Friday Questions

Some mid-August FQ’s to distract you from the pandemic:

Allan starts us off:

I had heard Garry Marshall refer to "the block scene" in episodes of shows like HAPPY DAYS and LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY, and while I gathered he was referring to an episode's big comic climax, I was never clear why he used the term "block scene" or how or where that term originated. Tony is right that it may have been an earlier generation's terminology, as I don't recall seeing younger (relatively speaking) writers like Ken refer to an episode's "block scene."

We do talk about “block comedy scenes” in the writers room. They don’t have to come at the end. It’s a scene with a big comic event – Lucy stomping on grapes, Frasier trying to impress Lilith in the next room by loudly faking making love to impress her (see above photo), etc.

When putting stories together we’re always asking, “Where’s the fun?” And if possible a big scene where things go awry.

From Jrandall:

With far too much time on my hands I am watching anything and everything on any channel just to find something new or something old that I haven't watched in forever. In my journey I have noticed lots of the shows from the 60's list "Season 2, Episode 34"!!

With all of the things you have talked about over the years that go into putting together a weekly episode, let alone an entire season...how in the world did they manage that many episodes without a new staff every year??

34? Try 39.

I don’t know how they did it either. I do know the writers worked year round. There were no two month hiatuses between seasons.

I think there was more burn-out in those days. I’ll give you an example.

In the ‘50s a number of sitcoms were done live from New York. One writing team wrote the entire 39 episode season of this one sitcom. And the deadlines were crushing because the show was aired live.

At the end of the year one of the writers moved to Los Angeles and for an entire year just sat in the backyard staring at a tree.

That's a true story. 

Unkystan asks:

I’ve been re- watching MASH on Me-TV Last week they ran the two-part Crete Roberts episodes which were clip shows. Was there a reason for this? Was it a budget issue? Did the network want additional episodes that season? Just curious.

CBS wanted a one-hour clip show for November sweeps. We were looking for a way to tie the clips together that was somewhat unique to the show. Reprising Clete Roberts was what we came up with.

If I had it to do over, I would not have made that choice. Looking back, I think it diminishes THE INTERVIEW.

But we didn’t want to just run the clips, and we couldn’t use the convention of someone writing a letter home because MASH had done that in one form or another countless times already.

That entire clip show episode was a monumental pain in the ass. On top of everything else we would spend late nights in an editing bay screening and selecting scenes. And after six seasons (four of them Larry Gelbart’s) there were a lot of great scenes and moments to choose from.

And finally, from Michael:

After an episode you wrote was filmed, did you usually spend any time reviewing it to understand what worked, what didn't, and how it could have been improved? Or were already on to the next episode?

I don’t stop reviewing them to this day.

But to be more specific, we saw rough cuts on VHS tapes. I'd screen them and make notes, often watching at home. Each episode would go through this process maybe three or more times as we fine-tuned.

I can’t tell you how many times I’d watch a show, get out a pad to make a note, and then have to remember “Oh wait, it’s on the air.”

But I’m always analyzing and trying to learn from my mistakes.

Thanks to those who've submitted FQ's?  What’s yours?