tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2179762258455957511..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Why period comedies generally struggleBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25587413586939096022009-08-14T00:03:10.274-07:002009-08-14T00:03:10.274-07:00"Rory L. Aronsky said...
Your publishers had..."Rory L. Aronsky said... <br />Your publishers had better decide to publish it soon. I'd like more good comedy on my bookshelves."<br /><br />Maybe if I'd titled it "Tallulah Morehead and the Deathly Hallows" instead of "Tallyho Tallulah," they'd be quicker to pick it up.<br /><br />Glad you enjoyed MLL.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62160975500047198432009-08-13T23:58:58.771-07:002009-08-13T23:58:58.771-07:00You know, Douglas, maybe for better royalty paymen...You know, Douglas, maybe for better royalty payments, you should change your name just this once to Danielle Steel and push the book as "The Lost Classic by Danielle Steel, Now Finally Found." ;)<br /><br />WV: latering - When you loiter too long in a no-loitering area at 11 p.m. Screw you; I've been writing all day. I'm tapped out.Rory L. Aronskyhttp://www.filmthreat.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-91935773587479069162009-08-13T23:55:09.693-07:002009-08-13T23:55:09.693-07:00Thanks for the roughly three bucks that I got per ...<i>Thanks for the roughly three bucks that I got per copy. Hope you enjoyed it. The sequel is done and waiting for my publishers to decide whether to poublish it or not.</i><br /><br />I'm a tightwad, but I'm disappointed to find out that my royalty intermediary is even cheaper than me.<br /><br />Your publishers had better decide to publish it soon. I'd like more good comedy on my bookshelves.Rory L. Aronskyhttp://www.filmthreat.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23281372807135508662009-08-13T21:46:02.821-07:002009-08-13T21:46:02.821-07:00Man, I had such a crush on Carlene Watkins.Man, I had such a crush on Carlene Watkins.Alan Coilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09049940361953267636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51381804567443171112009-08-13T21:20:24.693-07:002009-08-13T21:20:24.693-07:00And if they find it spelling "publish" a...And if they find it spelling "publish" as "poublish" too often, it'll never see the light of day.<br /><br />WV: assteary: when your butt weeps.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9569330252594920552009-08-13T21:17:40.942-07:002009-08-13T21:17:40.942-07:00"Rory L. Aronsky said...
Douglas:
Rory, did..."Rory L. Aronsky said... <br />Douglas:<br /><br />Rory, did you read MY LUSH LIFE? And if you did, did you buy the copy? (Libraries are evil. They let people read books without my getting royalties.)<br /><br />I did and I did."<br /><br />So YOU were the one!<br /><br />Thanks for the roughly three bucks that I got per copy. Hope you enjoyed it. The sequel is done and waiting for my publishers to decide whether to poublish it or not.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55102878132784187552009-08-13T17:10:15.951-07:002009-08-13T17:10:15.951-07:00When I was in school I had a history teacher who t...When I was in school I had a history teacher who told us his father was a prisoner in a Japanese POW camp, and Dad didn't like "Hogan's Heroes". I also have a book about TV sitcoms that makes the thought-provoking claim that by showing audiences American soldiers so easily outwitting the enemy, it encouraged them to be more accepting about what was going on in Vietnam (and "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C" did the same thing by being completely divorced from anything resembling combat).Paul Ducanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44975577323809253412009-08-13T16:33:59.778-07:002009-08-13T16:33:59.778-07:00Douglas:
Rory, did you read MY LUSH LIFE? And if ...Douglas:<br /><br /><i>Rory, did you read MY LUSH LIFE? And if you did, did you buy the copy? (Libraries are evil. They let people read books without my getting royalties.)</i><br /><br />I did and I did.Rory L. Aronskyhttp://www.filmthreat.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61807361354149069772009-08-13T15:11:58.707-07:002009-08-13T15:11:58.707-07:00Did anyone ever see the pilot for "1775"...Did anyone ever see the pilot for "1775"? A family comedy set, well, in 1775 in Colonial America.<br /><br />Ryan O'Neal, Jeffrey Tambor and, no joke, Adam West as George Washington!<br /><br />word: ovaracce - an Italian omlette made from human eggs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25393650605377679612009-08-13T12:37:53.728-07:002009-08-13T12:37:53.728-07:00Also, on the BEST OF THE WEST pilot, is this excha...Also, on the BEST OF THE WEST pilot, is this exchange of dialogue:<br /><br />GOOD GUY: You wouldn't shoot an unarmed man! Think of your reputation!<br /><br />BAD GUY: That is my reputation!Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02155991693956178030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64150663610325050632009-08-13T12:26:05.327-07:002009-08-13T12:26:05.327-07:00On the pilot for BEST OF THE WEST, two characters ...On the pilot for BEST OF THE WEST, two characters duel, and they both miss each other. I've read that, in fact, is how a lot of duels ended back in the old days.<br /><br />DAD'S ARMY was hilarious. It used to play on a local PBS station (remember, it was public television that gave us yanks Monty Python). DAD'S ARMY even poked fun at the Blitz, at a time when there still a great many people alive who remembered the nightly bombings.Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02155991693956178030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29101001044442195192009-08-13T10:55:01.987-07:002009-08-13T10:55:01.987-07:00roy said:
"I am no longer ashamed to admit t...roy said:<br /><br /><i>"I am no longer ashamed to admit that I remember the show's theme song. Great show."</i>...<br /><br />In fact, I always thought the theme song sounded a lot like, or maybe even was based on the theme song to the old BAT MASTERSON show that starred Gene Barry.<br /><br />My feeling was that it was always going to be tough to be able to sustain a show such as BEST OF THE WEST which sprung out of a genre that relied so much on visual action. Being shot on a 3-camera soundstage with an audience, the scripts and stories would really have to be tailored to the dialogue and such visuals which could be produced on a 3-camera soundstage; that alone must have severely limited the comedic and story line options.Tom Quigleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12959628996361620134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9402105557747588312009-08-13T09:55:10.854-07:002009-08-13T09:55:10.854-07:00I can't believe I didn't remember Hogan...I can't believe I didn't remember Hogan's Heroes. I loved that show. I remember watching a movie on TV with many of the same actors, The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz, which is almost unwatchable, but also seemed entirely odd since there were so many actors from Hogans Heroes, but none of them played the characters they did on the show. As a child it was very offputting.<br /><br />No one can help me with the name of the bartender in Best of the West? Anyone?Tim W.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16860726607106078491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54334019273031795222009-08-13T07:45:34.940-07:002009-08-13T07:45:34.940-07:00My great-uncle, whose bomber was shot down in WWII...My great-uncle, whose bomber was shot down in WWII and spent two years in a German POW camp, loved Hogan's Heroes, so go figure.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421745682110194190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30767337329526475562009-08-13T07:08:37.811-07:002009-08-13T07:08:37.811-07:00I've always wondered what it must have been li...I've always wondered what it must have been like when someone pitched the idea for Hogan's Heroes: "Hey, guys, I've got a great idea for a show. It's set in World War II. In a prison camp. Run by the Nazis. It's a comedy."thomas tuckerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11619726733721468479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62433552567823057282009-08-13T07:07:12.778-07:002009-08-13T07:07:12.778-07:00As far as English sitcoms aside from Blackadder go...As far as English sitcoms aside from Blackadder go, it's thanks to Jimmy Perry and David Croft that we seemed unable to do anything but period sitcom up to about 1990; Dad's Army (WWII), 'Allo, 'Allo!(WWII), Hi-De-Hi! (1960's), I'm sure there were more. But we have the tradition of high camp which the US don't - and we couldn't do Mad Men.<br /><br />WV: uprophly = what you used to mumble when the pharmacist asked you what you wanted.blogwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362291687463326731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1542276008813042522009-08-13T06:24:28.763-07:002009-08-13T06:24:28.763-07:00"mcp said...
'Hogan's Heroes.' Th...<i>"mcp said...<br />'Hogan's Heroes.' That's a period comedy which lasted from 1965-1971. Whether it worked is a matter of opinion."<br /><br />Well it worked in that it was a huge success, and despite a premise in the worst possible taste, became beloved and well-remembered. I don't see what more they could have asked for.<br /><br />In its case, I think the fact that it was utterly removed from reality, as cartoony as GILLIGAN'S ISLAND or F TROOP, was essential to its success. A realistic depiction of that situation would be an extremely grim drama, relieved by dark black humor: STALAG 17: THE SITCOM.</i><br /><br />It did not hurt in the least that there were a lot of very talented people involved in the production - solid comedy writers like Lawrence Marks, Bullock and Allen, and solid directors like Howie Morris, Marc Daniels and Gene Reynolds. In fact, it is surprising how many people who worked on Hogan's also worked extensively on MASH!LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92065639941585090222009-08-13T06:09:37.383-07:002009-08-13T06:09:37.383-07:00Best of the West was great. It had one of my favor...Best of the West was great. It had one of my favorite lines ever from any TV show. The star was a U.S. cavalry officer out West during the Indian Wars. His wife was a Southern belle. Someone asks her how they met, and she says: "He looked so dashing coming up the steps to burn my Daddy's mansion." As a Southerner and a historian, I still smile at that one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50549921487106121122009-08-13T06:06:22.895-07:002009-08-13T06:06:22.895-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32032327190617432992009-08-13T05:56:24.419-07:002009-08-13T05:56:24.419-07:00"Vermonter17032 said...
Ken,
Just wondering:..."Vermonter17032 said... <br />Ken,<br />Just wondering: Did you mean '30 Plymouth Rock' instead of '30 Pilgrim Rock'?"<br /><br />Maybe he meant "30 Pilgrims Rock," although, no matter how many there were, they NEVER rocked! Puritans make lousy party animals.<br /><br />"Hey Rebekka, show Hezikiah thy ankle!"<br /><br />"Jacob! Thou dust sin, being strong in drink. No more cider for thee!"D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86813644805204771682009-08-13T05:51:18.842-07:002009-08-13T05:51:18.842-07:00"Feef"?"Feef"?Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75535759038027289152009-08-13T05:51:11.738-07:002009-08-13T05:51:11.738-07:00"mcp said...
'Hogan's Heroes.' T..."mcp said... <br />'Hogan's Heroes.' That's a period comedy which lasted from 1965-1971. Whether it worked is a matter of opinion."<br /><br />Well it worked in that it was a huge success, and despite a premise in the worst possible taste, became beloved and well-remembered. I don't see what more they could have asked for.<br /><br />In its case, I think the fact that it was utterly removed from reality, as cartoony as GILLIGAN'S ISLAND or F TROOP, was essential to its success. A realistic depiction of that situation would be an extremely grim drama, relieved by dark black humor: STALAG 17: THE SITCOM.<br /><br />There were a lot of WWII survivors who found it offensivly trivializing of heroism, suffering, and massive evil. I was never a fan myself. but its success is a fact.<br /><br />Rory, did you read MY LUSH LIFE? And if you did, did you buy the copy? (Libraries are evil. They let people read books without my getting royalties.)<br /><br />WV: erete: "erect" as spelled by someone who is, and is thus in a hurry to turn off the computer and join his partner in bed.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54726951937783259522009-08-13T05:48:42.748-07:002009-08-13T05:48:42.748-07:00Ken,
Just wondering: Did you mean "30 Plymou...Ken,<br /><br />Just wondering: Did you mean "30 Plymouth Rock" instead of "30 Pilgrim Rock"?Vermonter17032http://welcometosherwood.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48874169976702593762009-08-13T05:02:00.926-07:002009-08-13T05:02:00.926-07:00I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned &q...I can't believe anyone hasn't mentioned "Hogan's Heroes." That's a period comedy which lasted from 1965-1971. Whether it worked is a matter of opinion.mcpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-27734722663973404232009-08-13T03:55:21.389-07:002009-08-13T03:55:21.389-07:00Rory, your "itscre" definition made me g...<i>Rory, your "itscre" definition made me giggle like a little girl.</i><br /><br />For my brief words to do that to the author of "My Lush Life," I'm honored and humbled, sir.<br /><br />WV: bollasc - Ballsac spelled way wrong.Rory L. Aronskyhttp://www.filmthreat.comnoreply@blogger.com