J Lee has the first one.
Since you've just gotten back from New York, anything that stuck out for you about the logistics of staging a play (or for that matter, a TV show) in New York, versus doing the same thing in Los Angeles?
There’s not much difference staging plays. Some union rules are different but the process is pretty much the same.
However, doing a multi-camera sitcom in front of a studio audience in New York is like reinventing the wheel. I’ve talked about this before in posts about my time directing the Al Franken sitcom LATELINE in Astoria-Queens.
Camera crews are not used to working multi-camera shows. The crew I had worked Mets baseball for WOR, Channel 9. They would whip the cameras around as if following a shortstop. That took adjusting.
As did construction crews striking sets during rehearsal. In LA all of that is done in the middle of the night before the next day’s rehearsal. Not so in Gotham. These were all lovely people, by the way – they just weren’t used to this format.
From J. Lee to Leen:
What I was wondering is if you have ever worked with Craig T Nelson. I loved him in Coach and re-watch it all the time on Antenna TV. He seems like such a nice guy and would be an awesome person to talk to. Thanks!
Nope. Never worked with him. He was also great as the voice of Mr. Incredible.
Interesting factoid you might not have known: Early on in his career he did improv with the Groundlings in Los Angeles and formed a comedy team with now-director Barry Levinson.
Bob Gassel is next.
More of a Friday "comment" than question...would love to your thoughts: I fear we will soon arrive at the day when no quality shows have seasons longer than 10-13 episodes. So many great moments and supporting character explorations come when they need to do 22.
Networks need product and if they have a hit show they need as many episodes as they can get. So I suspect we’ll be seeing 22 episodes or more for some time now.
Yes, they’re harder to do, but you get paid a lot more money. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Also, the more episodes you amass the better the syndication deal you can make. And syndication is really the Clampetts hitting oil.
Finally, Dhruv has a question for me and my writing partner, David Isaacs:
Did you guys think of creating an animated series like The Simpsons?
No. For me the fun of television is serving it while it’s hot. Even the best run animated shows take months and months to produce the final product.
That said, I love animated shows. My daughter and her husband are working on one for Apple TV and it seems very exciting.
But I like dealing with actors and seeing my words come to life on a stage. And most of all, hearing a live audience respond. Laughter is a big reward for me. (Not as big as money but still very close.)
What’s your Friday Question? You can leave it in the comments section. Thanks.
from By Ken Levine
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