Edward leads off.
You discussed how the script for "The Jeffersons" got your career going. But you also said the show was not one that you really cared for. Once your writing career was working out, did you need to personally like a show to be enthusiastic about writing an episode or does an assignment for a show fall under keeping your career going and making sure the rent gets paid?
We were thrilled to get ANY assignment. A number of projects we wrote never got on the air – back up episodes for pilots that didn’t go, that sort of thing.
We also happily pitched any show that would hear us. We wrote two episodes of JOE AND SONS. Ever hear of it? But we were over-the-moon happy to get those assignments.
Even after we had done MASH we rewrote a couple of network pilots just for the money.
Trust me – work was work. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
From chris dellecese
About those insipid network promos we see all day long on Sunday NFL games.
Is there any evidence that those actually WORK?
YES!
Having the NFL on your network elevates your other programming. That's why networks pay ungodly sums for NFL rights.
Those football games bring in new viewers to their network and exposes them to their programming. An on-air CBS promo for only the CBS audience is not nearly as effective as a promo on an NFL game.
That said, the audience for NFL games are primarily men, so promos for fare they might be interested in is more effective than say, promos for GREY’S ANATOMY.
I was always thrilled when a promo for one of my sitcoms aired during an NFL game.
DBenson has a question I assume about filming last episodes of series knowing the show has been cancelled and the episode is not guaranteed to air.
Was there ever a situation where an actor or other member of the production decided "S**** this!" and just goofed off or ad-libbed through a shoot or rehearsal for a doomed episode?
No.
Every actor I’ve ever worked with in those situations was a consumate professional. Same with the crews. Everyone took pride in their work and did the best job possible.
And to this day I admire each and every one of them as a result.
And finally, from Shane:
Talking about being protective of kids, did you at anytime worry that Hollywood would be a bad influence on your kids when growing up?
We tried to give our kids as normal an upbringing as we could. They went to public school, we never tried to get them work in commercials, they never guested on my shows, and although they certainly came to sets and went to audience tapings, they never hung around stages, and we never tried to get them agents.
I believe it was a wise decision. Of course you'd have to ask them, but I think they'd agree.
What’s your Friday Question?
from By Ken Levine
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