The present downfall of comedy

WARNING: RANT AHEAD

I was watching an HBO documentary on one of my idols, Mel Brooks.  It was actually a compilation of BBC interviews done over the years.   In an earlier interview he was talking about THE PRODUCERS and “Springtime for Hitler” and how audacious that project was.   He was saying it was a great time for comedy because there were no limits placed on your imagination.  You could go as far as you wanted to go.  

And my response to that was, “Boy, not today.”

I can’t think of a worse time for comedy.  Everybody has to be so sensitive, no one can ever be offended ever again.  The slightest slight can label you a racist.  The most innocent physical description can brand you as body shaming or sexist or objectifying.   

I showed my 5 year-old granddaughter, ALADDIN on Disney + and it now comes with a long disclaimer warning of all the horrible callous racist things this cartoon contains.  We’re not talking BIRTH OF A NATION.  We’re not talking AMOS & ANDY.  This is ALADDIN with Robin Williams.  What once was whimsy is now “inappropriate.”   But I guess not inappropriate enough since Disney still has the stage version and is raking in money hand over fist. 

On my podcast, Joe Buck asked if I still do award show reviews?  The answer is no. How do you do a snarky review when you can’t make fun of anyone’s appearance?  When you can’t make fun of any of the addled celebrity presenters?   If one of the red carpet commentators happens to be BIPOC you can’t point out any moronic thing he might say.  Even if you just transcribe word for word his idiotic question or comment you’re still a racist.   So why review them anymore?  Who needs the pushback and outrage over… well, nothing?  

Not to mention how a slightly insensitive joke or Tweet from 25 years ago can now get you fired. 

I look at the wondrous body of work we have from Mel Brooks and how today he couldn’t make any of his movies.  None.  He fearlessly made fun of everything.  He had free license to take his imagination to the farthest limit.   What young Mel Brooks is self-censoring himself today?  Or not even bothering?  

It’s not a matter of sensitivity.  It’s a matter of lightening up.  The world would be a better place if we laughed more.  Especially now.  And it wouldn’t necessarily be at the expense of embracing other cultures.   As they say to the refs in the NBA:  “Just let the boys play.” 

I miss Jerry

It began locally in New York in 1966.  THE JERRY LEWIS LABOR DAY TELETHON.  They raised over a million that first year, which is phenomenal.   Eventually it went national and shifted to Las Vegas.  Jerry called upon his show business friends to perform and the telethon really became a “thing.”  Frank Sinatra got Dean Martin to go on one year and reunite with Jerry.  Norm Crosby seemed to appear every hour. 

It was the great annual cheese event — primarily because Jerry became so supercilious and maudlin.  The best part was his treacly introductions, his oozing faux sincerity. Every performer was an “incredible human being and true humanitarian.”  Every artist was “gifted,” “irreplaceable,” “a genius,” “a giant,” “a legend.”  Norm Crosby, a genius? 

Sadly, the telethon eventually ended (as did Jerry some years later).  And I really miss it.  For kitsch there was nothing like it.  Jerry singing “Rock a Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody” towards the end of each show as if that were a big fucking deal.   And there was sidekick, Ed McMahon to chortle uproariously at everything Jerry did.  The amazing genius performers at 7 AM on Labor Day were usually dog acts from Circus Circus.   The big guns came later in the afternoon.  I don’t think Frank Sinatra was ever up before noon (unless he heard the woman’s husband coming home unexpectedly).

But the thing I miss most is THE JERRY LEWIS TELETHON was a shared national event.  And we have so few of those left.  

Labor Day is always bittersweet.  It marks the end of summer but the return of pumpkin-spiced Starbucks latte. 

Happy Labor Day.  Jerry, wherever you are, don’t go changin’.  Lunch sometime? Awesome.  I’ll have my people call your people, unless you don’t have people, in which I’d be happy to loan you some of mine.

Happy Labor Day, everybody.

Weekend Post

 I once related the story of my partner and I attending an awards ceremony looking like idiots in matching brown tuxedos and peach ruffled shirts. But that is not to suggest that I don't normally dress extremely well. In fact, I was in GQ.

No. Really.

Honest.

I’m serious.

Somehow GQ magazine got wind of my going off to Syracuse in 1988 to announce minor league baseball. They decided to do an article about me. My wife is still laughing. “You in GQ?”

I did the phone interview with Ron Powers who wrote the piece. Then I got a call from their photographer. They wanted to take pictures of me that Friday at a local baseball stadium. I said fine. The photographer then wanted to know what I’d be wearing. I said I didn’t know. This was only Monday and my mom usually doesn’t pick out my clothes until the night before. He asked my measurements and said he would bring something. Now I was a little pissed off. Just because I was a writer did he automatically assume I was a schlump? I can't believe he saw me on DON KIRSCHNER'S ROCK AWARDS. I told him I would bring my own wardrobe. Obviously his concern was not assuaged. He asked if I’d bring a selection.

I’m the same height and size as Ted Danson. The next day I went to the CHEERS wardrobe guy and asked if I could borrow some Sam Malone shirts and slacks.

Friday afternoon I hooked up with the photographer. I think I was wearing a torn t-shirt. There was already a lump in his throat. I opened my trunk and let him examine my selection. The accompanying picture is a well...an approximation. His eyes almost popped out. “Jesus, this is great stuff!” he said, astonished. “Any one of these would be perfect.” “Well YEAH,” I said as if it couldn't be more obvious. “It might surprise you to learn that most television writers are total fashion hounds. Much of the time in writers rooms is spent discussing men’s haberdashery.”

I accepted his apology and hoped that he had a new respect for how writers really felt about wardrobe.

He went off to set up his camera while I put one of the shirts on, glad that he didn’t see the “Property of Paramount Pictures” tag that was still on the sleeve.

The article came out August 1988. I see my shirt all the time in reruns.

Friday Questions

And we are now in September already.  Yikes.  Here are questions from vaccinated readers.  What’s yours?

Stephen Cudmore is up first.

MASH had a lot of anachronisms in it, like Radar doing an impression of John Wayne from McClintock. Were these goofs, or at some point did the writers decide they were okay with the show not being set in any particular decade?

I would say that 90% of the goofs, mostly anachronisms, were unintentional.  Here's one you may not know:  In our first episode, OUT OF SIGHT/OUT OF MIND in the tag if you look closely, you’ll see one of the nurses is reading the paperback of JAWS.  

But it was tough since the show lasted 11 years and the war lasted 2.  Trying to keep a timeline was impossible.  And later in the run they did an episode that all took place over one the course of one year and the completely obliterated any timeline and the existence of Trapper, Henry, and Frank. I wasn’t with the show then.  

B Smith asks:

Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough, but I've yet to see a film or TV show that acknowledges the COVID-19 pandemic (never gets mentioned, no-one wears a mask, no restrictions or anti-vaxxers). Given that it's probably not going to disappear miraculously, do you think films and TV set in the present day ought to?

There are shows that deal with it.  Two, off the top of my head, are THE GOOD FIGHT and BULL.  I’m sure my astute readers will have other examples.

It’s a tricky dance. You want to be true to the real world, but audiences don’t like seeing it.  And I think when the idiots finally get vaccinated and this goes away (years later than it should with much more hardship that could have been avoided), there will be no nostalgia for this period.  Viewers won’t want to be reminded of it.   So for a show to dwell on the current situation does so with the understanding that their shelf life might be limited.  

How I would handle it?  It truly would depend on the show and how necessary it was to deal with the pandemic.   Bring back MASH.

From MikeN:

Why are Cheers and Frasier on Paramount instead of Peacock?

Because the shows are Paramount shows and they’re owned by Viacom, which owns CBS and Paramount +.  Although those shows aired originally on NBC, they have no hold on them and so Peacock is out of luck.  

It’s one of the main reasons why networks wanted to own their own shows.   Peacock would love to have FRIENDS.  But they’re owned by Warner Brothers so HBO Max is their home.  

And finally, Darwin's Ghost has a question about the JEOPARDY host opening.

Serious question, Ken. Why don't you audition? You've got tons of presenting experience, you're funny, and you know the show inside out. And the only thing anyone could dig up from the past is Mannequin 2, and that wasn't your fault.

Call your agent to get on it Monday morning!

Thank you for your faith in me.  I think they’re looking for someone a little younger and someone who has an actual name that people know. 

But when Vanna White retires…

EP240: Name Dropping Theater

Ken drops names and tells stories about various celebrities he has encountered. Along with some tips for those who come to LA hoping to spot stars.

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

Listen to the Hollywood & Levine podcast!

Ed Asner & Misc-takes

In no order of importance except for the first item.

I loved Ed Asner and had the pleasure of working with him three times.  I directed him twice and he graciously did a play reading of mine (see above photo).  He was a total mensch, a pleasure to work with, and had a wicked sense of humor.  The last time I saw him was just before the pandemic at another memorial and in a room filled with comedy writers he was the funniest.  I didn’t write a full tribute because I really didn’t know him all that well.  Usually, I like to share some personal stories and provide a perspective you won't find elsewhere.  But in this case, I’d just be repeating what everyone else said.  Suffice it to say, he lived a good long life and spread joy and humanity wherever he went.  I don’t know about your Facebook news feed, but mine is filled with people who all had their pictures taken with Ed. I think in 91 years he met everybody in show business.  And they all loved him.

Get vaccinated.

My heart goes out to everyone affected by Hurricane Ida.  It’s times like this you put aside politics.

Get vaccinated.

Interesting how the Mets players are turning on the fans.  And Mets fans are pussycats compared to Red Sox and Phillies fans.  

Get vaccinated.

Big shocker that Mike Richards was fired as Executive Producer of JEOPARDY and WHEEL OF FORTUNE.  I’m now waiting for the axe to fall on some of the Sony executives who let this whole fiasco happen.  

Get vaccinated.

In a new poll the Dodgers are now the most hated team in baseball.  Take that Yankees! LA rules!

Get vaccinated.

Who bets on NFL pre-season games?  Good luck with that.  

Get vaccinated.

Elaine Welteroth exits THE TALK.  Who is Elaine Welteroth? 

Get vaccinated.

Hey, the network Fall Season is about to begin!!!!  Yawn.

Get vaccinated.  

When you and your friends discuss series you’re currently watching, how many of them are broadcast network shows?  I’m guessing none.

How many idiot “COVID-is-a-hoax/anti vaxer/anti mask” radio talk show hosts have to die of COVID before people wise up?  So far, four.  

Get… you know the rest. 

The stages of watching a new show

These are the stages I go through to watch a limited series on cable or a streaming channel.  Is this just me or do you follow this basic pattern too?  

First off, there are so many shows on so many platforms I just wait for people to recommend a new show.  And of course it has to be on a platform that I can get.  

Reading subtitles off of TV is too annoying.  If it’s a foreign show I need it to be dubbed.  This can be problematic, especially if the show is Danish and everyone speaks in a Welsh accent.  That said, if the show is good I stick it out.  

I sit down and watch the first episode.  I realize it’s a first episode and they’re setting things up so I give it a certain amount of space.  Better episodes are likely coming.  But if I’m bored out of my mind, or find I just don’t like the subject matter, or hate all the characters then it’s one and done.  

When the pilot is over I ask myself whether I want to see episode two? In a few rare cases I fall in love with the series right from the get-go and I am all in.  But for most I’ll be saying, “Well, it’s kinda interesting,” “It’s sort of funny,” “I like the cast,” or “There’s gratuitous nudity” and decide to watch episode two.

Same question for episode three.  Am I getting sucked in?  Is it getting better?  Is it starting to make sense?  Has this comedy made me laugh once?

But generally after episode three comes the BIG decision.  Because here is where I either get off the train and stick it out till the end.  

And if I’m still in, there’s one more question: It’s 11:30 PM.  I’ve got to get up early the next morning.  An episode ends. Do I watch one more?   If the answer is yes, then THAT’S a series I love.   Most series  I can cheerfully watch an episode a night, but when I’m totally engrossed I have to burn through it.  Those are the shows I tell others about so they can go through the same line of questions. 

CHEERS to the jokes we didn't use

I saw a CHEERS episode recently (no, it wasn’t one we wrote) and noticed a certain joke was missing.  Not worth telling you the joke; you’d have to know the context.  But it was probably cut in syndication so they could squeeze in more reverse mortgage ads.  

But it got me to thinking.  There were so many jokes over the course of a season of CHEERS that never made it to air.  Not because they were bad (well some of them were), but because the story shifted or time constraints or we just thought of better ones.  

Let’s take a typical episode.  The writer works with the staff to lay out the story.  Along the way the staff pitches possible jokes. These are transcribed and the writer may use them when writing his outline.  He uses a few, meaning a bunch are washed ashore.  He writes alternate and new jokes.

He meets with the staff again to get notes on the outline.  More jokes are offered.  Sometimes the decision is made to change whole chunks of the story.  So all the jokes in the discarded chunks now don’t apply.  

The writer composes the first draft, adding a lot of new jokes along the way.  He gets notes, more jokes are cut, new story elements are introduced and other jokes are left by the side of the road.  

Once the writer turns in his second draft it goes to the staff for the rewrite.  Scripts can change from 10-100%.  Jokes and sometimes whole storylines are thrown out.  

Once the script goes into production, there are table readings or run-throughs every day and those require rewrites.  More jokes crash and burn.  

The show is filmed and generally is too long.  Editing eliminates even more jokes, sometimes really good jokes, but you never want to sacrifice story for jokes.  

And then there’s editing for syndication.

Now imagine this happening 25 times a season.  That’s a shit-ton of jokes that never make it to air.  But we always considered that was part of the job.  To be on staff you had to be prolific.  It’s not like a comic strip where you’re required to come up with seven jokes a week.  If you were on a staff of CHEERS (and this goes for most sitcoms I’m sure), you needed to churn out seven jokes every twenty minutes.  It can be a grind, but boy, you laugh a lot.  The jokes just keep coming.  If you've got to spend twelve hours a day in a room, there are worse ones I can think of.

Happy Birthday, Annie!

Today is my lovely daughter, Annie's birthday.   She and her husband, Jonathan, are comedy writers, currently Co-Executive Producers of THE UPSHAWS on Netflix.  I thought to celebrate her birthday I would re-post an essay she and Jon wrote for this blog in 2013 about another birthday and the charming gift she received.  I think she entered the right field.  Happy Birthday, Annie.  I love you.

Everyone likes to think their coworkers respect them…

Mine bought me a Groupon to a pole dancing class for my birthday. (Based on the average age of my coworkers, I chose to take this as a sign of admiration for my functional hips.)

I didn't plan to actually use the thing until my dad demanded I do a blog post about it. Most parents tend to discourage their children entering the world of erotic dancing. Mine bought me kneepads and offered to drive.

I'm lucky to have found the place at all. There was no sign out front, no mention on any directory, absolutely no distinguishing marks of any kind. Areola 51.

I finally discovered the way in and was rewarded for my perseverance with a dimly lit studio whose windows were blacked out by feather boas. It was like stumbling into RuPaul's doomsday bunker.

The class was called Pole Diva (Level 1) and the teacher was a pocket-sized Latina woman who kept criticizing everybody's "sexy pushups."

For the uninitiated, "sexy pushups" are when you caress your body before Shamu sliding along the hardwood and pulling yourself back up. Making sure to rub your hips again for good measure. Based on how my classmates looked doing them, I think "sexy pushup" is meant to be one of those ironic terms like "FOX comedy."

Not that everyone was bad at it. The woman in front of me was clearly the star pupil, and by the end of class even I was throwing her a few singles.

The humiliation of the "sexy pushup" (thoughtfully enhanced by the floor to ceiling mirrors we performed in front of) finally came to an end. It was time to strap on our kneepads (thanks again, Dad!) and pick our pole.

They offered us bottles of alcohol to disinfect the poles before use. I requested penicillin.

We learned a few different spins over the course of the hour. They all had fun names like "the sunburst" and "the firefly." Each one a new way to wind up with my ass on the floor and legs spread wide. The actual spinning was fun, though, until my teacher scolded me for yelling, "Wheeee!"

A large part of pole dancing seems to be walking around the pole, doing a sort of Igor foot drag. I pictured Martha Graham spinning in her grave every time this was referred to as choreography.

By the end of class, I was so black and blue my dancer name would have been Hematoma. (In actuality, I would choose something a little more exotic if I ever entered the profession. Right now the top candidate is Treif Magnifique.)

The staff knew most of us were only in it for the one class. Still, they kept pressuring us to come back. On our way out, they made sure we knew that they were available for parties. I'm still not clear if they were talking about the studio or the instructors.

I'm sure if I kept at it, I could graduate to Pole Vixen (Level 2). I would love to see that ceremony. No gowns or mortarboards; just the tassels.

That said, I think it's safe to say pole dancing is not going to be added to my list of hobbies. I'd much rather bake the cake than jump out of it.

Weekend Post

I've told this story before.  But it's one of my favorites.  

It wasn’t a long meeting. But it was memorable.

Winter 1973. I’m an engineer at KABC and KLOS radio in Los Angeles. Essentially I worked as a board op for KLOS. That meant I played the records and commercials. Union rules prohibited the disc jockeys from doing anything other than turning on and off their microphoness. Oh, and they could talk. They got that concession.

It was a cool job. KLOS played what today we call “classic rock.” Album cuts and Layla. I loved the music and the jocks were all terrific dudes. I’m still friends with Jim Ladd, Marc Driscoll, and Dion Jackson from that talented staff.

Occasionally I would have to go across the hall and handle KABC talk shows. That was fun too. Talk radio in those days welcomed different points of view, not just one. Imagine such a concept – a balance of ideas. I know. It was crazy.

I’m working one Saturday night on KLOS. I’m on my break. It’s about 9:45. The 10:00 KABC talk show host was Elliott Mintz. There was a long hallway at KABC/KLOS that led to the side entrance. I step out of our studio and happen to glance down the hallway. Holy shit! There’s John Lennon and Yoko Ono buzzing to be let in. They were Elliott’s scheduled guests. ( Elliott is still Yoko’s publicist, by the way.)

I duck my head into the KABC control room and say I’ll get them. Then I barrel down the hall and usher them in. I introduce myself and shake hands with them both. Yoko’s handshake is firmer than John’s.

He’s wearing a blue jean shirt and khakis. She’s wearing a huge black fur that must weigh sixty pounds.

I’ve got about twenty seconds alone with John & Yoko as I lead them down this long hall. What do you say to them?

At the time there was a very popular album by the National Lampoon that featured a very funny send-up of John called “Magical Misery Tour.” In that song he’s forever yelling, “I’m a fuckin’ genius!”

I don’t know what possessed me but I say to John, “So… what’s it like being a fuckin’ genius?” Without breaking stride he gives me a big grin and says, “Pretty nice, actually!”

That was it. We arrive at the studio and Elliott takes it from there. I couldn’t even hang back to watch the interview. I was due back at KLOS at 10:00.

But it brings up an interesting question. If you get to meet someone you idolize and you have time to ask him just one thing, what would it be? I’m sure had I known in advance that I would be meeting John I would have prepared something a little less – how should I say it? – obnoxious, but I just had the sense he would take the question in the spirit it was asked and in fact he did.

I didn’t have time to ask Yoko a question. Which is probably good. I don’t think she would have seen the whimsy in “What dead animal is that?”

So there’s my twenty second brush with greatness… and his wife.

Here's Magical Misery Tour.

 

 

Friday Questions

If you’re vaccinated I’d love to answer your Friday Question.  Here are this week’s:

Brandon in Virginia starts us off.

In watching a lot of MeTV over the years, I noticed Paramount and MTM used supporting cast members or character actors on other shows a lot. Off the top of my head, Tom Hanks did Taxi, Happy Days, and Family Ties a few months after Bosom Buddies's cancellation. Another is Christopher Lloyd as an artist on Cheers.

Were actors simply kept in a "database" for different shows, or did producers keep actors like Tom in mind, since they were probably on the same soundstage at Paramount?

Not so much a database as the writers from all those various shows knowing each other.  We all had a pipeline and would pass along names of actors who worked out well for us.  

We also admired each other’s shows so watched them ourselves.  And we’d make note of a guest actor who really impressed us.

In the case of Christopher Lloyd doing CHEERS, the Charles Brothers and Jimmy all worked on TAXI and knew him.  So, in that case, they just picked up the phone.  

From Call Me Mike:

After recently watching a "very special episode" of WKRP in Cincinnati, "In Concert," which addressed the Who concert disaster of 1979 and the dangers of festival seating, I realized Cheers never really did an issue episode such as that. Were you ever asked to write one? Did the network ever push for it?

CHEERS was not an issue-oriented show.  I guess you could say “Boys in the Bar” was an issue episode, but we made no big deal of it.  

We were more interested in relationships.  Besides, there was Normal Lear to do all the issue shows.  It’s not like we needed to fill a void.  

To their credit, NBC never pressed us.  In fact, they totally left us alone in regards to stories.  And in those days, stories did not have to be approved by the network.

Those “very special episodes” always sounded incredibly pretentious to me.  And most of the time it was the networks who branded these episodes as “special,” not the show runner.  

Kyle Burress asks:

During the course of your career what actor/actress that you worked with surprised you the most by their performance? Who far exceeded your expectations? On a similar note, who do you think grew and developed the most over the course of time that you worked with them?  

We knew Nancy Travis was good but were blown away by how spectacular she was.  

The actress who developed the most would be Kirstie Alley, but part of that was our fault.  As originally conceived, “Rebecca Howe” was a martinet.  It was only when we discovered she was funny when she was a mental wreck that her character really took off. And she just got better and better.  

And finally, from Puck:

What is the most egregious unprofessional behavior you've seen from an actor, both a regular and guest star? How did you as a writer/showrunner/director deal with those kinds of situations?

Hard to top this one.  On CHEERS a guest actor freaked out after the dress rehearsal, got in his car, drove off the lot, and never came back for the filming.   I don’t have to tell you that was the last TV acting gig he ever got.  Remember that pipeline?

We recast the role and filmed those scenes the following week. 

EP239: Beware of Agents!

Ken has had some “unpleasant" encounters with Hollywood agents. Not many, but enough to fill an entertaining episode of dish.

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

Listen to the Hollywood & Levine podcast!

Misc - Takes

In no order of importance…

Since Pfizer has been fully approved by the FDA you now need to be vaccinated to read this blog.  

Hey, it’s football season again.  Quick!  Name the team that lost this year’s Super Bowl.  

THE HISTORY OF THE SITCOM is mercifully over.  Preston Beckman, who was a network executive for over 25 years, including many moons at NBC where he did the scheduling during the Must-See TV era, wrote a dead-on review of THE HISTORY OF THE SITCOM in his blog.  Check it out.   Hint: He hated it even more than I did... and I didn't think that was possible. 

As if things aren’t scary enough in the world comes this headline from the CNN website:  McDonalds runs out of milkshakes in the UK.  

Just give the damn JEOPARDY hosting job to Mayim and be done with it.  

Joe Buck got one of the highest ratings of guest hosts.  I’d like to think it’s due to my podcast.  (Okay, I’m the only one thinking that.)

Preston Beckman was also on my podcast, if you’re interested.  

THE HISTORY OF THE SITCOM considered EIGHT IS ENOUGH as a situation comedy.  If so, then PETTICOAT JUNCTION was a gripping drama.

It’s a seller’s market if you got a late model car to unload.  

I’m still waiting for the movie to come out that would get me back into a movie theatre.  

Remember when “Pennant Races” were the thing to watch once you got to the Dog Days of Summer?  Now they’re meh because the team that just falls short gets into the playoffs anyway.  So the real drama comes in the Wild Card races.  And this year’s American League Wild Card chase is the fun thing to follow.  Interesting stat: The Mariners have a run differential of -60 and yet are only 3 games back.  

It used to be just billboards for TV shows vying for Emmys.  “For Your Consideration” billboards dotted the LA landscape.  And now, in addition, there are actual commercials on local stations pleading for your votes.  

Now I know why Andrew Cuomo was so reluctant to give up his office as NY governor — The TV Academy has rescinded his International Emmy.  

Waited an hour for my food at Baltaire in Brentwood, California Tuesday night.  Meanwhile, one of the women from FBOY ISLAND was at the next table and got free champagne.  Her food came right away and she didn’t eat a bite of it.  Why didn’t they screw up her order instead?  

Every time I do these “Misc-Take” posts, they’re a tribute to the great Allan Mallamud of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner and later the Times.  

Since Dexter is coming back and was set in Florida, could he stop by the governor’s office?

The comments from yesterday’s post make it very clear — folks are quite content to miss shows, even if they’re good, if it means paying for too many services.  Streaming services are beginning to remind me of radio in the past.  If you were on a station with a strong signal (ie Netflix) people paid attention.  If you were on a station with a weaker signal (ie Paramount +) you were talking to yourself no matter how good the product.  

What I don’t understand is why Paramount + doesn’t show ALMOST PERFECT.  They own it and it’s 34 episodes.  And it's not like they've got a super great library anyway.

The hurricane couldn’t wait until Barry Manilow finished his song?  

Get vaccinated! 

THE GOOD FIGHT deserves better

For some reason, some shows never get the recognition (i.e. Emmy love) that they deserve.  One such show is THE GOOD FIGHT on Paramount +.  One reason may be that it’s on Paramount +.  If it were on Netflix or HBO Max there would be more subscribers to watch it.  Unless you're one of those people who've signed up for five or six platforms I imagine you don't subscribe to Paramount + (or Peacock).

Not to take anything away from other very excellent dramas, and because of all the platforms there is a plethora of them, but THE GOOD FIGHT seems left out of the conversation when Emmy noms are handed out.   

It’s just not in the Zeitgest, which is a little odd because I can’t think of a recent drama that references the current politics and news events as much as THE GOOD FIGHT does.  From the election to insurrection, cancel culture, inclusion, pandemic — they’re all addressed but in a human way that illustrates just how these events affect us personally.  

Episode 4 of the new season is a whole take down on how overly sensitive we are to jokes.  Among the many jokes presented, as a throwaway, was Selena Gomez and her kidney transplant.  And wouldn't you know, Selena Gomez was outraged and Twitter blew up.  See tomorrow's post when I touch more on this topic.

As for this season, I will say I miss Delroy Lindo and Cush Jumbo who left this season, but new addition Mandy Patinkin is a hoot, and Sarah Steele “steals” the show.  

The storylines are always compelling, they take big swings at the plate, and the dashes of humor are generally laugh-out-loud funny.  There are creative touches including animation and songs. They somehow manage to combine stark realism with utter absurdity.   For my money it’s the best written drama on whatever is considered television these days.  

THE GOOD FIGHT has everything but buzz.  And I guess you need that more than anything else.  Too bad they didn't set the show in Hawaii. 

"Do not try this at home."

Needless to say I received lots of comments on my weekend post about Mike Richards.  The cancel culture will actually be the recurring theme in these next few posts.  

Yes, the things Richards said in those podcast episodes were offensive.  But I have a theory I’ve yet to see mentioned anywhere else.  

People say stupid things when they try to be funny and they’re inherently not funny.  And that includes racist remarks and sexist remarks.  

They hear Howard Stern pull it off, or Don Rickles, or Richard Pryor and they think they can too.   But they can’t.  

And let’s be honest, sexist, racist jokes are easy.  Instead of displaying real wit they go after easy targets.  

We all know these people.  They’re the insufferable ones we run from at parties, usually after a few drinks (post 9:00 PM).  Women must get this a lot; nimrods trying to impress them with their dazzling sense of humor.  Inappropriate lines just spew out.  

But at least they’re not broadcasting.

When you go on a podcast you are not only broadcasting, you’re broadcasting to the entire world.  And unlike radio where you say something once and it’s gone in the ether, podcast content remains, sometimes forever.   

Same is true for posting on Facebook or Twitter or any social media site.  You may think just three of your friends are seeing your Tweet but that’s always the case.  It’s a form of broadcasting.  

Especially now, that we’re all so hyper sensitive, we all have to be careful and exhibit good judgement, and that could be a problem for unfunny people who think they’re funny because their judgement is already cloudy.   Leave the comedy to the pros.  

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Weekend Post

So the Mike Richards era of hosting JEOPARDY is over.  That lasted… one day of taping.  My question is who vets these guys?  If websites are able to turn up this info, why can’t Sony put a few drones on the case to check out someone’s background before you give him the keys to your Rolls Royce and say, “Sure, go off-roading”?    It’s just nuts.

So the show goes a whole year with guest hosts, some painful like Dr. Oz, getting the audience all stirred up.  And it ends like this. 

All along it was a Faustian contract because all the attention you get from the on-air audition process comes back to bite you when you ultimately make a decision and 50% or 70% of your fans are pissed because they wanted someone else.   Like I said last week, had they just installed a new host after Alex died there would have been an adjustment period and eventually the new guy would just be “the guy.”  

TV networks used to air all their failed pilots in the summer.  They had paid for them and this allowed them to recoup something while filling summer space.   We in the industry used to call it “Failure Theatre.”  One of the reasons networks discontinued the practice was people were complaining that the failed pilots were better than the shows they picked up.  Networks learned not to air their dirty laundry.

So now we get more guest hosts.  Here are my suggestions, Sony:  OJ Simpson, Bill Cosby, Andrew Cuomo, and R Kelly. 

Good luck Sony, when Pat Sajak leaves WHEEL OF FORTUNE.  Maybe Harvey Weinstein could be let out for a work program? 

Friday Questions

Working our way through August FQ’s.  You have to be vaccinated to submit one. 

UPDATE:  I will discuss the Mike Richards one-day fall from grace for my weekend post. Stay tuned. 

Chris Dahl gets us started.

I was reading a blog other than your own (hard to believe, but I do read other blogs) and in the comments section of this different blog a conversation evolved around the timing of episode releases.  Netflix is famous for dropping entire seasons at once to allow for bingeing and initially people seem to have enjoyed this. It was almost a selling point for the streaming services.

But it seems a trend is starting, at least on Disney+, to now drop new series episodes weekly just like in the good old network TV days.  The argument is that it retains the best of both worlds, allowing excitement/buzz to build over a period of time promoting the series while also allowing newcomers to catch up and join the fun.  Thoughts or comments?

I can see advantages to both.  It’s very appealing to have viewers return every week instead of one time only for an extended period of time.  Once someone is on your site they’re more apt to see what else they offer and stay longer.  But there is an additional burden placed on these shows.  Are they compelling enough that viewers are willing to wait a week to watch a new episode?   Especially when so many show are dropped in batches.  

The advantage of dropping a whole series at once is that it’s something only streamers can do.  Broadcast and cable networks can’t compete with that.  And viewing habits have changed.  With so much product out there it’s nice to find a show you like and immerse yourself in it for two or three nights then move onto something different when it concludes.  

What I find interesting about binge-watching is this:  According to viewer research, people will re-binge shows they like — occasionally multiple times.  I guess it’s like hearing your favorite song over and over except the song is ten hours long.

From Rory W:

When you were a baseball announcer, did you get approached to do local radio or TV ads?

I was listening to the radio broadcast of my hometown Cleveland baseball team when Jim "Rosie" Rosenhaus did an ad for Rose Pest Control and was wondering how sponsors approach announcers?

Do you just get a random call from someone saying, "Hey, do you want to do an ad for Neverwet Basement Waterproofing in Syracuse, NY?"

I did a couple of ads when I was with the Orioles in Baltimore.   I was the voice of some Lexus dealer (for which I was given a new Lexus to drive during the season), and my partner,  Jon Miller and I went to Washington DC to record spots for Food Giant or some market in the region.  The car dealer just called me.  He probably did that a lot — free spokesman for a loaner car (and for me, free car for an hour’s recording), and Jon got the call for the market.

I never had an agent.  In the case of the Lexus dealer, the agent’s commission would be what, the trunk?

Steve McLean has a two-part question.

I recently heard an interview with actor/director Peter Bonerz who said, "I always made the argument for the laugh track...sitting at home you become part of a larger audience." (Interesting since he is probably best known for his role on 'The Bob Newhart Show' which did not have one.)

THE BOB NEWHART SHOW did use a laugh-track to supplement the live studio audience.

That’s the network's rationale for the laugh-track.  When you go to a theatre the laughter is a shared experience and can be contagious.  But just sitting at home alone things might not seem as funny.   That’s the theory, but I think it’s bullshit.  Hearing real audience laughter is one thing.  Hearing fake laughter is insulting.  As a viewer I resent being “told” when something is funny.  Let me decide on my own.  

And the second point I'm interested in your thoughts on, Peter said that when directing later sitcoms, "The audiences come in so hot, they have been warmed up to such a degree, that they overlaugh the show. They literally laugh at anything.”

He’s absolutely right.  Audiences of hit sitcoms come in so primed to laugh because they love these characters and are so excited to be there.  

On CHEERS we really had to fight against that.  We knew that certain laughs the last couple of seasons were not earned.  We made a conscious decision to ignore that and keep our standards high because we knew the show was going into syndication, and that after a few years new viewers would join and hold the show to its highest quality.   

A hit show can be a trap the last few “beloved” years.  And it’s easy to let down knowing you’re still going to get huge laughs.   We took enormous pride in our work, and I believe it’s one of the reasons CHEERS still holds up so well today.

What’s your Friday Question?  Again, you must be vaxxed. 

EP238: Attending movie screenings

Industry people in Hollywood don’t go to movies, they go to private screenings. This week Ken’s describes his screening adventures. Lots of inside info and laughs along the way.

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Leave BEWITCHED alone

I made the mistake of watching THE HISTORY OF THE SITCOM Sunday night on CNN.  I’m like Charlie Brown with the football.  Every chapter pisses me off.  It’s not a history of an art form; it’s a condemnation of television for not being more inclusive.  It's taking TV to task for things it didn't do 50 years ago.  No matter what the topic they find a way to sledge hammer home that agenda.  Oliver Stone is more subtle.  

This week’s topic was “the outsider” in sitcoms.  And metaphorically space aliens were immigrants, and the Munsters were “that family” no one wanted to move to their neighborhood.   

At one point they turned their scorn towards BEWITCHED.  Darrin insisted that Samantha not use her magic.  The strong message that the producers were sending here, of course, is that men stifle women and prevent them from realizing their full potential.  Sneaky, those producers.  

Of course, at the time there were enough domestic sitcoms where the husband clearly didn’t want his wife to work and blatantly said so.  No metaphor was needed.  From I LOVE LUCY to THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW and every DONNA REED SHOW in between, you had that scenario play out.  (OZZIE & HARRIET took things one step farther — neither Ozzie nor Harriet worked.)  

But how about this as an alternate reason why Darrin wanted Sam to not use her magic?  Without that element there is no show.  

If Sam can use her magic at will, where’s the conflict?  Any problem can be solved with a wiggle of the nose.  Darrin has a good reason for keeping her identity a secret.  It’s the same reason all superheroes have.  If word got out she was a witch who could perform magic there would be a line two miles long to her front door of people asking for help.  Any semblance of a normal life would be obliterated.  

Some women say they wish she used her powers more.  I wished Superman flew more and there was less Clark Kent.  But that's the necessary dynamic of the show. 

Oh, and someone having to hold back behavior that is very tempting is a recipe for comedy.  Remember comedy?  

They give Sam a mother who hates Darrin for this, which also is a springboard for conflict and comedy.  There have been many husband vs. mother-in-law shows, but this has the twist that the mother-in-law can turn him into a toad.  

BEWITCHED began as a spin on a romantic comedy.  It became silly and cartoonish, but we’re talking the original conception (back when the producers were “plotting their social injustice storyline”).   But if you go back to the pilot, Samanta herself withheld the information that she was a witch until Darrin had fallen in love with her.  Why?  Well, this is another point THE HISTORY OF THE SITCOM overlooked (because it goes against their theory): Samantha wanted Darrin to love her for who she was, not because she was a witch with magic powers.  So there was a part of Sam that was on board with not turning their Chevy into a Rolls Royce.  

Another point:  At the end of the day when did Samantha not do what she wanted to do?   And when did Darrin really put his foot down?  

The premise gave Elizabeth Montgomery a lot to play.  She had to harness her magic, find other solutions to problems (like real people do), and she was caught in the middle between her husband and her mother.  Keeping her identity secret was also a challenge.  Sam had to contend with Mrs. Kravitz, the nosy neighbor.  These dynamics all created laughs.  

Oh, and one other point that went by so quick I missed it, but THE HISTORY OF THE SITCOM equated Endora’s wardrobe to the drag culture.  But that’s what you get when the so-called experts are TV critics or authors of fan books.  The real experts — William Asher, Sol Saks, Danny Arnold, Elizabeth Montgomery — are sadly no longer with us.  I bet they’d give you a very different explanation for how BEWITCHED came to be and what it set out to achieve.  

But what do you expect from a history of sitcoms that claims that WHO'S THE BOSS? was a groundbreaking show? 

Bonnie Franklin

A recent Friday question prompted this post -- one I’m delighted to share.

kitano0 asked:

I thought Bonnie Franklin was so cute during One Day at a Time. Ken, can you tell us more about her?

We used Bonnie on two episodes of ALMOST PERFECT, playing the mother of Kim’s (Nancy Travis) boyfriend (Kevin Kilner).  

She was an absolute delight.  I was also lucky enough to direct those episodes (okay, full disclosure, I assigned them to myself).  

But Bonnie was the consummate professional with a fun positive attitude.  Her character disliked Nancy’s character at the beginning and eventually comes to appreciate her.  So she had a real arc to play.   There’s a long scene where the two are stuck together in an elevator and with cameras rolling before a studio audience they both nailed it in one take.  

She was also a good sport because the actor hired to play her husband broke his contract and took a pilot after filming the first half of our two-parter.  Yes, he was an asshole and so were his agents.  (That’s a whole ‘other story.)   So to film his later scenes we had to shoot out of order on different days and Bonnie accommodated us (which was not in her contract).  

A few years later I put together a reading of a screenplay I had written.  I got Bonnie to graciously play one of the parts.  She was absolutely hilarious and it was a very different character than you’ve ever seen her play.  

Her character had the world's foulest mouth, and hearing those words come out of Bonnie Franklin was a riot.  One of my writer friends who attended said the highlight was seeing Bonnie Franklin swear.  

She left us too soon.  I loved Bonnie Franklin.