tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post1147223168197560079..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: How to develop a TV showBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71006167660794987482015-02-05T08:35:30.621-08:002015-02-05T08:35:30.621-08:00M*A*S*H started with a book... about the character...M*A*S*H started with a book... about the <i>characters</i> and <i>stories</i> the doctor who worked at real life M*A*S*H unit experienced. Everyone, including Radar, was allegedly loosely based on someone (or a composite of someone). The location made it interesting, but it was the people he met, and the things they did, that inspired the novel (at least according to the foreword).Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69235540399257228662015-02-04T11:43:46.483-08:002015-02-04T11:43:46.483-08:00I just want to say I still think AFTERMASH was a v...I just want to say I still think AFTERMASH was a valid and enjoyable show. The problem was timing: MASH lasted so long, AFTERMASH didn't reach the airwaves until long after the issues of freshly returned vets had been swept out of the public consciousness.<br /><br />Ironically, AFTERMASH would be a more relevant show right now.DBensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54983294231903959842015-02-04T09:05:07.583-08:002015-02-04T09:05:07.583-08:00But what about the sitcom TAXI? Didn't that st...But what about the sitcom TAXI? Didn't that start as a setting, the creators populated it with characters who would be found in that setting? Initially it was the setting that gave them something in common (I'm a TV writer/producer who drives a cab on the side while I try to get my big break), and it was the nexus that brought these characters together who wouldn't otherwise socialize with each other. <br /><br />****<br /><br />SER: I love TAXI because it's a very *New York* show. The characters are all -- with one exception -- people who are trying to "make it." It's the American dream as actively fought in New York. The slight tragic element is that we know most of them won't. To tell this very New York story, cab driving would be the best profession -- the hours work, and unlike waiting tables, you can justify more diverse personalities.<br /><br />Alex as the wise older "brother" character is the glue that keeps them all together, but he's also a sober reminder of what might happen to them, as he's "accepted" his fate. Like he says in the pilot, he's the "only cab driver in the place."<br /><br />Randall Carver as John Burns was, I suppose, the "identification" character but he didn't really work. I've read that it was thought he was too similar to Tony Banta (I presume in the sense that he's slightly naive).<br /><br />Jim was a brilliant addition because he was the "weird, burned out" cabbie, and his story added a lot of tragedy in addition to comedy.<br /><br />But what about the sitcom TAXI? Didn't that start as a setting, the creators populated it with characters who would be found in that setting? Initially it was the setting that gave them something in common (I'm a TV writer/producer who drives a cab on the side while I try to get my big break), and it was the nexus that brought these characters together who wouldn't otherwise socialize with each other. <br /><br />Same with M*A*S*H. You don't start with Hawkeye, you start with the M*A*S*H and then put in characters who can exist there.<br /><br /><<><br /><br />SER: I think you'd have to start with Hawkeye to get a strong show or at least that *specific* show. M*A*S*H, as a setting alone, could be anything from ER to HOUSE to GREY'S ANATOMY. What distinguished the series were the characters. Here I'm focusing on the TV show rather than the movie, both are which are very different. Here you have a brilliant surgeon who has to function as a necessary part of something he deems horrific -- war. He patches kids up and then sends them back out to get injured again or even killed. To maintain his sanity, he constantly resists the military mindset, which provides the ongoing conflict (as the military mindset is personified by Frank, Margaret, or whatever officer of the week shows up). This type of character and his conflict requires the M*A*S*H setting to work. When they put Hawkeye type characters in other settings, he just comes across like an immature jerk or the class clown. You lose the nobility of Hawkeye. I loved the moments when Alan Alda showed you the type of person Hawkeye was when *not* in an insane situation. A calm, personable Doctor. You got that he probably wouldn't show up wearing a Groucho Marx mask or pull practical jokes on people back in Crabapple Cove.SERnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39669157834975021292015-02-04T06:04:00.181-08:002015-02-04T06:04:00.181-08:00Maybe I'm just hungover but I think this kind ...Maybe I'm just hungover but I think this kind of ideas almost killed sitcoms in the 90s. "He is trapped in his job"? And the job at the DMV sucks. Cliché. And by the way he should definitely fail his mother before she runs over and kills a guy. But then it is revealed that the guy was black and she gets free but the black guy's kids now have to live with him at the DMV. And Johnny Walker has the shittiest idea of them all: Make his ex wife his boss. Come on!? Do they get back together? oooh such a sweet story. Horrible nightmare. (The neighbour above me plays the drums by the way)Headachenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54219570776507970932015-02-04T05:34:16.725-08:002015-02-04T05:34:16.725-08:00What I enjoyed best about your DMV lead is that he...<i>What I enjoyed best about your DMV lead is that he is such a dedicated employee</i><br /><br />This is one of the reasons why the risk is that it would become pretty much the same show as Parks and Recreation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59478604130809952422015-02-04T05:15:32.161-08:002015-02-04T05:15:32.161-08:00I understand that in the "new" Harper Le...I understand that in the "new" Harper Lee book, Scout grew up to be a vampire dominatrix.RockGolfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5437503805189318862015-02-04T04:42:19.778-08:002015-02-04T04:42:19.778-08:00What I enjoyed best about your DMV lead is that he...What I enjoyed best about your DMV lead is that he is such a dedicated employee, and believes so much in the need to play by the rules and keep our roads safe that he fails his own mother.<br /><br />Obviously, he's also concerned about his mother driving, and this backfires on him. I imagine there is a sibling or siblings who don't help with the mother's errands, because they're selfish, and the lead gets stuck with it.<br /><br />Louie DePalma, as a DMV boss, might have passed his Mom in the eye test, to avoid the hassle, and then consequences from that would have occurred. I think Sam Malone would have had others try to convince the Mom to stop driving, while pretending he's all for it. Not sure what he would ultimately do, but maybe he ends up agreeing to pay for her to have a driver/assistant, and lo and behold the Mom hires a beautiful grad student to drive her, and Sam is interested in her sexually...which causes a problem with the romantic interest in the office<br /><br />Personally, I think DMV is a great title. I also think it's more interesting to have a character who DOESN'T hate his job. It's also a good work area, that no matter who he is, whether he's an Ed Asner-type, or a Bob Newhart-type, that he has to deal with various personnel issues, as well as driver complaints, not to mention a boss or bosses above him.Carmennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-89801177411255534372015-02-04T01:47:53.920-08:002015-02-04T01:47:53.920-08:00I can see it now...
Coming Next Summer
TO KILL A...I can see it now...<br /><br />Coming Next Summer<br /><br />TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD II: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO<br /><br />Directed by Michael BayHamidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68555789204348477442015-02-04T01:34:19.250-08:002015-02-04T01:34:19.250-08:00Reading all the comments on this post, I'm rea...Reading all the comments on this post, I'm really impressed with the brainstorming and creative ideas being pitched. It's like being in a virtual writing room. MikeK.Pa.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65259225789088327282015-02-03T22:49:27.720-08:002015-02-03T22:49:27.720-08:00On trapped characters, I'm still waiting for s...On trapped characters, I'm still waiting for somebody to do a more thoughtful take on Thurber's "Secret Life of Walter Mitty". The original short story was just a middle-aged man being dragged around by his wife while shopping. His little fantasies, lightly parodying pop fiction, helped him get through the day. Period.<br /><br />Adaptations (two movies and a Broadway musical, so far) drag Mitty into "real" adventures. Danny Kaye's version made the daydreams into freestanding comedy skits and musical numbers (who fantasizes about being a women-hating hat designer?), although putting him in the daydream business -- pulps and paperbacks -- was a nice idea.<br /><br />What if our trapped DMV guy had a wild and reckless imagination? Not (just) romantic or revenge fantasies, but a sort of alternate universe he uses to analyze, comment on and improve the people around him, who don't suspect he has any opinions or interests at all. <br /><br />Once in a while he'll take some small, unnoticed action pushing somebody towards or away from their position in his secret life. Handing a loser a tiny triumph, getting the fun girls to embrace the wallflower, causing someone to catch another's lie. In his secret life he's almost a superhero with power over his environment; the tiny but telling influence he has over real life comically mirrors that.DBensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44927430932020141772015-02-03T22:48:59.210-08:002015-02-03T22:48:59.210-08:00Thanks Ser, that was a thought-provoking comment.Thanks Ser, that was a thought-provoking comment.Will Partridgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91232221768057678642015-02-03T21:03:14.757-08:002015-02-03T21:03:14.757-08:00I'm sitting on about nine different show conce...I'm sitting on about nine different show concepts, but the problem is, as you've said many times, Ken, is that networks take over control of the shows that you create, they tell you what your show will be about, they tell you who your characters are, they tell you what their personalities are, they own all the rights, and you don't get a say in anything... so basically, you try to create a show, the network will pretty much hijack it, mangle it up into a different show, and you can't do anything about it.Joseph Scarbroughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06851086150240380366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83016630604187051932015-02-03T20:46:00.101-08:002015-02-03T20:46:00.101-08:00Johnny Walker: take heart. The "sequel"...Johnny Walker: take heart. The "sequel" Harper Lee is releasing was actually written first, according to the article I read. Which really makes TKAM a prequel.<br /><br />I for one am really excited about this.404https://www.blogger.com/profile/00064577649967514295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39017416854262405222015-02-03T20:23:50.822-08:002015-02-03T20:23:50.822-08:00I should note that in recent years, the term "...I should note that in recent years, the term "the DMV" has become a phrase referring to the Washington, D.C., area (the District, Maryland and Virginia). Perhaps a TV series could be set at a motor vehicle agency in the D.C. area; call it "DMV in the DMV" (groan).<br /><br />Interesting that channel 9 in Washington, the CBS affiliate, initially shared WTOP call letters with the radio station, then after being sold changed the calls to WDVM (District, Virginia, Maryland). Currently channel 9, now a Gannett property, has the call letters WUSA (not to be confused with the right-wing New Orleans radio station in the 1970 Paul Newman-Joanne Woodward movie). Of course, Gannett owns USA Today, and IIRC, its Denver TV station is KUSA.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90353828481555105452015-02-03T19:53:17.443-08:002015-02-03T19:53:17.443-08:00I was thinking the DMV story could be like the Lov...I was thinking the DMV story could be like the Love Boat, each week a different set of over-the-hill actors could star in little playletes as they wait to be served. <br /><br />"Will love develop in the photo booth?" The Late Ernie Anderson would intone.Albert Giesbrechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17742338183833125104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37507383705525983982015-02-03T19:22:19.195-08:002015-02-03T19:22:19.195-08:00There was an episode of Frasier where a writer wri...There was an episode of Frasier where a writer writes a new novel after his original hit novel. Frasier and Niles read through his draft and love it, but the author throws it away because of their comments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77689504035510123402015-02-03T18:19:44.973-08:002015-02-03T18:19:44.973-08:00But what about the sitcom TAXI? Didn't that s...But what about the sitcom TAXI? Didn't that start as a setting, the creators populated it with characters who would be found in that setting? Initially it was the setting that gave them something in common (I'm a TV writer/producer who drives a cab on the side while I try to get my big break), and it was the nexus that brought these characters together who wouldn't otherwise socialize with each other. <br /><br />Same with M*A*S*H. You don't start with Hawkeye, you start with the M*A*S*H and then put in characters who can exist there.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02753360146107174303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66794449532338766982015-02-03T18:04:28.209-08:002015-02-03T18:04:28.209-08:00I swear, you can't make this stuff up:
“Che...I swear, <a href="http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/cheerleader-death-squad-cw-pilot-order-marc-cherry-neal-baer-1201423029/" rel="nofollow">you can't make this stuff up</a>: <br /><br /><br /><i>“Cheerleader Death Squad” comes from “Desperate Housewives” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” producers Marc Cherry, Neal Baer, Dan Truly and Sabrina Wind.<br /><br />The one-hour pilot follows a former CIA agent-turned-teacher who realizes that his elite students at a Washington, D.C., prep school have high level access through their personal connections — and trains them to be his eyes and ears in the world of international espionage so he can make his way back into the CIA.</i>Todd Everetthttp://toddeverett.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26011465064429288832015-02-03T17:43:28.784-08:002015-02-03T17:43:28.784-08:00Can't believe no one has mentioned Reverend Ji...Can't believe no one has mentioned Reverend Jim's DMV test on "TaxI".<br /><br />What does a yellow light mean ?<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvn-tBeLpCkRonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58792952363510199672015-02-03T16:04:35.991-08:002015-02-03T16:04:35.991-08:00Most shows will tend towards 4-5 core characters (...Most shows will tend towards 4-5 core characters (who can carry an A plot) even if they don't start out that way. For comedy/drama you need conflict, so those characters have to have 'abrasion' yet have a reason to keep on abrading week after week instead of just walking away to find a more peaceful life. The family is the most obvious situation where that happens, and you see a family-like dynamic in most sitcoms especially. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32357753906720273242015-02-03T14:09:07.476-08:002015-02-03T14:09:07.476-08:00Great analysis, SER. Thanks for sharing that insig...Great analysis, SER. Thanks for sharing that insight. You put across what I was trying to say much better than I managed, and added a ton of keen observation.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52625327016771578752015-02-03T13:29:08.033-08:002015-02-03T13:29:08.033-08:00Don't forget, Cheers was also going to be set ...Don't forget, Cheers was also going to be set in Barstow, so do with that what you will.Catnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19714076711774689682015-02-03T11:40:34.082-08:002015-02-03T11:40:34.082-08:00Lots of great stuff here today addressing issues t...Lots of great stuff here today addressing issues that have been puzzling me.<br /><br />@SER, your comments about Friends, Sex and the City, and Just Shoot Me. If you know Barney Miller, could you describe that show with the same sort of analysis? IOW, was Barney Miller <i>about</i> something?<br />Igornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73153584411263056962015-02-03T11:36:40.300-08:002015-02-03T11:36:40.300-08:00Maybe the set for this sitcom is the offices of th...Maybe the set for this sitcom is the offices of the DMV, the cubicles you see behind the agents. That way you can isolate the distraction of the people in line and focus on the main characters. It allows you to bounce back and forth whenever you want.Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63919687955266286742015-02-03T11:23:35.191-08:002015-02-03T11:23:35.191-08:00Thanks, KL.Thanks, KL.Igornoreply@blogger.com