Bob Paris starts us off.
This is a question and follow-up to your "perfect episode" entry. After listing two Frasier episodes, the next day I thought about how perfect the "Palestinian Chicken" episode of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM was. The two Frasier episodes were for a broadcast network and the 'Curb was for HBO which has different standards & practices. In your opinion, is it unfair to compare episodes where one may have had network constraints versus another where "anything goes?”
Not really. Having the freedom to use profanity or more graphic situations does not necessarily give you an advantage.
Yes, the styles are different, but an elegant comedy might well be funnier and more ingenious than one with the freedom to be more coarse.
As good as CURB is sometimes, it still can’t compare with “the Contest” episode of SEINFELD, which was subject to standards and practices.
And I’d put FRASIER up against any cable comedy.
If you want to talk about an unfair comparison, it’s the number of episodes a network series has to churn out vs. cable or streaming. Larry David can leisurely make 13 episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM over a couple of years. FRASIER had to turn out 24 episodes a season. That’s an unfair advantage for CURB.
From WB Jax:
Friday Question (really to both you and your partner David): Had either "The Flintstones" or "The Jetsons" (both of which I've always considered well-written series) still been going in Prime Time when you were, say, co-producing "Cheers" (that is, if either or both enjoyed a similar longevity to "The Simpsons") would you have been interested in writing for one or the other/both, coming up with rock/stone puns (e.g., Stoneway piano, Rock Vegas, etc.) for the former, imagining future technology for the latter?
I can’t answer for David obviously, but for myself — no. Writing THE SIMPSONS was a lark, but I like writing for real people who have real problems and real emotions. I also hate puns in sitcoms.
There are some animated series that are fairly sophisticated, but THE JETSONS and FLINTSTONES aren’t two of them. That said, I do like THE JETSONS and maybe the first season of THE FLINTSTONES.
Michael asks:
If you were taking over as a show runner at start of season, how much would you try to resolve existing story lines before starting your own?
I believe I’d have an obligation to the fans of the show to resolve the existing story line. I might do it in an episode or two and move on, but I certainly would deal it (and not just explain it away in a couple of offhanded lines).
John Wells took over from Aaron Sorkin on THE WEST WING and tells the story of the transition between season 4 and 5. Sorkin ended season 4 on a cliffhanger. Wells, who was still friends with Sorkin (Wells claims there was no animosity), called Sorkin to ask what he had planned to do to resolve the cliffhanger, and Sorkin said he had no idea. It’s something he would’ve figured out later. So it was left in Wells’ lap. That’s the trouble with cliffhangers sometimes. Know how to get your hero out of them before the cameras roll.
And finally, from Brian:
Have you gotten a Covid vaccination shot? If so, how did you feel afterwards? I've heard the second one can be rough, but worse for younger people. Please encourage those who haven't had the shot to hang in there and not start going out. Its tough when all your friends are posting pictures from breweries, but stay home until you have the shot(s).
I have gotten my two shots. I had a low-grade fever after the second shot that lasted no more than a day. But it was so worth it.
I urge anyone eligible to get your shots. Even Trump recommended getting your shots. So hopefully the mindless sheep who blindly follow him will now get vaccinated. But seriously, it’s the right thing to do, the smart thing to do, and the safe thing to do. And in the meantime, wear masks.
I always found it curious that people who were happy to wear white hoods over their faces don’t want to wear masks.
What's your FQ?
from By Ken Levine
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