tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post703503834340671031..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday Questions By Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22315336484887812882014-01-17T01:18:59.252-08:002014-01-17T01:18:59.252-08:00Must Kill TV was great Ken!
Can't wait for th...Must Kill TV was great Ken!<br /><br />Can't wait for the next. You have some really compelling stories, hard to say what is fiction and what are real experiences.Ashley Kempnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69093078309056575412014-01-17T01:08:47.502-08:002014-01-17T01:08:47.502-08:00Hey Ken,
When wring a spec for an existing show, ...Hey Ken,<br /><br />When wring a spec for an existing show, would you recommend writing a very self-contained episode by trying to use only the main characters and main sets (which is very difficult to pull off without it feeling boring) or would you recommend creating new sets and one-time guest characters (which shows often do)?Timothy Wintournoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4803979984579967482014-01-16T01:43:28.238-08:002014-01-16T01:43:28.238-08:00Wow, do I ever miss Jim Ladd, and That Voice. Now ...Wow, do I ever miss Jim Ladd, and That Voice. Now I need to go put on Roger Waters' "Radio KAOS", just so I can hear him again. (He toured with Roger on the KAOS tour, doing his part on the album, "The DJ", onstage, so I can say with great joy that I've SEEN Jim Ladd spin LIVE! :)<br /><br />Charles H. Bryan said: "...Did EVERY radio station have an oval bumper sticker with the purplish rainbow border?"<br /><br />You beat me to the question, which came to mind as soon as I saw it! I know that the rock stations I loved in S.F. in the early 80's had them, especially KSFX. I loved that damn station; they went talk radio a few months after I moved there, and the last rock song they played was "Around the Dial" by The Kinks (which is the song I think of/put on whenever Ken does one of his "Why Does Radio Suck SO MUCH Now When It Used To Be SO COOL?" rants).<br /><br />Cheers, thanks a lot,<br /><br />StormStormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78003986908822579632014-01-13T17:46:19.322-08:002014-01-13T17:46:19.322-08:00Ken often talks about his fondness for KHJ in its ...Ken often talks about his fondness for KHJ in its famed "Boss Radio" era, when the station pioneered the Drake-Chenault "more music" format, tightening the traditional Top 40 sound while allowing the jock to retain his own on-air personality (in other words, a jukebox with heart). Here's a perfect sample of it from May 1965, a week into the changeover -- six minutes of air checks from morning man Robert W. Morgan. (Listen to the ad where KHJ asks its listeners to compare it with KFWB and KRLA, even mentioning those stations by name and frequency!) A fascinating curio for Top 40 historians and Angelenos (or those who wish they'd been). It's at http://youtu.be/FMxE5Ahb7Zg VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84372627576669007492014-01-13T03:36:22.788-08:002014-01-13T03:36:22.788-08:00William Arthur Ward once wrote, “The mediocre teac...William Arthur Ward once wrote, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.”<br /><br />Ken, unlike many teachers in film school, you teach through writing about your significant real-world experiences. Thank you.Jason Huntnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60167753592575307242014-01-13T03:26:04.695-08:002014-01-13T03:26:04.695-08:00Hey Ken,
I've been writing spec scripts for a...Hey Ken,<br /><br />I've been writing spec scripts for a while now but my script outlines feel somewhat amateurish in Microsoft Word.<br /><br />My question is: Do you think you can share some advice on writing a solid outline or if possible an example of an outline you have written (preferably Cheers because it was one of the all-time greats)?<br /><br />Thank you so much. After many years of writing for TV, you're very gracious and kind to share your experiences with young bucks starting out.Teresa Huttonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70049843162760959462014-01-13T00:29:27.453-08:002014-01-13T00:29:27.453-08:00As part of her comment on the Mamet memo, Wendy M....As part of her comment on the Mamet memo, Wendy M. Grossman wrote about The Big Bang Theory:<br /><br />"I do not like this current showrunner, who seems set on turning TBBT into an amalgam of early 1990s comedies, mostly FRIENDS."<br /><br />I've seen similar comments from many veteran fans of the show. Without asking for a critique of TBBT, would you please answer how a showrunner balances his or her own sense of direction for a show, versus what fans clamor for? I suspect it must be like musicians on tour who desperately want to break new songs, while the fans keep shouting out the names of their old hits.<br /><br />Thanks!<br />Kaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28434732448059959362014-01-12T09:58:37.828-08:002014-01-12T09:58:37.828-08:00@BigTed,
I'm right with you. I enjoy both &q...@BigTed, <br /><br />I'm right with you. I enjoy both "Community" and "Two and a Half Men." The latter has been awful this season, which happens with just about any show as old as this one (I don't agree with the view that Kutcher's arrival was the final nail in the coffin ––– I think the writing has weakened immensely this year after an oddly strong 10th season). At its peak, "Two and a Half Men" did toilet and sex humor better than just about any other show, and while it isn't exactly sophisticated, I don't think those who enjoy it should be ashamed for that. <br /><br />I can't sit here and compare the two in terms of humor, because they have two very different ideas of what sort of humor makes people laugh, but I do feel that "Community" is a better overall show. However, I did prefer last season of "Men" to last season's Dan Harmon-less 'gas leak year' of "Community."<br /><br />Sorry, now I'm just rambling. Ryan Schwartzhttp://www.ryantalkstv.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46008424844855498892014-01-11T17:56:45.138-08:002014-01-11T17:56:45.138-08:00This week's "Mythbusters" moonshine ...This week's "Mythbusters" moonshine special got me thinking about the still on "M*A*S*H." How much thought did the propmaker put into the design? Was it supposed to look like a functioning still, or just "make it so that someone who doesn't know what a still looks like will believe Hawkeye when he refers to this collection of tubes and pipes as a still"?Andy Ihnatkohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17385467634470205852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74884032301666344562014-01-11T17:18:06.528-08:002014-01-11T17:18:06.528-08:00Ha ha, Ken you are funny. Answering Viking Jack yo...Ha ha, Ken you are funny. Answering Viking Jack you remind me of a tale Bill Bruford tells of guitarist Robert Fripp. Fripp has a habbit of sitting in the dark while onstage. A concert goer wrote a letter complaing he could only see Fripp 50% of the time. Fripp responded by telling said concert goer not to come again and returned 50% of the ticket price.<br />Classic. :-DDalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092985199027690430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4830976265233785872014-01-11T14:53:43.869-08:002014-01-11T14:53:43.869-08:00Hi Ken,
I'm just curious to know when you wer...Hi Ken,<br /><br />I'm just curious to know when you were coming up the ranks of TV writing, how many people would roughly be on a show's writing staff in comparison with now? <br /><br />I can imagine the number of people on staffs has decreased but with more networks (other than the big 4) creating sitcoms, the amount of shows has increased. Heather Cunninghamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43432687417429670942014-01-11T12:25:13.563-08:002014-01-11T12:25:13.563-08:00That was an interesting observation about "Th...That was an interesting observation about "The Crazy Ones." I've been watching the show all season, and while I like it and it makes me laugh, I often wind up feeling it could be better than it is. Interestingly, this may be an example of listening to the critics too much. I remember when the season started, a lot of critics (who, judging from their comments, had only seen the pilot episode) said the show had potential, but the key would be reining in Robin Williams and letting the ensemble gel and shine. Well, the ensemble seems to have gelled (it's a nice ensemble, I've got to say), but Williams seems to have been reined in a little too much. I mean, I obviously have no idea what's going on behind the scenes, maybe he hasn't been at all; that's just how it seems to me. A lot of the time he's doing what a lot of good comedy actors could do with the role -- which is to say he's being wasted a little bit. The "crazy" seems to have been dialed down a little from the premiere, and that's kind of a shame. <br /><br />It's not every show that has Robin Williams as its star. So let him be Robin Williams.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32635867593094976912014-01-10T23:05:49.199-08:002014-01-10T23:05:49.199-08:00Ken, why do you use your precious time to answer t...Ken, why do you use your precious time to answer trolls like me, instead of answering more (and better) friday questions? Ha! Gotcha! Think about it! <br /><br />I'm just sayin': I see so many awesome friday questions and sometimes, you seem to ignore the best ones. Just my opinion, man!<br /><br />In general, I love your blog and am thankful for it!Viking_Jacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48475596944588909492014-01-10T20:44:16.963-08:002014-01-10T20:44:16.963-08:00Sorry to hear that you had "to stand in the e...Sorry to hear that you had "to stand in the endless TSA line" on your way to Hawaii. If I'd known, you could have used my plane.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51367819076424118202014-01-10T19:17:45.135-08:002014-01-10T19:17:45.135-08:00So...apparently Gary Burghoff has a Twitter accou...So...apparently Gary Burghoff has a Twitter account. Anyone else seen it? Is it really him? I wasn't aware of it until I saw a thread about it in the visual arts section of the Steve Hoffman music forums. There's a sampling of things he's (again assuming it's actually him)posted and it's, um, quite interesting.<br /><br />Stevenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67791543661952726662014-01-10T14:44:52.976-08:002014-01-10T14:44:52.976-08:00Ken, stay above it. Viking Jack might just be hav...Ken, stay above it. Viking Jack might just be having a bad day.<br /><br />Don't feed the trolls. Me included.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11777496001166356949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34808068290520604602014-01-10T14:20:13.325-08:002014-01-10T14:20:13.325-08:00Wow. That's a new one, Viking Jack. Complain...Wow. That's a new one, Viking Jack. Complaining about the quality of questions. Hopefully there are other free blogs that will answer more interesting questions. I won't feel slighted if you go read one of those. In fact, I encourage you to seek one out. <br />By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22856948501795475592014-01-10T13:56:21.962-08:002014-01-10T13:56:21.962-08:00DBenson, retired Seattle talk host Jim French has ...DBenson, retired Seattle talk host Jim French has had a long-running radio drama series, "Imagination Theater". It's been a fixture on local public radio and has apparently found a national audience. Link: http://jimfrenchproductions.com/zc137m/Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90978182864524267752014-01-10T13:49:03.798-08:002014-01-10T13:49:03.798-08:00I feel Community's "nicheness" helpe...I feel Community's "nicheness" helped it survive. In a brutal timeslot facing megahits Idol and The Big Bang Theory, it needed to carve out a die-hard audience just to stay alive. A more conventional sitcom couldn't have done that.Olivernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69941453867250775422014-01-10T13:30:43.940-08:002014-01-10T13:30:43.940-08:00I don't get "New Girl" at all.. I&#...I don't get "New Girl" at all.. I've never seen even an ad for it that made me think there was something funny in it, and usually the ads show the best jokes.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04514127184704002111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85285122754489167742014-01-10T13:13:15.344-08:002014-01-10T13:13:15.344-08:00Hi, Ken. I saw a promo for the About a Boy series,...Hi, Ken. I saw a promo for the About a Boy series, thought the lead actor looked familiar, and discovered that he's starred in four or five sitcoms in as many years, all on NBC. I seem to recall this happening with other actors, but I'm drawing a blank on names. Anyway, when something like this happens, is it that he's just really lucky to keep landing TV shows or has NBC determined that this guy is a star and is going to put him on TV until people finally agree?Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10424418535814962732014-01-10T13:00:41.998-08:002014-01-10T13:00:41.998-08:00Am I the only one who really likes both "Comm...Am I the only one who really likes both "Community" and "Two and a Half Men"? Just because you prefer sophistimacated humor doesn't mean you can't enjoy a well-written sex or fart joke.BigTednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57880165851789220772014-01-10T12:13:31.748-08:002014-01-10T12:13:31.748-08:00You've been an on-air radio talent and a telev...You've been an on-air radio talent and a television writer & director. But you missed out on scripted radio drama and comedy, all but extinct by the time you saw a microphone. <br /><br />Did you ever have an interest in "golden age" radio, or a creative interest in writing a radio script? <br /><br />Here is America it seems to be down to skits on Prairie Home Companion and the occasional stunt like the public radio serial of Star Wars. BBC still does pretty ambitious stuff; dramas that demand close listening for almost cinematically intercut scenes and action.DBensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49488321123790634052014-01-10T12:11:32.707-08:002014-01-10T12:11:32.707-08:00Seriosuly, Ken, get yourself together! Only one in...Seriosuly, Ken, get yourself together! Only one interesting Friday Question, the first one... the others are... I don't know... boring... select better friday questions, please! And stop doing so much vacation! It... makes me jealous!Viking_Jacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22537167974649503822014-01-10T10:35:19.488-08:002014-01-10T10:35:19.488-08:00Ken - I totally agree on your comments on the radi...Ken - I totally agree on your comments on the radio. Growing up it was Boss Radio KHJ, then in the dorms at college it was KMET & KLOS with my boys...but when I was on the air (college and beyond for 25 years) it was the high energy Top 40 personality radio that owned my heart!! Nothing like the old days of "hitting the post" and actually connecting with the listeners by saying something funny, topical or local...that's one reason I will always support www.reelradio.com!!Jeff Rnoreply@blogger.com