Cedricstudio is up first with a MASH FQ:
Why was it decided Colonel Potter would be an artist in his spare time? I would assume that writing an art session into the script would be time consuming and expensive since it required the prop department to paint an entire portrait each time. Also, wouldn't there be very limited story points you can build around sitting for a portrait? (Although the writers did knock out some good scripts around that premise). Why turn this military man into an artist, and did it ever create production problems to paint all those portraits?
To add dimension to the character.
We didn’t want to just make him a military martinet. Having him be interested in art and painting also allowed us a hobby that was visual. Same with his love of horses. You could see him ride or paint. It’s not like he collected stamps.
TBaughman queries:
Do you and your writing partner still work on creating new shows/pilots (or write episodes on existing shows)? That would be terrific— you’ve done such great work on some iconic shows, it would be wonderful to see more.
No on writing episodes for current shows. The 200 or so we’ve already written will suffice.
We’re also not actively developing pilots. David is the Chairman of the TV writing department at USC, which keeps him more than a little busy. And I have my various projects. But if one of us does come up with something the other sparks to we’re not averse to writing it and seeing where it goes. Stay tuned.
From Powerhouse Salter:
Who auditions and chooses the voice actors when an American sitcom gets dubbed into another language for a non-English viewing audience? Do the original actors have any say in the choice?
I can’t say for sure, but I assume foreign distributors are in charge of hiring the actors, usually from the various countries.
I do know this — the originals actors have absolutely no say in this. And to be honest, I can’t think of a single original actor who has expressed anything more than idle curiosity in what they sound like in Urdu.
And finally, from Daniel:
Lots of TV series have segued into movies with their original casts (Star Trek, Sex in the City, The Simpsons, The X-Files). During its peak (maybe during the summer hiatus of any of its first seven seasons), do you think Frasier (my favorite series) could have worked as a movie? Could the premise sustain itself as a 90-minute farce? Or was it designed so specifically to be seen in concentrated 22-minute segments? As someone who was once charged with crafting stories for these characters, do you think the extra time would open up new storytelling possibilities? Or would it just feel narratively flabby?
I think the half-hour format was ideal for FRASIER.
That said…
I don’t think adapting it into a movie would work. But I could definitely see a stage play. The only thing is you would have to get the original cast. Otherwise, it’s dinner theatre. And I don’t think that will ever happen.
When Tony Randall and Jack Klugman were starring in THE ODD COUPLE back in the ‘70s, Tony, Jack, and the rest of the TV cast did the Neil Simon stage play at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles. I saw it. It felt like the best written ODD COUPLE episode ever made.
from By Ken Levine
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