Sometimes writers have to hold their ground.
But the point is it was a pretty well-received episode. You can see it here.
But the whole show almost blew up. Over one little note.
Bebe Neuwirth, who plays Lilith and I dearly love, announced on the second day of rehearsal that she had a problem.
Lilith didn't carry a purse. Well, okay. We asked her to make an exception this week for the story. But she said it wasn't consistent with her character. She explained that Lilith is a scientist and scientists don't carry purses.
Oh really? NO scientist? Ever?
Again, the whole writing staff asked if she'd graciously overlook that TINY inconsistency and please have a purse?
Were there alternatives?
One thought was that she could keep the rat in her pocket (do scientists have pockets?) but that seemed even too creepy for Lilith, and it was important that the gang in the bar discovered the critter while she was out of the room. We needed Frasier to explain away her rather bizarre behavior. Our primary concern was that Lilith didn't come off like a complete loon.
I do admire that actors take great care in wanting to be as true to their characters as possible, and details that are seemingly unimportant to us are very meaningful to their defining their roles. But sometimes, Jesus! As the great David Lloyd used to say, "It's just pretend!".
To her credit, Bebe backed down. Most of the time (practically ALL of the time) writers make adjustments to accommodate the actors. Sometimes we have to stand our ground. In this case, the entire episode depended on it. Bebe was a team player. She embraced the purse and the episode went off as planned.
Ironically, we did expect a note, but it wasn't from Bebe and we never got flagged for it. At one point in the script the guys around the bar get out junk food. When David and I were writing it we wondered out loud if anyone could eat a Hostess Snowball in one gulp? So how best to settle it? We made Woody do it. His favorite food was Hostess Snowballs because they were "bite size." God love, Mr. Harrelson, he downed one of those babies in one bite. Excuse me, but THAT'S acting!
Happy to say that in all these years and all the many airings of Rat Girl, not once have we received a protest from a scientist. Or Hostess bakeries.
I have shown the Woody-eating-a-Snoball video to my wife several times when she complains about my liking them (coconut, chocolate cake, marshmallow, and creme filling--what's not to like). My point being: it could be worse.
ReplyDeleteHostess Snowballs! Did somebody sponge off that idea to make Woody Harrelson's character in "Zombieland" be obsessed with Hostess Twinkies?
ReplyDeleteWhere would a scientist keep her "stuff"?
ReplyDeleteWas "Bebe" the agent in Frasier named after Bebe Neuwirth, or was that just coincidence? It's a very unusual name.
ReplyDeleteYou never considered a briefcase?
ReplyDeleteMy wife the Ph.D. in geochemistry from MIT says "of course women scientists carry purses. Not in the lab, but she's in a bar."
ReplyDeleteand you carry her standing.
DeleteSure Lilith would carry a purse. But she'd call it a "field research and supply carryall" or some such. Or Frasier would give it a French name and tell you where they bought it.
ReplyDeleteGod, I love that show.
My late mother didn't care much for Cheers, but she loved Lilith and would watch any episode Lilith was featured in. When a girl, my mother had kept pet rats. She had a lifelong fondness for rats that puzzled and a bit disgusted me.
ReplyDeleteConsequently, my mother LOVED "Rat Girl" intensely, and completely empathized with Lilith. My mother had also mourned rats. Honest.
I wonder if this was an inside joke. In Zombieland the character played by Woody loved Twinkies but HATED Snowballs.
ReplyDeleteEating a Snowball in one bite seems more like something Norm would do.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I would peel off the marshmallow and throw away the cake part. My mom stopped buying them because I was too wasteful. That's when I switched to DING DONGS.
What if the problem isn't with the character but with the actor him or herself? For example they keep kosher, or they're vegan or they don't eat sugar or they're allergic, etc.? Even worse, what if it's an ego thing?
M.B.
Just watched the episode. I don’t think I’ve seen it before. That was really good!! I love this show!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete@Andrew
Bebe is an affectionate nickname for Beatrice, as in Beatrice Neuwirth.
I've long suspected Ms. Neuwirth was named Bebe because her parents had watched a Roadrunner cartoon just before she was born.
ReplyDeleteAs a teenager and fan of Cheers, I naturally tried to eat a snowball in one bite. It was a mistake and I nearly choked on it. Hats off to Woody for accomplishing the feat.
ReplyDeleteTwo things that would guarantee me puking in front of a live network audience:
ReplyDelete1) Eating a Hostess Snowball in one bite
2) Carrying a dead rat (albeit imaginary) in a purse
That's why they're the professionals, not me.
I always figured Woody Boyd did that thing with the snowball because it was something Woody Harrelson did in college.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he learned it from Mike Pence!
Did anyone suggest bringing the "non-purse carrying" thing into the script? At some point, with Lilith in the ladies room or something, Sam could have mentioned, "I don't remember Lilith ever carrying a purse before." To which Frasier would react, saying, "You know Sam, you're right. Strange, I wonder why she has one now?" Which could have led to the peek inside the purse.
ReplyDelete@Sue T.
ReplyDeleteYes, we understand that Bebe Neuwirth wasn't born with that first name. But @Andrew's question about Bebe Glazer being named for Bebe Neuwirth is a fair one.
FWIW my wife is a (now retired) scientist, holds a Ph.D., carries a purse and has never heard the "scientists don't carry purses" thing.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick gastronomic note: HOSTESS CUP CAKES are now so tiny that they're easy to eat in one bite.
ReplyDeleteHi@kenlwvine. I was watching a Youtube clip of Freddie Prinze on the Tonight Show that included the band's work betwwen the commercial. I've seen you speak of the warm-up guy, but never of the house band. Not saying what gives?, but what gives?
ReplyDeleteBrief case?
ReplyDeleteIn one incident hushed-up by the International College of Physicists, Albert Einstein confronted Arthur Patschke over his "Umsturz von Einsteinschen Relativitätstheorie" and beat the scoffing Patschke repeatedly over the head with his Chanel flapbag.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time when TV viewers could often behold the elegant, lovely MGM movie star Ann Blyth hawking Hostess cupcakes, "fruit" pies and Twinkies.
ReplyDeleteSomehow it never seemed possible that she would stuff one of these into her elegant, lovely mouth.
Rat Girl is one of my faves! Come on Bebe, you're a woman as well as a scientist--you need a purse, even a small clutch like Lilith used in this episode.
ReplyDeleteI do have to say, the B story from this episode is one of my favorites as well. Paul scoring the chubby chaser! Hey, hey Paul.
"Blogger Steve Bailey said...
ReplyDeleteHostess Snowballs! Did somebody sponge off that idea to make Woody Harrelson's character in "Zombieland" be obsessed with Hostess Twinkies?"
Not to mention the scene with him getting p.o'd about finding a truck full of....wait for it...snowballs!