tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7143209259489096373..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: My talk with Warren LittlefieldBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85924447460045031862012-11-11T11:53:31.583-08:002012-11-11T11:53:31.583-08:00I was not a TV watcher in the 80s, and I'm not...I was not a TV watcher in the 80s, and I'm not one now, but there was just something about Seinfeld, Just Shoot Me, Friends, Frasier, Wings, Suddenly Susan, and Veronica's Closet that made me love TV sitcoms for a few years. I made it a priority to watch those shows. When I try to watch more current shows that everyone loves, like The Office or Parks and Recreation I just feel uncomfortable and kind of bummed out. I can't put my finger on what the difference is, but the tone of the humor has changed, and not for the better. I'm not a writer or involved in the industry in any way, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but I just wanted to leave this comment where someone might read it. I mean, I hope I'm not just one of those people who hates anything new! I found this blog by searching for information on "Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs," by the way, and I've been feeling nostalgic for Must See TV today, so I'm watching Frasier on Netflix.Erinhttp://initforthekills.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36364634031514477892012-11-09T01:08:21.460-08:002012-11-09T01:08:21.460-08:00@Hecky: Very interesting question: Why is research...@Hecky: Very interesting question: Why is research testing for TV programmes unreliable? The article suggests that test viewers reject the unfamiliar.<br />In my arrogance & ignorance, I'll suggest the following:<br />a) Nate Silver used a weighted average of polls, which may well be the same technique used in calculating ratings. The accuracy of ratings is not disputed.<br />b) Political pundits did not attempt to accurately forecast the election. They sold pre-written narratives to support their own agendas: to boost their own candidates and exaggerate their own importance.<br />c) Early ratings are as much a function of marketing & scheduling as of the programme itself.<br />d) A programme may need time to develop. Once upon a time, record companies allowed time for new artists to develop.<br />e) Research tests (I'm guessing this means focus groups) are very different from ratings. (I'm guessing that) the sample sizes are far smaller and may not be large enough to yield accurate estimates.<br />f) Where focus groups are used with large sample sizes, eg. TV talent contests, this is no guarantee of success. The UK X-Factor has produced one or two successful artists, while the majority of winners disappear without trace, almost immediately.<br />g) Television also needs to produce critically successful programmes which are not commercially sucessful (ie. low ratings). Eg. I only watch documentaries, concerts and programmes like The Wire.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8318721787647302562012-11-08T12:12:56.360-08:002012-11-08T12:12:56.360-08:00@Ken:
Given the success of sabremetrics and deft ...@Ken:<br /><br />Given the success of sabremetrics and deft statistical analysis in both sports and now politics (Nate Silver corrected predicted everything but the senate race in North Dakota), how can you be so opposed to research testing in principle when it comes to entertainment? Certainly it's true that a lot of research is done poorly (e.g. bad methodology, unwarranted conclusions/inferences, sloppy handling of the data, etc.). The companies doing it for profit don't make their methods publicly available, so who knows if what they're doing is any good. But I don't think that justifies a wholesale rejection of the entire enterprise. Maybe we just haven't seen a Nate Silver of Nielsen yet.<br /><br />All this stuff about "going with your gut" and just finding "great" material and having "vision" -- unquantifiable rules of thumb -- strikes me as complete huey. It's the exact same sort of dogma that got so deliciously panned in "Moneyball" and in all the election post-mortems about FOX News predictions over the last two days. When done right, statistical research methods <i>work</i>, and it doesn't really matter what's being analyzed. It could be baseball, TV, the stock market, or politics. TV is about making money by generating ratings. And I don't see why we shouldn't expect proper research to aid in achieving that goal. It's just a matter of figuring out the right paramaters by which to measure the performance of one's algorithm.Heckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16853554291894034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74021271007169436292012-11-07T17:54:21.729-08:002012-11-07T17:54:21.729-08:00"It's about going with your gut." O..."It's about going with your gut." Or, in the case of SEINFELD, Rick Ludwin's gut. He was the only guy who fought for the show when it was The Seinfeld Chronicles.RealPeacocknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77479863331069699182012-11-06T11:49:09.788-08:002012-11-06T11:49:09.788-08:00Funny, but every time I see the name Warren Little...Funny, but every time I see the name Warren Littlefield, I see that actor who played the NBC exec on Seinfeld.<br /><br />Very interesting interview. Thanks to Mr Littlefield for his thoughts.chuckcdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83018132774679356952012-11-06T02:02:46.450-08:002012-11-06T02:02:46.450-08:00still waiting to part 2...still waiting to part 2...חבילות ספורטhttp://bigso.co.il/cat.php?id=120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48132593130581558892012-11-05T23:24:06.207-08:002012-11-05T23:24:06.207-08:00Very interesting, I'm looking forward to part ...Very interesting, I'm looking forward to part 2.<br /><br />Reading this reminded me of a really good interview of Kevin Reilly (currently a Fox exec) on KCRW a couple of years ago. You can find it at:<br /><i>www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/tb/tb100426got_an_idea_for_a_gr</i>mdv59https://www.blogger.com/profile/16110963117009209383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4240826907430625152012-11-05T16:41:33.387-08:002012-11-05T16:41:33.387-08:00Is there any way to forward this post to pretty mu...Is there any way to forward this post to pretty much all the executives at all the networks?Tim W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57093639601142437512012-11-05T13:51:48.999-08:002012-11-05T13:51:48.999-08:00Yikes. I'm frustrated just reading about the w...Yikes. I'm frustrated just <i>reading</i> about the way things are being run, never mind actually being in the thick of it. *shudders*Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28875631184821472552012-11-05T13:15:21.314-08:002012-11-05T13:15:21.314-08:00Hey Ken? That "Family Guys?" doc I recom...Hey Ken? That "Family Guys?" doc I recommended to you? I watched the second half tonight and it turns out you're in it! So the recommendation is probably a tad redundant. <br /><br />So I'll just cough politely before shuffling away and whistling to fill the silence...Macnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1706851755238365482012-11-05T13:03:06.812-08:002012-11-05T13:03:06.812-08:00I have a feeling you could fire 90% of the executi...I have a feeling you could fire 90% of the executives at any network and not lose a thing.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14305328723369044482012-11-05T13:02:37.441-08:002012-11-05T13:02:37.441-08:00Great idea to interview Littlefield, Ken, I am wai...Great idea to interview Littlefield, Ken, I am waiting for the second part. Mind if I ask for more? It would be great if you could interview Aaron Sorkin and Tina Fey -- and people who had worked for classics such as THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW or BARNEY MILLER or MASH, for example.Christodoulosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35704582586351044452012-11-05T12:00:58.238-08:002012-11-05T12:00:58.238-08:00Hilarious that his audio book is read by Bob Balab...Hilarious that his audio book is read by Bob Balaban, who played him on Seinfeld.dan'lnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29084340634795484132012-11-05T11:19:46.009-08:002012-11-05T11:19:46.009-08:00As a writer it's a pain knowing that the netwo...As a writer it's a pain knowing that the networks exist to sell commercials. They are beholden to the sponsors, not the creatives.<br /><br />In the early days it was the sponsors that brought the shows to the networks. "Texaco Star Theatre" aka Milton Berle show, "DuMont's Cavalcade of Stars" became The Jackie Gleason show.<br /><br />Even my beloved (and apparently Ken's too) "The Dick Van Dyke Show" were actually saved by sponsors. Sheldon Leonard traveled to Proctor & Gamble's headquarters to ask for support of the show. P&G and Kent Cigarettes underwrote a second season to be produced. It wasn't needed once the first season hit summer reruns and their numbers skyrocketed.<br /><br />Nowadays the networks pick the shows to get the demographic ratings and then sell the commercial time. The more popular a show is with the target demo, the higher the commercial sales.<br /><br />So if your "product" is the show, then you want to control the product. Make it as appealing as possible to the demographic.<br /><br />Not only am I a writer, I also have an MBA and have a few businesses of my own. (Along the theme of re-inventing from Ken's post a few days ago) <br /><br />You can't design a product by committee. Anything that is designed to appeal to the masses, appeals to nobody. <br /><br />Instead I've found, create a specific product and have a defined vision/purpose/theme. You can sell the "best in class". Don't try to steer it to a specific target market.<br /><br />Your market will find you. And if the network people were smart, they would sell the air time to the sponsors who desired the show's natural demographics.<br /><br />Of course there is the whole shifting content delivery paradigm (sorry union MBA rules say I have to use that word once a month) of people watching programs on cable, over the internet etc. That is a different discussion.<br /><br />But the current working network situation has studio people with their hands in the show production cookie jar. It will change, as it always does. We just have to keep creating and nudging the industry in our direction.<br /><br />But the current working network situation has studio people with their hands in the show production cookie jar. It will change, as it always does. We just have to keep creating and nudging the industry in our direction.<br /><br />Jerry K.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59424387245990267942012-11-05T10:51:01.706-08:002012-11-05T10:51:01.706-08:00Great stuff. Thanks for posting.Great stuff. Thanks for posting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32775306435529194792012-11-05T10:01:57.552-08:002012-11-05T10:01:57.552-08:00I know it is not possible to put a show or a movie...I know it is not possible to put a show or a movie to the public without studio execs having their say on the script and giving notes... however less bureaucracy sometime can lead to better outcome.<br /><br />VillainLabshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00264412484792630470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36577558626512675312012-11-05T08:12:56.843-08:002012-11-05T08:12:56.843-08:00I second Cory's question. If we could submit ...I second Cory's question. If we could submit the same questions to current NBC management, with some truth serum, what would we learn? And what would their corporate parents' management think of that?Doctor of Triviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15670389377962681906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34775962079479942292012-11-05T07:48:34.138-08:002012-11-05T07:48:34.138-08:00It's funny to me how all of the successful TV ...It's funny to me how all of the successful TV and movie executives say the same thing "Hire talented people and either help them or get out of their way." Do the people who are terrible in the position or fail at think they are doing the same thing?Coryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06037855799774656106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40071647392030621812012-11-05T07:30:24.819-08:002012-11-05T07:30:24.819-08:00Great interview. I read the book a few months bac...Great interview. I read the book a few months back and loved it. Required reading for anyone who loves TV and the "Must-See TV" era in particular.<br /><br />It reminded of something I had discussed with a coworker of mine at 30 Rock (the building, not the show) - that there are very few "legends" left in the TV business. Great executives such as Mr. Littlefield are long gone. After Dick Ebersol left a few years back, only Lorne Michaels remains as a symbol of what network TV once was.<br /><br />Can't wait to read part 2!Briannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-233502892718729962012-11-05T07:22:56.489-08:002012-11-05T07:22:56.489-08:00I always cringe when executives refer to televisio...I always cringe when executives refer to television programs as "products." They're not tampons. They're TV shows. Maybe if the networks got back into the entertainment business instead of the income-generating-focus-group-tested-notes-given-to-death product business they'd be better off.Jeannienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47114221276552926952012-11-05T07:19:10.579-08:002012-11-05T07:19:10.579-08:00Very interesting. Look forward to reading the book...Very interesting. Look forward to reading the book. Will be interesting to see how NBC and other networks react to it. Macnoreply@blogger.com