tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post8493080297548190946..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Friday QuestionsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3579487567208375202013-09-03T11:21:53.911-07:002013-09-03T11:21:53.911-07:00Dear Ken, I've been thinking a lot lately abou...Dear Ken, I've been thinking a lot lately about when shows should end. Some people seem to have a knack for calling it a day and leave you missing them--Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and more recently Chuck. Others seem to go on so long that shows I once loved make me wince and squirm to watch--or just get flat out boring. There are a few right now that I used to love, but they are repeating themselves or less funny and more sad or dull and out of gas. I used to look forward to them, but now I brace myself and am pleasantly surprised when they don't make me cringe. How do avoid that and leave them wanting more or satisfied instead of being relieved it's finally over? It's weird to see somthing you love go south. As a viewer, it's embarrassing and uncomfortable.Saminoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-38578550319070001292013-09-01T19:21:29.222-07:002013-09-01T19:21:29.222-07:00Ah yes, the reserves. Ah yes, the reserves. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54611560553724017262013-09-01T12:09:31.858-07:002013-09-01T12:09:31.858-07:00Not bad, MarkP, but didn't Frasier move to Chi...Not bad, MarkP, but didn't Frasier move to Chicago at the close of the series? I suppose you could do the same storyline, but simply substitute the White Sox or Cubs.<br /><br />To Ken: Interesting story in <i>Variety</i> this week, "Networks Need More TV Shows That Inspire Rabid Fan Followings." (http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/networks-need-more-tv-shows-that-inspire-rabid-fan-followings-1200592496/). I agree that networks have done a terrible job in creating those types of series ("Mad Men," "Orange Is The New Black," "Breaking Bad," etc.), but since sitcoms have been so important to networks since "I Love Lucy" established the genre in 1951, can the sitcom achieve an intense fan base -- one that not only watches in large numbers, but blogs? The Internet came into its own during the final few years of "Seinfeld," and "Frasier" seemed to achieve a similar cyber-presence, but what quality sitcoms have done likewise since? (And as you can obviously tell from my comments, I don't view "Two And A Half Men" as "quality," apologies to Chuck Lorre.) <br /><br />Then again, even if "Seinfeld" or "Frasier" or "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" were in their series prime with new episodes today, I fear none of them would inspire much adulation today; they are, after all, only sitcoms (he said sarcastically). The TV audience has become far more snobby.<br />VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87992011060751243072013-09-01T06:57:45.198-07:002013-09-01T06:57:45.198-07:00Modern Frasier: Frasier moonlights as a shrink for...Modern Frasier: Frasier moonlights as a shrink for the Mariners. One night he's there just before game time, and their radio play-by-play announcer gets the hiccups. "Have no fear, I'm also an MD" Frasier tries to help but only makes things worse and the guy gets laryngitis. "Have no fear, I also do radio". But he doesn't exactly know baseball. "It's a home run into the left field stands! The batter has decided to remain at the plate, no doubt savoring this most singular accomplishment - oh, that's a foul?" The voiceless announcer tries to help by pantomiming but ultimately gets very flustered.Mark P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58809838765466184442013-08-31T21:45:55.755-07:002013-08-31T21:45:55.755-07:00Our six years in the reserves gave us a certain fa...Our six years in the reserves gave us a certain familiarity.By Ken Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22241885300109022013-08-31T20:46:40.191-07:002013-08-31T20:46:40.191-07:00You're kidding about knowing about the Army ba...You're kidding about knowing about the Army based on your 180-day foray, right? Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34597257126664460662013-08-31T19:13:28.723-07:002013-08-31T19:13:28.723-07:00Actors are "troupers" because they are m...Actors are "troupers" because they are members of a troupe. State Police and cavalry officers are troopers. And no it's not a British/American thing. Both countries have both words. <br /><br />Now don't get me started on discreet and discrete!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11461948827385060300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44714625532982189762013-08-31T08:48:21.967-07:002013-08-31T08:48:21.967-07:00Ia there ever animosity between members of a writi...Ia there ever animosity between members of a writing staff or other people that work "behind the scenes" as to the pay of actors on successful shows? Without the writers they would have nothing to say, without the directors they would have no place to stand, without the camera people they would not be able to be seen, without lighting they couldn't be seen, etc. DwWashburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03057278992504418291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63975871188263433722013-08-31T04:44:06.037-07:002013-08-31T04:44:06.037-07:00Thanks for responding, Ken! Great to get your ins...Thanks for responding, Ken! Great to get your insight. For your reference (and really, who doesn't need this?), here's a latter-years Diane mention list compiled with the help of fan crowdsourcing at my humble Cheers Tumblr: http://chambersandmalone.tumblr.com/post/29616964792/the-later-years-diane-reference-list-a-work-inAn (is my actual name)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07960251996565752991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9320918262444092602013-08-30T18:37:27.120-07:002013-08-30T18:37:27.120-07:00Modern Frasier: Adam Levine guest stars in this ep...<b>Modern Frasier:</b> Adam Levine guest stars in this episode in which Fraser attempts to win "The Voice" with his hip-hop version of "Buttons and Bows."Greg Ehrbarhttp://www.mousetracksonline.com/blog.phpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22490200768834440292013-08-30T18:21:19.586-07:002013-08-30T18:21:19.586-07:00I think my favorite Diane call back was in a later...I think my favorite Diane call back was in a later episode, Sam gets an electrical shock trying to IIRC set up pirated cable and Frasier rushes to check up on him and Sam shakes his head, looks at Frasier and says "Diane?"<br /><br />Also, of course, Carla's defection to Mr PubbJim, Foolish Literalistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41468008235755229232013-08-30T15:42:55.247-07:002013-08-30T15:42:55.247-07:00Johnny Walker -
There's a SEINFELD episode wit...Johnny Walker -<br />There's a SEINFELD episode with that subplot, only it's Newman who's been hoarding the undelivered mail in his apartment.Powerhouse Salternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-18703358091028859682013-08-30T14:27:58.391-07:002013-08-30T14:27:58.391-07:00Not episode, Twitter.Not episode, Twitter.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57962703793588974252013-08-30T14:27:16.438-07:002013-08-30T14:27:16.438-07:00One of my favourite episodes of CHEERS was apparen...One of my favourite episodes of CHEERS was apparently one I'd made up in my head. When I re-watched the entire series, I never actually got to it:<br /><br />Cliff breaks down in the bar and reveals how he's not been delivering the mail for the past few months -- he's depressed for some reason. His apartment is now filled with undelivered mail, and unless it all suddenly finds its way to people's homes, he's going to get discovered and fired.<br /><br />So everyone in the bar stays out all night helping him deliver the mail.<br /><br />I SWEAR it was an episode...!<br /><br />Love the idea of a Modern Frasier episode, btw.Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68685730145502163202013-08-30T14:06:59.306-07:002013-08-30T14:06:59.306-07:00I really liked the Diane references after she left...I really liked the Diane references after she left. It felt real -- if somebody's a major part of your day-in, day-out life for five years, you don't suddenly stop talking about them the moment they leave -- and I agree with Ken, a lot of difference came from *who* was talking negatively about her: almost always, it was Frasier or Sam. The former was left at the altar by the woman, the latter was engaged to her and then didn't receive so much as a phone call from her after she went up to Maine to finish her book. Both had plenty of reason to be bitter. Carla would make the occasional nasty remark, and while I don't like how mean Carla grew in the final seasons of the show, it felt perfectly natural for her to make a harsh comment about Diane. She disliked her from about the second Diane showed up.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15140243094371867492013-08-30T13:13:12.926-07:002013-08-30T13:13:12.926-07:00The most-amazing/sad/inspiring tale of an actor wh...The most-amazing/sad/inspiring tale of an actor who was a trooper who went on anyway that I've ever heard is that of Lou Costello. He received the news that his son, Lou Costello Jr., barely over a year old, had drowned in his backyard swimming pool minutes before he was to do an hour-long live radio show. He did the show, and the listeners would never have known something horrific had happened from his performance, though Bud Abbott and Tallulah Bankhead were performing through tears. At the end of the show, Bud, now openly crying, did a short speech to the listeners to the effect that his partner had just shown them all the meaning of professionalism.<br /><br />Re: Still thinking of ideas: friends of Stan Laurel reported that, to the very end of his life, Stan would still get Laurel & Hardy gag ideas. They'd be out with him and some lttle thing would happen or he'd see something, and he'd say, "This would make a lovely gag for us," and describe the L&H gag it had inspired in him. This was long after Babe Hardy had passed away. Stan's genius had no "Off" switch. This was a man whose idea of a day off was to come into the studio and contribute gags to other comedians' movies.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57653346092326732102013-08-30T12:32:34.730-07:002013-08-30T12:32:34.730-07:00The biggest problem for newcomers into the Star Tr...The biggest problem for newcomers into the Star Trek universe was not only getting used to astronomy and the tech jargon (which had help from the likes of Okuda, Shankar and Bormanis), but also portraying an idealized society according to the showrunner's rules.<br /><br />Michael Piller once called it the Roddenberry's Box. Either a writer adjusts to it or not.<br /><br />There are a number of talented professional writers who never able to last long in a Star Trek assignment because of this. This happened mostly in The Next Generation era.<br /><br />Some of these writers:<br /><br />Lee Sheldon<br />Michael Wagner<br />Frank Abatemarco<br />Robert Lewin<br />Greg Strangis<br />Richard Danus<br />Ira Steven Behr (who rejoined Trek on DS9, after Roddenberry's death)Eduardo Jencarellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14393598179614372710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-68638867735662266962013-08-30T11:12:35.620-07:002013-08-30T11:12:35.620-07:00@Brian It wasn't a picnic filming out in Malib...@Brian It wasn't a picnic filming out in Malibu either, from what I understand: temperatures in the teens in the morning, rising to over 100 in the afternoon (I think Loretta Swit once said in an interview that an extra nearly died of heat exhaustion once). Not to mention I think Ken himself even said if the actors got too nitpicky about the scripts, the writers would purposely write coldsnap episodes, forcing them to walk around in that 100+ degree heat in overcoats and parkas, standing around barrels of fire, and act like it's cold.<br /><br />But in response to the question about guest stars/actors and such, if the filming schedule can be worked around to accommodate certain actors like that on a single camera show, then how come Igor was played by someone other than Jeff Maxwell in a couple of Season Six episodes of M*A*S*H (in addition to that, why was Jeff's dialogue dubbed in "Fade Out, Fade In")?Joseph Scarbroughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06851086150240380366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21952153414393356072013-08-30T10:59:11.608-07:002013-08-30T10:59:11.608-07:00"I don’t know what you do for a show like STA..."I don’t know what you do for a show like STAR TREK although there are several writers that I seriously believe do commute from outer space."<br /><br />Oh, Ken. That's just the Valley!Tim W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37800876278750666442013-08-30T10:58:47.995-07:002013-08-30T10:58:47.995-07:00"I don’t know what you do for a show like STA..."I don’t know what you do for a show like STAR TREK although there are several writers that I seriously believe do commute from outer space."<br /><br />Oh, Ken. That's just the Valley!Tim W.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60846239016866043312013-08-30T09:38:13.082-07:002013-08-30T09:38:13.082-07:00Friday Question: on a recent road trip I saw a Fr...Friday Question: on a recent road trip I saw a Frasier from the last season that was "Written By David Issacs" -- no Ken Levine! Was there a definite point where you went your separate ways as writers, or did you just drift apart? Did you write any scripts solo or did you concentrate on baseball and directing?williebnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63872551747156865132013-08-30T09:38:03.544-07:002013-08-30T09:38:03.544-07:00Igor,
I also love that scene, the best line of whi...Igor,<br />I also love that scene, the best line of which is Sam's "I love the Stooges for themselves!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31889655571261313152013-08-30T09:37:18.729-07:002013-08-30T09:37:18.729-07:00F.Q. Many people are dropping cable/satellite enti...F.Q. Many people are dropping cable/satellite entirely and using streaming services for their video entertainment. Is this something studio/network executives are adjusting to, or is it a false doomsday, like how VCRs didn't destroy movie theaters as was feared?Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83181107045347769142013-08-30T09:21:01.586-07:002013-08-30T09:21:01.586-07:00One of my truly all-time favorite comedy moments o...One of my truly all-time favorite comedy moments on TV was on Cheers - when Sam felt his life had no meaning because <i>everything</i> he did was simply to get babes. <br /><br />They go through a list of his interests, and Sam ties each one back to getting babes.<br /><br />And then, someone mentions The 3 Stooges. As I recall, Sam reacts with puzzlement. Then Diane (?) says, "Have you ever known any woman who likes the Stooges?" <br /><br />And at that, Sam realizes that, indeed, his life has meaning.<br /><br />Ken, do you know if that scene was just one of those things along the way, or is there a story behind it? <br /><br />(Sorry for getting some/many of the details wrong; it's been a while since I've seen that episode. But I'll <i>never</i> forget the look of discovery and joy on Ted Danson's face.)Igornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6486323825237448712013-08-30T09:09:16.881-07:002013-08-30T09:09:16.881-07:00Dear Ken,
Please convey a Many Happy Returns of t...Dear Ken,<br /><br />Please convey a <i>Many Happy Returns of the Day</i> to your young Ms. Levine. And tell her to keep up the good work. That is all.Jeffrohttp://kenlevine.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com