tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6332413834542096082..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Comedy 101: How we break a storyBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13518135883099834182016-01-12T16:59:37.253-08:002016-01-12T16:59:37.253-08:00This is fascinating. I would have thought you woul...This is fascinating. I would have thought you would have started with the worry of not being good enough for the person you're with, and then built a story around that, but actually you say you started with her being out of her depth with something and then came up with a reason for her to be in that situation. Interesting.<br /><br />I think what makes this episode work is the fact that you can relate to the idea that someone who was lacking in certain traits (like nurturing/cooking) might feel insecure about it and want to show that they could be the "model" wife. I liked that you decided to play those moments more naturally and didn't think that was a conscious decision -- it's amazing how deep you go into each scene.<br /><br />It's also surprising to me how much thought you put into the b-story. Again it makes perfect sense that you would, but for some reason I would have thought that the b-story would have been given a lot less consideration. Your thoughts clearly show you really thought about it from the character's perspective -- even though they are secondary characters. That's a good reminder not to slack on things like that.<br /><br />I'm also surprised that you decided to go against anxious and apprehensive. Again it makes sense to do something different for the audience, but it wouldn't have necessarily crossed my mind (although, if I'm honest, it was too broad for me -- even though I understand why you would do that).<br /><br />I actually feel I've learned a lot more than I expected from this. Thanks Ken!<br /><br />Now I need to find a fried chicken place that's open late.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55729475771982650922016-01-12T07:56:17.633-08:002016-01-12T07:56:17.633-08:00Interesting to see how much thought is put into ea...Interesting to see how much thought is put into each line of a sitcom. That's why I'm always amused when a line sneaks through that makes no sense if you think about it. For instance, I was watching a "Frasier" rerun the other night, the one where the KACL staff ask the station owner to give Kenny the station manager his job back after he was fired. In describing why they like him, Trudy The Story Lady says, "He doubled the puppet budget for my show!" <br /><br />Any manager who doubles the puppet budget for a radio show kind of deserves to get fired. Pat Reederhttp://www.hollywoodhifi.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12381589604943951762016-01-11T23:15:04.018-08:002016-01-11T23:15:04.018-08:00My wife and I went to dinner and then to a play Su...My wife and I went to dinner and then to a play Sunday night. Based on what I've read here that you folks had to suffer through on the Golden Globes, I have absolutely no regrets about that.Carlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31156879621229618572016-01-11T23:07:17.071-08:002016-01-11T23:07:17.071-08:00Oh, forgot the question I meant to ask.
If you an...Oh, forgot the question I meant to ask.<br /><br />If you and David could go back to '95 and do ALMOST PERFECT again, is there anything you guys would do differently, knowing what you know now?Rickynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54703003907518454752016-01-11T23:04:46.427-08:002016-01-11T23:04:46.427-08:00I'm not sure I ever watched ALMOST PERFECT whe...I'm not sure I ever watched ALMOST PERFECT when it originally ran in primetime. When it was on Monday nights it was on at the same time as STAR TREK: VOYAGER. Besides, your show was on after THE NANNY, and no way in hell was I going to sit through Fran Drescher to see ANYTHING. <br /><br />And when it was on Sundays it was on at the same time as LOIS AND CLARK, which I watched while taping THE SIMPSONS on Fox to watch after LOIS AND CLARK. And you were on after CYBILL on Sundays, weren't you? I didn't like that one, either.<br /><br />Do remember watching the reruns on USA a few years later and enjoying the show then. For whatever that's worth. And what's the deal now? You have to live in, where, Norway or Finland or some such to be able to see the thing on Netflix? What's up with THAT?<br /><br />Doesn't make any sense for CBS or Paramount or whoever owns the thing not to put it out there for somebody to show it. There are like 10,000 cable networks and they're showing pretty much every piece of crap show made in the past 25 years. Surely there'd be room somewhere for ALMOST PERFECT. And they might make a few bucks. The show's not going to earn them any cash locked up in some film vault, gathering dust next to moldy old reels of THE AMOS AND ANDY SHOW.<br /><br />Rickynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38809265937323914912016-01-11T07:14:04.478-08:002016-01-11T07:14:04.478-08:00One thing I can appreciate is that there are no po...One thing I can appreciate is that there are no pop culture references and nothing to 'date' this episode. Except for the technology they use (faxes, phones) we'd have no idea when this was filled.<br /><br />Always loved Nancy. I think she's currently terrific in "Last Man Standing". <br />The Bumble Bee Pendanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782074071758250824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39788555152157408402016-01-10T18:52:34.998-08:002016-01-10T18:52:34.998-08:00I'm curious... did you play the location scene...I'm curious... did you play the location scenes back for the audience, or was that stock laughter? I ask because I feel as though I've heard that female "Ah!" gasp (that we hear when Gary says "NOW") before in other Paramount shows.<br /><br />Second question, which may be more of a Friday question. The scenes filming the cop show involve a number of things that wouldn't happen in real life on set quite that way. When you're doing a show based around one of your own fields of experience, does that change how realistic you feel the depiction of that industry need to be? When you are doing a show about writing or showrunning or baseball or radio, how do you decide how much realism you can sacrifice in service of the story? Are you more likely to get complaints from people in your industry about that kind of fudging, or people who are bartenders, small airline operators, etc.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81535981248181987132016-01-10T17:34:43.654-08:002016-01-10T17:34:43.654-08:00I had taped these back when and this is one of my ...I had taped these back when and this is one of my most watched episodes (along with Suites for my Sweet and Auto Neurotic). In the one scene starting at 7:00, she is talking out loud by herself. That usually only works if you have an actor that can pull off the lines believably. That’s why I really appreciate Nancy’s comedic talent. I think she pulled it off beautifully. It was like her character was improvising a character. After several viewings, I still laugh at that bit. Did you write that scene knowing Nancy would pull it off as well as she did?<br /><br />How tight was the script and how much of that scene did she add? The egg shells going into the blender, not getting the blender bowl off the base, the cord almost knocking the milk over, the flip of the potato and quick stab to the potato, the fumbling of the “hot” potato, the silly laugh, the funny voices. How do you write lines that, by themselves, aren’t necessarily funny, but in the hands of comedic talent, come off as funny? Lines like, “Rookie mistake,” “No problemo,” “Oh, poor Mike,” “You old poop,” “I’m Sally Perdue,” “Is that stuffing under your skin or are you just happy to see me?” (Okay, that last line IS funny all by itself, but that laugh she does after the line nails it.) I’d like to believe that developing this scene was a lot of fun.<br /><br />There’s one facial expression and gesture that she does that shows in one second what would take a bunch of dialog to tell. It starts at 19:10 after she says, “I was having such a good day, you know, with that eye-popping thing and everything, and then…” At that point, she makes a face and gesture that speaks perfectly to how she feels. Is that purely Nancy’s comedic gift or was she expressing an action that was in the script? Either way, she’s amazing. Great episode.<br /><br />But here’s my big question. If, in real life, the staff of your show thought to use stock footage of the building blowing up, why didn’t the characters think of that? Yes, I know, no B story, but still...RareWaveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12778784501326773464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7938870205636486372016-01-10T15:18:06.429-08:002016-01-10T15:18:06.429-08:00I'm a non-writer, and this was indeed great fu...I'm a non-writer, and this was indeed great fun, but the best part was to see another episode of ALMOST PERFECT (I've now seen 4). I've always been a fan of Nancy Travis, but I think this is the best role she ever had. You and your co-creators gave her material that allowed her to shine in a way I never saw in her other work. The whole episode was hilarious, but when Gary sarcastically collapsed when she left him in charge, I got my biggest laugh---I have known people who would behave exactly like that! <br /><br />VP81955--I am wishing you all the luck in the world, and will send many positive thoughts your way!Diane D.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45979270762977022682016-01-10T12:51:30.592-08:002016-01-10T12:51:30.592-08:00@VP81955: Good luck. There was a time when I thoug...@VP81955: Good luck. There was a time when I thought I didn't need it ... but, we all do. You seemed to enjoy your stay in the City of Angels, and the bigger regret would be to not have tried.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77548170485926025952016-01-10T12:33:57.020-08:002016-01-10T12:33:57.020-08:00Okay, you're breaking a story and it's not...Okay, you're breaking a story and it's not clicking. Something about it just isn't working. How do you decide if what you've got is still salvageable or if you're better off just tossing it and starting fresh? Do you ever shelve ideas that aren't working and pull them out again later after you've figured out what the problem is?Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73068814877244514302016-01-10T12:21:31.758-08:002016-01-10T12:21:31.758-08:00I always enjoyed this show & can still picture...I always enjoyed this show & can still picture Nancy when she said "Pay attention to me!"Rodger45https://www.blogger.com/profile/05996098817153335734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31811122439270039672016-01-10T11:52:42.222-08:002016-01-10T11:52:42.222-08:00I'm writing this from LAX, where I'm board...I'm writing this from LAX, where I'm boarding a flight to Houston and then to Jacksonville, where I will stay with my brother until I put my finances, and life, back together. I'll miss Los Angeles dearly and vow to return. Of course I'll stay in touch here, but I won't be attending any "Mom" filmings in the near future (sorry, Anna!). Of course, if I win Powerball on Wednesday, or sell a screenplay or two, things could change. Wish me luck, please.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46154226615448879402016-01-10T11:08:29.254-08:002016-01-10T11:08:29.254-08:00Again, as I've said before, I wonder if this s...<i>Again, as I've said before, I wonder if this series would have been more relatable if it had not taken place in show business.</i><br /><br />Yeah, that's why THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW was totally unrelatable.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74097425804742219832016-01-10T10:48:50.307-08:002016-01-10T10:48:50.307-08:00Not a far fetch that she would need a recipe to co...Not a far fetch that she would need a recipe to cook fried chicken. I've known people who needed a recipe to boil water. Heck, I've known people whose only reason to go into their kitchen was to get the phone book so they could order a pizza.YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63045242629146389592016-01-10T10:24:50.376-08:002016-01-10T10:24:50.376-08:00Wendy Grossman is right. It is well-crafted, BUT I...Wendy Grossman is right. It is well-crafted, BUT I would need a recipe to cook it. Not sure about the slapstick skills of Nancy Travis, but she is enjoyable to watch, and very likable. Again, as I've said before, I wonder if this series would have been more relatable if it had not taken place in show business. The writers are never writing, only quipping. Still wish it was a business where we saw people doing things. The writing and characters were excellent, just not active enough.Candanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55834507996149347532016-01-10T08:59:20.455-08:002016-01-10T08:59:20.455-08:00I remember seeing that episode broadcast. Very wel...I remember seeing that episode broadcast. Very well crafted, of course, but I remember being utterly baffled at the notion that anyone needed a *recipe* for fried chicken. <br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67503487584086822082016-01-10T08:00:15.617-08:002016-01-10T08:00:15.617-08:00Roscoe's is in, and of itself, reason to live....Roscoe's is in, and of itself, reason to live.The Minstrel Boyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00697821546165315014noreply@blogger.com