tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post9189561091749839648..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28597105032191899882013-03-28T03:23:57.468-07:002013-03-28T03:23:57.468-07:00Curious to get your thoughts on this article about...Curious to get your thoughts on this article about the lack of gender/race/age diversity in the WGA: http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/03/27/study-tv-writers-mostly-white-and-male/Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10071959018952980986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28479107349008287332013-03-26T12:28:24.192-07:002013-03-26T12:28:24.192-07:00Just recently found your blog and I have a questio...Just recently found your blog and I have a question, that has been bugging me for years. Which occurs more often - the producers deciding to kill off the character or the character is killed off because the actor and the crew did not get along? I know that everyone pretends that it's the first option, but I don't buy it (English is not my native language, so sorry for the mistakes)Telemanashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01907661677502776197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78841895189105382572013-03-25T12:25:00.582-07:002013-03-25T12:25:00.582-07:00The Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh also survived th...<i>The Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh</i> also survived the fat-bear-stuck-in-a-rabbit-hole episode quite well.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55988470605891290802013-03-25T11:23:02.091-07:002013-03-25T11:23:02.091-07:00A friend of mine once opined that a show had jumpe...A friend of mine once opined that a show had jumped the shark when "the fat guy gets stuck in the window." Two days later, "Cheers" had an episode in which Norm got stuck in a hole in the wall. I thought, "Uh-oh," but fortunately the show maintained.<br /><br />The best example of a hybrid anthology was "The Richard Boone Show." He had a cast of ten, and each week they'd do a different story with that same cast, some playing leads, others supporting, reversing it the next week, and so on. It was repertory in the truest sense of the term.cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41438762462089050632013-03-24T11:53:32.198-07:002013-03-24T11:53:32.198-07:00Re: The talent show episode. One of the great mome...Re: The talent show episode. One of the great moments on "Barney Miller" well into its run was when Barney was asked by someone to participate in a police talent show. Barney (portrayed by Hal Linden, a Broadway veteran), scoffs at the suggestion, saying something along the lines of, "I'm a cop."Donaldnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54990863112960427732013-03-24T11:38:20.657-07:002013-03-24T11:38:20.657-07:00Chicago Pinot...
Those are good examples of perfo...Chicago Pinot...<br /><br />Those are good examples of performances that work – another one I can think of was Bea Arthur singing “What’ll I Do” on The Golden Girls. I’m thinking more along the lines of mediocre performances over the years - usually climaxing in the obligatory chorus line kicking its legs to thunderous applause. On the other hand, lackluster applause or flying tomatoes wouldn’t be appropriate either.RCPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251247613686669877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74639534666865762482013-03-24T07:14:35.613-07:002013-03-24T07:14:35.613-07:00Oh, yes, Star Trek did a western near the end of i...Oh, yes, <i>Star Trek</i> did a western near the end of its run, with the crew at The Gunfight at the O.K. Corrall. It's generally consdered the worst episode of <i>Star Trek</i> ever. Oddly enough, The First Doctor on <i>Doctor Who</i> also visited The Gunfight at the O.K. Corrall, in what is generally considered the worst <i>Doctor Who</i> story ever. Sci-fi shows,heed their examples and avoid Tombstone, Arizona.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17671014350980006492013-03-23T19:52:58.098-07:002013-03-23T19:52:58.098-07:00We who have read Mad Magazine know that very littl...We who have read Mad Magazine know that very little of Route 66 was set anywhere near Route 66. That was the running gag in their parody. (Mad Magazine - We watch television, so you don't have to.)<br /><br />Star Trek was a classic hybrid anthology show. Supposedly Rodenberry pitched its ability to recycle old sets as a reason it could be made on budget. I'm pretty sure they actually did do a western at one point.Kaleberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283840743310507878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49824204054106413732013-03-23T12:47:59.340-07:002013-03-23T12:47:59.340-07:00"Route 66" actually went a lot of places..."Route 66" actually went a lot of places that were nowhere near Route 66. Jake Mabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01908036270824377919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34635514344681944082013-03-23T11:21:53.713-07:002013-03-23T11:21:53.713-07:00Friday Question: 35 of the 48 sitcoms in developme...Friday Question: 35 of the 48 sitcoms in development this Pilot Season, as reported by the Hollywood Reporter (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-pilots-2013-complete-guide-413377)<br />are Single Camera. Any thoughts? Is that usual, or a marked upswing due to the success of shows like Modern Family and New Girl.Will Fitzgeraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11591558624388310139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20467793778565057682013-03-23T06:49:07.090-07:002013-03-23T06:49:07.090-07:00Have you seen the British sitcom Mrs. Brown's ...Have you seen the British sitcom Mrs. Brown's Boys? What's your opinion on it?<br /><br />It's a very old-fashioned multi-camera sitcom that gets horrific reviews but has 10 million viewers and is the most popular show on UK television.Olivernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63829912724643861552013-03-22T19:20:02.430-07:002013-03-22T19:20:02.430-07:00"Route 66" had THREE shows set in Clevel..."Route 66" had THREE shows set in Cleveland, Ohio. I guess Martin Milner and company must have been pretty lousy at following directions because Route 66 is nowhere near Cleveland....you gotta go all the way to Chicago to catch Route 66. Bet they wish they had had GPS back in those days! I can only figure one of them said "Hey! We're in Cleveland, not Chicago! Why the hell didn't you stop and ask for directions?" and the other one said "What's the problem? Both cities begin with a "C".YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41927749658245202272013-03-22T17:58:43.187-07:002013-03-22T17:58:43.187-07:00My 7-year-old enjoys a show called "Marvin Ma...My 7-year-old enjoys a show called "Marvin Marvin" which I believe airs on Nickelodeon. This has to be one of the worst written shows that I've ever viewed. While I understand that the target audience is children and teens, it's also very possible to write a show geared toward that demographic that doesn't rely on belching and yelling. How is it that so many intelligent and witty scripts can be submitted and rejected, yet writers can be hired to write shows like this? I dare you to watch an episode! Stacynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39625403113942266102013-03-22T17:00:33.279-07:002013-03-22T17:00:33.279-07:00For shows like "Lucy" or "The Honey...For shows like "Lucy" or "The Honeymooners," or even several Norman Lear shows, the applause on entrances and exits seemed to fit the on-stage feel of them.<br /><br />What was odd was when one-camera filmed shows like "Dennis the Menace" had canned applause to go with the canned laughter.<br /><br />As for the signs of a sinking show, my brother always says that you know the idea well is getting low when the characters start wearing a lot of costumes, which could be for a talent show or a party -- though some show characters hauled out the costumes pretty early.Greg Ehrbarhttp://www.mousetracksonline.com/blog.phpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3396926764301801582013-03-22T16:15:11.902-07:002013-03-22T16:15:11.902-07:00My yardstick for telling when a show has run out o...My yardstick for telling when a show has run out of steam is when it has either a wedding or a baby. Or, worse, both. <br /><br />The hooting, applauding audiences are just a reflection of society's lack of boundaries and decorum. The same thing happens at every graduation ceremony I've attended in the past ten years. The imbeciles who do it are usually the friends and/or family of some cretin whose graduation was an act of mercy.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75896622939134640062013-03-22T16:05:25.127-07:002013-03-22T16:05:25.127-07:00I actually thought "The Fugitive" produc...I actually thought "The Fugitive" production team did a great job, by and large, disguising the fact the show was mainly shot in southern California -- until the fourth, final season. Why? Because it was filmed in color. (It also took away the series' film noir quality.) <br /><br />You know, I used to love the character entrance applause for Fonz when I was a kid. Hell, I used to clap for Mr. Woodman on "Kotter," especially during that dreadful final season. "The Simpsons" lampooned that once when Homer walked into Moe's and I about lost my lunch. <br /><br />I'd have to go back and look at a show like "Happy Days" to see how I would react now. Different era, I guess. For me, it seemed to work well on "Happy Days" and was a little obnoxious everywhere else.<br /><br />Oh, and per a previous reader's guess, Henry Winkler never did leave "Happy Days." The show did spend a lot of time focusing on the kids for a few years after Ron Howard left, though. Heck, they had Fonz teaching at a school with Ted McGinley toward the end...Jake Mabehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01908036270824377919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10180094276952804302013-03-22T15:56:44.732-07:002013-03-22T15:56:44.732-07:00The actress that plays Snow White on Once Upon A T...The actress that plays Snow White on Once Upon A Time is a pretty good ringer for Yvonne Craig, if they ever do a movie on her life shed be a great fit.Karlhttp://thorntontext.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4094445782021527922013-03-22T14:46:59.524-07:002013-03-22T14:46:59.524-07:00"I furthermore dislike when characters commen...<i>"I furthermore dislike when characters comment on each other’s lines. 'That’s hilarious!' 'What a brilliant solution!', etc. Ugh! It's a pet peeve but I hate when shows toot their own horn."</i><br /><br />For me too. Any time a character tells another character: "That is <i><b>GENIUS!</b></i>, what I am hearing is the writer congratulating himself. <br /><br />Right now, on the <i>Dallas</i> revival show (which I am <i><b>LOVING!</b></i>), they're going on and on about a plan JR set in motion just before he was killed which he said would be "My masterpiece." The term "masterpiece" has now been used about 20 times in reference to the long-range plotline they have going for the rest of the season. Okay, but then it sure as hell, damn well better <i><b>BE</b></i> a masterpiece when we find out what it is.<br /><br />Writers, don't have your characters tell us how brilliant you think you are. Just have them show us it.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86115386282824066722013-03-22T14:39:07.368-07:002013-03-22T14:39:07.368-07:00One that I remember hating was Fonzie entering on ...<i>One that I remember hating was Fonzie entering on Happy Days- couldn't stand it. But then, it was a staple of early television</i><br />At least that was a break-out character. That show limped along after Ron Howard and I think Henry Winkler had left, and Jenny Piccolo and that blond guy who showed up later on MWC was getting those ovations. I think the worst offender was Welcome Back Kotter, which I think started with Travolta, and by the time that show gave up the ghost, Mr Woodman was getting them. Full disclosure, I liked Mr Woodman.Jim, Cheers Fannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47568564572330117282013-03-22T12:36:16.586-07:002013-03-22T12:36:16.586-07:00One that I remember hating was Fonzie entering on ...One that I remember hating was Fonzie entering on Happy Days- couldn't stand it. But then, it was a staple of early television. Lucy, DVD, Jack Benny, etc, just about any show done with a live audience, when a guest star appeared. <br /><br />I know all the arguments for 3 camera-live audience productions, but what is a great audience live and thus gooses the performers just kills the reality of the show for me. Not all shows taped before an audience, just the ones with the wild hyenas.bensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3098719566584264902013-03-22T12:03:16.332-07:002013-03-22T12:03:16.332-07:00RCP: Cheers had some great musical moments: Fras...RCP: Cheers had some great musical moments: Frasier singing "Hey There (You with the Stars in Your Eyes"), Rebecca mangling "We've Got Tonight", Woody with the endearing "Kelly Song" and the cold open with the whole bar singing "We Will Rock You." Remember those?Douglas Trapassohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18348522207945522495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33083152276551412112013-03-22T11:25:25.564-07:002013-03-22T11:25:25.564-07:00A quick search on IMDB shows there have been 38,20...A quick search on IMDB shows there have been 38,200 talent show episodes. <br /><br />This is how the road to hell is really paved...Phillip Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08498595633633248863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91799825859529342072013-03-22T10:53:53.230-07:002013-03-22T10:53:53.230-07:00Generally, in a sitcom with a live audience who re...Generally, in a sitcom with a live audience who reacts loudly and enthusiastically to character entrances and other provocations, the reactions have been encouraged. Not that audiences don't do that on their own sometimes, but generally they've been told to play. It big. Caseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30450092813671898502013-03-22T10:43:07.460-07:002013-03-22T10:43:07.460-07:00Then there's the type of gratuitous applause t...Then there's the type of gratuitous applause that occurs whenever a character sings (usually badly) or dances (usually badly) and "earns" cheers and whistles. These may be endearing characters and the audience is just showing its affection, but it usually feels overblown and a bit embarassing - especially when it's obviously canned. RCPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251247613686669877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22333915447257218652013-03-22T10:09:44.676-07:002013-03-22T10:09:44.676-07:00When I heard talent show, I thought Lenny & Th...When <b>I</b> heard talent show, I thought Lenny & The Squigtones.Keithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17970641911241417692noreply@blogger.com