tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post215017633021744253..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81144985060124377002015-09-06T12:14:19.452-07:002015-09-06T12:14:19.452-07:00You could tune in to Channel 6 on the radio becaus...You could tune in to Channel 6 on the radio because the analogue audio subcarrier for Channel 6 was at 87.7 MHz, and the first frequency on the FM band is 87.9 MHz. My local Channel 6 advertised that people could "Tune in to 87.7 FM" during a big storm to get their severe weather coverage if their home power went out. They made it sound like a big public service, but it was actually just a quirk of the way the spectrum was laid out.<br /><br />One of the best set destruction scenes I remember was, oddly enough, on "ALF." I don't remember why, but the living room floor collapsed and the entire couch fell through the hole and into the basement. This was possible because the ALF sets were already built on elevated platforms with trap doors in order to accommodate the puppeteers. All they had to do was remove the section of the elevated floor under the couch, replace it with a quick-release platform, and cover it up with an area rug.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40609428490205192102015-09-06T03:27:39.266-07:002015-09-06T03:27:39.266-07:00Wow. Some fascinating comments here. Thanks for sh...Wow. Some fascinating comments here. Thanks for sharing how things changed on The Tonight Show, Adam. Hard to believe there was a time when people would happily watch Ed Mahon and the band for 15 mins, or that the show could run for 90 mins!<br /><br />Are they airing them in order? (Apart from the 90 min shows on the weekend?) <br /><br />I'd love to watch Johnny Carson from bed as I fell asleep (I doubt I could watch an entire episode every night). I wonder if there's a way to get Antenna TV here in the UK. <br /><br />They follow it with The Larry Sanders Show. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91995354101996734322015-09-05T10:55:15.598-07:002015-09-05T10:55:15.598-07:00I've always been a MAJOR fan of network radio ...I've always been a MAJOR fan of network radio programs produced during Radio's Golden Age. The comedy programs of the 30's through the mid 50's were written by some of the greatest writers in entertainment. The incredible comedic styling of gifted writers such as Harry Conn, Al Boasberg, William Morrow, Edmund Beloin, Hugh Wedlock Jr., Howard Snyder, George Balzer, Sam Perrin, Milt Josefsberg, John Tackaberry are stuff of comedy legend. Many of those radio writers made the transition into Television and had continued success. Proof that good writing doesn't depend on the medium, good writing can stand on it's own. <br /><br />The "Theater of the Mind" dramas written beginning in the late 1920's by Wyllis Cooper, followed by Arch Oboler, Orson Welles, and many others are still unmatched. Then of course there's the master Norman Corwin whose writings are still revered by many to this day. The radio writing and performance troupes such as the Firesign Theatre were creating the type of magic that only the mind's eye could provide into the 21st century.Old Hippyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08282387739067480806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21286505444641283492015-09-05T09:06:52.622-07:002015-09-05T09:06:52.622-07:00Dave, Daniel: I was actually on A PRAIRIE HOME COM...Dave, Daniel: I was actually on A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION once, in about 1978, before it went national, and even then it was sold out; I remember it was July and they'd moved the show outdoors somewhere. Honestly, I think it's a live local show first and a national radio show second. <br /><br />If you like live folk on radio, you might check out the 40-plus-year-old BOUND FOR GLORY, broadcast Sunday evenings on WVBR-FM at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. I performed on it some in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when I lived in Ithaca.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50179240765360661942015-09-04T22:58:10.197-07:002015-09-04T22:58:10.197-07:00Stoney:
"Stan Freberg, who favored radio ove...Stoney:<br /><br />"Stan Freberg, who favored radio over TV, once recorded a bit about what a TV western would sound like on radio. Very few words and a lot of sound effects. Not his funniest piece but it made it's point."<br /><br />Freberg was actually making fun of the radio version of "Gunsmoke," where (in the interest of realism) there was occasional silence when people would have nothing to say while crossing the street or getting themselves hidden behind a bar to jump the bad guys. Freberg shortened the dialogue and extended the walking/riding sound effects as Bang Gunleigh investigated the mystery of a broken fence. If you know what he's making fun of, it's hilarious.<br />Craig Gustafsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9708294574336135962015-09-04T22:20:41.933-07:002015-09-04T22:20:41.933-07:00In Canada, the CBC still produces radio plays, not...In Canada, the CBC still produces radio plays, not as much as before, but they still get made. Several years ago I went to an open house and on the tour, our group took part in a mock radio play, and we sang, "Don't Fence Me In" one of the best experiences in my life.Albert Giesbrechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17742338183833125104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6793865576890726342015-09-04T17:49:57.205-07:002015-09-04T17:49:57.205-07:00Interestingly (at least to me), the Armed Forces R...Interestingly (at least to me), the Armed Forces Radio Service used to run a "radio" version of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. They edited the program down to thirty minutes, sans commercials, as is customary on the AFRS, and sent them out on 12" LPs, as they did back then. I have a number of these, all dating from the late '60s and early '70s. They're interesting to listen to.<br /><br />I've been in the audience for Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" twice, and my experience was the same at Pat's, in that both times, the venue was sold out.<br /><br />The BBC runs "A Prairie Home Companion," too, except that they edit the show down to one hour and retitle it "Garrison Keillor's Radio Show." Maybe "A Prairie Home Companion" doesn't make sense if you don't live in the US.<br /><br />The BBC runs a lot of fine radio drama. I enjoy listening to it.<br /><br />I used to record soundtracks off of television, too. Generally, certain old movies. It worked surprisingly well, though occasionally, if you listened carefully, you could hear my sister in the background, asking, "What retarded old movie are you taping THIS time?"Danielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58875929803658586572015-09-04T17:11:46.426-07:002015-09-04T17:11:46.426-07:00One of the best "latter day" radio shows...One of the best "latter day" radio shows, IMHO, was "Alien Worlds". It was a wonderfully produced sci-fi series syndicated by Watermark. (Same folks who gave us "American Top 40") There were 26 episodes produced and it ran between 1978 and 1980. Coming in the wake of the initial "Star Wars" mania helped it's appeal to station programmers. And, like "Star Wars", had a music score by the L.S.O.Stoneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85574501624339948572015-09-04T17:01:11.851-07:002015-09-04T17:01:11.851-07:00PS - Happened to find a story about the blind lady...PS - Happened to find a story about the blind lady who was sitting in front of us at the radio show performance we attended. It makes a good case for what's so special about live radio: <br /><br />http://artsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/12/when-the-performer-is-moved-by-the-audience-a-christmas-carol-story.html/<br />Pat Reedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17332187117203372542015-09-04T16:55:16.401-07:002015-09-04T16:55:16.401-07:00To Greg Ehrbar: When I was a poor kid in rural Tex...To Greg Ehrbar: When I was a poor kid in rural Texas, we didn't have no newfangled video recorder dohickeys, so I would also wrap the cord of a cassette mic around the channel knob, let it dangle in front of the speaker, and record the audio tracks of shows and movies. That's why, to this day, I have the entire soundtrack of the Marx Bros' "Duck Soup" memorized. <br /><br />I also love old time radio. There are websites that offer free downloads of thousands of shows. Whenever we take a long car trip, I stock up on Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, Dragnet, Bob & Ray and Lights Out, and the miles whiz by. Attending a live radio broadcast is just as much fun as a TV show. I think more, because there are no long delays for scene changes: the "On Air" light comes on, and you're off and running for a complete show with no retakes. <br /><br />There's a local troupe here in DFW that performs live radio shows that aren't broadcast, and they always pack 'em in. I've seen "Prairie Home Companion" live several times. The last time they were in Dallas, we had second row center comp seats, thanks to being friends with a couple of the regular vocal cast members. Good thing, because the entire Dallas Music Hall was sold out otherwise, so some people must enjoy watching live radio broadcasts. <br /><br />Several theater companies here have made them Christmas traditions. One does "It's A Wonderful Life" as a broadcast from a '40s radio station. And last year, we saw a great one-man show with local comic actor B.J. Cleveland. The idea is that a '40s radio station heavily promoted its live Christmas Eve broadcast of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," but a blizzard has kept everyone but the nervous station manager from getting to the studio. So he has to do the entire show by himself, playing all the characters while cuing up the music and doing the SFX. It's a terrific high-wire act that deserves the regular standing ovations he gets when that "On Air" light finally goes off (the tension is so thick, you tend to forget that it's not really a live broadcast). At the end of the performance we saw, he dedicated that show to a lady in the front row who was blind. He said she was the first person who truly appreciated his performance the way that the character he plays would have wanted. Pat Reederhttp://www.hollywoodhifi.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73309857201233554602015-09-04T16:02:59.905-07:002015-09-04T16:02:59.905-07:00I have a baseball question Ken. Who is your favor...I have a baseball question Ken. Who is your favorite player both currently and of all time. Also, your pick to win the World Series for this year?<br /><br />Jeff :)Jeff :)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38005974036430922042015-09-04T16:02:50.261-07:002015-09-04T16:02:50.261-07:00Although it just ended regular production, THE THR...Although it just ended regular production, THE THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR released podcasts of their live shows from LA's Largo. There is a DVD of one of the shows. Frequently quite funny, and I believe all of the episodes are available at Nerdist and through iTunes. The cast is excellent, especially Paget Brewster. "New time stories done in the style of old time radio." It's delightful.Charles H. Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53374046948913254972015-09-04T15:37:34.711-07:002015-09-04T15:37:34.711-07:00It will be interesting to see what the ratings wil...It will be interesting to see what the ratings will be for the reruns of the Carson show I wonder how many households get Antenna TV. I understand that they are not running the shows in order which I think is dumb. I guess I can understand showing the 90 minute shows on Saturday, but there are quite a few of them. You might be right that the monologues might not hold up. I still like Art Fern and I still laugh at Carnac. TMC runs some Carson interviews. They are still great to watch. I saw one the other night with Oliver Reed and Shelly Winters. They kind of got in to it with one another. Winters left the set and then came back and dumped what I though was water on Reed. He said it was whiskey. Either way a great moment.sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76316926488853282342015-09-04T14:46:37.029-07:002015-09-04T14:46:37.029-07:00So, what was the context of your photo with Johnny...So, what was the context of your photo with Johnny Carson. Looks like you were on THE TONIGHT SHOW set, but have a name badge on.MikeK.Pa.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41881894184476689482015-09-04T13:21:23.543-07:002015-09-04T13:21:23.543-07:00If any of Ken's readers aren't listening t...If any of Ken's readers aren't listening to THE CARSON PODCAST, which exclusively interviews people who worked on or appeared on (mostly stand-up comedians), you probably should give it a chance.<br /><br />It's wonderfulAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40193143679690001092015-09-04T12:30:58.102-07:002015-09-04T12:30:58.102-07:00So many fine comments, so please allow me to share...So many fine comments, so please allow me to share my thoughts, too:<br /><br />• I've been listening to TV shows as audio since I was a kid. Columbia Pictures' Colpix label released several of their TV shows as LP records, so I memorized two episodes each of shows like TOP CAT and DENNIS THE MENACE. Very little was lost without the picture, except visual gags that were either deleted or narrated. Most Hanna-Barbera, Jay Ward, Total Television and Filmation cartoons were called "illustrated radio" by some, and about 70% of them work great with no picture. Rankin/Bass released many of their holiday specials -- and the animated HOBBIT -- in their complete form on records, because the narration was built in already.<br /><br />• Radio comedy and drama never died in the U.K. I love BBC Radio 2, 4, 4 Extra and Scotland the best. You can stream enough programming to fill days and weeks of listening pleasure. New, recent and classic shows like "Think the Unthinkable", "An Actor's Life for Me", "I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again" are gems, and the radio version of "Flight of the Conchords" is even funnier than the TV show (particularly the "Wambi" episode, which was not adapted for TV).<br /><br />• In the '70s and '80s, we had a channel six in Miami that ran lots of syndicated cartoons and sitcoms. I had a very long commute for several years and, in rush hour traffic, I would enjoy WKRP, BARNEY MILLER, LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY, I LOVE LUCY and others. I also used to make audio cassettes of favorite shows, so I create my own "Colpix soundtracks". <br /><br />• I stopped watching late night TV years ago and almost exclusively listened and/or listen to Letterman, Leno, Ferguson, Kimmel, Fallon, Stewart, Colbert, Myers and even SNL. If I want to see a certain visual, I can always find the episode online and watch it.<br /><br />• Listening to great sitcoms, season by season, is a unique experience because it helps you appreciate the writing, acting, timing and editing in a more focused way. Hearing a vintage Bugs Bunny cartoon is a showcase for the great Mel Blanc, composer Carl Stallings and the underappreciated sound editor Treg Brown. THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW as audio is a showcase for the verbal mastery of Ed Asner and Ted Knight, both superb voice actors as well on on-camera performers. I just finished MTM (DICK VAN DYKE came before that), now I'm listening to RHODA and M*A*S*H. Next up is CHEERS and FRASIER.<br /><br />• Over the last several years, Carl Amari produced every TWILIGHT ZONE episode as a radio drama (except "Come Wander with Me", perhaps because of music rights). Hosted by Stacy Keach, stars actors like Karen Black, Malcolm McDowell, Stan Freberg and Louis Gossett, Jr. with a fine "stock company" of Chicago actors. They found clever ways to convey the visuals (I won't spoil how they did this for the adaptation of THE INVADERS, in which Kathy Garver plays the Agnes Moorehead role). These shows were syndicated and can be found on amazon as well as twilightzoneradio.com.<br /><br />• As to whether watching a classic radio show in person, when Lucille Ball began starring on MY FAVORITE HUSBAND (the prototype for I LOVE LUCY), she had difficulty making the comedy work until Jack Benny told her to play to the audience more directly. It worked better than anyone could have dreamed because the performer and the audience need such a connection. <br />Greg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/category/animation-spin/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22867439620252100602015-09-04T11:06:24.734-07:002015-09-04T11:06:24.734-07:00 Back in the day (1968) I worked on campus at Indi... Back in the day (1968) I worked on campus at Indiana University as a night janitor.<br />Working 6:00pm to 2:30am, and the local NBC was on channel 6, so when it came to 11:30pm I could tune into Johnny C. This was during the summer of it all, the Olympics, the Chicago Demo. convention, and riots all over the radio as stated above. <br /> Some funny bits, like Tiny Tim where enjoyed then without the pictures.normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794603165354675721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86631268834835913882015-09-04T10:26:23.024-07:002015-09-04T10:26:23.024-07:00Due to something of a technical quirk (for lack of...Due to something of a technical quirk (for lack of a better term), analog television broadcasts allowed radio listeners a unique treat... that is, if you were near the broadcast facilities of any given Channel 6.<br /><br />(Going by what I remember from journalism school in days of yore:)<br /><br />Back in the analog day, each television station needed both an audio and visual spectrum, separate spectrums yet exclusive to each channnel, both going out over the analog airwaves allowing the happy viewer to enjoy each broadcast day.<br /><br />Whatever the scientific reason, the audio spectrum for any given Channel 6 overlapped with the lower end of the F.M. radio spectrum, logging in somewhere at 87.5 . The radio listener was then able to enjoy the somewhat Twilight Zone-ish experience of listening to a "radio station" that really did not exist... it was just the scientific audio spill-over from television Channel 6. Kind of a throw back to what the golden age of radio must have sounded like in real time. It was always a neat experience, and most (granted not all) still translated coherently.<br /><br />Those T.V. audio band radios - on the other hand, purposely designed to pick up Channels 2-13 audio - were great fun for late night/long car travel/camping listening. Digital is amazing, but over the air broadcasting - radio and television - is still a very wise, mutually benefiting business practice.<br />John Hammesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17539772989624553522015-09-04T10:13:57.059-07:002015-09-04T10:13:57.059-07:00Oh, that fire extinguisher mess was nothing. My sy...Oh, that fire extinguisher mess was nothing. My sympathies lie with the poor souls who had to clean up after that pie fight Ken talks about staging for ALMOST PERFECT. Talk about a mess!Dianenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75733024150311030052015-09-04T10:07:03.596-07:002015-09-04T10:07:03.596-07:00In the "Three Valentines" episode of &qu...In the "Three Valentines" episode of "Frasier," Niles accidentally destroys Frasier's living room by burning the couch and spraying a fire extinguisher everywhere. I always wondered whether that was a duplicate set or if simply a gigantic cleanup effort was required afterward.James Prichardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14492825769443675041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77234526321385433732015-09-04T10:03:29.855-07:002015-09-04T10:03:29.855-07:00If you're seeing Johnny Carson shows with ciga...If you're seeing Johnny Carson shows with cigarette ads in them, they're from December 1970 or earler. Cigarette ads were banned from television as of January 1, 1971. Only thirty-three complete shows aired prior to May 1, 1973 exist. NBC was erasing the tapes for reuse, assuming the shows would have no rerun value after a few years.<br /><br />THE TONIGHT SHOW dropped from 90 minutes to 60 in September 1980, at Carson's request. When Carson started, the show started at 11:15 (Eastern) and ran until 1 a.m., because at that time it still was common for local stations to air only a fifteen minute newscast. By 1966 Carson had insisted that the show start at 11:30. Too many stations weren't carrying the 11:15-11:30 segment, which meant he had to delay his monologue until 11:30, leaving Ed McMahon and the band to fill that fifteen-minute segment.<br /><br />For years, NBC offered a TONIGHT SHOW rerun on Saturday night at 11:30 p.m., as an option to local affiliates who didn't want to fill that time slot with an old movie or reruns of OUR MISS BROOKS. This was discontinued when SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE premiered.<br /><br />Antenna TV will air sixty minute shows on week-nights and ninety minutes shows on weekends. The title THE TONIGHT SHOW will be edited from the Antenna TV repeats. Carson's estate owns the shows, but NBC still owns the name THE TONIGHT SHOW.Adamnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1169283391772504982015-09-04T09:44:14.648-07:002015-09-04T09:44:14.648-07:00The era of big network variety shows and sitcoms w...The era of big network variety shows and sitcoms was pretty much over by the mid '50s, so Ken would have been a little young to have been in a JACK BENNY audience. The dramas that endured past that date, and '70s network revival dramas, like THE CBS RADIO MYSTERY THEATER, didn't have an audience. Just the cast, gathered around microphones.<br /><br />That photo at the top, by the way, is from one of Jack Benny's radio broadcasts. "L.S. / M.F.T." is short for "Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco." Run out and buy yourself a pack of Luckies, today.<br /><br />Jack Benny's is probably my favorite of radio's big comedy-variety shows. Those shows hold up remarkably well. Another radio favorite of mine is Fred Allen, with whom Benny had a "feud" for many years. Allen isn't well remembered. (His series ended in 1949, his television work was early '50s ephemeral and he died in the mid '50s.) He's very funny, though.<br /><br />There's also Abe Burrows, James Burrows' old man, who was a very funny writer-performer, and was co-creator of a long-running radio sitcom titled DUFFY'S TAVERN, set in, well, a tavern. Burrows also had his own shows, as well as co-writing the book for GUYS AND DOLLS on Broadway and being a very in-demand, all around "script doctor."<br /><br />Speaking of contemporary radio shows that use a live audience, there's also Garrison Keillor's A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, a public radio favorite, which has been packing them in for some forty years for a (usually) live broadcast that combines music, comedy sketches, and Keillor's monologues about Lake Wobegon, his mythical home town.<br /> Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86922355962959991382015-09-04T09:43:28.389-07:002015-09-04T09:43:28.389-07:00I assume the Carson package will only include late...I assume the Carson package will only include late 70s at the earliest, because the cable corporations don't want to show an actual earlier period when shows were 90 minutes. I've seen a couple of those recently (including ciggy ads) and some of the interviews are of the paint-drying type, as if they're stuck in a bus station and trying to make conversation. <br />(the only "earlier period cable channels seem to care about is the 1980s they're still milking the hell out of that demographic. "OMG a John Hughes marathon!!!")Bill Avenanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16832302194908438952015-09-04T09:37:35.238-07:002015-09-04T09:37:35.238-07:00Binging Cheers this week while the lovely wife is ...Binging Cheers this week while the lovely wife is out of town. Netflix is like a narcotic delivery system: the episodes just keep rolling and rolling...<br /><br />Chips and beer: They're not just for breakfast anymore..<br /><br />Barefoot Billy Alohahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586870309250699505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4555603333301371712015-09-04T09:37:12.781-07:002015-09-04T09:37:12.781-07:00My Friday question:
Why is stupid funny? I know ...My Friday question:<br /><br />Why is stupid funny? I know that in many commercials it's just bad writers taking the easy way out, but what about with Extras (an amazing show) with the girl friend who was just painfully stupid. Or the roommate in Notting Hill. There have been characters who weren't very smart but they had redeeming qualities (Don Knotts on Andy Griffith, Coach on Cheers but maybe they were just naive and unworldly rather than not very smart), but I just don't get these. Especially the commercials when I wonder if they think their aim is only to sell to idiots.<br /><br />So, is stupid funny or not? Isn't it a difficult knife edge to walk along to do it right?Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911783621907246350noreply@blogger.com