tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2053679310707881179..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Norman Lear just sold a showBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83179831736878916022017-08-23T22:49:54.733-07:002017-08-23T22:49:54.733-07:00And there Mr Lear was. Last night, as he is every...And there Mr Lear was. Last night, as he is every show night, talking to the crowd before cast intros on One Day At A Time. Still feisty and engaged. Still funny.cbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73338676185958001932017-08-23T20:52:49.916-07:002017-08-23T20:52:49.916-07:00Uh, Andrea Martin on, "Difficult People."...Uh, Andrea Martin on, "Difficult People."normadesmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17325110017442011627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83859684557253448822017-08-23T18:28:55.601-07:002017-08-23T18:28:55.601-07:00I was trying to be nice and hold my tongue on this...I was trying to be nice and hold my tongue on this one, but Mike is right. Lear's lack of recent work is as much due to his latter-day track record as his age. Better luck this time, though. I'm rooting for him.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12717021657419187922017-08-23T18:00:44.079-07:002017-08-23T18:00:44.079-07:00Sounds like a knock off of "Waiting for God&q...<i>Sounds like a knock off of "Waiting for God" From Britain.</i><br /><br /><br />There is no way, zero, that Norman Lear would rework the premise of a British sitcom for American eyeballs.Alf Garnettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85716530608520095162017-08-23T13:12:55.641-07:002017-08-23T13:12:55.641-07:00I'm all for diversity, but Norman Lear hasn...I'm all for diversity, but Norman Lear hasn't had a funny sitcom since the 70s. His 80s and 90s efforts- aka Pablo, Sunday Dinner, and 704 Houser St. - were pretty bad.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65300957737161975422017-08-23T12:45:56.514-07:002017-08-23T12:45:56.514-07:00No interest. No interest. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44260756954505012772017-08-23T11:50:54.802-07:002017-08-23T11:50:54.802-07:00Quality is quality. And Norman Lear always has bee...Quality is quality. And Norman Lear always has been, and meant, quality. I also realized that he and Ed Simmons, who later produced Carol Burnett's show, were the first writers for Martin & Lewis.<br /><br />Friday question, Ken. I was thinking of "Comrades in Arms," where Hawkeye and Margaret end up together ... for a night. You were one of the story editors. Was there a big discussion of how that might change the arc of their entire relationship? Were there concerns about taking that step?Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34953453235518780462017-08-23T10:23:22.364-07:002017-08-23T10:23:22.364-07:00https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLdY5snOKkk
"...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLdY5snOKkk<br /><br />"Waiting For God" episode hereRetsibsihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05842608674657671427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68590441418297031082017-08-23T08:52:37.952-07:002017-08-23T08:52:37.952-07:00Yes, this smacks of tokenism but I think the good ...Yes, this smacks of tokenism but I think the good news is that networks are considering ageism relevant. Even if this doesn't pan out at least the discussion has begun. VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74117140784660466722017-08-23T08:49:07.929-07:002017-08-23T08:49:07.929-07:00Sounds like a knock off of "Waiting for God&q...Sounds like a knock off of "Waiting for God" From Britain. thevidiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12675078560145080204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83766090201647934032017-08-23T08:12:15.593-07:002017-08-23T08:12:15.593-07:00During my college years, also known as the Mists o...During my college years, also known as the Mists of Antiquity, I heard tell of a guy who had conceived a TV project and had hopes of selling it to a producer. He set it in a nursing home and called it "Silver Threads". The guy was my professor in the Radio-TV Department at Kansas University. One of the industry people he invited to speak to the class was Norman Lear. All this happened 30-plus years ago, and I draw no connection to current events, other than that one reminded me of the other. And I do admit that "Guess Who Died" is a much better title than "Silver Threads."Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14776076446035572649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78904472377961844162017-08-23T07:22:12.276-07:002017-08-23T07:22:12.276-07:00Or Lear's show will go to Netflix or Amazon if...Or Lear's show will go to Netflix or Amazon if NBC passes in the end. One of the great things about GRACE AND FRANKIE is that it talks about older women's lives in a way that simply hasn't been done before in popular media.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54052065892724633872017-08-23T07:18:32.221-07:002017-08-23T07:18:32.221-07:00"one of the most popular sitcoms among Millen..."one of the most popular sitcoms among Millennials is GOLDEN GIRLS"<br /><br />yep. And according to the millennial offspring of friends, they get a kick out of Columbo, too. Apparently, millennials grow up to be fairly intelligent people who like intelligently written tv. Heck, some of them are watching TVLand reruns of shows older than I am. It would seem that the network execs of the past knew more than their contemporaries about what viewers not only want, but WILL want in the future. <br /><br />Not that I expect current powers that be to ever admit that. <br /><br />McAlvienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27282663580160092752017-08-23T07:16:25.624-07:002017-08-23T07:16:25.624-07:00Funny is funny.
People who were never in the army,...Funny is funny.<br />People who were never in the army, or Korea, watched M*A*S*H.<br />People who never had roommates outside of the dorm watched Friends.<br />People who would never hang out in a bar everyday watched Cheers.<br />People who were not cavemen watched the Flintstones.<br />People without kids watched Home Improvement and Roseanne, and ...<br />White people with money watched Sanford and Son.<br /><br />Young people watch Golden Girls because it is funny.<br />If Norman Lear's show about a retirement home is funny, people will watch it. Unless the promos don't do it any favors.<br /><br />Diversity matters in that the networks are not EXCLUDING anyone. If it doesn't matter what race/sex/religion a character is, then it shouldn't matter. Friends had 3 men and 3 women, so the sex matters. 2 of them are siblings, so they have to be a matched set, unless you want to explain why they are not. Other than that, I would hope that when casting the show (especially today), it would be the best audition that got the part, not the right race/sex/religion.<br /><br />What I don't want to be is beat over the head with the diversity. Hey, that character is gay. Fine. Hey, that character is Christian. Fine. Don't try to preach at me about it. I am watching TV to escape from reality, not deal with it. If I wanted reality, I would sit on the front porch and watch the neighbors.<br /><br />John in NE Ohionoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15860606089313804362017-08-23T07:13:36.389-07:002017-08-23T07:13:36.389-07:00If this makes it to air, the format will be change...If this makes it to air, the format will be changed so that it focuses on the young (and attractive) staff, with the oldsters pushed to the background as one-dimensional supporting characters, i.e. "the one with the foul mouth", "the one who passes gas and soils themselves a lot", "the perpetually chirpy and happy one with dementia", etc.rkd2999https://disqus.com/by/rkd2999/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36738759754758410122017-08-23T06:49:31.436-07:002017-08-23T06:49:31.436-07:00This is pretty damn amazing. Lear was still very c...This is pretty damn amazing. Lear was still very clearly compus mentÃs when he appeared on WTF, so I'd like to think he's all over this, but most of the work is likely fall on Tolan. That said, Pete Tolan was a major force behind my favourite sitcom of all time, The Larry Sanders Show, so that's also fantastic news by me. <br /><br />I think the trick is to find yourself an older legend to collaborate with, Ken. Why not try and track down Mel Brooks or Carl Reiner and then lo do it Amazon? :)Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82960410799990093472017-08-23T06:37:04.936-07:002017-08-23T06:37:04.936-07:00Is it also possible the networks don't want to...Is it also possible the networks don't want to take the chance of having cast members die suddenly? I remember specifically the CBS series <i>Phyllis</i> giving two octegenarians, Judith Lowry and Burt Mustin, major supporting roles in the show's second season, only to have them both die not long after their characters were married on screen. It's possible the networks have overreacted (really, how many people do you see on network television series over 55?), but that has to be a concern.<br /><br />All of which made me a little surprised that the 82-year-old Judd Hirsch is starring in <i>Superior Donuts</i> for CBS. Maybe it's a step in the right direction.Curt Alliaumehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05875046706746482871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29508148232417581422017-08-23T06:35:06.254-07:002017-08-23T06:35:06.254-07:00I was a kid in the 1970s and Norman Lear's sho...I was a kid in the 1970s and Norman Lear's shows were a great social education, as well as being terrifically funny. I'm surprised my parents let me in the room to watch All In The Family and Maude with them. Maybe they thought I didn't understand it. But wow, those shows really did plant the seeds of social awareness.<br /><br />So I'm really thrilled to hear that Lear has another show coming. And Peter Tolan, he was from the great Larry Sanders Show, absolutely the funniest thing I've ever seen on TV.<br /><br />But I'm afraid you're right Ken. This could sink on network TV. Why the heck didn't they take this to HBO or AMC or FX? Lear was the trademark of quality in the 1970s. His kinds of shows don't make it onto prime time anymore. Nowadays, cable is the trademark of quality. It's where Lear belongs, and Tolan should know that from doing Larry Sanders on HBO. Even if this show succeeds on NBC, still, wouldn't it be nice to watch one of Lear's shows without commercials?<br /><br />In any regard, it's great to see Lear looking great (recent pic at the top of the post?) and still working. Fingers crossed this is a hit.Stuart Bestnoreply@blogger.com