tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post3603552835076171466..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: A very rare treatBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83772620091380517202011-08-12T00:25:24.885-07:002011-08-12T00:25:24.885-07:00I am not watching episodes. But i am sure Mark you...I am not watching episodes. But i am sure Mark you are right. Most of the people are always saying about it's very extremely well.SEO Companyhttp://1seocompany.com.aunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88922980475509514102011-08-08T05:06:10.032-07:002011-08-08T05:06:10.032-07:00I knew a faculty member who was the embodiment of ...I knew a faculty member who was the embodiment of the Wilfrid Hyde-White character.<br /><br />The show worked very well. Today, though, I doubt any of the networks would run it. Perhaps FX or Showtime.bevonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38299466990282642602011-08-07T18:38:31.621-07:002011-08-07T18:38:31.621-07:00oh my god. The Associates. Sometimes I think it wa...oh my god. The Associates. Sometimes I think it was a show I dreamed of. Nobody remembers it.<br /><br />I remember loving it, thinking it was one of the smartest things I'd seen on tv.<br /><br />And then, like Keyser Sose, it was gone.Lisanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25022884561049227692011-08-05T05:10:19.690-07:002011-08-05T05:10:19.690-07:00Fun episode, great writing (to quote a great state...Fun episode, great writing (to quote a great statesman,"Duh"). My conclusion about the show is akin to Spike Milligan's opinion of the first two seasons of the Goon Show. He partially described it as "...the threat of electricity to come". Good writing, good cast, but some of the elements weren't quite in sync. So I have heard, in the early script readings of "Friends", the cast supposedly sounded like they had been working together for years. This show, overall, for me didn't quite have that chemistry. The cast had talent, but it at times seemed to be shoehorned in. Martin Short can do a Judy Garland impression? Let's work that in. Wilfrid Hyde-White does wonderful monologues? Let's work that in.<br /><br />[Sidenote] Great Hyde-White line: "...the great Lena Horne performed at this party. When she got off the bandstand, as she passed me she said, "Good 'bones". I took it as a compliment."<br /><br />Joe Regalbuto is a great actor, but he never struck me as a great jerk; he was better served by "Murphy Brown". Shelley Smith's role seemed to be an homage to Loni Anderson's role on "WKRP in Cincinnati".<br /><br />Having said all of that, it was a good show that deserved more time to find its footing.<br /><br />I won't spoil anything, but as to the episode itself, it most certainly covered previously trodden ground (the Smothers Brothers did a sketch in which censors changed the line, "My heart beats wildly in my breast when you're near". to "My pulse beats wildly in my arm when you're near"), but it turned out to make an eloquent point about another issue entirely, which, I gather, is harder to do nowadays, without sounding like a "Very Special Blossom" episode.<br /><br />For those who would like to see Stan Daniels, look for the Mary Tyler Moore blooper reel on YouTube. The best rendition of "Old Man River" since Paul Robeson.Brian Phillipshttp://ultrasonicremote.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-84479531992777602092011-08-04T13:52:03.574-07:002011-08-04T13:52:03.574-07:00The sitcom within the sitcom was a different style...The sitcom within the sitcom was a different style (Ritter being much more 'Three's Company-ish'); I think it worked in a different way, but the only thing that struck me as awkward was hearing the laugh-track-or-studio-audience guffawing at the physical business as the camera switched to Short and The Network Guy sitting stone-faced, then Short breaking at the end. Probably a concept that read funnier in the script, but otherwise near perfect for me.Craig L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09056744522610944138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87638613864168229852011-08-04T11:41:29.848-07:002011-08-04T11:41:29.848-07:00The sitcom within the sitcom wasn´t funny. Which s...The sitcom within the sitcom wasn´t funny. Which sort of undercut the whole message. The rest was very funny.Hansnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5932813541953116302011-08-04T06:36:31.987-07:002011-08-04T06:36:31.987-07:00Losing the characters early on may be unconvention...Losing the characters early on may be unconventional, but that doesn't automatically mean it's bad.<br /><br />Also: Yes, I guess with credits it's actually 24 mins, which sounds right.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77122374267564097352011-08-04T02:16:49.804-07:002011-08-04T02:16:49.804-07:00I passed it on to MetaFilter http://www.metafilter...I passed it on to MetaFilter http://www.metafilter.com/106171/ with the title "at 18:43: '...which kind of explains why there's never been a funny show about lawyers'" and a little explanation for the web-based youngsters (and an embarrassing misspelling). It went over pretty well with the non-insider audience. But in doing further research, I found the Associates pilot episode in two parts: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6wuly_the-associates-pilot-part-1_fun and http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6wufe_the-associates-pilot-part-2_fun Now if only someone would put the John Houseman episode online.Craig L.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09056744522610944138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14724142436161828592011-08-04T00:05:55.651-07:002011-08-04T00:05:55.651-07:00A set of 12 of 13 episodes of THE ASSOCIATES is av...A set of 12 of 13 episodes of THE ASSOCIATES is available on DVD, with a bit of online searching, in the so-called "collector's market" (AKA "gray market").<br /><br />This is the kind of thing the collector's market is most justifiable for: selling something that is otherwise unavailable and likely to remain so.<br /><br />Selling--or BUYING--gray market copies of items available legitimately is, I think, not just illegal for the seller but morally reprehensible by the buyer.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09363685364481896091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6202176541155096592011-08-03T23:35:54.818-07:002011-08-03T23:35:54.818-07:00So I can't say I liked the clip overall....it&...So I can't say I liked the clip overall....it's definitely a show made by and for Hollywood insiders, and I can see why it didn't resonate with most of America. I did however really like the run-though, and that part won me over, although the rest of the clip killed it afterwords. I loved the middle part of it for one reason, and really one reason only...damn I miss John Ritter.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18071935856995207444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73336731968942605822011-08-03T22:48:21.962-07:002011-08-03T22:48:21.962-07:00@Craig M:
"I couldn't hang with this epi...@Craig M:<br /><br />"I couldn't hang with this episode even the act break. Sorry."<br /><br />Too bad. The cast comes back at the end to deliver the episode's payoff.Howard Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05377628524697677407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36697415501052678462011-08-03T22:21:12.381-07:002011-08-03T22:21:12.381-07:00Johnny: The main titles are missing, so there'...Johnny: The main titles are missing, so there's about a minute right there. So 23 + 1 ought to b about right. It doesn't <i>seem</i> like anything else is missing, but as I said, it's been a long time...cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86937299600656821732011-08-03T21:28:43.570-07:002011-08-03T21:28:43.570-07:00I remember watching this show and just assuming it...I remember watching this show and just assuming it would run for years. Part of the shared illusion we had of "quality television" back in the day... <br /><br />But the strongest memory is a long newspaper piece on Wilfrid Hyde-White. He went on about how he would only consent to do television -- at his advanced years and professional stature -- if he could be assured of the quality and high mindedness of the material. <br /><br />A year passed, The Associates was cancelled, and he found himself teamed up with a wisecracking robot on "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" on NBC.Phillip Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08498595633633248863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38953745597085605432011-08-03T21:26:49.388-07:002011-08-03T21:26:49.388-07:00As I recall, there's a scene where Kingsfield ...As I recall, there's a scene where Kingsfield says that he became a professor to train young minds rather than become an unethical bottom-feeder and Hyde-White's character says, "Charlie, I always knew you envied me."Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44805817163048124512011-08-03T21:24:48.981-07:002011-08-03T21:24:48.981-07:00Ken, I know this was written by two masters of the...Ken, I know this was written by two masters of the form, but I'm afraid that whole first act went off the rails the minute the scene switched to L.A. Splitting off one character and leaving the rest behind this early in the series seems risky enough; but then reducing him to a bystander to what is essentially an entirely different sitcom cast just stopped the show dead in its tracks. I loved "Taxi," still love it, and heard many great things about "The Associates" over the years, but I couldn't hang with this episode even the act break. Sorry.Craig M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25254620989688988512011-08-03T20:15:29.229-07:002011-08-03T20:15:29.229-07:00...showing his mastery of the hard C sound, calls ...<i>...showing his mastery of the hard C sound, calls Houseman both cantakerous and craven and a couple others C words that I've long since forgotten.</i><br /><br />@Kirk, one of them was "crapulous," which led to a nice punchline delivered by Houseman.<br /><br />I'll join the chorus, Ken: thanks so much. I remember this episode well and am grateful to see it again.estivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12736355730705116526noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58649905464330412942011-08-03T18:04:23.582-07:002011-08-03T18:04:23.582-07:00Very Taxiish which is good!Very Taxiish which is good!Franknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31380784809599039672011-08-03T17:07:56.237-07:002011-08-03T17:07:56.237-07:00Like many others who have commented, I remember th...Like many others who have commented, I remember the show, the episode, and also the episode with John Houseman. Very funny show. Too bad it went off the air. Speaking of Houseman, I remember the scene where Joe Regalbuto starts stuttering in court in front of his old law professor(Houseman as his Paper Chase character). He recovers, but is then upset when the Judge declares the case moot, even though that's to his clients favor, and, showing his mastery of the hard C sound, calls Houseman both cantakerous and craven and a couple others C words that I've long since forgotten.Kirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02155991693956178030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17288123953173330772011-08-03T17:03:37.783-07:002011-08-03T17:03:37.783-07:00Amazed that so many people don't like this. I ...Amazed that so many people don't like this. I was compelled from the very beginning and then it got really good, and just when I thought it couldn't get any better, it topped itself.<br /><br />Maybe it's because I'm able to understand exactly how this show would have been seen at the time? I couldn't compare it to Family Guy even if I wanted to.<br /><br />Anyways, the reason for my comment is this: The video runs for 22 mins -- I'm pretty sure sitcoms ran for 25 mins in the 80s didn't they? Does that mean there's a longer version out there somewhere?Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74931664672489208902011-08-03T15:47:47.486-07:002011-08-03T15:47:47.486-07:00Hey, Ken, I just looked on the USS Mariner and saw...Hey, Ken, I just looked on the USS Mariner and saw a number of comments thanking you for wishing Dave Cameron well in his fight against leukemia.<br /><br />You, sir, are a mensch.Breadbakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86702152761128794722011-08-03T15:29:46.590-07:002011-08-03T15:29:46.590-07:00Ironically, the fact that the episode actually air...Ironically, the fact that the episode actually aired somewhat undercuts its message. Not enough to ruin anything, of course.<br /><br />Hyde-White is hilarious, but it seems to me that his scene has been carefully and cleverly edited to eliminate awkward pauses or perhaps some forgotten lines or rambling digressions (and surely that paper he's holding is a cheat sheet). Not complaining, really. It worked well enough, and his humor and charm come through unscathed. He was about 77 here, I believe, with another 10 years to go.jbryantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74697242100002501282011-08-03T15:02:48.372-07:002011-08-03T15:02:48.372-07:00Brilliant, Ken. Thank you.
@ Eduardo Jencarelli -...Brilliant, Ken. Thank you.<br /><br />@ Eduardo Jencarelli - This is, after all, a <i>situation comedy</i>. Why shouldn't it be all about the situation?Dave Oldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215102320199051371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33242278118188233842011-08-03T14:38:00.796-07:002011-08-03T14:38:00.796-07:00I remember the Wilfred Hyde-White and John Housema...I remember the Wilfred Hyde-White and John Houseman episode too. Hyde-White got to say to Houseman as Professor Kingsfield "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."mcpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13010169960590597012011-08-03T13:55:44.535-07:002011-08-03T13:55:44.535-07:00I also remember a great episode featuring both Wil...I also remember a great episode featuring both Wilfred Hyde-White and John Houseman -- with Houseman as Professor Kingsfield of "Paper Chase."Mark Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07463881222804863326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-79704657396835731842011-08-03T13:48:12.350-07:002011-08-03T13:48:12.350-07:00Never saw this before (at that age, I was too busy...Never saw this before (at that age, I was too busy thrilling to them Duke boys outrunning Hazzard County's best-and-brightest during this particular time slot), but enjoyed it very much. Thanks for sharing! <br /><br />I have to ask: did this episode run with a viewer advisory at the beginning? Sure it was a show that ran outside the Family Hour, but wouldn't having characters say "The Bastard" or calling the Lassie spin-off "Son of a Bitch" have caused instantaneous fits of apoplexy in the ABC Standards and Practices office? <br /><br />I know that this entire episode was vetted (and it didn't hurt that the pedigree behind the show was as strong as it was), but I agree that it was actually pretty damn courageous even to try to get this on the air. That ABC actually broadcast it was a victory for free speech – and for the idea that even when we disagree about what "free speech" entails, we still have the right to openly voice our disagreements.<br /><br />Others have referenced Family Guy and South Park in their comments, but I wonder if anyone else thought the sitcom-within-a-sitcom plot on this episode felt pretty much like every episode of Two and a Half Men (minus the genuine physical comedy genius of the late, great John Ritter)?Jimmy JoJo Jr.noreply@blogger.com