tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post729676107046662411..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6717610361757259512015-01-04T10:50:59.600-08:002015-01-04T10:50:59.600-08:00To be honest, I'm quite disappointed in the Sa...To be honest, I'm quite disappointed in the Sam and Diane story in the finale. It reminds me of the episode where Diane lamented to Sam how "Where are they now?" interviews on TV are depressing. It feels exactly like that. zhiyinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72667205190643303542014-08-29T12:44:47.008-07:002014-08-29T12:44:47.008-07:00If they did a reunion perhaps they could have a ca...If they did a reunion perhaps they could have a cameo with Kiefer Sutherland.MikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40361928072498486512014-08-23T20:34:42.299-07:002014-08-23T20:34:42.299-07:00And the same is true for the talk show and behind ...And the same is true for the talk show and behind the scenes segments of The Larry Sanders Show. <br /><br />Ken said they tried taping an episode of Cheers to save money early on, but everyone agreed it didn't work for the show, so they kept shooting on film. <br /><br />Hamid: So it WAS some bit conspiracy. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62353519764729461592014-08-23T18:19:02.356-07:002014-08-23T18:19:02.356-07:00Waukee: Home Improvement was shot on videotape, wh...Waukee: Home Improvement was shot on videotape, while Cheers was shot on film. That accounts for the difference in look.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49188121975623076982014-08-23T10:08:49.994-07:002014-08-23T10:08:49.994-07:00I have a question about syndication. I watch Seinf...I have a question about syndication. I watch Seinfeld reruns, and I notice that they cycle through the same episodes over and over. How do they pick which episodes go into syndication? Obviously they aren't airing every episode from every season, in other words. Who makes those decisions? <br /><br />Thanks. Really enjoy reading your blog!Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272016833588872866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81912761043187600542014-08-23T08:55:50.642-07:002014-08-23T08:55:50.642-07:00Hi, Ken. Friday question:
When an actor announces...Hi, Ken. Friday question:<br /><br />When an actor announces he wants to leave a show, be it David Caruso wanting to do movies, Rob Lowe miffed he wasn't the star, or Josh Charles apparently just getting bored, it seems like they're accommodated. Does it ever happen where an actor says he wants out of his contract and is told no, because his character is too vital? Or do the writers just shrug and, as with The Good Wife, simply have another attorney show up and start flirting with Julianna Margulies?Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10865669257305316962014-08-23T01:34:41.833-07:002014-08-23T01:34:41.833-07:00Hello Mr Levine,
Does Frasier like any animals at ...Hello Mr Levine,<br />Does Frasier like any animals at all? I ask this because despite disliking dogs, he mentions in later appearances in cheers a slight fear of animals instilled in him by his mother whilst in his early appearances when he was dating Diane, he mentions having an owl named Plato and a dog too. Can you explain this?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28185803054515788142014-08-22T21:08:00.640-07:002014-08-22T21:08:00.640-07:00"Juuuuuust a little outside."
Cracks me..."Juuuuuust a little outside."<br /><br />Cracks me up EVERY time!DrBOPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07179469265158025584noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82644198453490460912014-08-22T18:34:29.904-07:002014-08-22T18:34:29.904-07:00MTM Enterprises was the Desilu of the 70s and earl...MTM Enterprises was the Desilu of the 70s and early 80s. Kleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14306497851609490015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11521653939257819292014-08-22T18:06:16.693-07:002014-08-22T18:06:16.693-07:00Also happy for the shout-out to Desi Arnaz, whom s...Also happy for the shout-out to Desi Arnaz, whom seemingly few people know for his extensive contributions to the medium.Splaning Tudunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17426845818525148202014-08-22T17:59:17.281-07:002014-08-22T17:59:17.281-07:00Ugh, every comment I ever post here has at least o...Ugh, every comment I ever post here has at least one typo... "short of miraculous," not "short or miraculous." Oy.The Fat Braying Asswoodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8583300032423651882014-08-22T17:57:19.049-07:002014-08-22T17:57:19.049-07:00I'm always happy to see you unreservedly suppo...I'm always happy to see you unreservedly support Shelley Long and acknowledge the depth of her contribution to Cheers. I always thought that her performance as Diane was nothing short or miraculous and wondered if any other actress could have made that character work as well. I don't recall you ever mentioning any background on her casting, so I'll turn this into a Friday question and ask whether there is a Mary Tyler Moore/Laura Petrie-type backstory to her casting on Cheers.The Fat Braying Asswoodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58485654408939975902014-08-22T16:59:07.054-07:002014-08-22T16:59:07.054-07:00Friday question: I was just watching Two and a Hal...Friday question: I was just watching Two and a Half Men and I just realized they keep switching between one and two stories between episodes. Some shows do that. <br /><br />Who and when decides the format and does it get changed during the series?Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43884417671254399162014-08-22T15:10:02.727-07:002014-08-22T15:10:02.727-07:00Johnny
John Ratzenberger appeared in a political ...Johnny<br /><br />John Ratzenberger appeared in a political ad alongside vicious homophobes Stephen Baldwin, Victoria Jackson and Pat Boone, the latter who compared gays and lesbians to terrorists. Draw your own conclusions from that.Hamidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68971931027317807372014-08-22T12:55:50.734-07:002014-08-22T12:55:50.734-07:00Yesterday you mentioned Dukakis guest starring on ...Yesterday you mentioned Dukakis guest starring on Cheers. I have long felt there was something political about Cheers. Not a partisan thing, but there were a few touches here and there. I think John Kerry also guested. What show would even think about having the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs? The 200th episode clip show was hosted by John McLaughlin, as if it was some sort of political event. Can you expand on that? Was there any desire to have that trend, or did it just come together just like that?Nicolasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67925800611549720882014-08-22T12:50:48.019-07:002014-08-22T12:50:48.019-07:00Waukee Community School District: Aren't you j...Waukee Community School District: Aren't you just talking about a show shot on videotape versus one shot on film? For instance, <i>All in the Family</i> (and the other Lear series) versus <i>Mary Tyler Moore</i> (and the other MTM series).gottacooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65885905331994956162014-08-22T12:11:41.097-07:002014-08-22T12:11:41.097-07:00Oh, and their hit was The Book of Love.
As for p...Oh, and their hit was The Book of Love.<br /><br /><br />As for people leaving shows, I'm still bummed out about Chester leaving Gunsmoke.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36455751782543714292014-08-22T12:09:40.418-07:002014-08-22T12:09:40.418-07:00Fred: There was a group called The Monotones. Fred: There was a group called The Monotones. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4960441492657302532014-08-22T12:04:07.015-07:002014-08-22T12:04:07.015-07:00HOME IMPROVEMENT was a multi-camera sitcom and CHE...HOME IMPROVEMENT was a multi-camera sitcom and CHEERS was a multi-camera sitcom, but they looked different. On screen, HOME IMPROVEMENT looked more like a soap opera while CHEERS looked more surreal, like a movie. THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW used both of these looks, the movie look for 90% of the show and the soap opera look for the show-in-the-show part of the show. Is there a name gor those kinds of looks and why do shows use different looks?Waukee Community School Districtnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57616019464440615692014-08-22T11:20:41.497-07:002014-08-22T11:20:41.497-07:00Desilu...there's a powerhouse. Without it, the...Desilu...there's a powerhouse. Without it, there would be no Star Trek.Dan Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06865180000909831517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-88330668372253267902014-08-22T10:42:16.147-07:002014-08-22T10:42:16.147-07:001538Give it up LA Dodger fans. Vin Scully is the ...1538Give it up LA Dodger fans. Vin Scully is the biggest hum drummer ever. If anyone ever named a band after him it would be the "Monotones"!fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13409641680161401624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6808569934838135042014-08-22T10:11:31.652-07:002014-08-22T10:11:31.652-07:00If insults to characters are what the writers feel...If insults to characters are what the writers feel about the actors playing them, then John Ratzenberger must be the biggest asshole on the planet.<br /><br />I'm sure the reason there was negative stories about Long is simply because, yes, she could be difficult on set (but never nasty -- only tricky in order to get things just right) -- and the press needs to sell newspapers.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44551591117024613232014-08-22T09:28:42.271-07:002014-08-22T09:28:42.271-07:00Good to see a shout to Desi Arnaz, a very underrat...Good to see a shout to Desi Arnaz, a very underrated talent both businesswise and performingwise. And for those not in the know, Bristol Cities is rhyming slang for boobage.mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40160551488549304852014-08-22T08:40:30.082-07:002014-08-22T08:40:30.082-07:00Yet another vote for Major League, a movie I stop ...Yet another vote for Major League, a movie I stop and watch whenever it comes on. It's funny, it's touching, it simply works. I'm not crazy about the romance between Tom Berenger and Rene Russo, but only because poor, valiant Ms. Russo gets stuck with all the worst lines ("Books are my life now!") The end is perfection, with every single one of the 'hapless' Indians making a real contribution to the win. They come together as a team, the city comes together around them... and you smile and sometimes cry a little, because in a 'silly' comedy, the emotion is totally earned.<br /><br />Two questions linger:<br /><br />How did Pedro Cerrano eventually become President of the United States?<br /><br />Whatever happened to the marvelous Margaret Whitton?Tudor Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544142728842449527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23660091557867580022014-08-22T08:28:37.178-07:002014-08-22T08:28:37.178-07:00That bitch Dianne did leave him at the alter. From...That bitch Dianne did leave him at the alter. From a character perspective, it made sense for Sam and Fraiser to both harbour a lot of resentment toward her. Certainly more sense than her leaving and never being mentioned again. And Carla sure wasn't going to suddenly stop putting her down when she broke Sam's heart and skipped town. (As for Woody's comment, well, that seems almost affectionate to me.)<br /><br />Stephen C.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com