tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post4062704675846570257..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The pilot you will never seeBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45061096451791484622013-03-28T19:22:35.598-07:002013-03-28T19:22:35.598-07:00Jennie,
Curious as to who you are. Email me at...Jennie, <br /><br />Curious as to who you are. Email me at bossjock@dslextreme.com. Why am I not surprised they passed on Robin Williams for Dennis Howard?By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34241505481559159482013-03-28T19:09:24.543-07:002013-03-28T19:09:24.543-07:00Ken, because my partner and I were also called in ...Ken, because my partner and I were also called in to rewrite your pilot, a job we were happy to get, since we were newbies, you have my sympathy for another item you might not know. (And we didn't write either of the jokes you mentioned, by the way. I'm very clear on that.) Casting the lead, a writer on the SNL-type show, took many auditions. I used to act, too, so I did the wife part for the auditions. One guy came in and was hilarious, spoke Swedish backwards, stood on his head (on the chair, no less) and made all the execs laugh in the room. No small task, you'll agree. However, those same execs turned him down. Not Dick Van Dyke material.The Exec Producer, Norman Steinberg, fought hard for him, so did we all, but nah....not Dick Van Dyke. So they passed on Robin Williams. Unfortunately, you know the rest. Oh, and I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Pat McCormick look down on short me and say, "If you're very good, I'll let you climb me." That kind of made the experience for me. Sorry that you had a markedly different one.Jennie90291https://www.blogger.com/profile/05786505268449263707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33602197230760187582013-03-28T14:14:48.198-07:002013-03-28T14:14:48.198-07:00I kinda liked "chicken in blackface."I kinda liked "chicken in blackface."Donaldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54466913541986939162013-03-28T10:40:20.152-07:002013-03-28T10:40:20.152-07:00Um, yeah, I probably shouldn't admit this, but...Um, yeah, I probably shouldn't admit this, but I laughed at the "chicken in blackface" joke. But then, I still laugh at the "why the long face?" joke in Shrek 2 so I'm probably not the best judge here.Patrickhttp://www.twitter.com/pswayne7noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4223962080764069942013-03-28T03:42:21.768-07:002013-03-28T03:42:21.768-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03037704048671379868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61054074699524338452013-03-27T23:27:26.032-07:002013-03-27T23:27:26.032-07:00One of the greatest gifts in life is to look back ...One of the greatest gifts in life is to look back on a failure... and to realize that in reality, it was a huge fucking gift that you failed.ChicagoJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15963409952606722977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17746244651187266012013-03-27T19:16:25.119-07:002013-03-27T19:16:25.119-07:00I suspect we will never convince Ken to post it to...I suspect we will never convince Ken to post it to YouTube, but any obsolete format specialist worth his salt makes backup copies. Let's call Stu!<br />Jim Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07840228636027306303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36701362567372563792013-03-27T13:01:18.164-07:002013-03-27T13:01:18.164-07:00Wow! That damn VCR pic brought back memories. I wa...Wow! That damn VCR pic brought back memories. I was an A/V geek [but one of those rare breeds that also was on sports teams] in high school during early to mid 70s and they decide to wire the high school for video and have a central spot where videos could just be shown from one spot and fed off to various classrooms. Since the A/V teacher's level of technological knowledge was stuck in the age of film strips, he basically just turned the operation of it over to me and a couple of other guys. That is the exact same VCR system they installed in our high school but we had 3 or 4 of them to play with. Being a budding demented DJ wanna-be [and just starting to write jokes for some morning DJs] we had great fun writing and dubbing in our own dialogue for some of these mundane films that were shown....but we never let our versions get shown by accident. Luckily we even had a cool English Lit teacher who was just as crazy and he joined in the fun with us. And you're right about the VCR tapes, I think we ended up using some of the worn out ones to play shuffleboard with, tried strapping them on our feet and using them as snowshoes [fail!], among other uses we could devise. Even after I graduated they were asking me back to help fix, run, teach others how to use the system until the early 80s. Found out that they were still around locked up in storage and they finally got rid of them when they tore down my old high school last year. We also ended up with one of the first Betamax VCRs that we were testing out for some company that was deciding whether to sell them or not...another story in itself.YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31551878326274652012013-03-27T08:17:10.184-07:002013-03-27T08:17:10.184-07:00As far as I know you can't get a "created...As far as I know you can't get a "created by" credit unless you contributed to the story in the pilot, was that why he lost in arbitration?Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34198357469980761632013-03-27T04:05:49.411-07:002013-03-27T04:05:49.411-07:00There is a certain fascination that comes with plo...There is a certain fascination that comes with plowing through the imdb connections after reading this story.<br /><br />http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1710998/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast<br /><br />How did the producer merit the job? He didn't have much of a track record.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48204133914320425652013-03-27T02:19:05.215-07:002013-03-27T02:19:05.215-07:00If the producer changd the s riot so much, didn...If the producer changd the s riot so much, didn't he deserve a credit?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15808673274889172992013-03-26T17:37:22.505-07:002013-03-26T17:37:22.505-07:00A FRIDAY QUESTION -- As long as you brought it up....A FRIDAY QUESTION -- As long as you brought it up... 30 Rock and Studio 60 debut at the same time. "30" became a hit and "60" died, even though "60" was a terrific, high quality show. What's your assessment of what happened? Did audiences/critics/suits think "60" was supposed to be a comedy?Ed in Clevelandnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70819405798113904932013-03-26T15:36:56.976-07:002013-03-26T15:36:56.976-07:00That is not fair, Ken! You know us TV sitcom love...That is not fair, Ken! You know us TV sitcom lovers will be salivating for this now. <br /><br />How about just a few minutes on youtube?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56625789853566316732013-03-26T15:13:05.995-07:002013-03-26T15:13:05.995-07:00I don't want to alarm anyone but I know for a ...I don't want to alarm anyone but I know for a fact that "Shedding Pounds & Doubts" is actually run by psychopathic maniacs who saw off your arms and legs. This is how they get you to "shed pounds." <br /><br />"Shedding doubts" is done by strapping you to a chair and lobotomizing you; removing the part of your brain that deals with doubt. <br /><br />Don't let that put you off contacting them, just be aware of it because they never tell you that in their adverts.Macnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18533966464282582772013-03-26T14:46:24.918-07:002013-03-26T14:46:24.918-07:00If you do get the chance to go "into the stor...If you do get the chance to go "into the storage bin" it would be interesting to read some excerpts from your original draft. What a shame they ruined it.<br /><br />Guess there's no need to freeze-frame THOSE credits...RCPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251247613686669877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53451328518216934462013-03-26T14:08:54.323-07:002013-03-26T14:08:54.323-07:00Clubber:
I deeply apologize to the shows creators...Clubber:<br /><br />I deeply apologize to the shows creators for multiplying their loss of viewers by a factor of 10. Although I don't know if they ever apologized to the viewers of "Rocky" for what they put them through (and while I don't remember watching before seeing one-and-only airing of CEdF. But I do remember the horror. The horror...)Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80729052648291401892013-03-26T14:01:45.973-07:002013-03-26T14:01:45.973-07:00Come on, Ken! Youtube was invented for this very p...Come on, Ken! Youtube was invented for this very purpose!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6690071570232668062013-03-26T14:00:14.424-07:002013-03-26T14:00:14.424-07:00Correction to John's post:
The 1979 Super Bowl...Correction to John's post:<br />The 1979 Super Bowl was played on January 21. "Co-Ed Fever" actually debuted (and concluded) two weeks later, on the heels of a top-rated February 4 airing of "Rocky." <br /><br />So it probably only lost ten million viewers. Sir, you have wantonly profaned the good name of "Co-Ed Fever"!Clubber Langnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44803657916880240992013-03-26T13:14:28.219-07:002013-03-26T13:14:28.219-07:00The original VCR. I had one. The remote had a cor...The original VCR. I had one. The remote had a cord attached to the VCR. It had knobs for changing the channel. And you are right about how damn heavy they were.john brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14305919416597724136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15053176342052861982013-03-26T12:52:08.604-07:002013-03-26T12:52:08.604-07:00I hate to say this but I, too, laughed at the &quo...I hate to say this but I, too, laughed at the "chicken in blackface" line. I could see it coming out of, I dunno, Jackie Mason's mouth. Maybe not Kat Dennings's.Aaron Hazourihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09106694976443389309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36412486818015147732013-03-26T12:36:44.474-07:002013-03-26T12:36:44.474-07:00There's no way you'll be able to stop ment...There's no way you'll be able to stop mentioning Whitney, that's your go-to abominationtbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4858298623322637952013-03-26T12:02:01.058-07:002013-03-26T12:02:01.058-07:00You choked the "blackfaced chicked" joke...You choked the "blackfaced chicked" joke? The greatest weapon in any writer's arsenal? Here's how it's done:<br />A roast turkey is carbonised in the oven; reduced to a bird-shaped lump of coal. Someone pokes it suspiciously. "Is this a roast turkey?"<br />"No. It's a chicken in blackface."Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64291033628520212002013-03-26T11:53:28.220-07:002013-03-26T11:53:28.220-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01459282375722752317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34643740551781658682013-03-26T11:48:04.281-07:002013-03-26T11:48:04.281-07:00For some reason, the University of Illinois at Urb...For some reason, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Chapmpaign library has a copy of the script:<br /><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/zIeBz" rel="nofollow">http://goo.gl/zIeBz</a>Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01459282375722752317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61771369969478508032013-03-26T11:44:05.793-07:002013-03-26T11:44:05.793-07:00Come on Mr. Levine - load that pilot up for us. Yo...Come on Mr. Levine - load that pilot up for us. You know you want to see our reactions....Craig Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06037542638067599437noreply@blogger.com