tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2636207127763075639..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66337122175644978652015-08-03T17:45:27.516-07:002015-08-03T17:45:27.516-07:00Friday Question: There was one joke that always st...Friday Question: There was one joke that always stood out for me in the last season of Cheers. When the guys go to see Godzilla at the drive-in, someone brings up how the main actress eventually left the Godzilla series. Then Woody says, "Why would an actress leave right in the middle of a successful series?" and everyone shrugs--a reference to Shelley Long leaving halfway through Cheers. The joke stood out to me because it was the first time (I think) Cheers broke the fourth wall, and it seemed like strange timing to make the joke in the last few episodes of the series, years after Shelley Long had left. Was there a story behind why the joke was included? Also, were the writers afraid that the joke would be misinterpreted as bitterness towards Shelley Long leaving?<br /><br />Thanks Ken! Huge fan of your work and your blog!Carolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31070219189931116862015-08-03T10:48:37.625-07:002015-08-03T10:48:37.625-07:00Friday Question - Just taken up sitcom writing as ...Friday Question - Just taken up sitcom writing as a hobby, with the hope of one day producing a sitcom on a small budget. Although I have enjoyed watching and studying sitcoms for years, I have no experience at all in writing. Do you have any advice for how to come up with funny ideas and situations?Graham UKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31216165908935580842015-08-01T17:25:21.019-07:002015-08-01T17:25:21.019-07:00Joey H.
Yes, I heard. I was surprised and honore...Joey H.<br /><br />Yes, I heard. I was surprised and honored. John Records Landecker is one of the best.By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60215287084342725582015-08-01T16:20:45.021-07:002015-08-01T16:20:45.021-07:00@Mark Raymond,
Hi Mark, just a tiny note: the not...@Mark Raymond,<br /><br />Hi Mark, just a tiny note: the notice "This comment has been removed by the author" means it was deleted by <b>the ccmment</b>'s author. (Probably a typo or other mistake, since Blogger has no edit function post-posting).<br /><br />However—as you can see with Bill and James' comments today—when <b>Ken</b> removes a comment, the notice will read "This comment has been removed by a <b>blog administrator</b>"<br /><br />- DaveDave Oldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215102320199051371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34610956681104688352015-08-01T14:13:27.357-07:002015-08-01T14:13:27.357-07:00Friday question. Why do sit com set often have so ...Friday question. Why do sit com set often have so many angled walls? The rooms seem to have 7 to 10 walls and no 90 degree angles in them. And often have little alcoves that never get used for anything. I get that opening the side walls up would give the viewer a chance to see them better and probably be easier to light, maybe? Ike Iszanyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00242135666260861294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88929364963224489612015-08-01T11:41:02.160-07:002015-08-01T11:41:02.160-07:00Ken,
You were mentioned on John Landecker's l...Ken,<br /><br />You were mentioned on John Landecker's last WLS-FM show today:<br /><br />http://www.jingles.com/jam/social/LandeckerCA.html<br /><br />JoeyHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12710864245535772665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64163038071905469982015-08-01T11:26:20.212-07:002015-08-01T11:26:20.212-07:00Mike: Ah :) As I do have an ex-wife, I was a bit b...Mike: Ah :) As I do have an ex-wife, I was a bit baffled. Thanks for the explanation.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32250043479499295782015-08-01T09:29:31.199-07:002015-08-01T09:29:31.199-07:00I remember Alan Alda saying of the "Dreams&qu...I remember Alan Alda saying of the "Dreams" episode that it got some criticism. I can believe that. But it was a brilliant show, one of the better ones in a long line of great MASH episodes, I thought.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17294778882846265082015-08-01T06:19:39.554-07:002015-08-01T06:19:39.554-07:00@Johnny Walker: You deserve an explanation: Presum...@Johnny Walker: You deserve an explanation: Presumably you're referring to your experience of the seminar. I twisted your words in a failed attempt at innuendo.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80626149878554812292015-08-01T05:22:29.405-07:002015-08-01T05:22:29.405-07:00What's with all the comments in a row of state...What's with all the comments in a row of statements?<br /><br />If you google Bill Clinton rapist, you get more hits than Hannibal Buress.<br />How about "He said 'better put some ice on that.'"<br /><br />MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29174314686671803002015-08-01T05:19:14.683-07:002015-08-01T05:19:14.683-07:00My big issue is that the comments removed text sug...My big issue is that the comments removed text suggests that it was the writer of the comments who withdrew their remarks.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65474664296433040262015-08-01T03:48:34.831-07:002015-08-01T03:48:34.831-07:00@Mike ?
@Wendy You were at the same weekend, so I...@Mike ?<br /><br />@Wendy You were at the same weekend, so I should hope so. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70321741573305178352015-08-01T02:23:24.568-07:002015-08-01T02:23:24.568-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67220497865502782052015-07-31T22:54:37.518-07:002015-07-31T22:54:37.518-07:00So I say no more Cosby comments and right away som...So I say no more Cosby comments and right away someone posts a Cosby comment. Let me be clear, I will delete ALL Cosby comments -- pro or con. Period. And if this keeps up I will not allow any comment that I don't approve first. Stop it.By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88706918711969929912015-07-31T21:39:40.080-07:002015-07-31T21:39:40.080-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13186380654840509672015-07-31T21:11:16.153-07:002015-07-31T21:11:16.153-07:00Every day now the comments section turns into a Co...Every day now the comments section turns into a Cosby discussion. And before long it becomes ugly with commenters attacking each other. Just yesterday I asked you all to please move on to other topics. Thank you.By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65940265939958900122015-07-31T21:10:30.737-07:002015-07-31T21:10:30.737-07:00“People often these days say, ‘Well, why didn’t yo...“People often these days say, ‘Well, why didn’t you take it to the police?’ Andrea Constand went to the police in 2005 — how’d it work out for her? Not at all. In 2005, Bill Cosby still had control of the media. In 2015, we have social media. We can’t be disappeared. It’s online and can never go away.”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12071744762865102322015-07-31T21:09:16.745-07:002015-07-31T21:09:16.745-07:00He poured a glass of white wine. And he said, use ...He poured a glass of white wine. And he said, use this as a prop — now, that means you’re going to have to sip on it, of course. I really don’t remember much, except waking up in his bedroom. He was naked, and he was forcing himself into my mouth.”<br /><br />And then he took my right hand, and he put it behind my back. I remember seeing semen on the floor. And I felt some liquid on my hand. That was when I knew something sexual was going on.” <br /><br />She was completely unconscious. I could hear the words in my head, but I couldn’t form words with my mouth, because I was so drugged out. He got up and came over, and he sat down and unzipped his fly. He had me give him oral sex, and then he stood me up, turned me over, did me doggy style, and walked out. Just as he got to the door, I said, ‘How do we get out of here, how do we get home?’ And he said, ‘Call a cab.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7740799853760152452015-07-31T21:04:58.882-07:002015-07-31T21:04:58.882-07:00In 2005, a former basketball star named Andrea Con...In 2005, a former basketball star named Andrea Constand, who met Cosby when she was working in the athletic department at Temple University, where he served on the board of trustees, alleged to authorities that he had drugged her to a state of semi-consciousness and then groped and digitally penetrated her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51120096368268726642015-07-31T21:03:40.008-07:002015-07-31T21:03:40.008-07:00Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Institute o...Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770, a renowned social club for students, bestowed its "Man of the Year" award to comedian Bill Cosby in 1969. According to a Los Angeles Times/UPI Wire published on March 5, 1969, recently uncovered by The Huffington Post, the comedian "proposed changing the name of the annual honor" to "the nice guy as far as we know" award.<br /><br />Earlier this month, an old episode of "The Cosby Show" received attention for its plot, which involved Cosby making a special, secret sauce that makes people want to have sex. <br /><br />The Real Dealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69766993567995729762015-07-31T21:01:26.450-07:002015-07-31T21:01:26.450-07:00“He gets on TV, ‘Pull your pants up, black people ...“He gets on TV, ‘Pull your pants up, black people … I can talk down to you because I had a successful sitcom.’ Yeah, but you rape women, Bill Cosby, so turn the crazy down a couple notches … I guess I want to just at least make it weird for you to watch Cosby Show reruns. Dude’s image, for the most part, it’s fucking public Teflon image. I’ve done this bit onstage and people think I’m making it up … That shit is upsetting.” The bit went viral swiftly, with irreversible, calamitous consequences for Cosby’s reputation.The Real Dealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74406902994942711532015-07-31T20:59:45.012-07:002015-07-31T20:59:45.012-07:00http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bill-cosby-p...http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bill-cosby-producer-breaks-silence-812438<br /><br />Bill Cosby producer breaks silence, weighs in, hoping show remains on air and checks keep coming in. For those of you living under a rock, Cosby has pretty much been convicted of rapin and drugging over 99 women in a 43 year period. It is unknown how many victims are dead or have not come forward. The number is estimated to be in excess of 900. <br /><br />http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/07/bill-cosbys-accusers-speak-out.html<br />‘I’m No Longer Afraid’: 35 Women Tell Their Stories About Being Assaulted by Bill Cosby, and the Culture That Wouldn’t ListenThe Real Dealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52367470415090633332015-07-31T20:48:39.284-07:002015-07-31T20:48:39.284-07:00I meant "he" as in "Alan Fudge was ...I meant "he" as in "Alan Fudge was a very busy character actor." Jesus Christ, not so much so.therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82596930658327143022015-07-31T16:45:13.000-07:002015-07-31T16:45:13.000-07:00Just curious, but did you ever think of bringing b...Just curious, but did you ever think of bringing back Alan Fudge as Captain Arnold Chandler, the soldier who thought he was Jesus Christ ? He was a very busy character actor back in the day, and I always liked his work. I still imagine that Jesus Christ looks like Alan Fudge.therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-92196768323253151032015-07-31T16:30:23.358-07:002015-07-31T16:30:23.358-07:00First of all, I really enjoy the blog in general,...First of all, I really enjoy the blog in general, Ken, and I also very much enjoyed the DVD script. You have often written about the importance of writing to characters. Could you take a show that you're not a big fan of (such as Gilligan's Island) and write a spec script that you felt was true to the characters' basic natures while being of what you'd think was higher quality than the average episode? Tomnoreply@blogger.com