tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5101584303576140213..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58759533090890176372019-01-10T13:20:58.157-08:002019-01-10T13:20:58.157-08:00Hi Ken, Friday Question for you.
I was watching a...Hi Ken, Friday Question for you.<br /><br />I was watching a Dennis Quaid movie called Frequency recently and there are a lot of clips in the movie from the 1969 World Series. One of the clips is from a game at Shea Stadium and you can clearly tell the Announcers are Lindsey Nelson, (Mets announcer) and Curt Cowdy, (NBC). I was too young to appreciate (remember) this at the time, but in 1972 you actually had Al Michaels teaming up with Gowdy, and the 74 series had Vin Scully with Gowdy. What did you think about local accouncers getting to call the series with the Networks and would you like that same practice being done today?Michael Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06961720152552357795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75711272143273367762018-12-24T22:42:56.334-08:002018-12-24T22:42:56.334-08:00In "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" there'...In "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" there's a moment I've long wondered whether it was improvised.<br /><br />When Klinger is leading the blind Hawkeye out of the Swamp, Alan Alda bumps into the stove and Klinger just says "Don't hit that," and Hawk replies "I'm sorry."<br /><br />It just seems like such a real moment.Ben Varkentinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14860341359362967093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35418653371948403572018-12-24T08:17:11.616-08:002018-12-24T08:17:11.616-08:00@Anonymous You're thinking of the scene from &...@Anonymous You're thinking of the scene from "Margaret's Engagement," where Radar had placed a call to his mother, and he tells her, "I have this friend, and this friend just pretended to like me, the way dad used to."<br /><br />But a <i>real</i> human moment for Frank comes from "Sticky Wicket," where Hawkeye obsesses over a patient whose condition isn't improving in Post-Op - and this after he attacks Frank over his lack of surgical skills. Finally, after Hawkeye opens the patient again and discovers what the problem really was, Frank actually says to him, "Anybody could have missed that."Joseph Scarbroughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02572781083272335747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84421398793861956072018-12-24T07:28:44.469-08:002018-12-24T07:28:44.469-08:00Question: Do you think Fraser could have done with...Question: Do you think Fraser could have done without Daphne? There didn’t seem to be a use for her character and she was written completely different after she married Niles.Jen from Jerseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67630226719770469042018-12-23T20:59:50.272-08:002018-12-23T20:59:50.272-08:00A Friday question: Was watching a M*A*S*H* maratho...A Friday question: Was watching a M*A*S*H* marathon on one of the cable channels and noticed one of the co-writers of that episode was Mary Kay Place. Checking IMDB shows she wrote for quite a few shows other than M*A*S*H*. I knew her more as an actress and didn't realize she did all that writing. Any other writers on M*A*S*H* [or other shows] that went on to become more recognized as actors than writers?YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40723028287487828682018-12-23T18:02:51.018-08:002018-12-23T18:02:51.018-08:00All this about the Frank Burns made me think of a ...All this about the Frank Burns made me think of a moment that "tried" to humanize him.<br /><br />Or did I imagine the scene where he calls home to his mother and admits to her "they" don't like him here either?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71843895276027968092018-12-23T16:51:35.583-08:002018-12-23T16:51:35.583-08:00Re: The change in Sam's character post Diane y...Re: The change in Sam's character post Diane years.<br /><br />Maybe I'm pushing for a "no prize" in Stan Lee's memory, but I thought that the Sam we saw over the course of the Rebecca years was a logical reaction to what had happened after Diane essentially walked out of his life and never came back. Sam was basically ready to marry Diane. They had bought a home. This had to have devastated him at a point when many men are already facing a mid-life crisis.<br /><br />Fortunately, Sam retained his sobriety, but I'd argued that he channeled his addictive tendencies to sexual promiscuity (arguably equally self-destructive with the specter of AIDS). The Peter Pan syndrome was running from a shocking personal set back.<br /><br />But Sam still grew -- becoming friends with Rebecca, getting his bar back, and the Sam we see at the end of the series has not just put Diane behind him but he's embraced his life and his completely happy ("the luckiest son of bitch in the world"). This is a big change from Season 1, where Sam was striving to be "more" than just the owner of Cheers.Stephen Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03670422634319094941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45342608391482479302018-12-23T16:46:01.253-08:002018-12-23T16:46:01.253-08:00RE: Antagonists on sitcoms. I think those are idea...RE: Antagonists on sitcoms. I think those are ideal for shows set in a workplace, or a school, or any place where you can't just avoid or stop seeing the Frank Burns character all together. Carla and Diane worked for this reason, as well -- though I think CHEERS never took a side with those two.<br /><br />Although generally played for laughs and presented as a buffoon, Frank was a dangerous man, one capable of pettiness and cruelty. When the show played that up -- when it gave us a glimpse of the hell hole the 4077th could be if he were in charge, not just from the obsession with military regulations but the medical incompetence leading to loss of life, there was a darkness and stark reality that was often missing. Frank was usually just an easily overcome jerk. He could never win.<br /><br />Stephen Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03670422634319094941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78419199797991904202018-12-23T12:37:11.490-08:002018-12-23T12:37:11.490-08:00Ken: When a pertinent illustration is not availabl...Ken: When a pertinent illustration is not available, you run a random picture of Natalie Wood. Assuming that there is a finite supply of random pictures of Natalie Wood, would you consider running a random picture of Claudine Longet? Bob ParisBob Parishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07175050567107026421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84821414246715145502018-12-22T15:42:34.967-08:002018-12-22T15:42:34.967-08:00I've always been fascinated by the promotional...I've always been fascinated by the promotional campaigns the networks used to put together for the beginning of the fall season that included all of the major stars. NBC in particular in the 80s had a knack for ideas that were visually interesting, but made no sense at all.<br /><br />I'd like to be a fly on the wall when the stars were told what they were in for on this particular filming day.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zy5Q2Fo5zQ>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zy5Q2Fo5zQ</a><br /><br />"Okay, William Daniels, try you to walk through a door, but Richard Moll from Night Court is hanging from the ceiling. Merlin Olsen, you just pull on this yellow lace thing until Cloris Leachman comes out in a tutu. Michael J. Fox, you try to grab a newspaper that's blowing away, and you end up falling off the roof of an apartment building. Trust me, guys, it'll all make sense in the edit!"Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48387946348778185552018-12-22T06:19:14.565-08:002018-12-22T06:19:14.565-08:00My favorite episodes from Cheers were: Candy and F...My favorite episodes from Cheers were: Candy and Frasier, Cliff’s mailcarrier ball, Frasier’s mother, and Cliff moving to Canada. Sometimes it’s fun to watch the first and last episode of a series to see how much it’s changed. Cheers lost me when they started doing designated driver episodes.Jen from Jerseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90720937481640545162018-12-22T00:18:27.203-08:002018-12-22T00:18:27.203-08:00How do you feel about Patricia Heaton not being ch...How do you feel about <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/everybody-loves-raymond-star-patricia-heatons-time-person-of-the-year-suggestion-goes-viral" rel="nofollow">Patricia Heaton not being chosen TIME Person of the Year</a>?Roger Owen Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05298172138307632062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19406006366530012422018-12-21T22:58:25.258-08:002018-12-21T22:58:25.258-08:00Frank Burns is a reason I tune out of MASH. He'...Frank Burns is a reason I tune out of MASH. He's not a worthy adversary. I never think Frank will "win" anything. He serves up straw-men for Hawkeye knock down with a verbal barrage at hurricane speed. <br /><br />Consequently, I liked Hawkeye less because it was always set up so easy for him vis a vis Frank. Watching a Seven Footer dunk over a dwarf is neither fair nor fun. <br /><br />At least Winchester could get in a few good licks and make things competitive. I could like Hawkeye more because his success with Winchester seemed earned rather than handed down from god (or a writer) above. <br />Coram_Locinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10682208713084366852018-12-21T20:55:34.362-08:002018-12-21T20:55:34.362-08:00First season Sam was a reasonably smart guy -- jus...First season Sam was a reasonably smart guy -- just not especially educated or sophisticated. But he was generally comfortable with that, and could be sneaky-smart on occasion. He played it dumb sometimes as a way to fit in with the people he hung out with, but would get in a good line from time to time. You sort of got the feeling that if life had worked out a little differently for him -- had he been injured, say, and not able to play major league baseball -- he would have still found a way to be successful. He was, in short, an interesting, likeable guy.<br /><br />In later seasons, especially in the post-Diane years, he was fairly shallow and simply not very bright. Because Ted Danson is so likeable, he still retained his appeal, but later-in-the-run Sam was a much more superficial character. And, unfortunately, a less interesting one.<br /><br />Kalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17551756568010235272018-12-21T17:56:12.114-08:002018-12-21T17:56:12.114-08:00Friday question: Do you know why Daphne's ps...Friday question: Do you know why Daphne's psychic abilities were dropped on FRASIER? Was it based on network or audience feedback or just something the writers decided to discontinue on their own?Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91303797308898998782018-12-21T16:45:31.902-08:002018-12-21T16:45:31.902-08:00Converse to the characters who became
self-carica...Converse to the characters who became <br />self-caricatures as certain series went on for lengthy<br />runs, Margaret Houlihan became a much more<br />interesting, three-dimensional and nuanced character once she was no longer comedically linked to <br />Frank Burns.<br />Ken, was that a conscious decision of the MASH<br />braintrust to humanize Hot Lips at about the same <br />time that the much more estimable Charles Winchester character effectively filled the vacancy left by Larry Linville’s departure from the show?<br /><br />Thanks,<br />Mark Solomon<br />Mark Solomonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438461760170603574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33208189613782549432018-12-21T15:19:56.974-08:002018-12-21T15:19:56.974-08:00In 1985 I lived in Perth in Western Australia wher...In 1985 I lived in Perth in Western Australia where the local Channel Nine showed sit-com re-runs like The Odd Couple at 11.30 in the morning. One day Cheers popped up in the slot. I had never heard of it, and assumed it was also a re-run. I mean, who plonks a new show in a re-run slot? Whatever the network's intention, after about one and a half episodes I was hooked and spent the remainder of the show's run telling anyone who would listen about this great show that was on weekday mornings. I was shattered when Cheers finished its run and Nine went back to The Odd Couple.Tony.Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09568222786360226613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77075953036656468202018-12-21T15:09:35.562-08:002018-12-21T15:09:35.562-08:00I'm curious about the evolution of Sam Malone ...I'm curious about the evolution of Sam Malone on "Cheers". It's been well discussed at how much Sam's character was dumbed down over the course of the series. Was this intentional, or at least, did the writing staff realize how much he had changed? And what was Ted Danson's reaction to it?Steve B.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14262452490835776712018-12-21T14:08:19.551-08:002018-12-21T14:08:19.551-08:00"A Night at Rosie's" might have been..."A Night at Rosie's" might have been a rush job, but it has a couple of incredible, memorable scenes. The first is Hawkeye dancing with himself, which is quintessential Hawkeye, and his dialogue with Charles ("What do you mean you're not taking OD?" "Just what I said." "None of your long-winded excuses!"). The second is the scene where Potter tells Hawkeye and B.J., "If you take away my whole my camp, I've got nothing left to command." He is firm and pissed, but also yielding. Hawkeye and B.J. are contrite because they love their C.O. And all in all, it's a beautiful example of how to be a great boss. (There was a lot of that with Col. Potter.)<br /><br />Hope you are proud of that script, that's all. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13256790109889244352018-12-21T12:45:53.380-08:002018-12-21T12:45:53.380-08:00Tyler brings up a good point. In Friends, Joey wa...Tyler brings up a good point. In <i>Friends</i>, Joey was not supposed to be the stupid one, but David Crane noted in Warren Littlefield's oral history of NBC's shows, someone noted when the pilot was filmed that “Matt plays dumb really well.” So Joey became the stupider one - which left Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe with less to do, because she'd be written as the stupid one. So she became sort of sneaky conniving, but that was probably harder to write. And Ross became more gullible and more likely to do the wrong thing, even though the first two years set him up and the most honest one (for example, when Phoebe finds a cat that reminds her of her mother, Ross points out there's Lost Cat signs all over the place and the cat should be returned).<br /><br />One of the things I really liked about <i>Frasier</i> was it avoided some of the most obvious comedy tropes. Nearly every sitcom has one of three character types to raise conflict: a jerk (Frank Burns, Phyllis Lindstrom, Eddie Haskell, Mr. Roper, Alan Brady, Dan Fielding), a moron (Joey, Ted Baxter, Chrissy Snow, Lenny & Squiggy, Potsie Weber), or kids. <i>Frasier</i> didn't have anyone in the regular cast who neatly fit that trope.Curt Alliaumehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00874751257563963910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63531572031656866872018-12-21T12:37:16.820-08:002018-12-21T12:37:16.820-08:00Ted Danson is great. Been enjoying his latest role...Ted Danson is great. Been enjoying his latest role in "The Good Place". On an unrelated note: Ken, how about a review of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"?Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00760229533287495672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35584449321290062802018-12-21T11:20:01.156-08:002018-12-21T11:20:01.156-08:00@404 There's actually a Simpsons-based term fo...@404 There's actually a Simpsons-based term for what you described, it's called "Flanderization," named after Ned Flanders, when he ended up becoming more and more of a caricature of the good-natured Christian man that he is (in contrast to Homer), and you're right, a lot of characters go through Flanderization over time. I was just recently thinking about KENAN & KEL, and how Kel got progressively dumber and dumber each season; watching a first season episode is almost disorienting, because he's actually not the moron that he ended up becoming, but rather, just a little absent-minded and free-spirited.Joseph Scarbroughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02572781083272335747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54964727521079762442018-12-21T11:07:53.661-08:002018-12-21T11:07:53.661-08:00Re: Antagonists. I asked Ken a similar F.Q. regar...Re: Antagonists. I asked Ken a similar F.Q. regarding the character of "Linda" on BECKER. It seemed that she served no other purpose than to annoy Becker with her stupidity and/or incompetence. I'm not a big fan of the "moron" character in general. And I particularly disliked Linda. I much prefer the adversarial type of conflict. e.g. The guy who owned Melville's; the restaurant above CHEERS. (can't remember the character's name at the moment)<br /><br />Cast Photos. I remember old TV Guide covers and ads with cast photos. Many of them appeared to have been shot with the actors posing in character. Now, however, you've got these artistic types trying to create a mood or an ambiance that may or may not have any connection with the show. The old ads for THE SOPRANOS and other current cable series come to mind. <br /><br />I have heard that Fred Dryer had been considered for the role of Sam. As an ex jock he had the swagger that the character required. I've also heard that Ted used him as an example of how to play the role. I don't know if those stories are true, but I know that F.D. guested a couple of times. (Coincidently, as an antagonist for Sam.)<br /><br />Finally, to 404. I also agree. THE BIG BANG THEORY is a current example of how the characters have morphed into extreme versions of themselves. I'm glad this is the last season. It was one of my favorite sitcoms of recent years. I can't say B.B.T. "jumped the shark," but it has been running out of steam for the past few seasons. <br />M.B.<br /><br />Mike Bloodworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04755626259169126800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43327837094105116422018-12-21T10:02:59.619-08:002018-12-21T10:02:59.619-08:00It seems like I've noticed a number of variati...It seems like I've noticed a number of variations of the famous "Who's on First?" bit lately. Do younger viewers know the reference, or do they think it's a smart new bit?? Are writers "paying homage" or being lazy when they use a well worn bit like that? It often works well, that's why it's a classic.Sparksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18343446442655841562018-12-21T10:02:18.650-08:002018-12-21T10:02:18.650-08:00I started to watch Cheers from the beginning becau...I started to watch Cheers from the beginning because of its Chicago connections -- I had seen George Wendt a couple of times at Second City and Shelley Long was well-known for TV commercials ("Homemakers: It's not low-priced furniture, it's good furniture at low prices!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk3Z3oY6GRQ) and a local talk show ("Sorting It Out" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqpqyq0loc)... and she had been in SC, but I didn't see her then. Seeing them both On National TV was cool, and the fact that their show was so good just made it that much better. Tomnoreply@blogger.com