tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post3902546297652199612..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Little Big ShotsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70656561860113380862016-04-27T12:50:51.511-07:002016-04-27T12:50:51.511-07:00NBC had a game that I watched recently during whic...NBC had a game that I watched recently during which they promoted this show. The promo was fair warning, but thanks Ken, for another.Jahn Ghaltnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23427448641804830162016-04-23T11:45:28.865-07:002016-04-23T11:45:28.865-07:00I've always liked Ellen and enjoyed her show f...I've always liked Ellen and enjoyed her show for several years. It's nice when a person truly finds a perfect niche and thrives in it. But the screaming, WOOOOing audience really becomes piercing, perhaps because it's too frequent and lacks variance. It has become a problem on a lot of shows, where the intent is to "keep the energy level up" but the result is so forced it's not much different than a laugh track. (Remember when the "audience" would applaud at the end of each "Dennis the Menace?" They loved it.)<br /><br />Listen to the audio on Frasier. You have what amounts to a symphony of voices, just as well cast for their vocal talents as their on-camera ones. The audience responds naturally, with varied tones. I don't know if there was any sweetening, but if there was, it was masterful, as was the series itself.<br /><br />So enough with the screaming and WOOOOO-ing. And this is coming from someone who owns every album by Alvin and the Chipmunks.<br />http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/alvin-the-chipmunks-presidential-campaign-record/Greg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/alvin-the-chipmunks-presidential-campaign-record/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49148158623217491832016-04-21T02:31:32.851-07:002016-04-21T02:31:32.851-07:00When my daughter was in Middle School she loved to...When my daughter was in Middle School she loved to watch THE GONG SHOW (who remembers that gem of low brown entertainment) I was appalled at this show so I guess this is in the same vein.Barry Traylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134880916215990198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12566514486074772682016-04-20T21:58:55.693-07:002016-04-20T21:58:55.693-07:00I 2nd this question even though I feel like it'...I 2nd this question even though I feel like it's been somewhat answered in another form before. Myleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07139984409445302062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38366501482361957462016-04-20T19:56:29.675-07:002016-04-20T19:56:29.675-07:00My Mom recommended "Little Big Shots" to...My Mom recommended "Little Big Shots" to me but I didn't feel compelled to tune in so can't comment on the show itself. I will say that I find some child prodigies remarkable and endearing but others insufferable. I like Jackie Evancho but was tickled when she sang Puccini's 'O Mio Babbino Caro' (I'm hardly an opera buff but love this particular piece of music) at age 11 or 12 as it involves a woman who is begging her father to let her marry the man she loves or she'll jump off a bridge. There's a YouTube video of a pre-teen Dutch girl who also sings it on Holland Has Talent (or whatever the show is called). Your comment about the nine-year-old torch singer brought this to mind.RCPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251247613686669877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8714151614808089932016-04-20T19:24:05.415-07:002016-04-20T19:24:05.415-07:00ALL studio audiences are encouraged to scream and ...ALL studio audiences are encouraged to scream and howl, possibly by men with cattle prods. It's why I stopped watching the late-night boys.<br /><br />LITTLE BIG SHOTS, California "Psychics," Donald Trump...anybody seeing a pattern here?<br /><br /><br /><br />Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13857988490804903402016-04-20T18:20:33.343-07:002016-04-20T18:20:33.343-07:00As Mencken said no one has ever gone broke under e...As Mencken said no one has ever gone broke under estimating the gullibility of the American Public. And Harvey is probably laughing all the way to the bank.sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69438721550518645252016-04-20T17:04:17.773-07:002016-04-20T17:04:17.773-07:00Hey Ken, love your work. Friday question here.
Af...Hey Ken, love your work. Friday question here.<br /><br />After your effusive praise for Doris Roberts yesterday, I wondered that if, in a perfect world, you were given the opportunity to cast a sitcom with your own dream team, who would you choose? Who are the first half-dozen picks in your "sitcom draft"? (Still alive, or all-time living or dead. Your choice.)Dylan Waltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03762186497065656765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41775918759692674512016-04-20T16:51:01.735-07:002016-04-20T16:51:01.735-07:00I guess I'm leading a sheltered life. I'd ...I guess I'm leading a sheltered life. I'd never heard of this show before I read this post. Just as well. I'd never watch it, anyway. I've never been a sucker for cute, adorable moppets. From the Little Rascals to Shirley Temple to every pre-adolescent who ever bogged down a sitcom with snappy, wise-cracking one-liners they don't even appear to understand, they're all useless to me. I had a co-worker who was bad to send YouTube clips of performing children she always thought were just way too cute not to be shared. Usually along the lines of some four-year-old girl screaming her way through "Over the Rainbow," with a flood of comments about how precious the little darling is. If I want to hear somebody sing "Over the Rainbow," I'll play a Linda Eder CD, thank you very much. I have no interest in listening to your tone-deaf brat screech her way through it. Finally broke my co-worker of that habit, and none too soon. She doesn't share those clips with me anymore.Jimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51395895401868790512016-04-20T16:45:42.553-07:002016-04-20T16:45:42.553-07:00Geesh so much hate for Steve Harvey. Lol. It's...Geesh so much hate for Steve Harvey. Lol. It's not a genius concept but in a world where people watch youtube videos all day why not take some adorable youtube kids and let them say a few adorable (and sometimes rude yet funny in an awkwardly shocking way) lines and laugh. Plus we talk so much about how kids these days don't do anything so watching talented youth dance, sing, play 5 instruments, etc is a little refreshing and provides some hope. And it's an Ellen coproduction so for those who aren't fans let's place some blame on her too. Lol. It's basically taking directly from what she does on her show with random Internet kids and provides a whole hour for them instead of the 10 minutes she gives them on her show. Myleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07139984409445302062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20945964509075640302016-04-20T16:18:24.305-07:002016-04-20T16:18:24.305-07:00Finally, I know how to spell a yodel. If only I ha...Finally, I know how to spell a yodel. If only I had a kid whose birth certificate I could put it on.Charles H. Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54494020906831297492016-04-20T14:51:51.531-07:002016-04-20T14:51:51.531-07:00Was Mr Harvey the original inspiration for Mr Pota...Was Mr Harvey the original inspiration for Mr Potato Head...or the other way around. Seriously the similarity is striking.blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58192162580995514792016-04-20T14:40:13.023-07:002016-04-20T14:40:13.023-07:00I've seen the promos. I gagged a littleI've seen the promos. I gagged a littleSharoneRosenhttp://www.sharonerosen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32843433362184868192016-04-20T13:41:16.315-07:002016-04-20T13:41:16.315-07:00I was sitting in the waiting room of my local auto...I was sitting in the waiting room of my local auto dealer, waiting for them to finish whatever they were doing to my poor car, when the TV lit up with somebody called Wendy Williams. I'd never seen the show before. The audience did nothing but scream from beginning to end. It was literally non-stop. I still wonder if they had to mop the floor afterward.thirteennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85116017903010662392016-04-20T13:12:55.397-07:002016-04-20T13:12:55.397-07:00Bumble Bee
Thanks. Looking forward to it. Bumble Bee<br /><br />Thanks. Looking forward to it. Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34065854379820653052016-04-20T13:03:27.515-07:002016-04-20T13:03:27.515-07:00>> Stephen Marks said...
>> a host who...>> Stephen Marks said...<br />>> a host who is stiffer than Ed Sullivan encased<br />>> in cement introducing a plate spinner.<br /><br />So apparently Ed did not die after CBS cancelled his show: he just moved to Canada.<br /><br />Then again, Jack Carter referred to Ed's series as "... the only live show with a dead host...", so maybe Sullivan did both.John Hammesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48227817196369384462016-04-20T12:44:20.648-07:002016-04-20T12:44:20.648-07:00Anonymous@11:25AM: That's an after-sex quote: ...Anonymous@11:25AM: That's an after-sex quote: "I didn't feel the passion, but I appreciated the technique."Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18596104747395484982016-04-20T12:01:14.619-07:002016-04-20T12:01:14.619-07:00I must be doing something right, because I haven&#...I must be doing something right, because I haven't heard of this show until I read this post.dgwphotographyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17457021093344362212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27302366883781714472016-04-20T11:25:11.450-07:002016-04-20T11:25:11.450-07:00Ken, I don't feel the passion of your argument...Ken, I don't feel the passion of your argument, but I appreciate the writing. Nice work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47959098647182066752016-04-20T11:11:28.747-07:002016-04-20T11:11:28.747-07:00And I have to wonder... does Steve Harvey know tha...And I have to wonder... does Steve Harvey know that he's not Richard Pryor? I mean, seriously. I guess "The Steve Harvey Show" in syndication is Steve doing Oprah, but that's not quite so cloying and irritating to me.<br /><br />But knowing who the real star of the show is shouldn't be that hard to figure out. Sorry, Steve... you make yourself a star by recognizing your role in the show.ELShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08227481611148130555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50886984661291903292016-04-20T11:03:39.115-07:002016-04-20T11:03:39.115-07:00I couldn't agree more. These kids aren't p...I couldn't agree more. These kids aren't prodigies, most of them are exactly as you describe, precocious, irritating, future assholes. When they brought up the five year old mayor of some backwater town and the kid asked the audience to be quiet, that was the end for me. I'd already watched what seemed like minutes of the show and it was a lifetime's worth.<br /><br />Steve Harvey? I'd much rather watch Kenan Thompson doing Steve Harvey. Way funnier.<br /><br />Aloha H Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12482221297668464504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31798079985984075612016-04-20T10:44:52.078-07:002016-04-20T10:44:52.078-07:00The audience is probably in a maniacal frenzy in a...The audience is probably in a maniacal frenzy in anticipation of Steve Harvey announcing the wrong winner at the end of the show.J Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15175515543694122729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7579773549283530882016-04-20T10:06:20.734-07:002016-04-20T10:06:20.734-07:00Peter said...
By the way, I saw a trailer last nig... <b>Peter said...<br />By the way, I saw a trailer last night on TV here in the UK for a comedy show called Angie Tribeca starring the lovely Rashida Jones. I'd never heard of it but it looks hilarious and will tune in when it airs. Have you watched it, Ken, or any fellow readers?</b><br /><br />Hi Peter. The show premiered here in the US a few months ago and we binged watched all the episodes (I think there were 10 or 12).<br /><br />It's very funny. If you've seen "POLICE SQUAD" TV show (or the Naked Gun movies) then this is basically a copy of them. In fact, I believe you'd recognize a borrowed few jokes and gags.<br /><br />Basic stupid humor that works. <br />We look forward to season 2 sometime this summer.<br />The Bumble Bee Pendanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782074071758250824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52342391188750036142016-04-20T09:51:05.174-07:002016-04-20T09:51:05.174-07:00I don't care for his more recent incarnations,...I don't care for his more recent incarnations, but when he was doing comedy years ago (as in The Original Kings of Comedy) he was hilarious.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69122957870590497582016-04-20T09:45:57.128-07:002016-04-20T09:45:57.128-07:00You absolutely nailed this, Ken. A trainwreck of a...You absolutely nailed this, Ken. A trainwreck of a show that Newton Minow could not have imagined...Griffnoreply@blogger.com