tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post1993951146991055076..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83676882535774035922016-12-27T09:53:37.494-08:002016-12-27T09:53:37.494-08:00It's sad to hear that about Cosby, although I ...It's sad to hear that about Cosby, although I understand your assessment. I wonder how many people who worked on that show now have to deal with the fallout. <br /><br />It was so refreshing to see Phylicia Rashad as the mother in Creed, first because it was such a surprisingly good movie, but also because it separated her from the Cosby backlash.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80221750097780847882016-12-26T06:00:37.736-08:002016-12-26T06:00:37.736-08:00@Wally Incredible. I know Damon Lindeloff quit sev...@Wally Incredible. I know Damon Lindeloff quit several times on LOST. I can only imagine the strain. Also, FWIW, in terms of multicam shows, SEINFELD never had a writer's room. Ken has written before about an actor's schedule on a multicam shows (and how it's the best job in show business). I love to see a writer's week broken down in a similar way. <br /><br />Ken was also a baseball announcer while working on some shows, for example. When did he find time not to drop dead from exhaustion, I wonder?Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69637580848938650532016-12-24T16:47:41.587-08:002016-12-24T16:47:41.587-08:00I was an extra in Rocky IV (unpaid I should add) a...I was an extra in Rocky IV (unpaid I should add) and before Sly would grace us with his appearance, the director would cue the sound man to play Eye Of The Tiger, and have us cheer Rocky Rocky Rocky..."Albert Giesbrechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17742338183833125104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56260754475149135472016-12-24T15:22:55.444-08:002016-12-24T15:22:55.444-08:00@Johnny Walker
Ken didn't get to the needs of ...@Johnny Walker<br />Ken didn't get to the needs of writers/producers on set of single cam shows. Whether it's in Malibu, the lot, NY, Vancouver or LA, etc. many writers are there to oversee their eps. <br /><br />IF you're a showrunner, you may be juggling 6 eps at a time (2 in pre-pro, 2 being shot, 2 in post). That was how "Lost" was managed, anyway. <br /><br />The only show I know of where there was no writers' room was Law & Order under Rene Balcer. It may have started prior to that and/or continued that way. Not entirely sure (altho it was probably tradition by then). Wallynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67200142585323463342016-12-23T23:27:29.778-08:002016-12-23T23:27:29.778-08:00Kind of a specific Friday question but what the he...Kind of a specific Friday question but what the hell... I met with an exec at a studio recently who asked if I had anything to pitch to him, but mentioned they'd need it fast, so I got something to him within the next 10 days. If he hates the pitches, should I expect a response? "Thanks but no thanks?" Or is it like the comics world where you assume the answer is no unless you hear otherwise?Aaron Hazourihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09106694976443389309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15048360294998035902016-12-23T23:26:31.121-08:002016-12-23T23:26:31.121-08:00Kind of a specific Friday question but what the he...Kind of a specific Friday question but what the hell... I met with an exec at a studio recently who asked if I had anything to pitch to him, but mentioned they'd need it fast, so I got something to him within the next 10 days. If he hates the pitches, should I expect a response? "Thanks but no thanks?" Or is it like the comics world where you assume the answer is no unless you hear otherwise?Aaron Hazourihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09106694976443389309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37552432080831316152016-12-23T20:12:15.337-08:002016-12-23T20:12:15.337-08:00In Good-Bye Radar Part 1 and 2. You can see Gary&#...In Good-Bye Radar Part 1 and 2. You can see Gary's left hand "a lot". Was this something the crew knew was aware of ? Was this talked about? Or just something that Gary did on his own?fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13409641680161401624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28988531375668962912016-12-23T19:18:24.078-08:002016-12-23T19:18:24.078-08:00>In going back through contracts my agent recen...>In going back through contracts my agent recently discovered that David and I were still owed money from a pilot we sold four years ago. “Oops”, the studio said.<br /><br />Good catch by your agent. I take it the pilot didn't air?MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88971189988392058642016-12-23T18:15:03.122-08:002016-12-23T18:15:03.122-08:00Barry Sonnenfeld is proud of the horse saddle-topp...Barry Sonnenfeld is proud of the horse saddle-topped wheeled cart he sits on while directing movies like MEN IN BLACK and RV. Many photos of the silly contraption, but he liked it.RyderDAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00980791636129598607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-460905053769687392016-12-23T18:03:44.504-08:002016-12-23T18:03:44.504-08:00Did you happen to catch the Jeopardy episode with ...Did you happen to catch the Jeopardy episode with a category of answers all read by Tony Bennett? One of the answers was about "Dancin' Homer" (I think the question was simply "What is the Simpsons?"). Breadbakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21198523360127933682016-12-23T17:32:10.519-08:002016-12-23T17:32:10.519-08:00A Friday question:
One of your more obscure credi...A Friday question:<br /><br />One of your more obscure credits is The Marshall Chronicles, a show I watched and enjoyed. (And a show now most famous for having forced a little show called The Seinfeld Chronicles to change its name, to avoid confusion.)<br /><br />My question is: how much thought was given to what would happen after the first season? Marshall was taking his SATs, so would the next season have been set in college? (Which would necessitate new sets, new cast members, dropping of some existing cast) Or was is going to remain a high school show for as long as they could stretch it out, Head Of The Class-style?<br /><br />Or was the thought "let's get this on the air, and worry about second season later"?<br /><br />Arthur Meenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64286533757104941122016-12-23T16:45:09.078-08:002016-12-23T16:45:09.078-08:00Schadenfreude has no element of comeuppance or bac...Schadenfreude has no element of comeuppance or backfire in it. It is actually slightly more malevolent than those judgements. It simply means deriving pleasure from others misfortune, regardless of the reason for it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27156159109074594342016-12-23T13:52:08.002-08:002016-12-23T13:52:08.002-08:00Wow, Ken, I had no idea before that you and David ...Wow, Ken, I had no idea before that you and David Isaacs wrote the classic "Saturdays Of Thunder" (aka the soapbox racer episode) for THE SIMPSONS. That's always been one of my absolute favorites. My lucky red hat is off to you!<br />Frank Beansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21124110431535140592016-12-23T13:20:17.801-08:002016-12-23T13:20:17.801-08:00I can't find it now, but a while back I saw a ...I can't find it now, but a while back I saw a video talking about how <em>The Simpsons</em> is great precisely <b>because</b> it balances the genuine characters you get in live-action shows with the weird visual gags of cartoons. So writing it like a live-action show makes sense to me. I can see the approach not working for other shows, though.Mitchell Hundredhttp://twitter.com/sackobooksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11909683749760635712016-12-23T09:48:29.078-08:002016-12-23T09:48:29.078-08:00" She had a hobby horse built with a music st..." She had a hobby horse built with a music stand for the script. All day long she sat on this hobby horse and rolled around the set. It's like Annie Oakley rides in to save your show."<br /><br />Where can I get me one of them??? Sounds perfect for when I'm singin' my Western songs! SharoneRosenhttp://www.sharonerosen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2051767038712007382016-12-23T09:08:37.081-08:002016-12-23T09:08:37.081-08:00Happy Holidays, Ken.
I have a Friday Question: Ha...Happy Holidays, Ken.<br /><br />I have a Friday Question: Have you ever encountered a professional situation where the jockeying for position backfired in a big, unintentionally shadenfreude inducing way? <br /><br />[i was thinking about Edwin Encarnación signing with Cleveland, who eliminated Toronto in the playoffs last season, which begs for some karmic comeuppance. For instance : NHL player Marion Hossa 'chased the cup' with consecutive 1 year deals in Detroit and Pittsburgh, who met in the finals both seasons, and whichever team he was on lost that year.]<br /><br />Looking forward to the podcast,<br />Julian<br />julianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12543622578318482038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53633003792846396572016-12-23T08:25:31.922-08:002016-12-23T08:25:31.922-08:00"Seriously, when you’re on staff of a show yo...<i>"Seriously, when you’re on staff of a show your day is spent in the writers room with everybody else – coming up with notions, breaking stories, rewriting this week’s show, re-writing next week’s. Depending on the show and time of the season, sometime if you’ve got a script assignment they let you skip your room responsibilities and just go off and write the draft. But more often than not you have to write the script on your own time. So the 80 hour week becomes a 100 hour week. And that's fine if the show goes into syndication and you get residuals forever. If you killed yourself to write that MAN WITH A PLAN episode I'm sorry."</i><br /><br />Wait... what? I've never heard this before. You're expected to be in the room five days a week, full time, and then write your script assignment in your OWN TIME?? I thought writers on assignment were taken out of the room for a couple of weeks to put together a draft? I would love to learn more -- it just doesn't sound feasible the way you describe it. Surely you have to have time to focus on your script?<br /><br />Thanks!Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53507544882047758342016-12-23T07:56:03.415-08:002016-12-23T07:56:03.415-08:00All I want to say to Ken and all the fabulous &...All I want to say to Ken and all the fabulous & astute readers of this Blog:<br /><br /><b>Happy Festivus, Happy Hanukkah, and Merry Christmas to you!!!</b>The Bumble Bee Pendanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782074071758250824noreply@blogger.com