tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7056494688211099232..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Oh no! Another TV rant from meBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90222735930496723862014-11-04T00:43:40.068-08:002014-11-04T00:43:40.068-08:00Greg Ehrbar said...
I agree with a lot of these po...Greg Ehrbar said...<br /><i>I agree with a lot of these posts, in that to carry off BEWITCHED, Sam would have to have a job (that would work) and the casting of Darrin is just as important.</i><br /><br />How many times do I have to write that the proposed "Bewitched" series is <i>not</i> a reboot, but a "next-generation" (or rather a "next-next-generation," since the main character will be Samantha's <i>granddaughter</i>)? I doubt any of the original 1964 characters will be revived for this new version. In a way, that's unfortunate, because on "Bewitched" (and also on "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch"), Samantha, Endora, Hilda and Zelda were all said to be several hundred years old; on "Sabrina," there were occasional "flashbacks" with Beth Broderick and Caroline Rhea in medieval, colonial or roaring '20s dress.<br /><br />Some years ago, I came up with a premise for a series about a young male witch screenwriter who, on behalf of a witch anti-defamation league of sorts, secretly was hired on staff of a new sitcom about a (young female) witch. My twist on the witch age angle was to give all witches 25 lifetimes (the writer was on his seventh lifetime, the receptionist at the sitcom's production company in her 19th).VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4170089813058743172014-10-31T22:54:03.990-07:002014-10-31T22:54:03.990-07:00Super! I want to see the reboot of Julia.
and ma...Super! I want to see the reboot of Julia.<br /><br />and maybe Room 222<br /><br />And All In The Family.<br /><br />I dare them! :-) Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14526764878193898402014-10-31T20:12:52.029-07:002014-10-31T20:12:52.029-07:00Isn't there an old quote about the past not be...Isn't there an old quote about the past not being dead, and that it's not even past? That's a big problem for reboots these days. You can catch so many of the old shows on cable, on streaming, on downloads and so on. They aren't even past.<br /><br />The success of a lot of the old shows depended on having a stuffed shirt (or a straight arrow) like Darren in Bewitched. Nowadays, we don't have old fashioned stuffed shirts. We have anything goes types and mutant elites who just don't give a crap. Neither gets you comedy gold.Kaleberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283840743310507878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61841536372658543172014-10-31T19:49:31.812-07:002014-10-31T19:49:31.812-07:00VP8195 Said:
"The writers of "The Dick ...VP8195 Said:<br /><br />"The writers of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "All In The Family," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "M*A*S*H" and "Barney Miller" were hacks? Nonsense."<br /><br />Since I said "mostly," not "all," you are arguing with yourself in this case. To avoid looking silly in the future, next time, read more carefully. Good luck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15579485723603475062014-10-31T12:34:02.427-07:002014-10-31T12:34:02.427-07:00I agree with a lot of these posts, in that to carr...I agree with a lot of these posts, in that to carry off BEWITCHED, Sam would have to have a job (that would work) and the casting of Darrin is just as important.<br /><br />Nora Ephron was very popular with her peers and had several major successes, but I listened to her commentary on the BEWITCHED DVD and she really didn't "get" the series. She said she felt the series was about a woman with power and a man who had trouble handling it. That was Darrin's relationship to Endora, not Sam (for a new Endora type, watch the first half hour of MALEFICENT).<br /><br />Today's primetime, to compete with movies and cable, will surely have to dial up the sex, even if the show is aimed at families. We'll see.<br /><br />I'm waiting for the Vatican to approve THE FLYING POPE (it could happen) and for a remake of SNAGGLEPUSS starring Nathan Lane.Greg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/category/animation-spin/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35153488138757526402014-10-30T11:04:32.155-07:002014-10-30T11:04:32.155-07:00Would you like to see a reboot of your favorite sh...Would you like to see a reboot of your favorite show with a new cast? When Dick Sargent replaced Dick York due to health issue, I was dissapointed because Dick York was more likeable than Dick Sargent on Bewitched. Likewise I don't want to see a reboot of my favorite sitcom Wings. Maybe shows with no major characters will work out like The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Alfred Hithcock etc.Cristinanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22754976257406386452014-10-30T10:37:23.392-07:002014-10-30T10:37:23.392-07:00hope Lancelot Link:secret chimp remake comes out s...hope Lancelot Link:secret chimp remake comes out soon. A talking chimp, who would have thought?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53752360896001957082014-10-30T05:59:20.515-07:002014-10-30T05:59:20.515-07:00When's BJ and The Bear coming back???When's BJ and The Bear coming back???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16634857659434072682014-10-29T23:50:23.792-07:002014-10-29T23:50:23.792-07:00Sitcoms of the sixties and seventies were mostly h...<i>Sitcoms of the sixties and seventies were mostly hack. If they weren't hack writers, they wouldn't be writing sitcoms. They're sketch writers who tend to be uppity, but sketch writers just the same. They haven't changed. It's the audience, who is more sophisticated and better informed, who have changed.</i><br /><br /><i>They're not as easy to fool, so sitcoms have the winds against them from the start.</i><br /><br />The writers of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "All In The Family," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "M*A*S*H" and "Barney Miller" were hacks? Nonsense. They came up with many superb episodes (the "Chuckles Bites The Dust" episode from "MTM" in 1975 is considered by many the greatest comedic episode ever written for TV, perhaps the greatest in any genre). You're simply revealing your snobbery. Sophistication <i>can</i> be funny, as "Frasier" proved for more than a decade and Ernst Lubitsch proved throughout the 1930s and much of the '40s.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27673940163250167102014-10-29T21:14:19.423-07:002014-10-29T21:14:19.423-07:00Are they going to do a remake of American Idol?Are they going to do a remake of American Idol?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73434855733461385212014-10-29T17:50:48.903-07:002014-10-29T17:50:48.903-07:00As another "over 50" person here, I have...As another "over 50" person here, I have to say I loved Eddie's father also. Bill Bixby was so dreamy, and he was in so many different series during those years. I remember he had a tragic life, his son dying in childhood and then his wife committing suicide. He went on to direct but died way too young. He was a big part of my childhood. Did you know him Ken?<br /><br /><br />Janice B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90238658438328792442014-10-29T17:09:12.240-07:002014-10-29T17:09:12.240-07:00Bewitched was lifted from "I Married a Witch....Bewitched was lifted from "I Married a Witch." I Dream of Jeannie was a ripoff of Bewitched. <br /><br />Beverly Hillbillies from "Ma & Pa Kettle." Green Acres was the flip side of that.<br /><br />Sitcoms of the sixties and seventies were mostly hack. If they weren't hack writers, they wouldn't be writing sitcoms. They're sketch writers who tend to be uppity, but sketch writers just the same. They haven't changed. It's the audience, who is more sophisticated and better informed, who have changed.<br /><br />They're not as easy to fool, so sitcoms have the winds against them from the start.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29154749559079996952014-10-29T16:14:02.386-07:002014-10-29T16:14:02.386-07:00@Jeremy Cullen I'm not sure if "singular ...@Jeremy Cullen I'm not sure if "singular vision" is the thing that's needed. There's plenty of great music out there created by in-fighting bands. I also don't really agree that input from an exec is always bad. (I guess a "singular vision" can be shared, and still produce something special.)<br /><br />But I do think that when TV manages to elevate itself to something worthwhile that it's *in spite* of the business, instead of *because of*.<br /><br />Everything seems against you when you're making TV -- from what I can gather, anyway. Not only are you trying to win over your audience, but you're also trying to win over your bosses and your colleagues -- while still somehow trying to satisfy your own creative spirit. It seems like a miracle that good shows are EVER made.Johnny Walkerhttp://thunderpeel2001.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23065694863320047462014-10-29T13:50:22.832-07:002014-10-29T13:50:22.832-07:00Y'know, in defense of reboots: Ron Moore's...Y'know, in defense of reboots: Ron Moore's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. How the hell did I forget that? I love that show. Hated the original series.<br /><br />I will accept all of the other crappy reboots, if it means I get BATTLESTAR.Charles H. Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90025159564263103402014-10-29T13:00:50.213-07:002014-10-29T13:00:50.213-07:00BetterYeti, "Quantum Leap" fans are push...BetterYeti, "Quantum Leap" fans are pushing for a sequel series where Sam's daughter (long story short, he fathered a child in a last-season "leap") looks for him, and ends up bouncing around time herself. Ideally, Al's daughter (he was reunited with his sweetheart in the finale and became a devoted hubby and dad) would take over his job of helping out via hologram. Donald Bellisario has been said to be working on some follow-up, but it hasn't happened yet.<br /><br />If it happens, I'd like to see who the actress would be, ideally someone with broad range (thinking a mid-30s Naomi Watts or Mira Sorvino), and what they'd leap her into. Valley Girl, Catholic priest, dot-com programmer, NASCAR driver ...?<br /><br />Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30958771069933092102014-10-29T12:00:50.717-07:002014-10-29T12:00:50.717-07:00I lived in Boston when Cheers started, and noticed...I lived in Boston when Cheers started, and noticed that the show really underrepresented the percentage of the populace who speak with the distinctive Boston accent. Similarly for 30something and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia. (At least Sunny frequently shoots around the city). When setting a show in a specific city, what determines how much effort is put into making it seem authentic? What did you do when casting and setting up the stories for Cheers?<br />Lou H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91229942774438283432014-10-29T11:44:52.890-07:002014-10-29T11:44:52.890-07:00One other correction: GET SMART (I assume you mean...One other correction: GET SMART (I assume you mean the Steve Carell version) grossed over $130 million here and $230 million worldwide; there was a direct-to-video spin-off, and a true sequel is awaiting Carell's availability. Not really a flop, then.cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47913733833302377952014-10-29T11:41:44.131-07:002014-10-29T11:41:44.131-07:00Charlie's Angels was a decent action movie tha...Charlie's Angels was a decent action movie that did well at the box office, and it could just as well have been based on She Spies for all the effect the TV show had on the plot. But claiming to be part of a legendary franchise helps get people to come see it, just like hiring a star does, and who can begrudge the producers for doing that? It's mindless action movies like these which pay for the movies that are better creatively but get fewer viewers.Lou H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6118958261293370432014-10-29T10:12:30.183-07:002014-10-29T10:12:30.183-07:00I wondered the same thing, Stephen. Why is a guy s...I wondered the same thing, Stephen. Why is a guy so contemptuous of television hanging out here, of all places.Lisanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24010131186983359852014-10-29T10:04:11.247-07:002014-10-29T10:04:11.247-07:00If someone doesn't like TV, then what's th...If someone doesn't like TV, then what's the point of posting on a TV writer's blog? Mr. Cullen doesn't even seem to exclude Ken's work from his contempt given his comments about M*A*S*H.<br /><br />I don't like sports, so I don't spend time on (INSERT SPORTS FIGURE HERE)'s web site. That would just seem counterproductive and rude.<br />Stephen Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03670422634319094941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82749811176113057262014-10-29T10:00:44.325-07:002014-10-29T10:00:44.325-07:00I own The Crack In Space. Hey, it was the Kindle D...I own The Crack In Space. Hey, it was the Kindle Daily Deal!CRLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30131494711222573972014-10-29T08:44:27.835-07:002014-10-29T08:44:27.835-07:00If there is any point in the artistic process wher...<i>If there is any point in the artistic process where a studio executive with a degree in marketing has a say in the finished work, then that's not art; it's a commodity, being packaged and sold like a car or a bar of soap.</i><br /><br />But if it's an <i>Ivy League</i> degree in marketing, it will of course be justified.<br />VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21051794179789390852014-10-29T07:05:59.833-07:002014-10-29T07:05:59.833-07:00@ Johnny Walker:
I agree. Singular vision is wha...@ Johnny Walker:<br /><br />I agree. Singular vision is what produces great art. It can also produce spectacular failures, but even when it does, at least the honesty of the effort can be appreciated. <br /><br />If there is any point in the artistic process where a studio executive with a degree in marketing has a say in the finished work, then that's not art; it's a commodity, being packaged and sold like a car or a bar of soap. Jeremy Cullennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32536515608798337032014-10-29T06:58:23.970-07:002014-10-29T06:58:23.970-07:00LOL, gottacook, you've got me on that one. Ev...LOL, gottacook, you've got me on that one. Even a generally recognized master in his field can't hit the bullseye every time. Jeremy Cullennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58128367465138987872014-10-29T06:28:25.923-07:002014-10-29T06:28:25.923-07:00Jeremy Cullen: I have at least 30 Phil Dick novels...Jeremy Cullen: I have at least 30 Phil Dick novels and story collections, including more than half of his posthumously published non-SF novels of the 1950s, but even I wouldn't care to own <i>Dr. Futurity</i> or <i>The Crack in Space</i>.gottacooknoreply@blogger.com