The night the first CHEERS aired

Thirty years ago today at 9:30 pm CHEERS premiered on the NBC television network. We look back and it was a major milestone, but at the time we were the world’s best-kept secret. Eleven years later the series would end with 40,000,000 people celebrating. But the night of its premiere it was just about fifty of us in a back room in a restaurant.Join me for a look at what happened that night.   The ratings the next morning were disappointing....

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Why CHEERS wouldn't sell today

I was going to do this as a Friday question. But it seemed more like a Saturday answer. Arjewtino asked:Of all the shows you worked on, which ones do you think would have had drastically different fates if they were aired today?CHEERS would never sell today. I can just see the pitch meeting. The network executive would politely listen with a plastered pained smile. When the pitch was over and you couldn’t wait to bolt from her office,...

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The stupidest thing I've said on the air

TGIFriday Question Day.Long Paul starts us off:What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said on the air?Wow. There’s such a long list it’s hard to narrow it down. I once interviewed the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig and asked him about MLB’s pet charity, Stand up FOR cancer. (Should be Stand up TO cancer). When I was broadcasting for Baltimore I interviewed Angel phenom, Wally Joyner. He was the poster boy for clean living. I wanted...

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THE MINDY PROJECT -- review

I like Mindy Kaling. I’m a big fan of her writing. She wrote some terrific OFFICE episodes, her pieces in the New Yorker are funny, and I even enjoyed the play she wrote about Matt Damon & Ben Affleck. As an actress, she got her laughs as a supporting character on THE OFFICE. So I was very curious to see her pilot, THE MINDY PROJECT. The reviews seem polarized. Critics either like her and praised it or hate her and panned it. I like her...

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The truth about Premise Pilots

With pilots still premiering, I thought I’d take this Friday Question from Jill Pinnella Corso and devote an entire post to it.  The question:Do you think premise pilots are a trend right now or are they always the default? It strikes me that it's easier to tell a story from the beginning, but if the pilot is too different from what the series will be, the audience could be confused or stop watching after the second episode. Do you have a preference...

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What it's like to win an Emmy

Emmy fever is still upon us.  It will last another hour or so.  But I thought I'd take advantage of that to tell you what it's like to actually win an Emmy.  And it puts winning in perspective.You're in the audience suffering through the show. Finally it's your category. You wake up. The envelope is ripped open, your name is read, you can’t believe it, and you race up to the stage. You stand at the podium.What’s going through...

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SITCOM ROOM registration is now open

Ever wonder what it's like to be a comedy writer on a sitcom?   Being surrounded by really funny people in a work environment where laughter is not just encouraged but required?    Is this something you've always wanted to do?  Or just something you'd like to experience one time?  Then I invite you to join THE SITCOM ROOM -- a weekend hands-on seminar where you don't just sit and listen to boring lectures for two days,...

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My 2012 Emmy Review

Once again the TV industry took a night off to ignore its hemorrhaging ratings, 90% failure rate, and NBC to pat itself on the back for another great year and a job well done. It’s the annual Emmy Awards, a chance to honor the shows America should be watching instead of the ones they are. This is also the week for the High Holidays. For you non-Jewish readers who wonder what it’s like to sit in temple for essentially 24-hours, it’s like sitting...

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Here's my book trailer

Attention authors: You need book trailers these days. It used to be you needed book stores but there are very few of those around anymore. So with the help of my good friend, Howard Hoffman I made one for my new book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s). I've seen other book trailers and wow! They're slick with great production values and probably cost thousands to produce. Mine cost maybe thirty dollars. But as you will see, every dollar is right up there on the screen. Lemme know what you think. I guess the exercise here...

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The CHEERS intelligence graph

Compliments of Neatogama.com. As someone who wrote these characters for nine years, this would be my order:LilithFrasierDiane(now comes a big drop)SamRebeccaCarlaNormCliffCoachWoody  Sam was dumbed down over the years but at least during the first few seasons he was very smart and savvy.  So if you average his IQ over the seasons he still comes out way ahead, certainly better than Cliff. I can't believe they put Cliff anywhere near the...

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My most asked questions

But always worth answering. Happy Friday Question Day. kermit is the latest to ask them:If I'm a writer who's written for broadcast and print but has no background in show business, and I've written an original script(not a spec)that I think is pretty good...where do I go from here? Is there someone who can look it over and tell me if it's good, or not, or where it might need a nip and tuck? Would an agent ever read anything cold-mailed to him/her,...

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Who makes the best pizza?

If there was ever a question that has no answer that’s the one. Other than agreeing that it’s not Dominos there is absolutely no consensus. Even if we have a pizza we consider our favorite we’re always open to suggestions for one that’s better. I’m particularly particular. My all-time favorite pizza no longer exists. There was a restaurant in Westwood called La Barbera’s. Hard to describe but their pizza was super molto bene – a thick and...

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5 Best TV shows in history

Last night 20/20 did a segment on the five best television series of all-time (as compiled by ABC News and People Magazine).  Was hoping BIG WAVE DAVE'S would squeak in but alas it must've just missed the cut.   Still, I'm very proud (and astounded) to have been part of two of the five.  Even having an association with one would be remarkable enough, but two?  Wow!   Now I feel guilty that I never watch 20/20.Anyway,...

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Fall Movies Preview Part 3

The conclusion of this season's boxoffice fare. Part one was Monday.  Part two was yesterday. SKYFALL – 23rd James Bond movie. Daniel Craig stars. Berenice Marlohe is the Bond girl, although to sell tickets in Florida, those residents are being told it’s Judi Dench. RISE OF THE GUARDIANS – Another animated feature where Hollywood actors who make a gazillion dollars take away more jobs from voice-over actors who are starving. Alec Baldwin...

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Fall Movies Preview Part 2

Part 1 was yesterday. How many of these will you be seeing? TAKEN 2 – Last time it was Liam Neeson’s daughter who was abducted. This time it’s his ex-wife. How high a ransom can you get for an ex-wife? NOT FADE AWAY – First project by writer/director David Chase since THE SOPRANOS so I can’t wait. All I ask: please have a goddamn ENDING!! THE PAPERBOY – Nicole Kidman urinates on Zac Efron thereby assuring her an Oscar nomination if not win. ...

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Fall Movies Preview Part 1

A blog tradition -- the Fall Movies Preview -- mini-summaries of the films that will be released this season. Disclaimer: Not that this has any particular relevance to my comments but I haven't seen any of these pictures. And probably won't see most of them. BREAKING DAWN – The eighth chapter of the TWILIGHT trilogy. Very tough shoot for Kristen Stewart because the director is gay and she couldn’t sleep with him. LOOPER – Joseph Gordon-Levitt...

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Happy Birthday to my hero

Today is my dad's 85th birthday. He remains my hero. You of course recognize him as the host of the restaurant Nancy Travis entered in ALMOST PERFECT.  He still gets mobbed wherever he goes.  Needless to say, the book I wrote about growing up in the '60s (which you can and SHOULD order here) features him prominently.  Here is an excerpt and a glimpse into why I think he's so special.   1969 As more and more young men...

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Guess the first cancellation of the Fall

Okay, kids, it's that time of year again.  Time to select the first new series of the Fall to get cancelled.  Leave your entry in the comments section.  I have not seen most of the new shows so your guess is as good as mine. But from what I hear, these are a few strong possibilities:THE NEIGHBORS --  Jami Gertz and family move into a neighborhood inhabited completely by aliens from outer space.  This is why I don't have...

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My worst directing experience

You know what day it is. First Friday Question is from DyHrdMET:Have you ever had (or heard of) an audience boo at a scene, an actor, or more likely, a joke? Does the creative team simply re-write, or do they re-think whatever it was that went wrong? Never heard of an actor being booed. Most writers on the stage are able to restrain themselves.  But seriously folks, generally you avoid getting actors the audience might hate. Manny Ramirez...

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