Wednesday, November 11, 2009

In memory of David Lloyd

In the famous “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, Lou and Murray and Sue Ann just can’t stop laughing at the absurd circumstances that led to their clown colleague’s death. At one point Murray asks why they laugh and Lou elegantly responds:

It's a release, Murray. A kind of defense mechanism. It's like whistling in a graveyard. You try to make light of something because it scares you. We laugh at death because we know death will have the last laugh on us.

The man who wrote that passed away himself this morning. David Lloyd has died after a long illness. He was a true giant in the industry and one of the major influences on our career (me and my partner, David Isaacs). Proud to say we received our first rejection letter from David Lloyd. Seven years later we would work together on CHEERS and I mentioned that to him. He was very apologetic. I think his exact words were: “Then I’m sure the script was a piece of shit.”

We wound up working with him for twenty years. Most of what I learned about rewriting and pitching in a room I learned from observing David Lloyd. There’s never been anybody like him. He was a cyclone. Once a week, on his night to consult, he’d sweep into the room (wearing his customary white shirt with red pin stripes) and completely dominate it. Always bringing positive energy, very strong opinions (about EVERYTHING), hilarious anecdotes, and the jokes that would get the best laughs in the show.

He was so bright, and so fast. The show runner would say, “We need a joke here for…” and bam! David would have it before he finished his sentence. He was awe-inspiring and I don’t mind saying – intimidating as hell! If you pitched a bad joke, duck!

So you learned to pitch good jokes. He made you better.

And room writing wasn’t even his best act. David Lloyd also wrote the best first drafts. Normally when a writer turns in a first draft the staff rewrites it to a varying degree. Not David’s. You sent his right down to the stage. When you see a David Lloyd writing credit on THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, THE TONY RANDALL SHOW, THE ASSOCIATES, RHODA, PHYLLIS, CHEERS, TAXI, FRASIER, LOU GRANT, BEST OF THE WEST, AMEN, or WINGS you are seeing his original work.

Story meetings with David were unique. Generally the staff and writer pitch out ideas and eventually cobble together a story. The writer takes extensive notes, goes home, and writes the outline. David kept no notes. Ever. Even with a million thoughts flying around. He’d come back three days later with an outline that contained every detail. Contrast that with David and me. Even taking furious notes we still taped the story meetings because invariably we would forget or miss something important. David Lloyd kept it all in his head.

And his outlines themselves were a thing to behold. No other CHEERS writer that I know could get away ending a scene by saying, “Carla says something really crass and stupid here and we move on before the audience hates her.”

David Lloyd attended Yale where he was classmates with such notables as Dick Cavett and Richard Maltby Jr.. He went on to write for Jack Paar, Dick Cavett, and the TONIGHT SHOW. Legend has it (a legend perpetuated by him) that he wanted to come out to California so he dashed off a spec MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW without ever having seen the show and he sold it. And throughout his entire sitcom career he never had an agent. He negotiated his own deals. Like I said, there was no one like him.

He had a passion for the finer things – art, literature, wine, model trains. He was the Algonquin Round Table but funnier and more caustic.

The first sitcom filming my partner and I ever attended was a MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. It just happened to be “Chuckles Bites the Dust”. We walked out of there in awe. I remember saying, “Do you think we could ever write anything that good?” and David answered, “No one can.”

He was right.

I go back to that classic funeral scene. As the preacher is delivering a eulogy Mary begins stifling laughs. The preacher spots her, asks her to stand, and says this:

You feel like laughing, don't you? Don't try to stop yourself. Go ahead. Laugh out loud. Don't you see? Nothing could have made Chuckles the happier. He lived to make people laugh. He found tears offensive. He hated to see people cry. Go ahead, my dear -- laugh.

As Mary (and everyone who ever knew and was touched by him) bursts into tears, we:

FADE OUT.

Here is a link to the script of “Chuckles Bites the Dust”. See for yourself the brilliance that was David Lloyd.

72 comments :

Mel said...

What a beautiful tribute. As I look at the list of shows David wrote for, I realize what a tremendous impact he had on our culture. "Chuckles" is still one of my all-time favorite episodes of any show -- ever.

Rob Bates said...

Huge fan of his work. Very sorry to hear.

Mel Ryane said...

An excellent tribute. This loss strikes me as both personal and nostalgic for another era in the business of comedy writing. That makes it all the more touching.

Ben in Melbourne said...

Thanks, Ken. It's showbiz vignettes like these that make your blog a must-read. Thanks for a peek into a world that would otherwise be closed to some of us.

Sorry to hear about David. Frasier and Cheers are among my all-time faves. Sorry for your loss.

Brian Scully said...

David Lloyd was such a wonderful writer and we will not see his like again. And your tribute to him was very moving, Ken. What a wonderful way to say "goodbye" to a friend... or to introduce a friend to people who may not have known his name, but knew his work.

LinGin said...

Lovely tribute to a man who gave me a lot of joy in his lifetime. Thanks, Ken.

I linked to your tribute on my Facebook page.

Kevin B said...

RIP David.

Bill Peschel said...

I'll miss him, and I didn't even know he existed. But I know his work. The shows you listed formed a big, big part of my TV watching in my childhood years and later.

John said...

I was actually in the ER of Crouse-Hines Hospital in Syrcause trying to regain control from a paranoiac drug reaction (never trust frat people you don't know) on the Saturday night this came on. Aside from being hysterical, it also ironically got my focus off checking to see that my heart was still beating (when the re-run came on towards the end of the spring semester I knew what was coming, but one of the other people on the floor of the dorm was too 'hip' to like something as 'establishment' as The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Even he had to admit 25 minutes later the episode was funny).

Pamela Pettler said...

Oh I am so sorry to hear of his passing. He was also the first person I ever wrote a fan letter to, when I was just starting out, and I plucked up my courage at the end of the letter and asked if we could have lunch (the temerity!). He had his secretary write back a nice letter concluding with " Unfortunately Mr. Lloyd makes it a policy never to have lunch with new writers because of an abiding fear they will be funnier than he is." !!! But of course no one ever was or will be. Genius. So sad that he is gone. A lovely tribute, Ken.

Barry Gold said...

It's actually occurred to me that if they made the equivalent of baseball cards for TV writers, I'd want a David Lloyd more than any other. How lucky you and all the others who worked with him were, and how lucky we viewers were to be entertained and enriched by his talent. A beautiful tribute, Ken. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Wonderful tribute. "Chuckles" may be the best sitcom episode ever. My favorite line from it Ted ad libbing on the news about Chuckles death: "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down my pants." Another loss for us baby boomers - first, Soupy Sales now this.

Chalmers said...

I'm also very sorry to hear that.

His best Taxi episode, "Elaine's Strange Triangle," was another triumph that brought a tremendous amount of humor out of a sticky social situation. (A bisexual man hitting on Tony is misinterpreted and ends up with Elaine--heady sitcom stuff for 1980.)

The script never resorts to caricature or "Three's Company" type stupidity. The four main characters (Alex, Elaine, Tony, and the guest) all come off as decent, well-meaning people, and the humor is much deeper for eschewing the cheap laugh.

I think the script note ensuring that we don't start hating Carla embodies his insistence that his characters retain their humanity.

VP81955 said...

Thank you, Ken, and thank you, David Lloyd.

"Chuckles Bites The Dust" is arguably the greatest sitcom episode ever made. It is to television comedy what Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues" is to jazz.

wv: "curchess" -- a female who curches.

Cap'n Bob said...

He was all you said, Ken, and a unique force of nature, too. We're lucky to have had the chance to enjoy his work and his genius. I'm sorry for your personal loss.

Jon Badeaux said...

I just realized another reason why you are a great writer, Ken. It's always obvious when you're speaking from the heart.

Tod Hunter said...

David Lloyd was a god. I was a credit-reader since infancy (my grandfather was a cinematographer so I got in the habit early) so I twigged to Lloyd's massive talent around the time of "Mary Tyler Moore."

My strongest memory of his mastery of his craft was in the hour-long Woody-gets-married episode of "Cheers," where we establish that Kelly's house is guarded by vicious dogs (so nobody can leave the kitchen) and at about the 45-minute point somebody opens a door and three terrified Rottweilers run in, yelping, chased by Carla.

Hilarious and driven by the character.

I remember reading a book about the "Mary Tyler Moore" show and seeing a picture of him and suddenly realizing why Murray got all the gag lines. They looked alike: bright-eyed bald guys.

Thanks for sharing memories of the guy. I always wanted to write him a fan letter but I never did.

Dammit.

Kirk said...

I'm also a lifelong credit reader, and I've seen that name on some of the finest comedies of the last 30 years.

ajm said...

Tragic news.

"David Lloyd attended Yale where he was classmates with such notables as Dick Cavett and Richard Maltby Jr."

About 25 years ago Cavett, on one of his cable talk shows, had a brilliantly funny full hour with Lloyd, Larry Gelbart and Pat McCormick as the four swapped comedy writing stories. It was one of those moments that convinced me I should try writing comedy. Now, all three of Cavett's guests are gone (and two within just two months).

I remember Lloyd said on that show that he wrote a spec script for MTM without ever having seen the show -- he simply had a family member (his wife or daughter) who was a fan of the show simply write out a flow chart plotting out all the characters on the show and their relationship to each other (e.g., Mary<--->Ted, Rhoda<--->Phyllis). Amazing.

My condolences to his family.

Rob said...

The world needs more funny people, not less, and we keep losing the good ones. 99% of the US probably doesn't know Gelbart or Lloyd, but if you mentioned their work, you'd see them smile.

Great tribute. Sorry for your loss.

VW -- Joutie -- A word that made Cary Grant stutter.

Dhppy said...

Well said, Ken. I didn't realize it, but this man has been cracking me up for most of my life.

Unknown said...

A wonderful tribute to a truly massive talent. They certainly don't make them like David Lloyd any more. Reading the script was a tremendous treat and way to remember the greatness of his work. Thank you for sharing the link.

And we can't forget perhaps the most memorable line from the most memorable MTM episode, "A Little Song, A Little Dance, A Little Seltzer Down Your Pants."

Ricky said...

Thanks for the link to the script, Ken. It is flawless!

TV Gord said...

This is the first time in my lifetime I've read the name David Lloyd and didn't immediately smile. I think I have seen just about every show he has written, and all I can think of to say tonight is...thank you.

...and "Chuckles Bites The Dust" wasn't even his best work! THAT says something!

J S Swanson said...

How sad. As you aptly point out -- the man was a Comedy God & it's a pity more people didn't have a clue who he was ( To digress - the same may be said of Larry Gelbart.) Of Lloyd's later work, Fraiser's Ham Radio episode was also a Classic. For you, his family and all of us really: May our grief be short and our sweet memories be long ___

James said...

I'm not in the business, but I'm a credit-reader and I keep track of the creative people who show up in things that I enjoy, so I recognized the name immediately.

I'm sorry to hear that he passed. I'm going to pull out a MTM Show DVD and watch one of his episodes and toast his memory.

Michael said...

David Lloyd also wrote the second-greatest funeral episode of a comedy series, "Martin Does It His Way," in the third season of "Frasier," including the great scene where Niles tries to scatter their aunt's ashes and gets them all over himself, and the chorus ends up singing a song Marty wrote. Brilliant.

And I always thought the best line in the Chuckles episode was when they talk about the rogue elephant shelling him and Murray says it's a good thing he didn't go to the parade as Billy Banana and get peeled.

Tom Quigley said...

Wonderful tribute, Ken, by someone who had the good fortune to know David as a coworker and friend. Truly sorry to hear the news about him. Can't begin to recall how many times the MTM, CHEERS and FRASIER scripts he wrote all had me in stitches, as well as more than just a little bit in awe of his brilliance as a comedy writer. I remember the FRASIER finale, where the station staff was gathered outside the studio for Frasier's last radio broadcast and you could see them through the window. A lot of the "staff" were actually production staff members who worked on FRASIER and I could pick out David to the far right of the group, as I recall. Ironically, it may have been the only time he was ever in front of the camera, despite all the many hours of entertainment he created for us. I just know that I'll turn in tonight sadder and with the feeling that the sitcom genre was much the richer for his work, and is much the poorer for his passing.

Wayne said...

He sold a Mary Tyler Moore spec he wrote without ever having seen the show? This sounds like one of those Jack Bauer is so tough jokes. And he was so fast, he wrote the entire 30 minute episode during the 2 minute commercial break of a show he was watching.

He will be missed. Nowaways shows look like they are written by people who have never seen any TV show.

Ken, you worked with both David Lloyd and Larry Gelbart. Who was quicker with a joke?

Ger Apeldoorn said...

I am sad to see David Lloyd has died. And impressed to read that you were at the taping of Chuckles Bites The Dust. I never met him, but did write him about ten year ago about Cheers. He sent me a postcard telling me he didn't much to say about it, except that the show could have gone on a couple more years if that bastard Ted Danson hadn't wanted to get out. I guess you had to hear him say it. I believe he did some of his best work on Wings. There are some scripts that tell the whole story from joke to joke. Not set-up, joke, set-up, joke, just one laughinducing line after another.

Georgyne said...

What a great tribute Ken. I never knew what a Wombat was until I met David Lloyd. I adored that man, I enjoyed working with him. We all worked with so many icons over the yaers, looking back at my years at Paramount, I am one of the luckiest girls' in the world!

Georgyne

Sérgio said...

A wonderful tribute for a fantastic writer.

Willy B. Good said...

Great memories Ken and cheers for the script link, they just don't write them like that anymore.

NC said...

Great writer, fine tribute. My condolences.

(A little typo, maybe: "Nothing could have made Chuckles the happier." I think either the "the" goes or "Clown" gets added.)

ChrisW said...

"Woody's Wedding" is my personal favorite, but I learned early on in my teen that a show with David Lloyd's name on it was usually worth watching. "Cheers", "Frasier" and "Wings" were where I started watching, but "Chuckles" is deservedly a classic as well.

Paloma said...

That's tragic news. That man was brilliant, i'm not in the bussines but being a credit-reader all my life i recognized his name at once, he's cracked me up more times than i can count. i'm so sorry.
Your tribute was beautiful Ken.

Larry C said...

I still get excited when I see a "Written by David Lloyd" credit. Last night (coincidentally, since I didn't hear of Mr. Lloyd's passing until this morning) I watched the "What Are Friends For?" episode of MTM -- that's the one where Mary and Sue Ann go to a broadcaster's convention in Chicago. Laughed my head off ... and thought, "No one else wrote scripts like this." RIP.

VP81955 said...

I am sad to see David Lloyd has died. And impressed to read that you were at the taping of "Chuckles Bites The Dust."

And Ken said that was the first such sitcom viewing he'd ever had. That's sort of like going to your first major-league ballgame and seeing a perfect game pitched.

wv: "locutan" -- what aging locusts consume to maintain good health, as advertised on the insect version of "Amateur Hour." Remember, spelled backwards it's "natucol," a patent medicine for nudists.

Anonymous said...

Great tribute. Rest in Peace David.


John

Jeff Gavin said...

I am lucky enough to own one of the working scripts for the "Chuckles Bites the Dust" episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". Great writing is created in all mediums! David Lloyd will be missed.

HLB said...

(me and my partner, David Isaacs)

I suppose the author meant to say: my partner, David Issacs, and me.

It is English we speak. And English has rules for usage, after all.

Well, at least some of us speak it.

Thanks much. HLB

Brian Q said...

Ken, long time reader, never commented before. I'm actually Tom Q's brother who posts here and who has been to the sitcom room. Nice tribute to a man that gave me many laughs including one just today that I had to tell you about. Just as I was reading your tribute to David Lloyd -a clown walks into my office. I'm not kidding - a real clown.... one of my research assistants does clowning and is doing a benefit for kids down the street from our office at Roswell Park Cancer Institute today so she came to work in full clown gear before going over to Roswell. And (timing is everything!) she actually just walked into my office as I was reading your tribute to David Lloyd. If only she had just said "a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants" I probably would have been incapacitated laughing.

All I can say is how utterly appropriate.

Tricia McKinney said...

Thanks for this post. It turns out I've been a David Lloyd fan for years and didn't realize it!

You seem like the best person to answer a question I've had for years: there's a through line from MTM to Rhoda to Cheers to Frasier of off-screen characters we never meet but who are only described by others, and we end up building an absurd picture of them in our minds. I'm thinking of Lars from MTM, Vera from Cheers, Maris from Frasier, and Carlton the Doorman from Rhoda (although there we heard his voice). Who came up with that idea?

Len said...

Whenever I see a show preceded with "Written by David Lloyd," I pay attention a little more closely. Because I know it will be extremely special.

I think everybody's "foo foos" hurt a little bit today.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Ken. Beautiful tribute. I appreciate knowing a bit about the man whose work I have always admired. The Chuckles episode is one of the finest half hours of television ever.

Columbus Chuck said...

When ajm mentioned the Cavett interview, it reminded me of something Pat McCormick said on that program. The show was set in some historic concert hall in Philadelphia, and when Cavett mentioned that fact McCormick tossed in this gem...'Yes Dick, this building holds a special place in my heart. Ty Cobb died in my arms in this very room."
I howled! I know this thread is a tribute to David Lloyd, but I believe he, Gelbart and McCormick were cut from the same cloth.

Oriole said...

True story: the Monday after the original airing of "Chuckles Bites the Dust" my mom and I attended the wake of a friend. As folks gathered around the casket, someone happened to say "This reminds me of Mary Tyler Moore the other night..." and suddenly quotes were flying from every direction "Born in a trunk, died in a trunk" "Hey Lou, he stole your line!" as well as the classic seltzer poem. Soon people we didn't know overheard and joined the conversation and the room was filled with laughter. Mom and I agreed that Julia (the deceased) would've loved it.

Thanks for a fine tribute, Ken.

te said...

Nowaways shows look like they are written by people who have never seen any TV show.

Most of the shows I've seen look like their writers have no experience other than watching earlier -- and better -- shows.

Larry said...

The greatest TV writer ever.

Mike Barer said...

In today's anything goes comedies, it's hard to appreciate how ahead of the curve, the subject matter was at the time.

Anonymous said...

Dear Brian Scully:

"David Lloyd was such a wonderful writer and we will not see his like again."

Sounds heartfelt, Brian. Now go back to writing your AIDS and incest 'jokes' for "Family Guy", and continue to ruminate on the declining standards of television comedy.

Dan Ibabao said...

"A little song, a little dance,
a little seltzer down your pants ..." I recall those words as if they aired last night.

Great writing is memorable, and great moments live forever. Thank you Ken for sharing your memories of Mr. Lloyd.

Anonymous said...

CPackK

I've seen "Chuckles" probably a dozen times. At some point I thought since I know the episode by heart, I wouldn't laugh. Never happened.

Your wonderful tribute moved me to tears.

Unknown said...

Not to take ANYTHING away from the genius of David Lloyd, but, Dan Ilbabao, that 'burlesque-show rhyme looooong predates Lloyd.

The Bitter Script Reader said...

I wouldn't have known David Lloyd if he'd passed me on the street, but his name has graced the credits of some of my favorite comedy series (including specific episodes.) It's so sad to hear of his passing after such a long illness, but his work will likely outlive all of us.

Doug in Dallas said...

Sad to hear about David Lloyd's passing. I also remember him from the Dick Cavett interview, and have been a fan of his work on Cheers. He'll be missed.

Joel O'Brien said...

Never have I laughed so hard than with the "Chuckles Bite The Dust" episode of MTM. And, yes, I shed tears, tears from the laughter produced by the words of Mr. David Lloyd. Thank you Sir!

Brian Phillips said...

Thanks for a wonderful post and blog, for that matter.

The blessing and curse of being my age was the ability to see the same shows over and over. In my obsessive nature, I was able to pinpoint shows that I liked with certain names and David Lloyd's was one of them.

Rose Vanden Eynden said...

A lovely tribute, Ken. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and mentor.

Mark B. said...

David Lloyd was the best. As a huge MTM fan, I thought that as brilliant as Chuckles Bites the Dust was, he did a few MTM scripts that were even better. "Two Wrongs Don't Make A Writer", in which Ted Baxter steals Mary's creative writing class assignment ("...and when dawn came, I saw my reward: SIX BRAND NEW BABY HORSES!!!") never fails to knock me on the floor. And near the end of the run, the last Teddy Awards show, "Murray Can't Lose", features a final scene that always chokes me up. Plus, this is the one where Georgette sings (and Mary learns that she probably shouldn't).

David's Taxis, Cheers, Frasiers, etc. were terrific too. He was the tops. Anyone who loves great TV will miss him.

corrierules said...

To this day I use this line: "A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down his pants..."
RIP David Lloyd and thank you.

Miles said...

I grew up with David's kids and spent many a day in his house. My stepfather was a colleague, though more in the variety world, as well. He was a good and funny man and he will be missed.

John Pearley Huffman said...

Beyond being one of the greatest comedy writers ever, David Lloyd was the father of my friend and co-worker Doug Lloyd. And from everything I can see and have heard, he was one great dad.

David Lloyd had a comprehensively well-lived life. It was a privilege to share the planet with him.

Tom Love said...

That was a fantastic tribute. My mother is Peggy Love, formerly, Peggy Lloyd, cousin of David LLoyd. Of course I heard of David LLoyd through her and yes, we always noticed when his writing credit came up on a show. I met David once when my wife and I were in California and as a small child, had visited his father on occasion, when we lived in the Chicago area. That said, I cannot say that I am in any way very familiar on a personal level with him or his family.

But as a testimony to his greatness, let me offer you this story. I am a recording engineer in Boston. Years ago, I had the pleasure of recording Ed Asner. He was in town and came to the studio where I worked to record the voice over on TV spots for the re-election of John Kerry for Senate. This was way before his presidential bid. Ed came in and was pretty much all business. We recorded the voice overs, he came out of the booth, we exchanged niceties and shook hands. I then decided to mention that he is probably familiar with a relative of mine. He said "Who"? I said "David Lloyd". That nearly stopped him in his tracks. He looked at me and said "Oh My" in a very heartfelt manner. I can't remember all the things he said but they were of the essence of "genius" and I truly got the feeling that we was more than appreciative of having the honor of speaking David's words.

I worked with Ed a couple of times after that when he was the voice-over for one of the big banks in Boston. To remind him of who I was I would say that I was the guy who was the second cousin of David Lloyd. I had heard Ed could be a little gruff and I figured if I could exploit that connection, hell, why not. Ed was always pleasant as I am sure he is without any name dropping on my part.

To end this, let me tell you that on my first meeting with Ed and after his very nice words about David Lloyd, he said to me "next time I see David, I'll say Hi from John Love" I said "Ok". My name is Tom.

Brian Phillips said...

As Michael mentioned, the elephant line is one of the best of a great many wonderful lines, however, as my friend Mark mentioned to me, it would have been funny enough that an elephant tried to shell him, but it's even funnier that a ROGUE elephant tried to shell him.

Didn't even make a Palin joke in my post,
Brian

Unknown said...

Thank you for your thoughtful and personal tribute. In an age dominated by reality programming, it's nice to be reminded that programs like MTM, though fictional, did a more realistic job of portraying life, the universal themes of love and loss and humanity then this new breed of "entertainment" does combined. Few if any did it with the deftness of David Lloyd. A tremendous loss.

denwer said...

Huge fan of his work. Very sorry to hear.
Thanks for a peek into a world that would otherwise be closed to some of us.

Karen from Mentor said...

I love David's work. Once you see it you never miss an opportunity to see it again and again. And it's like a fingerprint....something completely unique to him.
He was awe inspiring. And his work will always be.

Fitzhugh said...

Fitzhugh Corr said...
While I saw David`s obit in the Times a while back,I just read the many comments from his fans here and want to say my Goodbye too.
David and I were high school classmates in Bronxville and his talents began to show way back then.We drifted to either coast in the intervening years but came together for several reunions where the girls on my reunion committee insisted I get him back to be MC.My call at 10 am EST awakened him on the Left Coast at 7am...and he wasn`t pleased."I was up til 3am finishing a script.Goodnight!".I thought Screw Him...but received a 3 page letter of apology a week later.
Good guy.And one who died much too early.RIP my friend.
Fitz
fna96@fuse.net

Amy said...

Long time reader, first time poster here. I knew about David's passing away a long time ago, but I only finally registered who he was a while back when I got hooked onto Frasier. From there, I did some background research and I realized that he wrote most of the best Frasier episode scripts. (Ham Radio comes to mind) Upon realizing that, I realized that the world had become a little less happy and funny on the day he had passed on. I regret that I had not known who he was on the day he had died. I was not old enough to watch Cheers when it was showing, but I sure as hell watched Frasier. I loved his writing from the very first episode I watched, and I still watch Frasier episodes ritualistically. I can't imagine my daily life without watching a Frasier episode written by David Lloyd, and i am only 14 years old. He will be, and is, sorely missed. An excellent tribute in honor of a great man.
-Amy

Joe J Rhoda Rooter said...

He wrote for the best sitcom ever, Rhoda. God rest his soul.

Scottmc said...

Your column today motivated me to check the archive for references to David Lloyd. I was pleased to have found this.