Matt gets us started.
I noticed David Ogden Stiers did three episodes in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" final season (as station manager) around the same time he was brought onto MASH. Was he doing both shows at the same time? Or was it a matter of MTM ending in the spring and then joining MASH in the summer/fall? If it's the latter, was he on the radar for MASH because of his appearance in MTM?
David did the MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW the year before he began on MASH. In fact, it was his appearance on MTM that got him the job on MASH. Producer Burt Metcalfe saw him on that show and thought he’d be perfect for the new character of Charles we were preparing.
David Isaacs and I were on staff of THE TONY RANDALL SHOW at MTM at the time David was on MARY TYLER MOORE, and we used him in an episode of TR we wrote. In ours he was a talk show host — Robert W. Cleaver.
Jason V asks:
How does it affect an actor to be the punchline character in a show? I'm thinking Cliff in Cheers, and of course, Screech in Saved By the Bell.
They cry all the way to the bank.
From Jeff:
Ken, I believe you mentioned you were in the audience for All in the Family one time. Being that it's my favorite sitcom ever, would love if you would write about that sometime.
I was in the audience for the episode where Archie and Michael were stuck together in the cellar. We were out of there in less than an hour. Both actors knew their lines and as I recall, they went straight through as if it were a half-hour one act play.
One the one hand, I didn’t see a typical episode with all the characters in the living room, but on the other I saw a special episode.
And I was very impressed.
I only attended two Norman Lear tapings — that one and THE JEFFERSONS we “wrote.” In both cases, the actors knew all their lines and the level of professionalism was unmatched.
And finally, from Brian:
Have you continued to watch Brockmire and what do you think of it?
I watch every episode of BROCKMIRE. Absolutely loved it at the beginning, liked it in the middle, and hated the last season.
I give them credit for taking a big swing at the plate, but going into the future and making him the commissioner stretched all credibility and reality.
The first season was magic. By the end they went off the rails. That said, I loved Hank Azaria in the role.
What’s your Friday Question?
from By Ken Levine
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