tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6018769856129444435..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14707703347314010082014-06-05T08:50:06.801-07:002014-06-05T08:50:06.801-07:00Friday question:
Enjoy your radio stories--remind ...Friday question:<br />Enjoy your radio stories--remind me of my good old days. Did you keep a collection of long cuts for times you needed to tend to bodily functions and what were they? Someone should put out a compilation album of DJ's favorites called 'Music to Poop By'. Thanks, Keith<br />PS. Clapton's Cocaine was my personal favorite.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82222689940447064552014-06-02T09:02:17.521-07:002014-06-02T09:02:17.521-07:00You are either wonderfully brilliant, or the devil...You are either wonderfully brilliant, or the devil, or both. I just discovered your blog, and only power running out on my Ipad kept me from binge reading the whole 8 years.<br /><br />Question: In Cheers, in the episode "Coach's daughter," there is a scene where Diane tries to establish that the fiance, Roy, isn't THAT bad:<br />Roy, your personality is very - strong.<br />- Amen.<br />But I know that's not the real you.<br />You know, an aggressive personality is often a mask for a very shy and sensitive soul.<br />I'm willing to gamble that you are such a person.<br />You're not wearing a bra, are you? <br /><br />And Diane then says, "the man is pond scum."<br /><br />In Wings, Alex makes a speech to Roy (coincidence?) about his treatment of women, and when she finishes, Roy says "You're not wearing a bra, are you?" <br /><br />I loved Cheers, and enjoyed Wings, but this startled me. AT the time, I thought it was a bit of minor cheating. But perhaps it was a nod to Cheers, or an inside joke.<br /><br />It's not a big deal, but what's your take on that?<br /><br />One other question: I think I saw you kind of take a shot at Thomas Hadon Church, and I believe at another place said good things about him. What do you think of him (he seemed pretty good as Lowell).<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />tabmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5215363981263496492014-06-02T06:50:51.296-07:002014-06-02T06:50:51.296-07:00I just saw the Frasier episode where Frasier is tr...I just saw the Frasier episode where Frasier is trying to convince Amy Brenneman's mom he's Jewish, and I just have to ask "what the heck were you guys thinking?"<br /><br />You insinuated that all Jews are whiny Yiddish stereotypes and it is forbidden to star in Jesus Christ Superstar if you're Jewish.<br /><br />Additionally, you had several factual errors in the Bar Mitzvah episode.<br /><br />I imagine you and some of the writers are Jewish, so does that excuse you from doing the research and being overly stereotypical?<br />sophomorecritichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14320637485303592977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51583485448887838652014-06-02T06:50:47.730-07:002014-06-02T06:50:47.730-07:00Remember that episode where Laura accidentally rev...Remember that episode where Laura accidentally reveal Alan Brady is bald?<br /><br />Not that one.rockgolfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10210182305626803902014-06-01T19:02:11.049-07:002014-06-01T19:02:11.049-07:00What Dick Van Dyke show did you write? Must know.What Dick Van Dyke show did you write? Must know.blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12488872123977329372014-05-31T14:02:34.329-07:002014-05-31T14:02:34.329-07:00I love that you cannot say asshole but you can cal...I love that you cannot say asshole but you can call someone an asswipe...a term I never heard used in real life but after hearing it on TV, it is now what some young 20-somethings say...Suehttp://suek2001.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22227091596242778132014-05-31T11:26:34.662-07:002014-05-31T11:26:34.662-07:00In the Cheers episode "The Ghost and Mrs. LeB...In the Cheers episode "The Ghost and Mrs. LeBec", Sam Malone barely appeared at all (just 10 seconds during the teaser) because Ted Danson was sick at the time. (The episode was terrific anyway, further proof of Cheers' greatness.) What do shows typically do when the biggest star is suddenly unavailable for the week ---- do they keep a specially-prepared script on hand for such a contingency, or do they improvise in some other way? Allan Vnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74100096765258658132014-05-31T10:42:15.770-07:002014-05-31T10:42:15.770-07:00In Brandon Tartikoff's autobiography, he debun...In Brandon Tartikoff's autobiography, he debunks the whole great shows with potential bit about Hill Street Blues. According to him, NBC had research showing that households with cable would tune in to watch. This made the show more valuable.Bob Summersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23798088634942231122014-05-31T01:34:31.925-07:002014-05-31T01:34:31.925-07:00I use Celtx, which is an open source screenwriting...I use Celtx, which is an open source screenwriting program. There are some fee-based services like cloud and project linkage, but the base program is free, and it does the job. Maybe I'll get something else if/when I sign a studio deal, but as an aspiring writer, I'm happy.Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85799902778630108192014-05-30T23:39:04.359-07:002014-05-30T23:39:04.359-07:00"I acknowledge I'm a village idiot when i..."I acknowledge I'm a village idiot when it comes to computers." No. The problems you're having are due to bad design. Only sub-standard programmers believe in operator error. Good ones anticipate what people need and provide it.Katherinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28602157081452376232014-05-30T21:30:57.232-07:002014-05-30T21:30:57.232-07:00I remember one of those MASH anniversary shows whe...I remember one of those MASH anniversary shows where Larry Gelbart told the story that Paley's wife loved the show and told him to keep it on and give it a better timeslot. You might owe a good chunk of your livelyhood to one Mrs. William S., Paley, Ken!Craig Russellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26609935852475123462014-05-30T18:09:11.141-07:002014-05-30T18:09:11.141-07:00Networks will also cancel shows that are doing goo...Networks will also cancel shows that are doing good because of personal dislikes. <br /><br />there is an interesting series of books that are in the midle of the series about the producing of each of STAR TREK's seasons, THESE ARE THE VOYAGES; and the author is claiming that while NBC loved Trek and the audience it was reaching - it was the #2 color show on NBC, right after BONANZA - they had HUGE problems with Gene Roddenberry dating back to when he created and produced his first show THE LIEUTENANT. That was one of the main reasons it exiled to the TV desert that was Friday nights in the late 60's, after the first season.<br /><br />These books are HIGHLY recommended for their background look at the TV world of the 1960's. LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60844745615689518442014-05-30T18:02:32.201-07:002014-05-30T18:02:32.201-07:00The earlier show had Gene Coon, Danny Arnold, Jerr...<i>The earlier show had Gene Coon, Danny Arnold, Jerry Belson, Danny Simon and even Joseph Heller as the writers on the first dozen or so episodes, and really, in terms of silliness at the outset, it and MASH were about on the same level. But by the end of Season 1, Larry Gelbart had managed to get in "Sometimes You Hear the Bullet", the first episode of MASH that showed death affecting the main characters. In contrast, a decade earlier, by the end of Season 1, 'McHale' was dumbing down into a show focused on the Tim Conway-Joe Flynn slapstick relationship, and the later season shows can be painfully stupid to watch in re-runs.</i><br /><br />One could say the same about Hogan's Heroes - the first couple seasons - the most tolerable ones - had seasoned sitcom vets like Andy Girffith's Bullock and Allen, Laurence Marks, etc. And the directors were comedy vets like Howard Morris and...Gene Reynolds!LouOCNYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16151395857835632917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14456566275729828592014-05-30T17:25:42.730-07:002014-05-30T17:25:42.730-07:00I got a kick out of this story from a co-showrunne...I got a kick out of this story from a co-showrunner on Enlisted, and his take on getting cancelled. I think I've read some of the same your blog too:<br /><br />"Only in television do you get stopped before you're done. Often when you're just getting to the good part. That's what happened with Enlisted. My first big TV writing experience was six glorious seasons on a long-running hit (Everybody Loves Raymond). We stopped when we were good and ready. I thought that's how life was going to be. I was stupid."<br /><br />http://www.tvguide.com/News/Enlisted-Mike-Royce-Cancellation-1082322.aspx<br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38057349462672633932014-05-30T17:10:10.724-07:002014-05-30T17:10:10.724-07:00Muffinman Said:
"Wow, your Mindy Kaling/Proj...Muffinman Said:<br /><br />"Wow, your Mindy Kaling/Project bashing never gets not old..."<br /><br />This is true, however The Mindy Project got old fast, and should have been cancelled mid-season. Because it sucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15250352338156261242014-05-30T15:34:42.768-07:002014-05-30T15:34:42.768-07:00Ken, when will we get your read on FARGO?Ken, when will we get your read on FARGO?emilynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43283445552855650382014-05-30T13:33:47.328-07:002014-05-30T13:33:47.328-07:00I wish the entire industry would rise up as one an...I wish the entire industry would rise up as one and loudly proclaim WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE FINAL DRAFT ONE MORE DAY. Because it is, in fact, GARBAGE. I say that as someone who has been a software engineer for 30 years. I use Fade In and I like it. I get nothing from them for saying that, I paid for the product like everybody else. It does save files in Final Draft format and has many fewer headaches, at least for this writer. I don't know if its AD features make it worth something, but for writing FD is next to worthless.Mike in Seattlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46338645199549620222014-05-30T13:28:36.599-07:002014-05-30T13:28:36.599-07:00Chalmers: I see your point, and I raise you TWO AN...Chalmers: I see your point, and I raise you TWO AND A HALF MEN, and ARCHER. Both are chock-full of conflict-driven humor.<br /><br />The Disney Channel, for all it's gotten wrong over the past seven years, has actually been fairly good about forcing characters together through setting. I may not have liked THE SUITE LIFE OF ZACK AND CODY, but I definitely have to give it credit for using conflict as a source of humor.Covarrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05512077437345823232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69013615704412580142014-05-30T12:01:20.887-07:002014-05-30T12:01:20.887-07:00On the AV Club website, Todd VanDerWerff started a...<br />On the AV Club website, Todd VanDerWerff started an interesting discussion about the lack of conflict in today's sitcoms. <br /><br />http://www.avclub.com/article/sitcoms-are-being-strangled-lack-conflict-204453<br /><br />He opens with his view of the main "Mindy Project" weakness and points out that "Friends" might have been the turning point for network sitcoms. <br /><br />Previously, shows generated most of the comedy from the interaction of characters at cross-purposes forced together for some reason (like the Korean War.) <br /><br />After Rachel and company, conflict humor was replaced by "hangout" appeal, where the cast is a group of funny, attractive people that we enjoy spending time with. Everyone's in it together and the humor comes from Sheldon being Sheldon rather than seeing if Mike or Archie will win this round. <br /><br />I'm not sure the distinction is perfect, and I think shows like "MASH" and "Parks" have a natural tendency to move from conflict to hangout appeal. <br />chalmersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67941210989149194762014-05-30T11:33:38.145-07:002014-05-30T11:33:38.145-07:00Wow, your Mindy Kaling/Project bashing never gets ...Wow, your Mindy Kaling/Project bashing never gets not old...MuffinMan21571https://www.blogger.com/profile/01873683946661523257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74975875484097820232014-05-30T11:19:46.470-07:002014-05-30T11:19:46.470-07:00Cops on CBS are still going to have to call viciou...<i> Cops on CBS are still going to have to call vicious drug dealers “dirt bags.”</i><br /><br />That made me flash on a classic <i>Castle</i> exchange about the terms used for criminal suspects. I've always enjoyed it on its face, but now I'm wondering whether it was a comment on broadcast language standards:<br /><br />Castle: Good enough to be our perp?<br />Ryan: Why do you writers always call them perps?<br />Castle: Isn't that what you call them?<br />Ryan: Ah, we got a lot of names for 'em.<br />Esposito: Yeah.<br />Ryan: Pipehead. Piss-head. Orc. Creep.<br />(Castle takes out a notepad and starts jotting down.)<br />Esposito: Crook. Knucklehead. Chucklehead.<br />Ryan: Chud. Turd.<br />Esposito: Destro. Scum.<br />Ryan: Skexy. Slicko. Slick.<br />Esposito: Mope.<br />Ryan: Sleazestack.<br />Castle: Slow down, slow down.<br />Beckett: Suspects. We call them suspects.<br />Roy: I'm old school. I like 'dirtbag.'<br />Castle: Classic.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00740239938140454237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1464655817369986582014-05-30T10:43:17.881-07:002014-05-30T10:43:17.881-07:00Blogger Michael said...
Re: a show evolving. ...<i>Blogger Michael said...<br /><br /> Re: a show evolving. Not just because of Ken's involvement, but I think that MASH got better when Mike Farrell and Harry Morgan came on, and then the first couple of years of David Ogden Stiers. The first few seasons certainly had great moments and plots and dealt with some serious issues, but the silliness level remained a bit too high, in my opinion. </i><br /><br />It's interesting to watch Season 1 of MASH and Season 1 of McHale's Navy from a decade before to contrast where the two military ensemble shows started in their early episodes, and where they ended up by the end of the year. It's pretty representative of how 1960s sitcoms evolved in general as compared to their early 70s counterparts.<br /><br />The earlier show had Gene Coon, Danny Arnold, Jerry Belson, Danny Simon and even Joseph Heller as the writers on the first dozen or so episodes, and really, in terms of silliness at the outset, it and MASH were about on the same level. But by the end of Season 1, Larry Gelbart had managed to get in "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638408/" rel="nofollow">Sometimes You Hear the Bullet</a>", the first episode of MASH that showed death affecting the main characters. In contrast, a decade earlier, by the end of Season 1, 'McHale' was dumbing down into a show focused on the Tim Conway-Joe Flynn slapstick relationship, and the later season shows can be painfully stupid to watch in re-runs.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55350559181479201832014-05-30T10:38:33.707-07:002014-05-30T10:38:33.707-07:00Friday question: Your best M*A*S*H episode, IMO, w...Friday question: Your best M*A*S*H episode, IMO, was on Me-TV yesterday, "The Most Unforgettable Characters." I can't tell you how many times I've seen it and Radar's attempts at creative writing still crack me up. "The friendly old sun showed his friendly hot face over the mountains of purple majesty..." Was that the easiest script you ever wrote, or was it actually hard to write such purple prose?BGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01410930174716136120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30111998842527217632014-05-30T10:32:31.224-07:002014-05-30T10:32:31.224-07:00Friday question --
When compared to the sixties a...Friday question --<br /><br />When compared to the sixties and early seventies, TV celebrities make tens to hundreds of multiples in their salaries and viewership is much lower because of the multiple choices on cable and satellite. With these realities, it would seem that advertiser rates per thousand people would be astronomical, or the majority of shows must be losing tons of money. Can a series only make money if it has a successful syndication strip or do shows actually make money on the networks? And if so, how? George E.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54109119410422698962014-05-30T10:25:11.066-07:002014-05-30T10:25:11.066-07:00I don't think there were that many people outr...I don't think there were that many people outraged by Janet Jackson's nipple. I think most of them had access to a tv camera and had a 24 hour news cycle to fill. Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13498390749682637882noreply@blogger.com