Friday Questions

A recent post on show runners elicited a number of follow up questions.   So this week's Friday Questions shall attempt to address them.Bill starts us off:If the showrunner is so important--really the most important position on a show at a given time--why is "showrunner" not an "official" credit? First off, it doesn’t have “Producer” in the title. In addition to the prestige and additional money, only producers can qualify for Best Show Emmys. ...

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CHEERS BABIES

Here’s a Friday Question that became an entire post either because the subject matter warranted it or I’m just incredibly verbose. It’s from Carl: Ken, what is your opinion of children on sitcoms? I've noticed that the shows you've worked on rarely feature them. Myself, I've noticed that many sitcoms will make an effort early on to give the kiddies screen time, then give up and only trot them out when the plot demands an appearance. Yeah, not a...

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Me on Twin-Cities Live

From the Minnesota State Fair. Thanks to John and Elizabeth and KSTP for not making me eat deep fried bacon....

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Ever have an MRI?

Getting an MRI is never fun. A few years ago I needed one. Hearing the stories of how claustrophobic it can be squeezed into that tube, I asked my doctor whether I needed some sort of tranquilizer. He said he’d be happy to prescribe one but it meant I couldn’t drive home on my own. I asked how long the procedure would take? He said, not long. He just wanted to see one thing. Maybe ten, fifteen minutes.So I decided not to take the tranquilizer. I...

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Restrospectives in perspective

Hello from Minnesota.Been trying to get to more of your questions. So here’s another one. It’s from ScottyB:What's your take/reason for "retrospective" sitcom episodes? On one hand, I can see where they're useful, especially if it's a program that took a few seasons to catch on without somehow being canceled and it's a handy way to get the slower folk up even more up to speed, but they always made me think they were just filler thrown together...

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Sportscaster tells Vin Scully to get his shit together

This is Rebecca Hall from KTLA, Channel...

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My meeting with John Lennon

It wasn’t a long meeting. But it was memorable. Winter 1973. I’m an engineer at KABC and KLOS radio in Los Angeles. Essentially I worked as a board op for KLOS. That meant I played the records and commercials. Union rules prohibited the disc jockeys from doing anything other than turning on and off their microphoness. Oh, and they could talk. They got that concession. It was a cool job. KLOS played what today we call “classic rock.” Album...

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Hey, guess who stopped by!

Hi, this is Babe Ruth. First I’d like to tip my cap to Ken for letting me be his guest blogger. Since he’s in Chicago calling Mariner games this weekend (you can hear him on MLB.COM, 710 ESPN Seattle, and the Mariners Radio Network), he wondered if the old Bambino had any new curses and as a matter of fact I do. So woe be to the following:THE NEW YORK YANKEES – for vacating the house that I built for a gaudy new stadium. The Red Sox ain’t moving...

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Sale on my new book!!!

For a few days only my audiobook of THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s)is on sale for only $5.95 if you buy it here from Audible.com.   That's like 75% off.   I'm even crazier than Crazy Eddie.  Again, here's where you go.   I may never be had for so little again.By the way, join me tonight on 77 WABC radio with Mark Simone talking about the book and reminiscing about the '60s. I'll also be on 710...

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Funny Fotos Day

Who doesn't love a little visual humor? They do charge if you want a rollaway bed for them, however.This is for real,If Pole Dancing becomes an Olympic Sport I see her getting the Gold.From my friend, Russ Woody -- an actual sign in a bathroom in Russia.Hey, it's hard to find crap that's really fresh.Ana from 50 SHADES OF GREY -- her car.An authentic newspaper ad.  Back when the whole family drank beer... even the kids.Okay.  I just couldn't...

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Me on WGN ... see how bad my hair was

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Why write a movie?

Greetings from Chicago where I’m on the road with the Mariners. Calling tonight’s game on 710 ESPN in Seattle, the M's Radio Network, and MLB.COM. But before that, how about some Friday Questions Chicago Style (even though I have no idea what that means)?To start off, here’s Paul in Chicago:Writers Ed Solomon & Chris Matheson, who have written some big feature films, are writing the 3rd Bill & Ted movie...apparently on spec. My question...

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Don't make Usher introduce his own songs

I have one of the most useless talents of all-time. I’m really good at talking over the instrumental intros of records and finishing my sentence just before the singing starts. :08 second intro, :21 second intro – makes no difference. I can nail it. And without looking at a stopwatch or a countdown clock, thank you very much. If there are punctuated shouts in the intro (the Stones and the Boss do this a lot), I talk up to those too. I was...

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Warning: I'm going to be on television

As part of my book promotion for THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s) I'll be on the WGN Mid-Day News on Friday (noon-one) in Chicago and then "Twin-Cities Live" on KSTP Channel 5 in Minneapolis-St.Paul next Tuesday from 3-4.  That one's going to be really fun because it will be live from the Minnesota State Fair.  Hopefully I can wrestle a pig or someone can make a statue of me in butter.After Labor Day I'll be GOOD DAY...

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Judging Howard Stern

I don’t know Howard Stern. I only met him once. We were both at a Bar Mitzvah. He wasn’t at my table. Paula Abdul was. (This was before AMERICAN IDOL and by the time the salads were served I was thinking, “Poor girl. She’ll never work again.”) Howard and I were both disc jockeys who made career stops in Detroit. He was at WWWW (playing Layla every half hour) and I was at WDRQ (playing Seasons in the Sun every ten minutes).  I thought...

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Our most dramatic MASH

Here’s a question I’ve been asked numerous times:MaryAn Batchellor wonders:How did you come to write the Billfold Syndrome?The Billfold Sydromee is an episode of MASH my partner David Isaacs and I wrote in 1978. It’s part of the 7th season if you want to find or rent a copy and watch it. And it’s probably airing right now on three cable channels.Here’s the premise: A young medic arrives at the 4077th with amnesia. Psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman...

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THANKS!!

...to everyone who attended my Seattle book party for THE ME GENERATION...BY ME. Even Santa was there. I'm trying to get him to buy 5,000,000 copies and hand them out to the all the kiddies on Xmas morning.  I can't think of a more perfect gift for children than a humorous memoir of the 196...

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Tonight's the night!

Hello from Seattle. Tonight’s the night of my big book signing at the Mariners’ Team Store at Safeco Field from 5:00-7:00, before the M’s take on Cleveland.  Note:  You don't need a ticket to get into the store.   Happy to sign books, body parts, whatever you got. It’s also a great chance to meet and thank you all for reading this blog. So hopefully a lot of you will swing by because, well… It could be Torrance all over again....

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Now you can talk like a real sitcom writer!

You gotta know the lingo. Sitcom writing rooms have their own terms and expressions and if you ever plan on being in one (either by choice or force) you might want to know a few of them.  I'll sprinkle in more in the weeks ahead but this should get you started.   The only other thing I would add is swear more than in GIRLS.  Callbacks -- Doing a joke based on something already mentioned in the scene.Hey May– Supposedly from Carl...

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Jan Smithers went to my high school

Hello from Seattle, where I'm calling Mariners games this weekend.  And a reminder -- on Monday I'm having a book signing at the Mariners' Team Store at Safeco Field from 5:00-7:000 PM (before the game with the Indians).  Hope you'll stop by if you're anywhere in the Pacific Northwest.  In the meantime, here's another snippet from the book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s).  It's available in ebook, audiobook,...

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My all-time favorite sitcom episode

To be answered sometime in this post.  Greetings from Seattle where I’m broadcasting this weekend’s series against the Minnesota Twins on 710 ESPN, the Mariners Radio Network, MLB.COM, and Sirius/XM satellite. But before I fill out my line up card, here are some Friday Questions.Liggie starts with a baseball broadcaster query:How long did it take you to get used to calling games while having the producer barking into your earpiece? I have to...

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iPartment is iRip Off

It has been brought to my attention that there is a sitcom in China called iPARTMENT that is just a shameless rip off of American sitcoms. The premise is essentially FRIENDS and they wantonly steal jokes from U.S. shows. At times they’ve allegedly lifted entire scenes from HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. The iPARTMENT producers of course deny any wrongdoing and claim their series is an homage to American sitcoms. And they’re just using stock sitcom character...

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Felix Hernandez Perfect Game!

To answer all of your questions -- no, I wasn't there to call it.  I go up to Seattle tomorrow and begin work on Friday night.  I've now missed two perfect games and one no-hitter this year.  How's that for timing? That said, I'm so thrilled for the King and the Mariners organization.  And Dave Sims on TV and Rick Rizzs on the radio both did a spectacular job of calling the final inning.   I'm equally happy for...

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A porn star's salute to America

Here’s a question that sparked an entire post. And it's keeping with this week's somewhat adult oriented theme.  It’s from Paul.Will you ever write about your experiences at the strip club? As a reluctant patron, have you had any interesting conversations with the employees?Gee, you make it sound like I’m the Norm Peterson of Gentleman’s Clubs. Okay, yes, I did attend pornstar karaoke one time. You can read about it here.But I haven’t been...

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