tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5170418364342173981..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: C'mon, sitcom writers -- you can do betterBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72965968659851542892017-05-29T06:52:30.330-07:002017-05-29T06:52:30.330-07:00Wow, Myles Warden! Your quick flip joke involving...Wow, Myles Warden! Your quick flip joke involving Ken is hilarious! Also, you wrote the most insightful comment on this subject: "Smirks are the new knee-slapping laughter." I have watched this transformation occur and felt such dismay. Those doing the smirking actually pity people who still enjoy laughing uproariously at a FRASIER episode such as the one described by Melissa Banczak (above). BTW, that is one of my favorite episodes also, and I have the same reaction you have M. Banczak! Every single time! It is pure genius. <br /><br />Diane Dnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66366056171551783522017-05-27T00:45:38.986-07:002017-05-27T00:45:38.986-07:00Totally agree with Ken. Comedy isn't really fu...Totally agree with Ken. Comedy isn't really funny anymore. I've been trying to find new shows to watch (both comedy and drama) and the pickin's are slim. I do like "Santa Clarita Diet" on Netflix. I have legitimately laughed at that. The dialogue is good. Most of the time, you can just listen to it. This is nice because it is a comedy about a family--couple with a teenage daughter--and the wife becomes "undead" somehow and eats people (only bad folks). So there is a certain level of gross stuff involved--a lot in the first ep, but it's sporadic after that. So that's the first nice find in the last few years.Dougnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55344657998157995882017-05-26T07:18:32.625-07:002017-05-26T07:18:32.625-07:00This is disappointing to read. I was hoping for at...This is disappointing to read. I was hoping for at least one show to watch. I can't stand comedies from the last few years. Two broke girls garbage ( I watched that premiere having not seen any of the trailers and only laughed once. When one of the girls was stun gunned and only because I was seriously hating everything about the show) one of my favorite all time eps of a comedy is the ep of fraser when he writes the radio play. I laugh so much I choke. Every single time. Melissa C. Banczakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04953145515216692625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-64392524122471824982017-05-26T04:10:31.991-07:002017-05-26T04:10:31.991-07:00Picture Ken saying, "I'm so tired of the ...Picture Ken saying, "I'm so tired of the quick flip jokes."<br /><br />Quick flip to Ken cracking up at a quick flip joke from 2 Broke Girls."<br /><br />Then, he looks at the camera and says "What?"<br /><br /><br />On a serious note this post was SPOT ON today. Everyone is such a comedy snob that they are afraid of real jokes that actually make people laugh. Smirks are the new knee slapping laughter.Myleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07139984409445302062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72964301665756967742017-05-25T22:27:34.262-07:002017-05-25T22:27:34.262-07:00-- The uplifting Christmas episode with a Beloved ...-- The uplifting Christmas episode with a Beloved Poor Person never seen before or after ("The old pencil-selling lady? Yes, we've been buying pencils from her every day for the past decade ...")<br />-- The identical twin of a regular character, played by the same actor. Applause when he/she runs off and reappears in a different jacket and a hat.<br />-- The episode that pretends a real-life B-or-C-list celebrity is the hottest star in the world ("Now where can we hide Scott Baio from his thousands of screaming fans?")<br />-- The awkward backdoor pilot ("Why, it's my old school chum! What are you doing here in Manhattan?" "Just a quick stop. I'm on my way to Portland to manage a struggling comedy club owned by a gorgeous but serious widow with three wiseguy kids.")<br />-- The Let's Do a Show bit (when done irrationally: "We've booked a professional theater and sold hundreds of tickets. Now let's take the five amateurs who happen to work here in middle management and write and produce a show!" ... "How about that? Everybody thought our gritty drama was an uproarious comedy!")<br />-- We're On A Real Game Show (Great when Cliff went on "Jeopardy"; otherwise not)DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-71231161053683765122017-05-25T21:59:53.755-07:002017-05-25T21:59:53.755-07:00"You know, I think we should teach him/her a ..."You know, I think we should teach him/her a lesson once and for all ..."<br />(elaborate, expensive, and unpersuasive deception)<br />"Gee guys, thanks. I'll never do that again ... LOOK! I'M DOING IT AGAIN!" DBensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01144515471557731622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72124818143688761982017-05-25T18:32:54.618-07:002017-05-25T18:32:54.618-07:00I agree that most sitcoms have become predictable ...I agree that most sitcoms have become predictable and a mess, but I really think there's been a shift in viewing habits.<br /><br />In the world of Twitter, texting, Facebook posting and short YouTube clips, the attention span has shrunk, and it's become comedy in little blurbs. There is not enough time to develop anything. No time to let a TV series evolve, and, even within an episode, there's no time to let characters grow. More importantly, there's no time allowed to let a joke evolve and develop.<br /><br />So, what we get is a mess. There are no jokes with punchlines anymore. There is a setup line and a reaction. In a recent sitcom promo I watched, there was no quick flip, irony or verbal punchline at all. The "punchline" came when the writers had the character react by rolling his eyes and walking away.<br /><br />It's more about being a lazy writer. It's the quick jab and then exit the scene. The problem is that the jabs don't land.<br /><br />I have a Friday question and wanted to get your input...<br /><br />Back in the day, was it common for a similar theme or idea to occur on different shows at the exact same time?<br /><br />Three examples come to mind even though I remember more.<br /><br />ONE: Character A is talking with Character B while Character C is standing behind Character A. Character C is mocking Character A to amuse Character B. However, Character A can see Character C in a window or reflective surface, so Character A says, "You know I can see you in the window, right?!?!" ... I saw this line on at least three different sitcoms, all at about the same time.<br /><br />TWO: Two character are talking. One is an old pro, and one is a rookie. The rookie says, "You taught me everything you know." The mentor or boss says, "No. I said I taught you everything you know, not everything I know." ... I saw this scene on several different shows at around the same time.<br /><br />THREE: Several characters are gathered and one starts to talk about another and offering up insults when the person being insulted finally said, "You know I'm standing right here, right?" ... I've seen that used a long time ago, and it's still being rehashed.<br /><br />So I guess my question is, how likely is it that the same sort of set-up and punchline can be used in different shows at about the same time? Are ideas shared among writers or is it all a coincidence?<br /><br />Frederick Herman "Freddy" Jonesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51994077523923977232017-05-25T17:58:39.295-07:002017-05-25T17:58:39.295-07:00Ben Koch:
"I agree about the ironic lines, bu...Ben Koch:<br />"I agree about the ironic lines, but I think the quick flip hasn't worn out its welcome. It's often quite funny. I haven't seen the trailer or know the context, but wouldn't an obvious (and better) joke be to steal the Ruth Bader Ginsburg photo and say something like, "If it's good enough for Dr. Smith, it's good enough for Johnny."?"<br /><br />No, because your suggestion is too wordy, and is a cliche, which disappoints the viewer, who loses confidence in you, and changes the channel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3208281788606482402017-05-25T16:37:11.829-07:002017-05-25T16:37:11.829-07:00My favorite line in the LA to Vegas trailer is at ...My favorite line in the <i>LA to Vegas</i> trailer is at the end, when the flight back to L.A. is delayed. Probably because I've seen it all and more in the four years I've lived in Vegas. Not long before I move back to sanity in Southern California (ironic, isn't it?).<br /><br />The drunk girl:<br /><br />"I just want to throw up in my own house."Rory L. Aronskyhttp://scrapsofliteracy.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50694643599234276762017-05-25T15:44:48.487-07:002017-05-25T15:44:48.487-07:00Best jokes in the trailer...
Probably the best tra...Best jokes in the trailer...<br />Probably the best trailer ever was <br />at the car lot "Cliff deals a steal then... Hey Dr Huxtable!"<br />Produced one of the most watched episodes of all time, though the trailer gave the wrong impression.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55090477157169978442017-05-25T14:23:20.385-07:002017-05-25T14:23:20.385-07:00[So of course, quick flip, the next shot is a hot ...[So of course, quick flip, the next shot is a hot babe entering the yard and asking where Martin is. You could see that coming from outer space. So Jenna calmly points her in the right direction and after she leaves Jenna turns to her friends and says:]<br /><br />"She's here to fix Martin's Wi-Fi (sigh) Third time this week.”Douglas Trapassohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18348522207945522495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11769847184859654312017-05-25T13:30:16.047-07:002017-05-25T13:30:16.047-07:00The quick flip isn't always lazy. The set up ...The quick flip isn't always lazy. The set up needs to be really good, almost subtle so that the audience doesn't see it coming a mile away. The problem arises when it's just another gag. But then comedy in general has gotten lazy and dumbed down so I wonder if they just don't know how to be funny anymore. Once upon a time, a joke was something that was crafted. Take almost any Abbott and Costello routine, but the classic "Who's on first" starts out as just mildly amusing and cannily builds to the point where the audience is rolling before the final punch line even arrives. It was so good that even familiarity didn't tarnish the laugh. You can watch that routine now and it's still funny, and there isn't so much as a whiff of profanity or rauchiness in it. Comedians and comedy writers will say now that audiences are too sophisticated rather than admit they are outclassed by a routine that's what, eighty years old? It was a routine that was riffed from vaudeville, honed and polished, wording and timing, to a fine edge that is timeless.McAlvienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67056016116957748372017-05-25T13:04:08.049-07:002017-05-25T13:04:08.049-07:00One of the reasons I've stopped watching sitco...One of the reasons I've stopped watching sitcoms is because, as you say, you expect their ads to show their best jokes and I kept seeing sitcom ads with jokes I could have written! Believe me, that's NOT and incentive to watch.VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17712318912042180792017-05-25T12:50:39.670-07:002017-05-25T12:50:39.670-07:00If you want to see "comedy" that has not...If you want to see "comedy" that has not been seen before, go watch "Grimsby" with Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong. You'll never complain about the flip again. I can only assume Mark Strong's children must have been held hostage...Looseheadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26179570700940213052017-05-25T12:02:52.666-07:002017-05-25T12:02:52.666-07:00A Friday question. It's Friday in Australia, i...A Friday question. It's Friday in Australia, isn't it ? Anyway, is it true that Brad Pitt once auditioned for Cheers ?<br /><br />therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37250952648346281282017-05-25T11:47:36.306-07:002017-05-25T11:47:36.306-07:00As a fellow geezer, Ken, we are cursed with too ma...As a fellow geezer, Ken, we are cursed with too many years of seeing and hearing shows. There are rarely plots or jokes we haven't seen before and they bore us. That's why I don't watch many scripted TV shows these days. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29019030280350481222017-05-25T10:17:56.722-07:002017-05-25T10:17:56.722-07:00If that is the true landscape of comedy, I think I...If that is the true landscape of comedy, I think I can be a comedy writer... and that's a shame for the landscape--and for the future of network comedy! Ralph C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12488657064245017543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75492809275038012292017-05-25T10:14:35.225-07:002017-05-25T10:14:35.225-07:00Ken - Curious is you've seen "Catastrophe...Ken - Curious is you've seen "Catastrophe" on Amazon and how you think it stacks up. I find it to be both funny with actual jokes and actually poignant at times. But it's also really raunchy and I know the characters are really grating to some viewers. Would love to know what you think.Jonny Owlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39301114082711751442017-05-25T09:56:22.107-07:002017-05-25T09:56:22.107-07:00In his excellent book "Crafty TV Writing"...In his excellent book "Crafty TV Writing" Alex Epstein calls the quick flip a Squiggy--derived from its use on "Laverne and Shirley." Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38750179905285873802017-05-25T09:42:58.346-07:002017-05-25T09:42:58.346-07:00GIlligan says: "I'm not gonna dress up li...GIlligan says: "I'm not gonna dress up like a girl, and you can't make me!"<br /><br />FLIP!<br /><br />Gilligan is dressed up like a girl and says, "You can't make me, you can't make me!"<br />Greg Ehrbarhttp://www.gregehrbar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55385773017610732002017-05-25T09:02:38.809-07:002017-05-25T09:02:38.809-07:00Ken:
I think I read or heard that what you call t...Ken:<br /><br />I think I read or heard that what you call the "quick flip" was forbidden on any show run by Garry Marshall. I think his term for it might have "wee waah," for the sound effect that you nearly always heard years ago when the picture flipped from one scene to the other.Mark Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07463881222804863326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59530957419384020802017-05-25T08:29:50.072-07:002017-05-25T08:29:50.072-07:00The doll being thrown into the wall by the robot n...The doll being thrown into the wall by the robot nanny actually sounds pretty funny. <br /><br />Skips the whole niggling "bathwater" issue and just goes straight to the baby.<br /><br />SeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32166591090259678652017-05-25T08:27:36.616-07:002017-05-25T08:27:36.616-07:00I've been watching season one of The Sopranos ...I've been watching season one of The Sopranos on DVD. I still can't get over what an incredible show that is. It hasn't aged at all. And so many times I'm laughing out loud. It's golden comedy writing.<br /><br />For example, here's some dialogue from the episode "College":<br /><br />Tony: The priest spent the night here, nothin' happened, and you're tellin' me this because-- <br />Carmela: You might hear something, take it the wrong way. His car was out front all night.<br />Tony: You know what? This is too fucked up for me even to think about. What'd you guys do for 12 hours? Play, uh, "name that pope"? <br />Carmela: He gave me communion.<br />Tony: Oh, I'll bet he gave you communion.<br />Carmela: Excuse me? <br />Tony: The guy spends the night here with you, and all he does is slip you a wafer? <br />Carmela: That's verging on sacrilege.<br />Tony: Oh, I didn't mean to verge.<br /><br /><br />That shows what real writers can accomplish. And The Sopranos wasn't even a comedy. Yet these comic moments are better than almost anything else out there right now. (I have the same opinion about Breaking Bad - it was sometimes funnier than most comedies.)<br /><br />Why not turn this into a FRIDAY QUESTION: Ken, what did you think about the comic elements of The Sopranos? <br />Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28837221470105863772017-05-25T08:02:59.846-07:002017-05-25T08:02:59.846-07:00I agree about the ironic lines, but I think the qu...I agree about the ironic lines, but I think the quick flip hasn't worn out its welcome. It's often quite funny. I haven't seen the trailer or know the context, but wouldn't an obvious (and better) joke be to steal the Ruth Bader Ginsburg photo and say something like, "If it's good enough for Dr. Smith, it's good enough for Johnny."?Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05309084955578001544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85655138893025997432017-05-25T07:34:32.449-07:002017-05-25T07:34:32.449-07:00Speaking as a former assistant who's been on t...Speaking as a former assistant who's been on the network side of the system, I can see this being the result of the culture where as long as you put in your couple of years at a desk organizing someone's schedule, you get a creative job regardless of your knowledge about story, comedy, etc. This isn't just happening on the executive side anymore, either. I know people who have turned an agency/studio/network gig into a writers assistant gig thanks to their assistant experience, and then they get their first script assignment as part of the job and they're off to the races. The bar simply seems to be lower for entry now on both sides, and its trickling into the content. Hedley Lamarrnoreply@blogger.com