tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post8569297973659317364..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-6137262496943603822018-02-04T06:28:28.913-08:002018-02-04T06:28:28.913-08:00If Mrs. Littlefield wasn't played by Elaine St...If Mrs. Littlefield wasn't played by Elaine Stritch (and I agree it doesn't look like her), then who was the actress? I remember when the show premiered, Tom Shales mourned the loss of Mrs. Littlefield (he had seen an early cut of the pilot), though he still liked the show. Mrs. Littlefield is kind of the Pete Best of "Cheers" although (ironically) nobody knows her name.Stevennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1597346793957643242018-02-04T06:24:42.038-08:002018-02-04T06:24:42.038-08:00If it wasn't Elaine Stritch playing Mrs. Littl...If it wasn't Elaine Stritch playing Mrs. Littlefield, who was it? I remember when the show premiered and Tom Shales commented that the absence of Mrs. Little field "hurts." (He still liked the show.) Stevenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04771212140094036947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84997018656598862102016-05-04T12:23:57.342-07:002016-05-04T12:23:57.342-07:00Friday question: Hi Ken, was there ever a discussi...Friday question: Hi Ken, was there ever a discussion of releasing a Cheers script book during the show's run (or could one ever be released)? I believe it would be a great resource for aspiring sitcom writers (myself included). Love the blog!Will Leitchhttps://twitter.com/will_leitchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32585431945783548202016-05-04T12:15:41.075-07:002016-05-04T12:15:41.075-07:00Friday question: Hi Ken, was there a reason a book...Friday question: Hi Ken, was there a reason a book of Cheers scripts was never released (and could one ever come out) during the show's run? It would be a great tool for aspiring sitcom writers (myself included!). Love the blog!Will Leitchhttps://twitter.com/will_leitchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12126464380874647362016-05-01T05:26:00.061-07:002016-05-01T05:26:00.061-07:00The discussion about the lady in the wheelchair in...The discussion about the lady in the wheelchair in the pilot got my wife and I to watching the first season of Cheers again over this weekend. The first very obvious thing to me was how great the writing was from the very first second of the pilot and on out from there. Very, very solid. It made remember reading how it took Cheers awhile to catch on and become a hit, which has always amazed and dumbfounded me a little. Was it too good for tv? Is there such a thing? I believe so, especially when I think of a smart, very well written show like Futurama (I know it's a cartoon, but it really was incredibly well produced) being cancelled while "reality" shows are still being picked up and piloted by many networks.<br /><br />Other things that have jumped at me from that first season are how they managed to plain-Jane the beautiful and always very funny Julia Duffy (other than Bob himself, her and the Darryls made Newhart), how many of my very favorite episodes were written by Levine & Issacs, and once again I noticed that someone had written "God Save The Kinks" on the men's room wall in "Coach Returns To Action." I always wondered who wrote those things, as it's something I definitely agree with!JOhnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65891932818304291852016-04-30T22:17:44.771-07:002016-04-30T22:17:44.771-07:00Sound recording people generally bring along some ...Sound recording people generally bring along some thin rubber strips that can be glued on to noisy shoes, particularly high heels or hard-soled shoes. Standard procedure in Hollywood. Marc Wielagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12744270267337480861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36596073846976551372016-04-30T12:09:26.690-07:002016-04-30T12:09:26.690-07:00The Charles brothers constructed that pilot with t...The Charles brothers constructed that pilot with the utmost care. Everything was perfect, whereas on some sitcoms, for example, there is a sibling who is gone by the second episode, or the set is different, not Cheers. I believe Ken said they changed the lighting, and that was it. Mrs. Littlefield did not belong there and the Charles brothers knew it. I think they are TV geniuses and they don't get enough credit.Catnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62992685023721861442016-04-30T10:15:59.819-07:002016-04-30T10:15:59.819-07:00About the CAA reference, I thought Ken was kidding...About the CAA reference, I thought Ken was kidding...<br /><br />Ken?Dixon Steelenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40354043743688493492016-04-30T06:38:39.708-07:002016-04-30T06:38:39.708-07:00I liked the first line of Miss Littlefield in the ...I liked the first line of Miss Littlefield in the pilot script (available online) where she is being pushed too roughly down the steps and complains to her nurse, "Easy, you're shaking my jowls". It's a good lesson in putting the essence of the character into their opening line. I often think of Miss Littlefield when I sense a little movement in my own jowls.Bernadettenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56479223227012664342016-04-29T21:41:11.484-07:002016-04-29T21:41:11.484-07:00Friday Question:
I've been re-watching old Se...Friday Question:<br /><br />I've been re-watching old Seinfelds and noticed possibly a reference to you in Season 1, Episode 2. At a gathering of relatives in Jerry's apartment, a cousin appears into the conversation. Jerry says, "Elaine, this is my cousin Artie Levine," pronouncing it "Leveen." Artie, looking annoyed, barks, "It's Le VINE!" After he exits, Jerry says, "Yeah, Le VINE, and I'm Jerry Cougar Mellencamp." Was this a friendly dig at a fellow NBC writer?Ben Devinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30131345965630895182016-04-29T21:28:24.325-07:002016-04-29T21:28:24.325-07:00I think Miss Littlefield's wheelchair might ha...I think Miss Littlefield's wheelchair might have become A Thing. You'd always see her sitting there, but you'd never see how she got downstairs to the bar, or how she got out of there at closing time. It would always remain a mystery.<br /><br />My mom's birthday was last week. Thanksgiving will make it twenty years since she died. You never get over it, but you do get used to it. Eventually.thirteennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70933336727655452982016-04-29T19:13:40.041-07:002016-04-29T19:13:40.041-07:00A friend of mine got annoyed by the sound of peopl...A friend of mine got annoyed by the sound of people's shoes when they walked quickly or ran through the office on <i>Mad Men</i>. Like most single-camera "office suite" sets, it was built above the studio floor on top of a wooden platform in order to accommodate the electrical wiring underneath. (You usually can't run electric through the set walls because they're designed to be removed quickly.) So running through the halls produces squeaking and thumping sounds rather than the tapping you would get on a standard poured concrete office floor. I've never met anyone else who noticed that just from watching the show, but he did.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15386609872318284262016-04-29T16:48:48.114-07:002016-04-29T16:48:48.114-07:00Thanks, Ken, for answering another one of my quest...Thanks, Ken, for answering another one of my questions. I apologize if you felt put-on-the-spot to answer. However, I felt I needed advice from someone who 1) was a professional writer, and 2) wasn't a relative or friend (who all seem to say the same thing -- specifically, that I SHOULD re-read my thesis and shouldn't be hard on myself about it).Rashad Khannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28692761911169206972016-04-29T16:46:08.602-07:002016-04-29T16:46:08.602-07:00Know how you feel, Ken. My mom died 1/4/00 and not...Know how you feel, Ken. My mom died 1/4/00 and not a day goes by when I don't think about her. PS - Would love to audition for your play if you ever bring it to NYC.VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5795477362175881292016-04-29T15:46:32.520-07:002016-04-29T15:46:32.520-07:00Of all the bars in Boston, Miss Littlefield couldn...Of all the bars in Boston, Miss Littlefield couldn't have picked one that was less wheelchair friendly. <br /><br />The original script is online, and well worth reading along with the show itself. She was too cantankerous for CHEERS, but you'll also see the little tweaks to the script, and unscripted glances between Sam and Diane, that made their relationship spark from the offset. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18103829603278643152016-04-29T15:20:15.354-07:002016-04-29T15:20:15.354-07:00Thanks, Ken (and other commenters). You've hon...Thanks, Ken (and other commenters). You've honored a very random observation.<br /><br />But it does lead me to one other live audience question: What happens if an audience member has a coughing fit or loud sneeze? (I know a woman who has sneezing fits. If she sneezes once, it I'd reliable that five or six more are going to show up in rapid succession.)<br /><br />Are the stage microphones directional enough to not pick up those sounds?Charles H. Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33328652623800611412016-04-29T14:27:51.677-07:002016-04-29T14:27:51.677-07:00Any good Sound Department has foam soles that can ...Any good Sound Department has foam soles that can be attached to the bottom of noisy shoes. Prop departments should also have a supply of felt "brown bags" to eliminate paper bag noises too. thevidiothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12675078560145080204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65482073894360617562016-04-29T13:31:43.146-07:002016-04-29T13:31:43.146-07:00Cmon, people, you can't tell when Ken is jokin...Cmon, people, you can't tell when Ken is joking?MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1526358815918217812016-04-29T11:33:19.097-07:002016-04-29T11:33:19.097-07:00What a sublime tribute to your mother--you think o...What a sublime tribute to your mother--you think of her and miss her every day. I bet, wherever she is, she knows. Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37062927513198283152016-04-29T11:10:28.711-07:002016-04-29T11:10:28.711-07:00If noisy footwear is a problem on set, you just pu...If noisy footwear is a problem on set, you just put something on the bottom of the shoe or boot to muffle the noise. They used to use felt for this, but anything that deadens the "clomp clomp clomp" will work. Gagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73517514783195329582016-04-29T09:41:27.075-07:002016-04-29T09:41:27.075-07:00The clomp clomp and click click of footwear could ...The clomp clomp and click click of footwear could be detected here and there on the original "Dark Shadows" series. The show was recorded live to tape on a tight budget and even tighter shooting schedule. The occasional off camera noises were just going to have to happen. Footwear (actors scurrying from set to set), something falling down, something slamming shut, something this, something that. Gilda Radner was right... it's always something.<br /><br />The joys of early television.John Hammesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81716975500766070822016-04-29T09:34:44.399-07:002016-04-29T09:34:44.399-07:00My mom's birthday is today as well... 89 years...My mom's birthday is today as well... 89 years young. Thanks for the reminder to appreciate her everyday. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33462885953703812402016-04-29T09:11:38.368-07:002016-04-29T09:11:38.368-07:00" It’s not like a CAA agent is going to see i... " It’s not like a CAA agent is going to see it lying around and file legal papers to have you banned from show business. (They tried that with me once but it didn't stick.)"<br /><br />I'd like to add my voice to the previous commenter on this. It sounds like a rather egregious abuse of power on the part of CAA. If you have already written about this please provide a link. If you have not yet written about this, I am certain we would all be interested in your experience.<br /><br />I have worked as a background actor (extra). If your shoes make noise that can be heard on the microphone, it's definitely an issue. They will tell you to walk more softly, or take your shoes off. <br />VillageDiannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07697176092882604143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52355274624639035552016-04-29T09:06:47.005-07:002016-04-29T09:06:47.005-07:00My teenager saw "Outta Sight" for the fi...My teenager saw "Outta Sight" for the first time. <br />She LOVED it. <br />It was the first time she watched a whole MASH episode. (I've obviously failed as a father).<br /><br />She said that not only was it a great story but gave her a great introduction into all the characters.<br />Every main/minor character is shown. <br />She understood who everyone was (though Klinger in a dress was a mystery to her that had to be explained). She laughed so hard watching Radar acting as a general whiling holding his Teddy Bear. <br />The Bumble Bee Pendanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782074071758250824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21232908450645752722016-04-29T09:00:53.257-07:002016-04-29T09:00:53.257-07:00My question is regarding the woman in the wheelcha...My question is regarding the woman in the wheelchair. How'd she get in the bar? Every shot I've seen shows steps coming down from Melville's and it seems you had to go down steps to get into Cheers from outside. I don't seem to recall an elevator on Cheers. Was she carried down the stairs? Shoved the wheelchair down the stairs and she scooted down them on her ass? Guess it's a good thing thing they did remove her character because it would have to have been explained someday how she got in there. <br />[By the way, I actually saw a guy in a wheelchair do that. We hear a tremendous clattering, see a wheelchair come bouncing down the stairs and we all run over expecting to see a body laying somewhere along the way only to see a man scooting down the steps on his ass. Everybody's gawking at him and his only response was "What? I needed a drink." This was in the days before the ADA act and it was an old bar. He figured once he was down there he'd get back in his wheelchair and trundle up to the bar. No one wanted to ask him how he planned to get back upstairs if no one was there to carry his wheelchair up.]YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.com