 year old pastor from East Central Minnesota. I've been reading the blog for many years and listening to your podcast since the beginning and I find it to be one of the most consistently enjoyable ones out of the many I follow. Usually listening out on a run and sometimes driving somewhere. I don't remember how I found the blog - it's been too many years.
ReplyDeleteHi Ken,I've been popping in here pretty regularly ever since Mark Evanier linked to your anecdote about Shari Lewis. I love that story, and I've shared it with my performer friends. I'm a rock'n'roll musician who also teaches music to non-neuro typical folks. Used to be an actor and science educator. The real reason I'm writing, is because I've meant to for months in order to share something with you. I know you appreciate a good radio DJ. Please listen to the links. The program is called Backwoods, and the host is John Funke. Not only does he play "the best of vintage rock and roll, country-western, and rhythm-and-blues," he does with "a shot of the old school show biz," for "all the dads, lads, cats, and kittens," and promises to raise "17, count 'em 17 kinds of aitch, ee, double hockey sticks."
ReplyDeleteHe plays great records, not the hits, he messes around with the promos for other shows, he drops literary, cinematic, and TV allusions,an djust has a great time for two hours every Saturday morning. This show is on WMBR, a commmunity service of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The links are to the Archive page for 'MBR and are only available for two weeks after broadcast. Give a listen!
https://wmbr.org/cgi-bin/arch#
https://wmbr.org/cgi-bin/arch#
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ReplyDeleteI'm a 72-year-old retired postmaster living in Flora, Indiana. If that sounds a little too bucolic, shhhh! I'm actually a Chicago native weaned on veteran Jewish vaudevillians, Hal Roach shorts, Pre-Code Paramount comedies, Carl Barks comics, Stan Freberg records, Harvey Kurtzman satires, Nat Hiken sitcoms and Ernie Kovacs surrealism. Needless to say, I don't belong in Flora, Indiana, a Mecca for bigoted bubbas, bible-beaters and Trumpites.
ReplyDeleteFor the past half-century I've annotated reissues of classic country, bluegrass and folk music, mostly for the German label Bear Family. I've written a few plays, including a recreation of WLS Radio's long-running 'National Barn Dance' annually staged at the Indiana State Fair. I've also scripted a few industrial films but never harbored a desire to write for television. That said, I'm always eager to read about the craft of comedy writing and the art of comedic timing. I treasure your blog and podcasts.
I'm guessing you already know me well enough.
ReplyDeleteI'm PJ, a guy that just turned 50. I've been reading for about a decade. I think the Roseanne post(s) probably heightened my awareness and made me stop by more often, but I knew your name as a kid (we watched MASH a lot at our house!)
ReplyDeleteMy dream as a kid was to be a writer or some sort of behind the scenes creative in TV - nighttime or yes, daytime. I did end up having a bit of a writing career as a reporter and "content writer" as we're called now.
I enjoy almost every type of post, though what I know about sports would fit on the head of a pin and still have room for War and Peace.
Hope everyone is safe and healthy.
From Baltimore. Remember your brief time here. Mid-40s.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like: learning what makes funny funny. Also, backstories: fringe characters, props, settings, happy accidents.
What I dislike: your politics. But this is America. Plenty of room for everyone.
What I loathe: your political bullying. You attack then cravenly retreat behind some sort of blogger's prerogative. It reminds me of Carla Tortelli's Tarzan cracks: eavesdrop; swing in and drop an insult; swing out. Your unwillingness to hear dissent makes you seem small and insecure, not to mention ugly. Grow up, already.
Back to lurking lest more comments risk popping your political bubble.
A first time commenting 28 year-old Texan here. I've been a reader since I stumbled onto this blog researching Sitcoms for a college writing assignment. Grew up on MASH and Cheers. I've always been a big fan of the older shows, having watched them as a kid on TV Land/Nick @ Nite (before Brand Decay set in) and was one of those weird kids that always watched the credits to see if I could spot anyone I knew. Of course MASH and Cheers had a ton of writer overlap, so I googled names and here I am! Been a reader for probably 6 or 7 years now.
ReplyDeleteP.S. No, I don't like him and never voted for him