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Now I know why Andrew Cuomo was so reluctant to give up his office as NY governor — The TV Academy has rescinded his International Emmy.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!
Mayim Bialik doesn't want the job full time. Go with Ken Jennings.
ReplyDeleteWere this written thirty or so years ago, I would have argued that Barry Manilow being interrupted by nature was the retribution of Murphy Brown.
ReplyDeleteIf ALMOST PERFECT is ever released on DVD or Blu-ray, I'll be the first in line to purchase it.
ReplyDelete"Just give the damn JEOPARDY hosting job to Mayim and be done with it." They offered her the job, full-time. She had to turn it down. Her other commitments wouldn't allow her to take it. That's why they invented a "Prime Time & Specials Position" for her, to keep her close.
ReplyDeleteShe did agree to host fifteen more episodes, to help them out, after the Mike Richards fiasco. But she can't go full-time. At this time.
"Notes on a Scorecard". Allan Malamud at his finest. Died at 54.
ReplyDeleteI'm now rooting for Buzzy. He looked very comfortable as a host.
ReplyDeleteKansas City Chiefs
ReplyDeleteAlmost the entire paragraph, "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." is meaningless babble to me, probably because I'm on the wrong side of the Atlantic. The reference to run differentials, plus my knowledge that it's a summer sport, makes me think it's to do with baseball. Am I right, or is everybody laughing at how wrong I am?
ReplyDeleteOh, and Ken, History Of Sitcom is now showing on TV her in Britain, and in this case forewarned is not-watching-it.
The new series of DEXTER takes place in a fictional town in New York state. Remember that he fled Miami and became a lumberjack in Oregon in the last episode to date.
ReplyDeleteI live overseas and I got the new locally made Taiwan vaccine, but it hasn't been approved by The WHO (not the band). Can I still read your blog?
ReplyDeleteKen, I agree with both you and Preston Beckman about The History of the Sitcom and I only lasted one episode. (I was already weakened by The Story of Late Night). How would you have approached the assignment? If someone came to you with a lot of money and a really good staff, what would your sitcom history look like?
ReplyDeleteFriday Question:
ReplyDeleteI was watching an unnamed movie which was fantastic until the end, which seemed slapped together. It seems to be a thing where someone has a great idea, develops the story really well but then has some disappointing conclusion. Like they just can't figure out how to end the darn thing. Could you comment on this? It doesn't happen all the time, but more than it should it seems.
Petticoat Junction was a gripping drama, when it came to who Mike Minor was going to end up with.
ReplyDeleteHis character fell in love with Meredith MacRae's character -
until real life romance blossomed between him and Linda Henning.
So the show producers changed their plans to mirror real life -
suddenly his character fell out of love with Meredith, and into the arms of Linda.
Imagine if Shelley Long had fallen in love in real life with George Wendt? -
You would have had a few late night rewrites.
N. Zakharenko, yeah, and that change caused Linda's character to no longer be the tomboy she had been at the beginning!
ReplyDeleteThe great comments on CNN's botched work reminds me of the story of the actor Ronald Colman appearing on Jack Benny's radio show and asking Benny for his motivation in one scene, and Benny replying, "Your motivation is to get the biggest laugh you can get." I'm also reminded of a fun book on Tex Avery by animation historian Joe Adamson, who referred to the Sociological Sidestep: Critics have to look for a particular theory or motivation behind something, when the only goal was to get laughs.
ReplyDeleteIn the past 14 or 15 months, Ken, I've caught up with most of your blog. Today's "Dexter" remark rates with your best. Ya still got it. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThink about it; lightening strikes thousands of New Yorkers during hurricane vs. Barry Manilow couldn't finish his song. We escaped Central Park on the advice of a park ranger with walkie talkie who gave us a heads up. We got out just before the onslaught and caught an empty Number 10 bus up CPW. He was terrific but the highlight was Jennifer Hudson.
ReplyDeleteI consider myself a Star Trek fan and even with the onslaught of new shows, I have no real interest in maintaining a Paramount+ subscription. Not the least due to the current live-action series DISCOVERY and PICARD being rather underwhelming.
ReplyDeleteIf you want people to subscribe to your platform, give them content worth seeing. But even then, it's kind of a crapshoot.
A re-release of Stand By Me-on its 35th anniversary-got me back to the cinema.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sellers market for cars, but then you have to buy one.
ReplyDeleteA CarMax near me is FULL of cars, so I think this whole shortage thing is just a way to jack up the prices.
Apropos of nothing, I was disappointed to discover these photos of the Bradley girls at the water tower. All my boyhood fantasies were ruined.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/2001113813260683/posts/did-you-ever-wonder-what-the-girls-were-wearing-or-not-wearing-in-the-water-towe/3103133443058709/
Whoever the new host happens to be (I'm still with Mayim Bialik and/or Ken Jennings), why don't we have the gals from PETTICOAT JUNCTION as the contestants every week?
ReplyDelete"Sorry, looks like nobody had a positive score this time again. Guess you will all have to come back"
Petticoat. Junction.
Not to nit-pick:
ReplyDeleteThe Ronald Colman/Jack Benny story, as I read it in Milt Josefsberg's book:
Colman: Jack, exactly what is my motivation in saying this line?
Benny: Ronnie, I think your motivation is to get the biggest frigging laugh you can.
Colman: Really, Jack, I would like to know - what is my real motivation in saying this line?
Benita Hume (Mrs. Colman):Ronnie dear, you heard him - your motivation is to get the biggest frigging laugh you can!
Based on stories I've read in subsequent years, I suspect that Mr. Josefsberg might have done a discretionary edit on the above quotes.
Unless I'm wrong ...
McDonald's may be running out of milkshake ingredients here too, because they're advertising frozen soda slushees. I don't think you can ever run low on the three cents' worth of sugar and flavorings it takes to make a fountain Coke.
ReplyDeleteActually Ken I appeared on your podcast for two half hours prior to this as well.
ReplyDeleteIs Watson available to host? He won once.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOpW5VN2j2Q
Has the Moderna vaccine been fully approved by the FDA ? Can I still read your blog ? I am twice- Moderna vaccinated. Please let me know if I can stay or should I naff off ? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteYes, Andrew Cuomo joins Kevin Spacey and Bill Cosby on the list of those who brought shame to the industry that gave us LOVE ISLAND and THE DUGGARS.
ReplyDeleteEven if there was a pennant race I cared about I wouldn't be able to watch the games because of so many teams are now on cable only.
ReplyDeleteHere's a movie you might want to go see, a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." In this modern version the "snatchers" are the Big Pharma and the vaccine people. And those that don't want the jab are symbolized by Kevin McCarthy trying his best to maintain his freedom. Although, in the original it appeared that the "Pod people," i.e. the bad guys, eventually took over. (I wish I could take credit for thinking up this analogy)
As for "Jeopardy," I'll say it again. Cheech Marin, WATSON or Larry the Cable Guy.
M.B.
Thomas, the guy who made those underwhelming Star Trek shows has had his contract renewed and will be producing more of this content.
ReplyDeleteI'm really baffled by the right wing anti vaxxers who keep saying this is tyranny and an end to freedom. Last I checked, they're still free to buy assault rifles, as much junk food as they want, gas guzzling cars, "Don't tread on me" t-shirts, and books on creationism.
ReplyDeleteThe only tyranny I see is dumb fucks calling Coronavirus a hoax and then wasting hospital resources when their fat asses get it, taking up beds that could be used by those who need them.
If you're not going to get vaccinated, visit a notary public and sign a statement that you will not seek hospital treatment if the hoax affects your breathing. All you need to do is pray. Just ask Phil Valentine. He'll tell you how well that works.
I totally agree it was your podcast that spiked Joe's ratings on Jeopardy. It wasn't either (a) Matt Amodio, a contestant piling up wins and money; (b) the fact that the Olympics were over so people were looking for something to watch during the time Jeopardy had been preempted; or (c) the news that Mike Richards had been hired, which reminded people to watch Jeopardy again. Nope, just your podcast. I'm sure the statistics you get for downloads confirm that.
ReplyDeleteJust thought of a Friday Question: I was watching the M*A*S*H episode "Carry On, Hawkeye" on ME-TV and noticed Alan Alda's stand-in/double a few times (most noticeable when Margaret gives Hawkeye his flu-shot in the bum). Do doubles/stand-ins make any money, or do they just do it for laughs ? Dopey question, but hey, I am a dope.
ReplyDeleteIt was the Kansas City Chiefs that lost the Super Bowl in February - and I loved every minute of it.
ReplyDeleteGiven that most of the people here got vaccinated early, you should be saying get revaccinated, as there is evidence of the effect waning after about 6 months.
ReplyDeleteA few days ago I watched a video on YouTube which was a cut together of the first four episodes to make them seems like a movie. Can someone tell me what the point of that show was?
ReplyDelete"I’m still waiting for the movie to come out that would get me back into a movie theatre."
ReplyDeleteLast Thursday, I saw the first movie I've seen in a theater with an audience since seeing ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD in the Emmy Academy Theater, two years ago. I attended the world premiere of THE SIXTH REEL at Outfest in The Director's Guild Theater. Charles Busch and Carl Andress co-wrote and co-directed the movie. It is WONDERFUL, funny, touching, and drenched in movie love. (The main characters are mostly serious movie memorabilia collectors.) And a wonderful personal surprise for me is that it revolves around a suddenly rediscovered reel, "The Sixth Reel," of long-lost silent horror movie LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, starring Lon Chaney and directed by Tod Browning.
Why is that personal to me? Because MY grandfather worked on LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT! He was a grip on that movie! (And he said it was a lousy movie, deservedly lost.)
Everyone was vaccinated and masked. Theater was half-full, so you didn't have to sit near strangers.
And I chatted with Charles and Carl, as well as Bruce Vilanch, Sam Irvin, Jack Plotnick, Juliet Mills and still-drop-dead-gorgeous Maxwell Caulfield. I haven't schmoozed with celebrities in 2 years!
Man, I needed that night!
How lucky you were to see The Sixth Reel in person! I had to make do with streaming it in Pittsburgh :-) it was a fun movie, wasn't it.
DeleteFriday question: 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?
ReplyDeleteTim Conway told a story that when he was just starting out as an actor on McHale's Navy, he asked Ernest Borgnine one afternoon "what is my motivation for this scene?". Borgnine replied "if you don't get this shot by 5:00 pm, I am going to kick your ass".
ReplyDeleteEre I Saw Elba said:
ReplyDelete>>why don't we have the gals from PETTICOAT JUNCTION as the contestants every week?
>>"Sorry, looks like nobody had a positive score this time again. Guess you will all have to come back"
My OCD compels me to rebut. Meredith MacRae died in 2000, but she was a kick-ass game show celeb--she appeared on 20 different shows.
Again, streaming services are cheap, compared to cable. However, if you haven't cut the cord - which most of my friends have - it does add up.
ReplyDelete@Michael
ReplyDeleteWhen Tim Conway said "What is my motivation for this scene?" to the Oscar-winning Borgnine, he was doing his usual kidding. Conway said in interviews that, being virtually taken out of obscurity (by Rose Marie) and given this opportunity, he felt very lucky and somewhat underqualified. But he was brilliant.
McHale's Navy is largely dated now--a time capsule, yet super popular in its time--but that's reality and progression. The performances and chemistry are remarkable in the style of broad comedy (it was one of the earliest shows to have spinoff movies, two of them). It's odd that drama can be broad and considered "fearless" now but comedy has to be wry and restrained. It's all trends, crests and circuitous cycles.
Sometimes we're reminded there are still some decent people in the American justice system.
ReplyDelete'US District Judge Linda Parker described a lawsuit filed in Michigan by Mr Trump's counsel as a "profound abuse of the judicial process". Her 110-page ruling, issued Wednesday, sanctioned Sidney Powell, Lin Wood and seven others who alleged voter fraud.
Judge Parker said the lawyers intended to undermine the electoral system. "This case was never about fraud - it was about undermining the people's faith in our democracy and debasing the judicial process to do so," she said in her ruling.'
Thank you, Judge Parker.
I hope she has adequate security, because I imagine a bunch of stinky, inbred, illiterate, knuckle dragging, conspiracy theory addled Republicans will be making threats against her.
NOMADLAND was worth going to the theater for. Stunning, in every way.
ReplyDeletewg
I've got the movie(s) that will get you back in a theater! On Sat. Oct. 2, in selected theaters, Fathom Events is presenting a double feature matinee of the original Universal Pictures Dracula and Frankenstein movies. I'll risk COVID for that showing!
ReplyDelete"Betty said...
ReplyDeleteHow lucky you were to see The Sixth Reel in person! I had to make do with streaming it in Pittsburgh :-) it was a fun movie, wasn't it."
Sure is! And it was literally the first time it was seen by ANY audience.
In this era of worthless Bill James statistics, one of the most useless is the run differential (RD). Until just recently the Florida Marlins had a positive RD and they are heavily in last place during most of the season. Currently the second largest positive RD in the American League East belongs to the Toronto Blue Jays who are 12 1/2 games out of first.
ReplyDeleteThink about it. You have a team that wins a game 13 to 1 and then loses ten games by one run each. A positive RD of 2 but a record of 1-10. What does RD tell you?
Also as I've mentioned previously I thought Joe Buck was the second best guest host this year (Ken Jennings was #1). But he wouldn't take it because of his commitments (and huge contract) with major sports.