Dave starts us off.
I've been enjoying Jenna Elfman's performance in Fear the Walking Dead and everyone loved Bryan Cranston's role in Breaking Bad. As you've worked with a lot of actors in sitcom's have you ever been surprised by an actor performing a dramatic role very well after working with them or seeing them in a sitcom/comedic role?
Oh, this is an easy one. Margo Martindale playing a villain on JUSTIFIED, season two. Find whoever streams it and treat yourself. She normally plays these sweet dowdy characters. Not here. And she’s riveting. Watch out if she offers you a glass of "Mama's Apple Pie."
Ere I Saw Elba asks:
Do you think that there are shows that have good characters, actors, and directors, but just have an overall shitty premise? That is, you want to write for them but it's just impossible to advance any kind of story?
I would say AfterMASH.
From Brian Phillips:
Musicians have favorite studios, do you have a fondness for a particular sound stage or studio when you direct?
I know it’s sentimental, but I’d have to say Paramount. I’ve directed a lot of great shows there and have had wonderful experiences. And for those who are scoring: Stage 25, Stage 19, Stage 32, and Stage 31.
From Neil Weinstein:
As a lifelong Mariners fan, I always think of you fondly this time of year, especially the year you were trying to explain Passover food to Dave Niehause on the air during a spring training game back in the early 90s.
I've become hooked on The Bob Newhart Show. Now that you have taught me to pay attention to the credits, I noticed a stable of writers in the early years that I didn't recognize, except for Jay Tarses. In the later years (I'm on season 5), I've noticed some more familiar names like David Lloyd and James Burrows pop up into the credits.
Since this was an MTM show, was there a go-to group of MTM writers that then expanded? What did it take to break into this club, like David Lloyd did? Did you and David Isaacs ever write specs for Bob Newhart?
I loved Dave Niehaus and miss him every day. Mariner baseball is not the same without him. Now to your question.
MTM in those days was like Camelot for writers. It started with THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW then THE BOB NEWHART SHOW and from there grew into a powerhouse, adding RHODA, PHYLLIS, THE TONY RANDALL SHOW, THE BETTY WHITE SHOW, LOU GRANT, ST. ELSEWHERE, THE WHITE SHADOW, PAUL SANDS FRIENDS AND LOVERS, THE TEXAS WHEELERS, REMINGTON STEELE, DOC, HILL STREET BLUES, NEWHART, MARY, and I’m sure I’m forgetting six others.
But in those early and mid-70’s days, as the shows were expanding, they were grooming writers to fill out the expanded number of script assignments on their various shows.
Among those writers: Earl Pomerantz, Charlotte Brown, Pat Nardo & Gloria Banta, Michael Leeson, Glen & Les Charles, Gary David Goldberg, Hugh Wilson, Lloyd Garver, Sy Rosen, and of course, David Lloyd.
David Isaacs and I joined THE TONY RANDALL SHOW and would have gotten into that mix except we left after the season to go on staff of MASH.
We never wrote a spec BOB NEWHART SHOW. But we did write a spec MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and spec RHODA. Both were rejected.
The show runner of RHODA is now my neighbor and we’re good friends. As a running joke I’ll say to her, “Read it again. Just once. I think you’ll find there was stuff you missed.”
What’s your Friday Question?
from By Ken Levine
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