tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2744714305671669026..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32930285207792965052015-01-27T13:04:21.778-08:002015-01-27T13:04:21.778-08:00Here's a question for you: Given Hollywood'...Here's a question for you: Given Hollywood's penchant for remakes, why *haven't* we seen any attempts at rebooting M*A*S*H, given how successful it was?<br /><br />Is it a case of Hollywood not asking, or is there a rights-holder refusing?Lis Ribahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10810875707845320918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16217095635422387572015-01-25T18:38:15.242-08:002015-01-25T18:38:15.242-08:00The Golden Girls had the worst continuity of any s...The Golden Girls had the worst continuity of any show.<br /><br />What happened to Lorraine and Michael's baby?<br /><br />What happened to Dorothy and Stan's first baby who should have been 38 when the show started?<br /><br />Just a few examples...<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10992271883205193641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6908248647548372802015-01-25T10:21:02.917-08:002015-01-25T10:21:02.917-08:00Well, there is probably no one still reading this ...Well, there is probably no one still reading this thread but I have one more thing to say about it. There are apparently lots of comedy writers (and soon-to-be comedy writers) who read this blog, and if I were one of you, I would make it one of my goals to write the show that finally does successfully take a "will they/won't they" relationship to marriage. <br /><br />Nothing so intrigues people as watching a relationship develop--the periods of ecstatic happiness followed by inevitable anguish, then repeating the whole process. Having it take place in the context of comedy adds the fun and laughter that we all look for in a TV show. <br /><br />Surely someone can make that culminate in marriage and not lose the magic and laughter. <br />I agree with Johnny Walker and ScottyB regarding adding a baby, but I see no reason why the marriage has to result in children. In real life, many people are now choosing not to have children.Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68406874635585913272015-01-25T09:31:12.645-08:002015-01-25T09:31:12.645-08:00I think the issue with kids is this: Either they h...I think the issue with kids is this: Either they have to be there from the beginning, so you can give them a personality (eg. THE COSBY SHOW, MODERN FAMILY, even THE SIMPSONS) or you're stuck with a baby... You can't give lines to a baby, and how many, "I'm stressed with this baby thing" stories can you do? And where can the characters go when they have a baby to look after?<br /><br />That said, MODERN FAMILY somehow managed to have a baby character, and still have stories.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48479354605227610252015-01-24T22:12:56.309-08:002015-01-24T22:12:56.309-08:00Chugs, if it makes you feel any better, there are ...Chugs, if it makes you feel any better, there are lots of schools that play on smaller courts.<br />Where we are the whole court is about equal to a half court, probably 50 feet is the length.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-980344197158691432015-01-24T18:49:35.331-08:002015-01-24T18:49:35.331-08:00@Mike: "What surprises e is how many of the S...@Mike: "What surprises e is how many of the Star Trek movies are directed by cast members."<br /><br />Not just movies, but episodes of the later series. I suspect it's because the actors know they're going to be typecast, so they'd better get some experience behind the camera lest they never work again in Hollywood! Jonathan Frakes, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Roxann Dawson in particular have done a lot of directing work.Chris Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09883587751218471785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52733537210603039452015-01-24T16:34:45.745-08:002015-01-24T16:34:45.745-08:00Yeah, I remember the first season about Everybody ...Yeah, I remember the first season about Everybody Loves Raymond when they opening credits said something like "It's not about the kids."<br /><br />But I also remember "Crunch and Blow" as a great little parenting thing that i kept with me in case the situation ever arose once I had kids.<br /><br />I often wondered if relationships or children weren't topics many writers had a lot of experience with to draw from. Not meaning to be stereotypical, I just often imagine writer's rooms filled with young writers and lots of late nights and junk food.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you go into it with the children as an intentional part, say, "Married with Children," then you are just saying right up front that you gotta write well for the children as well.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07817340401160413792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24633055821626772142015-01-24T05:58:58.465-08:002015-01-24T05:58:58.465-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Sudheer Yadavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14336763195411670132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39429723067549972732015-01-24T00:20:01.021-08:002015-01-24T00:20:01.021-08:00Gotta ask, how do you feel about Simon Pegg steppi...Gotta ask, how do you feel about Simon Pegg stepping in as a writer on the next movie? Personally, I'm curious to see how things go, but I'm certainly not willing to portend doom as so many Trekkies seem to be.Thomas Mossmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00678349322403895276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8392406814610767512015-01-24T00:10:21.138-08:002015-01-24T00:10:21.138-08:00I've asked a couple of times before but my may...I've asked a couple of times before but my maybe my question got lost in the ether... in one of your posts you mentioned about a pilot that had Tom Cruise apparently signed on that didn't make it and I asked you what that was... I guess I'm asking again. (TIA)media_lushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02910717455951557487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54157778764884416542015-01-23T23:01:54.048-08:002015-01-23T23:01:54.048-08:00Just watched "Seems Like Old Times" (I a...Just watched "Seems Like Old Times" (I adore Goldie Hawn), and it could be the type of Neil Simon vehicle that could be revived because it's still funny -- in fact, <i>should</i> be revived, if only to erase the horrible stereotypes of blacks and Hispanics that marred the original and date it terribly.<br /><br />BTW, RIP Ernie Banks. There are plenty of sad hearts on the North Side tonight.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8294117259054545832015-01-23T20:10:16.126-08:002015-01-23T20:10:16.126-08:00Hey Ken,
I just recently read "Why Are You So...Hey Ken,<br />I just recently read "Why Are You So Sad" by Jason Porter. One of the characters is obsessed with M*A*S*H, and is a somewhat depressed man because he didn't grow up to be Hawkeye. The fact that I somewhat related to him freaked me out a bit. What would you say to fans that become too obsessed with TV shows? Michelle L.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61148853442217796822015-01-23T18:07:59.244-08:002015-01-23T18:07:59.244-08:00I remember KING OF THE HILL driving me nuts becaus...I remember KING OF THE HILL driving me nuts because major plot points would just get dropped or altered later on- like Luann's father is now an ex-con with a bad past, when the early seasons mentioned him repeatedly as running away from his abusive wife. It was major thing for Luann. Probably inevitable on a show with such a long run, but still. Jabronivillehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07318218102203693195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67378757878680806602015-01-23T17:37:15.245-08:002015-01-23T17:37:15.245-08:00Ken - another joke of yours is now inoperable - ...Ken - another joke of yours is now inoperable - <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-skymall-company-chapter-11-bankruptcy-20150123-story.html" rel="nofollow">RIP Sky Mall</a>LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5108096667734940662015-01-23T16:44:56.821-08:002015-01-23T16:44:56.821-08:00Speaking of Star Trek, my favorite continuity erro...Speaking of <i>Star Trek</i>, my favorite continuity error from that series isn't really an error as such, but makes for a funny story: A Romulan ship model was created for the early episode "Balance of Terror" (featuring a large bird decal) and footage of the ship from that episode was reused once in season 2. But the next time the Romulans appeared (in "The Enterprise Incident" in season 3) they used Klingon ships, whose appearance was quite different. Mr. Spock explained this by saying "Intelligence reports Romulans now using Klingon design" - but the rumor that's persisted ever since is that someone either lost or stepped on the original model. gottacooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65672306824324232572015-01-23T15:49:11.638-08:002015-01-23T15:49:11.638-08:00Would Chuck Cunningham (Happy Days) be the gold st...Would Chuck Cunningham (Happy Days) be the gold standard of continuity changes or is there a more prominent example?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73325569790224741972015-01-23T15:45:18.479-08:002015-01-23T15:45:18.479-08:00Article of some potential interest to folks 'r...Article of some potential interest to folks 'round these parts (though not necessarily revelatory in any way)...<br /><br /><a href="http://io9.com/why-do-so-many-tv-shows-get-greenlit-but-then-never-1681405688" rel="nofollow"><b>Why Do So Many TV Shows Get "Greenlit," But Then Never Appear On TV?</b></a><br />By Charlie Jane Anders at io9<br /><br />(Note: For those who may not know, io9 focuses on the science fiction & fantasy genres, but the points being made in the article seem to be generally applicable, not genre-specific at all.)Dimension Skipperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05392348422733549988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11064151218254379562015-01-23T15:11:52.714-08:002015-01-23T15:11:52.714-08:00I tend to agree with Diane D (indeed, whether will...I tend to agree with Diane D (indeed, whether will they-won't they couples can transition to a marriage situation was the question). While I think as a married couple, Sam and Diane would have had some very nice moments, you can't sustain a sitcom where their back and forth is the main attraction. Ken himself has said conflict is comedy, and unless you had Sam and Diane still at odds even though they were married it wouldn't have worked (and that's kind of sad, actually). See how boring Jim and Pam from The Office became, married with two kids. It would have been nice to have seen Sam and Diane married, but would have made for dull storylines, and either actor wouldn't have gotten to do much.Catnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84578135891100581022015-01-23T14:57:46.108-08:002015-01-23T14:57:46.108-08:00All this talk about character bibles just seems ov...All this talk about character bibles just seems overkill, for the most part. This is how you get crazy-ass people at 'Star Trek' conventions. Jeez, barely enough of us had VCRs in 1978 to even *notice* if there was a small continuity flub.<br /><br />The only thing that ever matters really comes down to, "Is it really FUNNY?" ScottyBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71584051656374270852015-01-23T14:46:38.048-08:002015-01-23T14:46:38.048-08:00@DianeD; You're right. That wasn;t the questio...@DianeD; You're right. That wasn;t the question. BUT -- I think the implied thing was "got married and then added a child". It's no so much the "getting married" part. Simply moving in together opens up a lot of comedy doors. It's where a sitcom adds pregnancy and a baby being born and all that. Changes the whole total dynamic. Kinda when like Cousin Oliver moved in and 'The Brady Bunch' got into an even bigger death spiral beyond everyone in the cast getting way older and it not being all that amusing anymore.ScottyBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86605308691989237582015-01-23T14:30:37.122-08:002015-01-23T14:30:37.122-08:00@canda wrote: "The example I should have used...@canda wrote: "The example I should have used of a well-written sitcom that captured parenting and a marital relationship in a believable way, and was funny, was ROSEANNE."<br /><br />True, and their kids were never props. BUT -- you bring up a very interesting point that is, I think, a common thread in pretty much every true sitcom since 'Lucy'. It's the formula where Mom is intelligent and knows the answers, Dad is a schlub moron (even better -- a fat schlub moron), and the kids are all screwed in the head in some fashion.<br /><br />And then laughter ensues.ScottyBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73734221370654276752015-01-23T14:14:12.707-08:002015-01-23T14:14:12.707-08:00Man, this is an interesting blog! Regarding the m...Man, this is an interesting blog! Regarding the married couples issue, I think Ken and many commenters have proven that there have been many terrific shows about married couples with or without children, BUT THAT WASN'T THE QUESTION. Those shows all started out with couples or families---the question is: in those shows with "will they, won't they" couples (that go on for years), why can't they ever transition successfully to marriage.<br /><br />Joseph Scarbrough actually does answer it, but what he says essentially is it can't be done, and I would love to have known what Ken Levine would have said. Now we'll never know what he thinks because he and everyone else is going to be sick of this subject (except for me).<br /><br />I understand what Joseph S. is saying about why it is difficult, but surely there are some writers who could make it work. It makes me glad Shelley Long left Cheers before Sam and Diane were a married couple (assuming even Ken Levine and David Issac couldn't have made it work). It would have been sadder to see that relationship become boring than to see it disappear (sob!). Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5180131497397446122015-01-23T13:43:51.803-08:002015-01-23T13:43:51.803-08:00Personally, as long as a TV show is consistent abo...Personally, as long as a TV show is consistent about the major facts, it doesn't bother me if they're inconsistent about the minor ones. It's not going to bother me, for example, if in episode #17 they said Ed's birthday was in July, but in episode #86, they said his birthday was November 4th. I just figure writing staffs have bigger priorities than keeping up with every little detail a series generates about its characters' lives. ("Stop worrying about the jokes. Does anybody remember if we've mentioned Allison's shoe size in an episode before, and did we say she wore a 5 or a 6?") That's for the anal retentive types who write Wikipedia articles to do.<br /><br />I do know people, though, who seem to retain every little factoid that's mentioned about the folks on their favorite TV series, and are driven to distraction by anything that contradicts what they've said or done before.Julienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44947239001969108212015-01-23T13:38:43.814-08:002015-01-23T13:38:43.814-08:00Good family sitcoms? Try The Adventures of Ozzie a...Good family sitcoms? Try The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, Married With Children, or The Donna Reed Show. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31247627525589774262015-01-23T13:35:58.015-08:002015-01-23T13:35:58.015-08:00Ahnuld said he thought it should be 'I will be...Ahnuld said he thought it should be 'I will be back', and asked James Cameron 'Why am I talking in Spanish?'MikeNnoreply@blogger.com