tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7888285032140418551..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56639262329773891392020-02-25T07:48:21.618-08:002020-02-25T07:48:21.618-08:00Belated (just a bit):
A local station here in Chi...Belated (just a bit):<br /><br />A local station here in Chicago used to run the old <i>Pete Smith Specialties</i> every day, just before the evening news; my brother and I never missed them.<br /><i>Occasional Wife</i> came along a few years later.<br />I always thought that Vin Scully was styling his narration in that after Pete Smith's in the old shorts.<br />You wouldn't happen to know for sure … ?Mike Doranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14427528138598549103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73153001833023736562020-02-23T15:46:57.105-08:002020-02-23T15:46:57.105-08:00I'm old enough to vividly remember most of the...<br />I'm old enough to vividly remember most of the shows you cited here, and I agree that they were lovely and original and should have lasted longer than they did.<br /><br />FLYING BLIND - I'm not as enamored of Tea Leoni as I was when this show came out but she really was wonderful in it. And didn't Ian McShane recur as her estranged husband? I remember wanting them to get back together, even if it betrayed the entire purpose of the show, just to get more Ian McShane on my tv.<br /><br />Steve Gordon died way too young.<br /><br />UNITED STATES didn't sound or look like anything else on tv, which was one of the reasons I loved it and one of the reasons, I'm sure, that it was canceled.<br /><br />MY WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT was great and it won William Windom his only Emmy, which I thought was both deserved and overdue. I remember that by the time he won it, the show had already been canceled. (If you're a William Windom fan, his work in two episodes of "Night Gallery" are just two examples of how amazing an actor he really was.<br /><br />OCCASIONAL WIFE brought about a short but real crush on Michael Callan. I can still hear him saying to Patricia Harty, "I want you to be my wife - occasionally."<br /><br />THE ASSOCIATES and ALL IS FORGIVEN are very fondly remembered in my household. I will never forget the punchline to an ASSOCIATES scene where Wilfred Hyde-White reminisces about the two women who long ago competed for his heart. The one he didn't choose turned out to be Margaret Thatcher. (I guess you had to be there).<br /><br />Gene F. - I am fairly sure that FRANK'S PLACE lasted two seasons, but it still ended way too soon. It was my mother's all-time favorite comedy series and I taped as many episodes as I could for her. We would watch the tapes together and just marvel at how good it was.Tudor Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03544142728842449527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2653561026000362222020-02-23T05:57:24.193-08:002020-02-23T05:57:24.193-08:00Okay, here we go. So, as both a writer and as an i...Okay, here we go. So, as both a writer and as an improviser, what do you think we can expect from the reportedly “unscripted” ‘Friends’ reunion? A friend of mine actually dreamt about this the other night, and he reports each character coming to the front of the stage, riffing on their most famous catchphrase (“We were on a *break*..!”, “Could this *be* any more improvised..?”, “How *you* doin’..?” etc etc) for five minutes and then disappearing. He says it was awful.Do You Do Any Wings?https://www.blogger.com/profile/16464188169541771585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70306954677838229372020-02-22T22:50:14.309-08:002020-02-22T22:50:14.309-08:00My Friday Question - how much network interference...My Friday Question - how much network interference did you get when producing a show? I read an interview with the producer of Castle. he said he spent more time arguing with network execs about scripts, direction of the show than anything else. I think at some point they filmed 3 separate endings to a season finale because they couldn't agree on anything and time was running out. Did you have that type of interference on your shows?JShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13376748020962332059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60167452654493544972020-02-22T20:28:47.763-08:002020-02-22T20:28:47.763-08:00“Oh Madeline” has a lot of potential, but the supp...“Oh Madeline” has a lot of potential, but the supporting cast and the setup wasn’t quite right.<br /><br />“Andy Richter Controls the Universe” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23” both had two partial seasons, and both had a lot of potential.<br /><br />“Angie” ran a season and a half in the late 70s. It wasn’t high art by any means, but it was a pleasant show with a good premise and a strong cast, and was from the “Happy Days” producers. It should have lasted longer than it did.Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52408372332438982972020-02-22T16:31:51.994-08:002020-02-22T16:31:51.994-08:00Thank you for answering my Friday Question, Ken! O...Thank you for answering my Friday Question, Ken! One of those things I've wondered about.<br /><br />As far as beloved (for me, anyway) short-lived shows go, I think of Downward Dog and Don't Trust the B in Apt 23 (which ran maybe a season and a half with several unaired episodes available digitally). The latter starred Krysten Ritter, who was quite good in the show.<br /><br />Have you watched any XFL?Charles Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62283083094550819752020-02-22T16:06:27.631-08:002020-02-22T16:06:27.631-08:00Oh, I forgot "Great News", which ran for...Oh, I forgot "Great News", which ran for like a season and a half on NBC a couple of years ago. Set in a newsroom, starred the shockingly gorgeous Briga Heelan, really, really funny. But the ratings were horrible and I remember they burned off the last few episodes in December when literally everything else on TV was a rerun. Too bad.Vidorhttp://gg.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75498202225330551882020-02-22T16:00:48.233-08:002020-02-22T16:00:48.233-08:00"One Season Wonder" TV sitcoms...the fir..."One Season Wonder" TV sitcoms...the first answer that springs to mind is "Police Squad!", by the "Airplane!" folks, which lasted only six episodes and was absolutely terrific.<br /><br />Something that might have been of interest to Mr. Levine back in the day--a few years after "Cheers" went off the air Bebe Neuwirth did a sitcom pilot called "Dear Diary". It was rejected by the network. After it was rejected the producers screened it in theaters and it won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.Vidorhttp://gg.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62474595407495214052020-02-22T13:59:49.854-08:002020-02-22T13:59:49.854-08:00My favorite single season program was Frank's ...My favorite single season program was Frank's Place. Unfortunately, it used music too expensive to license and has never been released on DVD.Gene F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04507132803101688567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44957789801025144962020-02-22T12:24:25.377-08:002020-02-22T12:24:25.377-08:00for One Season Wonders how about Oh Madeline? I re...for One Season Wonders how about Oh Madeline? I remember enjoying that during it’s brief run. s T e V ehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00577297181451103268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36661539008615641082020-02-22T07:23:40.655-08:002020-02-22T07:23:40.655-08:001992: The Powers that Be with John Forsythe, Holla...1992: The Powers that Be with John Forsythe, Holland Taylor, Eve Gordon, Peter MacNicol, Valerie Mahaffey, Elizabeth Berridge, David Hyde Pierce and Joseph Gordon-Levittauragoneboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122413308047173317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37383132870127363242020-02-21T22:11:38.771-08:002020-02-21T22:11:38.771-08:00Tommy Raiko said: "It also used David Byrne&#...Tommy Raiko said: "It also used David Byrne's brilliant "A Million Miles Away" as a theme song, so I like to think it introduced some folks to Byrne's post-Talking Heads awesomeness as well."<br /><br />It did indeed in my case, just as MARSHALL CHRONICLES sent me off to buy Randy Newman's album. Something told me to record that series at the time, and I'm glad I did as it still makes me laugh. I wasn't much older than Marshall at the time and I swore he was living my high school life. Just a very sharp, observant, funny show. ALL IS FORGIVEN is another gem, with some episodes online.<br /><br />Actually, that's a Friday Question for Ken: I have never considered posting those episodes on YouTube, out of deference to the creative team and rights-holders. But I've often wondered how the creators/actors behind short-run series feel when shows that will never be re-released by studios make their way online. Is there a sense that, if there's no way to make money from it, at least it's out there as a conversation piece? I'm assuming this is more likely the case for things like pilots and the network season preview specials, which would probably never see the light of day again otherwise.John Jackson Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02450012837939955658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19145008936147259202020-02-21T19:37:59.101-08:002020-02-21T19:37:59.101-08:00I've always said I feel that the greatest sitc...I've always said I feel that the greatest sitcom episode ever was "The Censor" episode of "The Associates." That it got an Emmy nomination for writing months after it left the air suggest that others felt the same way. ABC pulled the plug way too early. IMHO.<br /><br />Yes, I also watched the pilot of "Flying Blind" and thought, that woman is from another dimension. Unfortunately, they lost faith in the original concept and kept changing the format every 4-5 weeks. By the time they ended up working in a movie studio with Mary Woronov, it was clear the show was headed for the gallows. I just wish somebody would give Leoni another comedy. Between this and the first season of "The Naked Truth," she proved to be absolutely fearless in pursuit of the big laugh.mike schlesingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15824197221204862706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39426126518460334802020-02-21T19:17:56.775-08:002020-02-21T19:17:56.775-08:00The Associates had real potential -- and its theme...<i>The Associates</i> had real potential -- and its theme song was by (no kidding) Albert Brooks and B.B. King! It should have been given at least a full season to find an audience.<br /><br /><i>The Marshall Chronicles</i> was also cancelled way too soon. <br /><br /><br /><br />Y. Knottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-80180514853857032612020-02-21T15:57:18.276-08:002020-02-21T15:57:18.276-08:00Ken,I thought that "Captain Nice"was a h...Ken,I thought that "Captain Nice"was a hoot back in the day and should have had a longer run then just one season.<br /><br />Buck Henry was involved in the production so "CN"had a similar humor to "Get Smart."<br /><br />Both shows were fun. "CN"did a send up of the superhero genre,"GS"did it for the spy genre.<br /><br />"Quark"was a spoof of science-fiction and also was pretty funny and deserved more than<br />its one season. powershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11462146268479327244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36520392613044268842020-02-21T15:39:46.883-08:002020-02-21T15:39:46.883-08:00I'll add another show to your answer to questi...I'll add another show to your answer to question one - Wonderfalls. Unfortunate that it only lasted one season. Quirky comedy that didn't go too heavy on the quirky part. Probably the only way to see it is via DVD.Patrick Wahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15408356855300575520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20929502909408905722020-02-21T15:26:30.269-08:002020-02-21T15:26:30.269-08:00Not exactly a sitcom, but there was a show in the ...Not exactly a sitcom, but there was a show in the 60's starring Robert Morse, and it was live, as a musical comedy, every week- That's Life. I think it only lasted one season but I loved it.thomas tuckernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29738533465755365492020-02-21T15:25:35.659-08:002020-02-21T15:25:35.659-08:00"Police Squad" didn't get a fair cha..."Police Squad" didn't get a fair chance on TV<br /><br />Although it was probably better as "The Naked Gun" movies without TV censorsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28075715923909829242020-02-21T14:41:45.573-08:002020-02-21T14:41:45.573-08:00Thanks for having Friday questions. I thought toda...Thanks for having Friday questions. I thought today was Thursday.Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69704946064717536562020-02-21T14:08:11.558-08:002020-02-21T14:08:11.558-08:00In the movie, The Graduate, Marion Lorne has a sma...In the movie, The Graduate, Marion Lorne has a small part in a wedding reception line. <br />Her line which she says to Dustin Hoffman’s character – “Enjoyed meeting you, Mr. Braniff.”<br />Several scenes later Hoffman and Kathrine Ross are back at the same hotel and they pass Lorne and she says the same line. A call back joke. It’s funny but for me it disrupts the story and it seems it was only left it in for the joke. I mean, why is Lorne’s character at the hotel that night? She doesn’t work there. The wedding party isn’t still going on. Your thoughts?<br /><br />escott@amuniversal.com<br />https://ericscottcomix.blogspot.com/Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16615021991261343338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13854623787163669092020-02-21T12:53:38.501-08:002020-02-21T12:53:38.501-08:00You can find at least on episode of Flying Blind a...You can find at least on episode of Flying Blind and a couple of He And She on You Tube Jack Cassidy was on He and She. I don't remember the Powers that Be. I agree with Slap Maxwell and he was also in Buffalo Bill. Dabney Coleman is 88 and still acting. Powers that be had pretty good cast, David Hyde Pierce and Holland Taylor and Joseph Gordon Levitt. The Associates was also very funny. There are a few episodes on You Tube. sanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51089071936014313682020-02-21T12:33:15.428-08:002020-02-21T12:33:15.428-08:00Twice recently I was reminded of 'The Associat...Twice recently I was reminded of 'The Associates.' The first was when I saw Martin Short perform live and 'The Associates' was NOT mentioned among his past credits. (How dare they!) Again a few days later when his 'The Associates' co-star Alley Mills was abruptly widowed.Kosmo13noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31416373337727131052020-02-21T11:39:20.916-08:002020-02-21T11:39:20.916-08:00I bought your book "Must Kill TV" around...I bought your book "Must Kill TV" around the same time that Mark Evanier pointed me toward your blog. I bought the Kindle edition. Do you particularly care which version anyone buys?<br /><br />I imagine the answer is different for each author, but I'm asking about you, not them.DGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12682791053731440168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75763386705318803712020-02-21T11:19:39.508-08:002020-02-21T11:19:39.508-08:00Just wanted to say I did buy the book and very muc...Just wanted to say I did buy the book and very much enjoyed it. Highly recommended if you like Ken Levine humor.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00760229533287495672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26798065009046064732020-02-21T10:28:07.405-08:002020-02-21T10:28:07.405-08:00My personal favorite one-season wonder was "T...My personal favorite one-season wonder was "The Famous Teddy Z", where a young Jon Cryer stumbled into being a Hollywood talent agent despite no business qualifications or interest whatsoever. Cryer showed he could carry a project so soon after "Pretty in Pink", the late Alex Rocco won a deserved Emmy as the wonderfully named slimeball agent Al Floss, and we met Jane Sibbett (Ross's lesbian ex-wife on "Friends") as a law degree-holding colleague who ended up as Cryer's secretary. People think the reason the well-made show didn't catch on was because viewers then didn't quite understand what Hollywood talent agents did, thus lessening the appeal.<br /><br />I remember seeing reruns of "The Occasional Wife" on a Comedy Central forerunner and an episode of "United States" on the old Trio network's "Brilliant but Cancelled". I wasn't a fan of "Flying Blind" despite Tea Leoni's performance; I thought it was a big too risque and the male lead whined too much.Liggienoreply@blogger.com