tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5054497875003714002..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The pros and cons of doing LIVE showsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13299333110073592762015-05-22T11:36:02.516-07:002015-05-22T11:36:02.516-07:00"Undateable"? "Unwatchable" i..."Undateable"? "Unwatchable" is more like it. DetroitGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01429351018490492648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42464425547071980952015-05-22T00:04:09.468-07:002015-05-22T00:04:09.468-07:00It makes you wonder how they did it for so many ye...It makes you wonder how they did it for so many years in the early days of TV.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24542816503583290022015-05-21T23:03:49.275-07:002015-05-21T23:03:49.275-07:00Mr. Levine,
As always, love your writing, and you...Mr. Levine,<br /><br />As always, love your writing, and your insights to the process.<br /><br />I've been to two tapings of Undateable - the first felt like about 5 hours, multiple takes... it was fun to see the different tries that these guys do... but the live show, which I also saw them doing, was a LOT smoother. Yes, there is definitely the worry about guest stars, but as far as timing, that cast really seems to know how to riff on each other to fill space.<br /><br />I do prefer seeing the show done live in person vs. watching on TV, but I think that's also the nature of seeing some comics who are used to performing in front of an audience.<br /><br />If always being live means more of the show, it's great. They can build on it and hopefully do well with it. I miss multi-cam sitcoms, and there's a lot of comfort for me, as a viewer, to watch. So, I'm not worried, and I'm curious to see how they make it all work.Craig Byrnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02915982732984809425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46441528304954980432015-05-21T18:20:52.653-07:002015-05-21T18:20:52.653-07:00Bill Lawrence will do anything to keep his hopeles...Bill Lawrence will do anything to keep his hopelessly mediocre, poorly-rated shows on the air.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59952605704018578392015-05-21T17:01:04.294-07:002015-05-21T17:01:04.294-07:00Ken,
This old article may be good source material ...Ken,<br />This old article may be good source material for discussion of BTS goings on for network TV. <br /><br />http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2007/Cast-Away/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90784432121234835632015-05-21T15:28:15.420-07:002015-05-21T15:28:15.420-07:00@Johnny Walker: Why not write a comedy about a web...@Johnny Walker: Why not write a comedy about a web programmer (e.g. <a href="https://twitter.com/barneylumsden" rel="nofollow">Barney Lumsden of Perfect Curve)</a>? #waytogo<br /><br />(These food captchas are hard. Google, eh? Their entire intellectual property provided by the Department of Defense, paid for by US tax dollars, pay no tax themselves and can't produce a usable user interface to save their lives.)Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81813256509233520142015-05-21T12:00:01.734-07:002015-05-21T12:00:01.734-07:00FRIDAY QUESTION that leapt to mind as I started wr...FRIDAY QUESTION that leapt to mind as I started write a CHEERS spec for practice: <br /><br />How did Cheers separate its scenes in its script when sometimes pretty much the entire show took place in one location, with characters frequently jumping in and out of storylines? M*A*S*H was always apparently five scenes in each act, and a tag. How did you break it down in the Cheers room?<br /><br />Also, for anyone reading: There's nothing like trying to write a Cheers episode to see just how difficult it is to reach that standard. Wow.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13086939028445362188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85863333924456840652015-05-21T10:53:16.274-07:002015-05-21T10:53:16.274-07:00>where a network “note” was correct and actuall...>where a network “note” was correct and actually improved the product?<br /><br />When they told Ken they thought casting looks over funny was a bad idea for Cheers.<br /><br />When they told him Nancy Travis was a mistake for Becker.<br /><br />MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77709610149266722602015-05-21T10:29:53.348-07:002015-05-21T10:29:53.348-07:00Ken, reading your post today, it's as if...
...<br />Ken, reading your post today, it's as if... <br /><br />"Mrs. Lincoln, we understand your husband will be shot dead tonight at Ford's Theater. Other than that, how do you think you'll like the show?"Igornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82748653440499849672015-05-21T10:19:53.605-07:002015-05-21T10:19:53.605-07:00Friday question: I know it’s hip now to blast the ...Friday question: I know it’s hip now to blast the network suits for interfering, but have you seen or heard of examples where a network “note” was correct and actually improved the product?0cd1515https://www.blogger.com/profile/13442641020639066876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65373762302074631652015-05-21T08:50:06.877-07:002015-05-21T08:50:06.877-07:00Standup comedy is not the same, I think, as live t...Standup comedy is not the same, I think, as live theater. The former is material that's been workshopped and refined. Yes, the comic will react to the audience (hecklers or even just a bombed line), but they still only have to worry about their own performance.<br /><br />These stunts are also different from actors performing a play. There are weeks of rehearsal and out-of-town tryouts and then previews before the play "opens" and then it remains mostly the same (with minor changes) for the run of the play. It's not new material every couple weeks.<br /><br />Remove the intimacy of the audience in live theater and you still have a TV show but not a polished one.Stephen Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03670422634319094941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74443131208884605642015-05-21T08:17:32.495-07:002015-05-21T08:17:32.495-07:00I honestly can't understand how that show got ...I honestly can't understand how that show got renewed, it's a terrible show to begin with.Joseph Scarbroughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06851086150240380366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16478018211174448222015-05-21T08:07:34.773-07:002015-05-21T08:07:34.773-07:00As a viewer, I'm slightly more likely to watch...As a viewer, I'm slightly more likely to watch this show knowing that it's live (or was live to the east coast, at least).<br />Mike Schryverhttp://otrcomedy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58140198677600388552015-05-21T07:32:30.709-07:002015-05-21T07:32:30.709-07:00i disagree with most of this, but i am admittedly ...i disagree with most of this, but i am admittedly coming more from a viewer perspective. the cast is largely made up of standup comedians who are used to performing live. 20-plus years ago "Roc" did an entire season live. the cast was made up of theatre actors so it worked there as well just as i think it will here too.<br /><br />so i don't find it gimmicky at all. i find it to be a wise move to generate much-needed interest in anything going on at NBC.Terrence Mosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09365112876091271689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23130563376041201902015-05-21T07:04:22.343-07:002015-05-21T07:04:22.343-07:00Does Comedy Central or producers provide writers f...Does Comedy Central or producers provide writers for noncomedians at celebrity roasts? Have you ever written for someone at a roast?MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50095753118612896692015-05-21T07:03:30.475-07:002015-05-21T07:03:30.475-07:00They should do an episode that is live and unrehea...They should do an episode that is live and unrehearsed. That is, the cast doesn't know there lines until they are on stage.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44049408047906773952015-05-21T06:13:26.590-07:002015-05-21T06:13:26.590-07:00Ken, Thanks for answering my question. It sounds ...Ken, Thanks for answering my question. It sounds like a massive inconvenience and headache for the great Bill Lawrence and company. <br /><br /><b>As a followup</b>...knowing all these downsides with little upside in quality, why would the network make this decision? Or is the cynical answer in my head the correct one?The Bumble Bee Pendanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782074071758250824noreply@blogger.com