Mike & Mayim: the new hosts of JEOPARDY

So Mike Richards got the syndicated JEOPARDY hosting gig.  Mayim Bialik will host specials and primetime editions.  

After the yearlong derby, here were my favorites:

Mayim, David Faber (I didn’t even know who he was before), Joe Buck (made the game and the show really fun… and he’s my podcast guest this week.  Check it out), Robin Roberts, Anderson Cooper, Ken Jennings, Buzzy Cohen, and Mike Richards.  

I don’t know what the excitement was about for Aaron Rogers (exceeding low expectations is not the same as “good”), and LeVar Burton (not living up to high expectations despite the hype) .  

Bringing up the rear were Dr. Oz and Bill Whittaker.   

The rest were all just sort of in the middle.  Various shades of meh. 

It should be duly noted that although Mike Richards is the Executive Producer of JEOPARDY, this was not his call.  This was the head honchos of Sony.  So it’s not like he just chose himself.   In fact, it was his job to train the other hosts and ensure they did the best job they could.  Almost to a person they have praise for Richards in how supportive he was.  He could have sabotaged them, but he didn’t.  And in this town...

Mike Richards also did an excellent job during his two-week stint.

One of the requirements was that JEOPARDY be the person’s primary gig.  That let out any of the candidates who already had sweet TV gigs.  Was Anderson Cooper or Dr. Gupta going to leave CNN?  Was Robin Roberts going to leave ABC or Savannah Guthrie NBC?   Even Mayim Bialik.  Hosting part-time allows her to continue her acting career.  For the syndicated show she would have to give up acting — tough to do when she’s currently starring in a sitcom that just got picked up for a second season.  

And finally, this:  Whenever I was show runner and we had a part for an athlete or a comedian, our philosophy was always “hire the actor.”  Yes, he may not be as authentic an athlete or comedian but he knows the ropes.  He knows how to commit to a character, how to deliver the jokes, how to hit marks and satisfy other technical requirements.  We never went wrong “hiring the actor.”   I think this is what Sony did.  Mike Richards knows how to host game shows.  He doesn’t need tutoring.  Yes, he may be a somewhat safe choice, but here’s the thing:  Whoever they picked there would be people outraged because he/she wasn’t their favorite or they hated him/her.   That’s the problem with on-air auditions.  You see the options.   If Mike Richards had been named permanent host immediately following Alex Trebek’s death it would take the audience a little time to warm to him and then he would just be accepted as the new host.  Very few people would stop watching JEOPARDY.  The year-long derby created unreasonable expectations.  But at the end of the day, this is the guy who got the job, you can grumble for a few months, and eventually you’re just watching JEOPARDY and this happens to be the guy reading the clues.  

I wish Mike Richards the best.  He deserved it as much as anybody and I think he’ll do a great job.  Would anyone do it better?  What difference does it make? They don’t have the job and Mike does.  

And Mayim Bialik will shine as well.  For her I couldn't be happier. She'll have no problem pronouncing those Yiddish clues. 

Weekend Post

Got invited to a poker game last weekend. A friend plays in a regular game and needed an extra body. Poker is an ingenious game. It involves both skill and luck. If only I had either.

I hadn’t played poker in probably fifteen years so I pretty much had forgotten everything other than I always lose.

Still, I enjoyed myself.  The players were usually a group of comedy writers or improv chums so there were always more laughs than chips (especially in front of me). I likened it to a rewrite night where you didn’t have to address network notes.

This time the only person I knew going in was my friend. But it was a low stakes game so I figured what the hell? The guys all turned out to be fun, and they all came from other branches of the industry so I got to hear all-new horror stories. Nothing breaks the ice like getting fucked over in Hollywood.

I was worried that these dudes would hate me. Since I didn’t know what I was doing I would surely test their patience. And if I won they’d really despise me. Fortunately, they were tolerant, and fortunately they took all my money. So my fears were for naught.

I needed one of those little cheat sheets that told you that a royal flush beats a pair of threes. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to watch an episode of THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER and one of the finalists has the same cheat sheet next to his chips?

Remembering what beats what is hard enough for someone who needs a cheat sheet to retrieve his messages from voicemail, but we rotated dealing and the dealer got to select the game. Holy shit!

Seven card night baseball with the next card after a queen is a wild card

Hi-lo – 5 ½ or 21

Three chip buy-in pass your garbage

Seven card elevator (not to be confused with seven card crisscross)

Seven card Texas hold ‘em, 3’s are wild and 4's entitled you to buy another card if you wanted

On and on. They know you’re not a savvy player when it’s your turn and they say, “What are we playin’?” and you begin your answer with “What’s the one where…?” As the deal was going around the table I was getting progressively more anxious. What to do when it came to me?

Finally, I was up. I decided to just fake it. “Okay, five card double-draw hi-lo Taj Mahal, pig fives are wild, threes are sevens, sevens are tens, face cards are a half, and Jews get six cards instead of five.” Everyone laughed, but one guy who asked what Taj Mahal was.

The night moved along but required a lot of concentration. More than I could muster after a couple of hours. Again, it was like a rewrite night where you just zone out. “What page are we on again?” “Who’s asking who to stop doing what when?” “Has the food arrived yet?”

The food was another reason poker night is like rewrite night. Delivered pizza that you eat off of paper plates while standing . All we needed were Red Vines for me to feel really nostalgic.

You’d think as the night went along I’d get better. But actually, I got worse. I knew I was in trouble when I won a pot with nothing in my hand. Everyone complimented me on how well I bluffed. But I wasn’t bluffing. I actually thought I had a winning hand.

They should also have a cheat sheet for poker slang. Clubs were puppy paws. Pocket aces were American Airlines. Full houses are full boats. If you have a nine and a five that’s a Dolly Parton. But why do they call kings “cowboys?” When I think of cowboys I rarely imagine Richard Burton.

But it never fails.  The minute any six guys sit down to play poker they all start talking like they're in GUYS AND DOLLS.    The Pope and his cardinals get together and the Pope is dealing saying, "No help. crabs, Kojak, bitch in the bleachers.  Pony up gents."

All in all, it was a fun night, I made some new friends, now am aware of more industry shitheads, and I think after all this time I finally figured out how to win at poker. Have Jennifer Tilly play for me while I drive around for four hours picking up the pizza. 

Friday Questions

Mid August and here we go with some Friday Questions.  What’s yours?

B Alton leads off.

Just how are parents, especially of series leads, cast? What does the casting director "work with" in determining the look (and attitudes) of the parents so that they are believable (as parents) to the viewing audience? Thanks.

Usually it’s stunt casting. Hiring actors to play the parents of show leads gives you a chance to hire  “names”  that might bring in a higher rating.  So producers try to get Carol Burnett or someone of that ilk.  On ALMOST PERFECT we used Bonnie Franklin (ONE DAY AT A TIME) in that role.  

On CHEERS we got Glynis Johns to play Diane’s mom.  (She’s now 97, God bless her.)   And Shelley Long played a mom in MODERN FAMILY. 

Danny Thomas got a whole new family in THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW back in the early '60s. 

I directed shows where Brenda Vaccaro, Linda Lavin, and Dixie Carter played mom’s.  

But for my money, the best of all-time was Nancy Walker as Rhoda’s mom on RHODA.  

Brian Phillips asks:

Did you and David Isaacs ever write a Room 222 spec script?

No.  It was before our time, first of all.  And secondly, that wasn’t the kind of show we wanted to write.  We were more about hard comedy, preferably multi-camera at the time.  

We wrote a spec MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, a spec RHODA, and two pilot specs before we broke in.  And when we did break in, we were in the middle of plotting our next spec — HAPPY DAYS.

YEKIMI wonders:

I noticed this mostly on All In The Family but seems like a lot of early 70s shows seem to have done this....a close of of say, Archie or Edith's and the rest of the actor's faces, I mean to the point were you could count Archie's nose hairs, where the face filled the whole damn screen. I found it disconcerting at best. Any reason why they would have done it this way or was it a "Norman Lear" thing?

It’s a stylistic choice I hate.  It’s almost as if an extreme close up invades your personal space.

Trust me, the actors feel uncomfortable having the camera push in so close.  God forbid they have a pimple.  

I also believe extreme close ups kill comedy.  

When I direct or run a show my close ups featured full faces and and went down past the shoulders.  That’s pretty much the standard.

And finally, from John G:

The show Mom went through a pretty drastic evolution from season one to where the show ended. In fact, only one member of the original cast finished the run. Can you think of other successful shows that changed to such a degree?

BEWITCHED got by with a new Darren (although not as good).  Charles on MASH, Woody and Rebecca on CHEERS.    THE GOOD WIFE made some wholesale changes towards the end.  It was risky but the new cast pulled it off.   I’m sure there are many other examples.  You might even perchance have one yourself.  

How many DR. WHO’s have there been?  

And finally, when a whole new cast is hired around one lead character you can pretty much call that a Spin-off.  

Stay cool out there wherever you may be.  And get VACCINATED!

EP237: Joe Buck Part 2

This week Ken & lead Fox play-by-play man, Joe Buck discuss calling NFL football, the Super Bowl, World Series, and dealing with Social Media, which is not for the faint of heart. It’s a fun, informative, and candid conversation. You don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy Joe Buck.

More podcasts at WAVE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/artist/wave-podcast-network/1437831426

Listen to the Hollywood & Levine podcast!

Comedy is subjective

How subjective?  Here's an example: 

In the early ‘70s I was a Top 40 DJ.  I was Beaver Cleaver (I wanted a name that was memorable and amusing).  My whole act was entertaining and filling my show with comic content.  One liners, crazy voices, outrageous stunts, goofing with callers on the air, making fun of the records, etc. 

All too often my program directors would say “SHUT UP! Just play the damn music.  Stop trying to be funny.  YOU’RE NOT FUNNY!”  (For the record, I thought I was funny… at least sometimes.)  

Eventually I got out of radio and became a TV comedy writer.  Very wise move on my part, wouldn't you say?

Now flash-forward to 1977.  I’m the co-head writer of MASH (along with David Isaacs) and for fun, I’m on the air on TEN-Q, Los Angeles every Saturday night spinning the hits.  

Because I was now a respected TV comedy writer, I was getting huge love from the radio industry.  It helped certainly to be on a happening station in the number two market in the country, but I was finally getting my due.   Radio folk couldn’t stop talking about how fresh and original and funny I was.  

That was very nice to hear.  But here’s the thing:

I was doing the exact same crap I did when program directors told me I sucked.  And now they were taking credit for “discovering” me.

It’s all perception, and like I’ve always said, the only way I ever got respect in radio was to get out it.   Comedy is subjective.

TANGENT: This reminds me of a story Larry Gelbart told.  When he was still a teenager he did a screen-test for director, George Cukor.  He wasn’t very good and didn’t get the role.  At a party years later Larry told him that story and Cukor's response was: “Well, why didn’t you tell me who you were going to become? 

Mr. Special Effects

 This is one of my favorite all-time posts so I cart it out every five or six years.  It's certainly one of my funniest -- and I didn't even write it.  

I've talked about the need for showrunners to hold down the budget. What I didn’t mention was how difficult that can sometimes be. Hollywood is notorious for huge mark ups. Studios charging their own shows outrageous rent for their stages and facilities, etc. And if God forbid you need a special effect look out. In writing rooms whenever we propose even the smallest stunt we turn to my partner, David Isaacs, who has created a great character – Mr. Special Effects. He will then describe what is required to pull the stunt off and how much it will cost.

Here is an example, in the form of a memo. And believe me when I say this is TYPICAL.


Report from TV Special Effects Department:

RE: Frasier

Situation: In a dream sequence, Frasier is on the air and his board explodes.

Proposal---If I'm to understand correctly from our conversation you all want the entire radio board to explode in Frasier's (Mr. Gramner's) face. filling the studio room with smoke. It's quite a coincidence since my dad created the same effect for Mr. Al Ruddy for an episode of 'The Monkee's. (For your reference it's the one where the Monkees try to outfox a Russian agent played by Mr. Lloyd Bochner). The good news is that with all the advancements in explosive delivery it's a much easier effect. (The real reason you never saw Mr. Mike Nesmith at any Monkees reunion is that he had four fingers of his left hand blown off. It's certainly not true that he was sick of being a part of a third rate Beatles knockoff. That and feeling responsible for Yakima Canutt losing a testicle on "How the West was Won" haunted my father till he fell to his death rigging Mr. Demetrious 'George' Savalas for a jump off the Brooklyn Bridge in 'Kojak.)

Anyway, the effect is fairly simple, but of course we want it foolproof and safe. (within reason) First of all we will rig a series of explosive charges across the board. That will control the blast as oppossed to one big blast which is harder to control. I will set off the charges in sequence from a specially designed phaser. That should supply our explosion and still create the effect. We also set a charge inside the board so that in the case of a fire breaking out from the initial explosion (small possibility) I'll blow that charge which in turn would smother the flames. That, of course, would also preclude a second take.

Now I'm to understand that Mr. Gramner would like to do the stunt himself (concurrent with an 'Entertainment Tonight' segment profiling sitcom actors who do their own stunts.) That's fine but we will take the precaution of covering his body in an inch to an inch and a half of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly under a flame retardant herringbone suit. (It's uncomfortable but the guy works, what, twelve hours a week?) That will protect him vis a vis a mistake in explosion deployment. (Just to warn you in spite of caution it can happen---Sometimes to a serendipitous result. My dad worked for Mr. George Roy Hill on 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KId." Liitle known fact, the boxcar being blown to smithereens was not in the script. It was what we call in the S.E. business a happy accident. Thankfully the only injury was a prosthetic arm that was mangaled up pretty good. It belonged to my dad's assistant 'Spider' who had lost his real arm and half a foot working with my dad on 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. Long story)

So we will protect Mr. Gramner. Safety for the cameramen and crew are at your discretion. Should be a do it every day, piece of cake effect. Still it's S.O.P. for me to ask you one question that's in the order of a final safeguard. Was there originally an actor you really felt could have played Frasier in the event that Mr. Gramner was unavailable or... "a handful"? Have to ask. It many times makes a tougher call but I will remind you of 'happy accidents'.

I'm going to ball park a cost for you then come up with a final tally later. I know you have budget concerns but it's a heck of a stunt. Figuring explosives , equipment rented from the studio electrical dept., special costuming from the studio costume dept., crew, overtime, dummy board and console from studio props, studio fire chief standing by, and I figure you'll want to throw in pizza for a hard working S.E. bunch, I think I can bring the whole thing off for you, on the cheap, for about 110 thousand dollars. Again that's if we're not figuring on another take.

Loved the script by the way.

Mr. S.E.

Product placement

Here’s a FQ that became a DP (daily post).

DBenson asks:

Did you ever get asked/pressured to do a star informercial episode?

Not that specifically, but we have had our brushes with product placement, a similar animal.  

Back in the ’00’s there was a company that tried to marry writers with sponsors.  The trade off was the sponsor would pay for the show in exchange for say a scene in every episode that took place in their store.  The shows would then be offered to networks for free.  The sponsors would pay for them instead of the network, which was a great incentive.  

We were approached to create a series with this arrangement.  We passed.  They said, “All you need is to do one scene in (for example) Home Deport.”  The trouble is — what if during the week we decided the Home Depot scene didn’t work or wasn’t needed?  We’d still be obligated to do some scene in Home Deport that lasted a certain amount of time.  

That’s just bad story telling.  And we didn’t want that obligation.  It felt like a deal with the devil.

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones to pass on that opportunity.  The company never really caught hold and within a couple of years faded away.  

Our only other brush with product placement was the scene where Rita Wilson drinks a Coke in VOLUNTEERS.  But as I’ve written about several times, that scene came out of research and was written several years before Coca-Cola owned the studio that made the movie.  But boy, did we take shit.  

Weekend Post

 Who doesn't love a little visual humor?

They do charge if you want a rollaway bed for them, however.

This is for real,

If Pole Dancing becomes an Olympic Sport I see her getting the Gold.

From my friend, Russ Woody -- an actual sign in a bathroom in Russia.

Hey, it's hard to find crap that's really fresh.

Ana from 50 SHADES OF GREY -- her car.

An authentic newspaper ad.  Back when the whole family drank beer... even the kids.

Okay.  I just couldn't resist.

And finally, here's a photo I took myself.  On Ventura Blvd. in Studio City they have plaques on the sidewalk like they do in Hollywood.  But in Studio City they salute those great movies and TV shows that were filled there.  Including this one:

Friday Questions

It’s Friday already.  So let’s dive into some FQ’s, shall we?

Vincent Saia gets us going.

I know this is a highly controversial issue, but I think your views on this are important. How would you feel about a black James Bond? Or a bi-sexual James  T. Kirk (I'm sure you know William Shatner has already voiced his opinion)? Personally, I agree with Stan Lee - Once the race, gender, and/or sexual orientation of a character is established it should not be changed.

I don't think I'm being bigoted or narrow-minded. I think I'm respecting the conception of the author(s). Of course, if the author says it's okay as Sam Shepard did when he gave his (belatted) blessings to a female version of TRUE WEST, that's a different matter. I'm sure  you remember THE NEW ODD COUPLE. lol

I guess my big question is why is the character’s ethnicity or gender changed?  If it’s just to add diversity then it seems patronizing.  But if you plan on going in a different direction with the character then the change may be a huge plus.  

James Bond has always been portrayed as a proper English gentleman.  Were there African-American secret agents with Bond’s background?  If so then great.  If not, it’s just a distortion of the character.   Create a new character.  Start a new franchise that hopefully can go for fifty years.  

I never saw the all-female version of THE ODD COUPLE.  Quite honestly, it felt like a stunt and a money grab.

I would however, pay to see a Caucasian version of SHAFT.

Ben asks:

Do you update your blog yourself? What about the podcast? Did you set it up originally or have someone else consult? Just wondering how those old jock tech skills translate to the Internet.

Everything associated with the blog I do myself.  As for the podcast, I have a host company, WAVE, that drops it weekly on its various platforms.  But I do all the production and any necessary editing.  Each week I upload a fully completed episode.  

Brandon in Virginia wonders:

About a week or two ago, I was telling someone about a series of memos Robert Reed wrote to Sherwood Schwartz criticizing "The Brady Bunch"'s writing, and how silly the show was getting. While Reed wasn't necessarily wrong - one memo talked about a hair tonic turning Greg's hair orange in 1970-something - if you had a star constantly doing this, do you give in or tell them where to stick their memos?

Footnote: I believe the plan was to kill off the Mike Brady character, but ABC canceled the show.

It depends on the actor — whether he’s worth it, and just how far apart creatively you are with him.  Also, how respectful he expresses his dissatisfaction.  

On the one hand, Robert Reed was probably right and the show often did flirt with implausibility.  On the other, it was a Sherwood Schwartz production — the guy who did GILLIGAN’S ISLAND.  So Reed had to know going in what he was in for.  It’s not like he was promised FRASIER and it turned into SILVER SPOONS.  

That said, if I were the showrunner Carol Brady would have been a widow after season one.  

And finally, from Bill Kelliher:

Ken, what are your thoughts on the Frasier reboot now that it's official? Will you be working on the new show?

I have not been asked to participate and know none of the particulars.  I don’t know the premise, don’t know the writers, the cast, or whether any of the original cast members will be involved.  

I wish them the very best.  They have some gargantuan shoes to fill.  But I think the world needs a FRASIER-esque quality sitcom again.  

What’s your Friday Question?  Get vaccinated!!!!

EP236: Meet Joe Buck Part 1

Joe Buck is the voice of sports for Fox. He’s won 7 Emmys calling numerous Super Bowls, World Series, the U.S. Open, and All-Star Games. He’s also an upcoming guest host on JEOPARDY. This week we discuss hosting JEOPARDY, his Hall-of-Fame father, sportscaster Jack Buck, breaking into the business, and calling baseball.

More podcasts at WAVE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/artist/wave-podcast-network/1437831426

Listen to the Hollywood & Levine podcast!

How BECKER came to be

Here's a Friday Question that warrants an entire post because the creator of BECKER, Dave Hackel was nice enough to answer this BECKER question. 

Michael had the question:

 

Do you know if BECKER was first pitched to NBC before ending up on CBS? I would have assumed NBC would have been interested in Ted Danson's first new show after CHEERS. 

Dave?


The quick answer is “no.”  

The show was only pitched to CBS.

The more detailed answer is this:  It’s difficult to remember the order of the chess moves, but at the time, now twenty-three years ago, the character of Becker was considered pretty edgy, so Paramount suggested that we try to attract an actor first.  

Also, it was known in the community that CBS had a deal with Ted but had not yet come up with a show for him. 

Paramount sent it to Ted’s representatives, they sent it to him, he read it and wanted to meet with me. Then if you remember, I put together a reading of the pilot. Ted wanted to see how it felt to be John Becker and he wanted me to see if I thought he was a good fit for the part.  Our deal was that if either of us didn’t feel it worked, we could walk away — no harm, no foul.  

We were both pleased with the way the reading went so Paramount took our “package” to CBS.  It was the perfect confluence of actor, script and timing.  Remove any one of those three elements…mainly Ted, of course…and the script would likely still be in my desk drawer.

Hi, it’s me again.

I remember that reading.  I was initially skeptical.  But Ted won me over by page 3.  He combined that one magic element — the ability to be edgy while still being lovable.  I’m still trying to achieve that.

Thanks again to Dave Hackel.  

When Broadway was BROADWAY

Here's a list of what was playing on Broadway one week in 1948.  Thanks to reader Douglas McEwan for sharing it.  As he said, and I couldn't agree more, I'd go see any one of those shows.  

WHITE LOTUS - my review

As many of you know, I love Hawaii.  Try to get there every year.   I did a show set in Hawaii and got to write off trips (although that’s not why I did the show… entirely).  I’ll watch just about any TV show or movie set in Hawaii.  I have a very low bar.  Show palm trees, the ocean, maybe a waterfall and I’m all in.  You want to throw in a tacky Don Ho song?  Doesn’t ruin it.  A Tab Hunter beach party movie?  Sure.  I even sat through the first two seasons of the awful HAWAII FIVE-O reboot.  

So when I heard there was this new limited series coming to HBO Max about a resort hotel in Hawaii set at the Four Seasons in Maui (one of my favorite haunts) I was excited.  I didn’t need Aaron Sorkin dialogue, Vince Gilligan storytelling, just a few glimpses of the pool area.  Like I said, I’m easy.

So with great anticipation I set aside last Saturday night to watch a few episodes of this new series, entitled WHITE LOTUS.  I turned it off after a half hour.   I turned it off during a scene at the pool.  

That’s how much I hated it.  

And in fact, I hate it even more.  I can’t remember the last time I hated a TV show as much.  Every character is just despicable.  This is the most cynical mean-spirited show on whatever constitutes for “television” these days.  The hotel management has utter contempt for every guest.  Every guest is so entitled and so obnoxious that Mother Teresa would give them the finger.  In particular, two teenage girls are so snotty, judgemental, and insufferable you just want to punch them in the face.  Imagine Romy & Michele as see-you-next-Tuesdays.   

Only one character is likable and we're led to believe in the first five minutes that she dies over the course of a week.  

Astoundingly, this show is billed as a “comedy.”  It’s a satire-comedy.  Such hilarity as a local Hawaiian woman so afraid of losing her job that she’s afraid to say she’s about to have a baby any minute.  Big yucks as her water breaks in the lobby and she’s still too petrified to say she’s about to give birth.  Meanwhile, things are not great with newlyweds when the husband (a hideous Matt Gaetz-type) is dissatisfied with this amazing suite they have because it’s not “the honeymoon suite.”  By the way, his parents are paying for the trip.  He further endears himself by demanding his bride give him a blowjob.  Are you laughing yet?  

The two teen c***s are staying with Connie Britton who plays a Sheryl Sandberg stereotype.  One c**t is the daughter and the other is her friend.  They also have a little brother who they make sleep in the kitchen.  And the dad is worried he has testicular cancer and we’re treated to close ups of his swollen genitals.  

The show was created, written, and directed by Mike White.

Is this where comedy is today?  We’re supposed to be amused by how hateful everyone is?   The hotel manager is the destitute man’s John Cleese, passive-aggressively screwing the guests who we can only assume overpaid for this screwing.  

And then there’s Jennifer Coolidge, who I normally like, playing a pathetic needy woman who keeps her mother’s remains in a plastic bag.  Somehow I’m missing the satire.  

What happens to these people?  How does the young newlywed bride die? I don’t give a shit.  Unless sharks eat the teenage c***s, there’s a tsunami, and the Hawaiian government seizes the property, I have no intention of watching another minute of it.  WHITE LOTUS is not the right title.  It should be called Mike WHITE LOATHE-US. 

Aloha forever. 

Should LeVar Burton be the new host of JEOPARDY?

Well now, here we are, almost at the finish line of JEOPARDY guest hosts.  This week it’s David Faber and next week, to round it out, Joe Buck.  By the way, Joe will be my podcast guest this week, dropping 9 pm PDT on Wednesday.  He really walks us through the process.  He’s a great guest so I hope you’ll tune in.  

LeVar Burton just finished his audition week.  Of all the candidates he’s the only one who really campaigned for the job.  He pretty much did everything but skywriting.  He also has a large legion of fans who remember him fondly from READING RAINBOW.  Personally, I like him very much.  I had the chance to direct him once on BECKER.  Great guy and a very talented actor.  Going in I would have been very pleased to see him get the JEOPARDY gig.

But after watching his week-long audition, he’s not the guy.  Sorry.  But he’s just not.  

He was too hyper, screwed up way more than the others, and basically just doesn’t have a feel for the rhythm of the game.  

Alex always maintained that the contestants were the star, but LeVar managed to place all the emphasis on himself.  He was very overbearing and had very little connection to the contestants.  On his first show one of the contestants was completely overwhelmed.  He set a record for the worst one-day showing.  The only acknowledgement from LeVar was “You won’t be joining us for Final Jeopardy.”   I recall a few years ago a woman contestant also struggled and Alex went out of his way to console her throughout and cushion the blow of being humiliated on national television.  He said something like, “this just wasn’t your day” implying on another day with other categories she might’ve done much better.   LeVar just cast the contestant aside.  

Now, I’m sure in part that’s because he didn’t realize this contestant was digging a deeper and deeper hole for himself.  And without question, there are a lot of moving parts the host must negotiate at one time, but constantly taking the temperature of the room, making each contestant feel comfortable is a big part of the gig.  He was overly excited when someone got an answer right, often screaming “YES!” as if they had won a million dollars instead of $400, and a curt “no” if someone answered incorrectly.  

Could he get better over time?  I’m sure.  But there were other guest hosts who just felt it in their bones.  They were comfortable, engaging with the contestants, quick-witted, at ease with the teleprompter, and in confident control of the game.  With LeVar you would have to land the plane by radar.  He would need months of notes and adjustments.  A half-dozen other candidates could just step right in.  It’s like some musicians just feel the groove.  You can teach anyone to play an instrument but some just have that innate groove.  

There’s another part of the job that’s hidden.  How do you deal with unexpected circumstances?   Things are going to come up.  A contestant had a mild stroke once during a game.  The board and clues don’t match on occasion, a contestant freezes up, the board malfunctions, whatever.  You need a PRO when this happens.  Alex was amazing at this.  It stemmed from his natural talent and decades of experience as a broadcaster.   LeVar Burton would be a deer in the headlights.  Aaron Rogers wouldn’t have a clue.  Dr. Oz — well, he was so terrible at everything it’s not worth mentioning.  

The fan verdict on LeVar falls right along the line of who watched READING RAINBOW and who didn’t.  Those that did have great affection for him.  Those that didn’t are very underwhelmed by his performance.   Some newspapers and websites are taking polls and LeVar shows up high, but remember, he’s campaigning.  His fans are actively participating.  There’s no worldwide Buzzy Cohen fan club.  And even then, LeVar is not blowing away the competition.  

Sorry, but he’s not the guy.  

My picks?  I loved Mayim Bialik.  She brought a fun infectious attitude, and has a great feel for the game.  Her diction was also terrific.  I was surprised by how good Robin Roberts was.  I shouldn’t be.  She’s a seasoned pro and her years at Sportscenter really prepared her for spitting out those clues.  But she was warm and excelled way beyond my expectations.  

Ken Jennings is also a favorite.  He certainly has a connection to the game.  My only concern with Ken is his voice is a little weak.  Buzzy Cohen also did a great job, in my opinion, although he was a little hyper and would need some adjustments.  

And my other pick is Mike Richards.  I doubt they’ll go in that direction, but as the executive producer he handled the game and contestants beautifully.  You know you’re in good hands.

I noted previously how smooth and polished Anderson Cooper was.  But he's a CNN guy so enough people probably hate him to cause producers to shy away... which is a shame.

Let’s see how David Faber and Joe Buck do.  But a decision needs to be made soon, and I have a feeling the producers are close to making one.  

And now I’ll throw it open to you.  Who would you like to see get the job permanently?  Ground rules: you must leave a name and you must honor other readers’ choices.  No name calling.  No attacking.  Even if they think Dr. Oz should get the job.   The comment section is open.  And I’ll be looking up to see if there’s skywriting. 

Weekend Post

Sometimes writers have to hold their ground.

Remember an episode of CHEERS called Rat Girl?   Lilith's pet lab rat dies and she couldn't part with it so she kept it in her purse. It's a heartwarming tale.  My writing partner, David Isaacs and I wrote that episode and won the WGA award for Best Comedy Script that year (beating out Larry David who brings it up every time I see him. I've offered to give it to him for only .00001% of SEINFELD and so far the award remains in my office.).

But the point is it was a pretty well-received episode.  You can see it here.

But the whole show almost blew up. Over one little note.

Bebe Neuwirth, who plays Lilith and I dearly love, announced on the second day of rehearsal that she had a problem.

Lilith didn't carry a purse. Well, okay.  We asked her to make an exception this week for the story.  But she said it wasn't consistent with her character.  She explained that Lilith is a scientist and scientists don't carry purses.

Oh really? NO scientist? Ever?

Again, the whole writing staff asked if she'd graciously overlook that TINY inconsistency and please have a purse?

Were there alternatives?  

One thought was that she could keep the rat in her pocket (do scientists have pockets?) but that seemed even too creepy for Lilith, and it was important that the gang in the bar discovered the critter while she was out of the room.  We needed Frasier to explain away her rather bizarre behavior.  Our primary concern was that Lilith didn't come off like a complete loon. 

I do admire that actors take great care in wanting to be as true to their characters as possible, and details that are seemingly unimportant to us are very meaningful to their defining their roles. But sometimes, Jesus! As the great David Lloyd used to say, "It's just pretend!".

To her credit, Bebe backed down.  Most of the time (practically ALL of the time) writers make adjustments to accommodate the actors.  Sometimes we have to stand our ground.   In this case, the entire episode depended on it.   Bebe was a team player.   She embraced the purse and the episode went off as planned.

Ironically, we did expect a note, but it wasn't from Bebe and we never got flagged for it.  At one point in the script the guys around the bar get out junk food.   When David and I were writing it we wondered out loud if anyone could eat a Hostess Snowball in one gulp?   So how best to settle it?  We made Woody do it.   His favorite food was Hostess Snowballs because they were "bite size."   God love, Mr. Harrelson, he downed one of those babies in one bite.  Excuse me, but THAT'S acting! 

Happy to say that in all these years and all the many airings of Rat Girl, not once have we received a protest from a scientist.   Or Hostess bakeries. 

Friday Questions

The summer is whizzing by… for those who are vaccinated.  Here are this week’s FQ’s.

cd1515 starts us off.

Ken, how much bigger a deal we’re the Emmys in the Cheers/MASH days?
Did people working on those shows genuinely care?

As a viewer I’ve never cared and would have no idea who won what in what year.  I suspect most of America agrees.

Look, if you’re nominated ANY year you care deeply. But in past decades Emmys had more meaning because a larger percentage of the viewing public knew the shows and had a rooting interest.   

Also, an Emmy win could save a show from cancellation.  CHEERS received a big bump in audience after it won the Emmy the first season.   

Networks might also keep shows on the air that weren’t getting great ratings but were getting recognition.  Having Emmy-winning shows on your network was a huge source of pride “back in the day.”  Now it seems the broadcast networks have just given up in that regard.  

Brian Phillips wonders:

Earlier in the blog, you mentioned that you and David Isaacs spoke to people that served during the Korean War to write stories for MASH. Did you or any of the writing staff interview any blind people for "Becker" storylines?

I don’t know if others did on BECKER, but I did not.

However, when David Isaacs and I were writing our first episode of MASH — the one where Hawkeye is temporarily blind — we did consult experts and even walked around with a blindfold to try to simulate the experience.  That was scary on Beverly Glen.

From Janet:

Ken, your discussion about family sitcoms got me thinking about the old 70s series FAMILY.

It wasn't a sitcom, to be sure, but I was curious as to your thoughts.

I've been watching episodes on streaming, and to me, it just seemed terribly morose. There seemed to be precious little joy in that family. But maybe that's what was "edgy" in the mid 70s.

I didn’t watch it too often.  It was a little sappy for my taste.  But they filmed it on the 20th Century lot where we were doing MASH.    So I would see Kristy McNichol and other cast members around the campus.

My one real FAMILY memory is being in the 20th commissary and there was little Quinn Cummings, who was probably 9 or 10 at the time, screaming at her agent near the host stand.  Yikes.

And finally, from Philly Cinephile:

I've often noticed that people on TV shows clearly have no idea how to work with food. I'm obsessing over CHEERS these days and noticed that, when working with lemons, Ted Danson appears to be hollowing them out, rather than slicing, wedging, or zesting them. Eric McCormack on WILL & GRACE was often shown preparing food, but he clearly had no idea how to use a cheese grater or a Pyrex measuring cup. (I'm surprised that no one took a moment to teach him how to pick up the cup by the handle...) Do directors usually leave actors to their own devices when they work with food? Do shows ever use consultants to teach actors the correct way to work with it?

We generally don’t have chef consultants.  Dealing with food is usually an excuse for actors to have some business — something they’re doing besides just standing like a statue while they deliver their lines.  And most directors are way more interested in the text than the business.  

That’s how I am as a director.  My feeling is if the viewer is paying more attention to the cheese grater than the content of the scene I’m in big trouble.  

What’s your Friday Question? 

EP235: The Golden Age of TV Comedy

The early ‘70s gave us amazing comedy shows — ALL IN THE FAMILY, MASH, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, THE CAROL BURNET SHOW… and one year they were all on the same night on the same network. They were all very different shows but had one key thing in common. It’s that common denominator that is missing today. What is it and why is it important? Ken fills you in.

More podcasts at WAVE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/artist/wave-podcast-network/1437831426

Listen to the Hollywood & Levine podcast!

In & Out (not the hamburger chain)

So instead of the Olympics Opening Ceremony I re-watched IN & OUT (recorded off of TCM).  This is a comedy from almost 25 years ago written by the great Paul Rudnick and directed wonderfully by Frank Oz. 

It stars Kevin Kline as a high school English teacher in rural Indiana who is days away from marrying Joan Cusack and is outed on national television when a former students wins an Oscar, thanks him, and mentions that he’s gay. 

At this point the movie’s “1997” starts to show as the whole town is horrified.  I’d like to think that today a certain number of students and townies would be a little more enlightened.  Not all certainly.  Indiana is still a red state.  But some. 

Of course by the end of the film everyone accepts him, but it’s a Hollywood studio film so of course the ending is happy and touching and lessons are learned. 

But along the way, much of the film’s message still holds true.  And the comedy still holds up.  Way better than I thought it would.   Paul Rudnick is wickedly funny and whether there are set pieces like Kevin Kline listening to a cassette that is supposed to help you determine whether you’re gay, Joan Cusack’s hilarious and heartbreaking speech after being dumped on her wedding day, and a plethora of very funny lines.  The running joke about Kline’s appreciation for Barbra Streisand provides laugh-of-loud moments throughout. 

The casting is pitch-perfect.  Kline, as always, is wonderful.  Joan Cusack crushes it.  And supporting characters like Bob Newhart, Matt Dillon, Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley, Shalom Harlow (what a great name that is) and even Tom Selleck get every laugh they’re given. 

Oh, for the days when major studios put out smart comedies and they were successful.  They would lead the box-office.  Today, no studio would make this film.  You’d be lucky if Netflix did.  Comedies are all “TV movies” now.  Studios have all but abandoned them.  They’re not going to win awards.  They’re not going to attract eleven-year-old boys.

Thank goodness for TCM and the fact that funny is funny. 

Back when the Olympics were fun

In contrast to this year’s Olympic Spreader Event, 1984 was a magical year.  The games were held in my hometown of Los Angeles. 

For months it had been predicted that the tidal wave of tourists would turn our beloved freeways into parking lots.  But as a result of that fear, locals were so afraid to get in their cars that traffic was a light as it’s ever been. 

From start to finish it was a celebration — a three-week party.  The athletes were housed in the UCLA dorms (Olympic Village).  Living close to UCLA I would walk to the area around the student store and there were these athletes just hanging out.  I met kids from Korea and Chile and places I’ve only heard of because of JEOPARDY.  Very informal.  Everyone was having fun.  Vendors were selling food and drink and commemorative pins.  Those pins were a big collector’s item during the games. 

The Soviet Union boycotted that year, but that’s like Republicans not participating in the Congressional Investigation of January 6.  Who needs ‘em? 

I went to a day of track and field events at the Memorial Coliseum.  Unlike this year where only 50 spectators are allowed to each venue, 100,000 people filled the Coliseum to watch Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses  perform their heroics.  Buses provided transportation so the party libations came out before 10 am.  Our seats weren’t great, but who cares?  We were there.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime event and I didn’t have to park my car in a bad neighborhood. 

We also got tickets to see the women’s gymnastics at Pauley Pavilion on the UCLA campus.  No traffic problems there either.  We walked to the venue. 

Four or five events were going on at once and there was no real scoreboard.  I had purchased a portable TV that looked like a big walkie-talkie.  Through that I was able to follow the scores.  But it didn’t take any assistance to see that Mary Lou Retton was crushing it.  I was there the night she won all her various medals.  It was truly thrilling. 

As the competition continued, a few of the winning athletes would show up at the student store with their medals around their necks.  If my Emmy wasn’t so bulky I would have done the same thing. 

This year the Olympic Village is in somewhat of a bubble, although that’s a joke since athletes themselves are spreading the virus.  The athletes can’t go out and sight-see, which is always one of the perks.  They can’t mingle with adoring fans.  They play in empty stadiums.  And if they are on TV, NBC might have farmed out their event to cable channels no one’s ever heard of.   In many cases the announcers are not on-site, they’re in Secaucus, New Jersey calling the events off a monitor.   If only the athletes could be in Secaucus. 

The LA Olympics were a blast.  That’s the way they’re supposed to be.  And hopefully will be again.  

The Olympics Opening Ceremony, which I skipped

I think for the first time ever I didn’t watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony.  I love the pageantry of all the athletes from all the countries entering the stadium, generally followed by the world’s biggest and gaudiest Orange Bowl halftime show.  

Instead I watched a rerun of IN & OUT.

I’m usually transfixed by the Olympics, no matter the event.  Skateboarding, the way the Greeks did it way back when.  There are always great human interest stories, records are broken, and stars are born (for fifteen minutes).  As a sports fan it's porn.  In 1984 they were held in Los Angeles and I was really immersed.  (More on that in tomorrow’s post.)  

But this year I have zero interest.  None. This year it’s just a big money grab.  And many lives will be needlessly put into COVID jeopardy because organizers don’t want to cancel and give up all that broadcast rights money.  

Cities spend fortunes to construct spiffy new Olympic venues, generally bankrupting their budgets for a three-week event.  But the influx of tourism and the income that generates makes it worth the process.  Not to mention the pride of showing off your gleaming city to the world.  

But this year, because of COVID, spectators aren’t allowed.  The 40,000 seat venues will have 50 people watching.  

80% of Japan’s population is against holding the games there this year.  How do you ignore 80% of the population?  Oh, right. Money is involved. 

Not all athletes are vaccinated.  Not all nations can provide it.  Suspense should be whether these strapping your people win gold medals, not whether they avoid ventilators.  

Already, some of the top athletes have tested positive and can’t compete.   So in some cases you’re not even watching the best of the best. 

I find the whole event irresponsible.  People are getting sick so we can have a TV event to watch.  

And then I see people in America getting sick and dying simply because they won’t get vaccinated, even though the vaccine is free, safe, and available.  Yet certain athletes from certain countries who would do anything for the vaccine can’t get it and might have to pay a horrible price just to compete in these hollow games.  I don’t need to be reminded of it.  I don’t need to get angry all over again because of the sheer stupidity of some people.  

Ratings for the Opening Ceremony were way down from 2016 in Rio.  Hey, maybe I’m not alone in my feelings.  

I’ll watch again next time when hopefully it’ll be the Olympic Games and not the Hunger Games.  

IN & OUT was really funny, by the way.  (More on that this week too.)