Friday Questions

Here are Friday Questions to close out the week...and month. Chris starts us off:How come Everybody Loves Raymond only had one act break? (At least the first 3 seasons) I mean, I know Phil Rosenthal wanted to create a classic, back in the day family style sitcom, but why didn't CBS push for more ad space? Networks air the same amount of commercials whether it’s two acts or six.When RAYMOND began in the mid ‘90s all half-hour sitcoms had a two-act...

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LABOR DAY: My review

2014 is young but maybe the dumbest movie of the year is already here. LABOR DAY. It will be released tomorrow. I've seen it already because they laughably thought it was Oscar material and sent out DVD screeners. This is author Joyce Maynard’s masturbatory fantasy about a big hunky escaped con hiding in a lonely but sexy single mother’s house for a long weekend and becoming the perfect lover, father, and handy-man. The screenplay was adapted...

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Getting started as a director

Here’s one of those Friday Questions that became a full post.  Once I start writing about myself I just seem to go on and on and on and on...The question is from Rick Wiedmayer: and on and on and on... In a previous post you said that you wanted to become a director while David wanted to remain just a writer. How did you make the transition to director? What hoops did you have to go through to become a director? There are numerous factors...

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Best Red Carpet Dress and other Miscellany

Haven’t done this in awhile. Here’s a hodgepodge of stray thoughts, questions, and uncalled-for snark. The Grammys used to have star power, but this year? Sure, it featured the reunion of the remaining Beatles but where was Miley Cyrus?  I mean, why bother? TRUE DETECTIVES is quite extraordinary. Best use of toupees in television. And terrific performances by Woody & Matt. My writing partner David made a great observation. “Matthew...

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Who is allowed in the Writers Room?

The Writers Room needs to be a safe environment – especially for comedy writers. Seven or eight highly talented but bat-shit crazy people are locked in a room for hours on end and can not leave until they’ve fixed the script that’s currently in production. That could be as the rest of the world is going to work at 8 in the morning. It’s a lot of pressure and one way writers let off steam is by being hilariously cruel and politically appalling....

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Should you attend your high school reunion?

A lot of people I know have been invited recently to their various high school reunions. They all wonder whether they should go. And if the hair plugs will look natural in the next two months. It’s a hard question to answer, whether to go. I guess you have to ask yourself – how much do you want to see these people again? There’s always a risk. That cheerleader who snubbed you might not weigh more than a Ram Charger and the prom...

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Being interrogated by Phoef Sutton

The eclectic Phoef Sutton who writes sitcoms (like CHEERS), hour shows, movies, and novels has added blog to his repertoire.   Welcome to the dark side, Phoef.  Recently he interviewed me and you'll notice not one plug for my book (which everyone who loves television, comedy, and cheap literature should buy). Here's that interview if you're interested.  While you're on his site, look around.  Good stuff.  Thanks,...

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Fiddler on the Roof Medley -- by the Osmond Brothers

This you've GOT to see.  That's all I've got to say....

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Friday Questions

Not to get lost in the excitement of the big NFL Pro Bowl Game this Sunday, here are this week’s Friday Questions.vic-tori-a valdez is first up. Have there ever been any actors that you specifically kept an eye on for future roles? For example, I recall reading (correct me if I'm wrong) that Ted Danson was remembered by James Burrow after auditioning for a pilot that never made it. These are the actors who I kept an eye out for and was lucky enough...

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Today I am making a major announcement

I was going to go to the store, but now I’m not.That is a major announcement. A bombshell.  It's ramifications will ripple throughout the industry.  I expect you all to be talking about it for days. I imagine it will be trending on Twitter. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the top story this evening on ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT.Why am not going to the store? I wrote a shopping list, gave it to a six trusted friends, and one of them somehow...

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Gadget Goes Hawaiian

Thanks to my trusty iPhone I am never without a camera or the GreatBigRadio app.  Yesterday I filed my travelogue.  Thought for today I'd share some of my best and weirdest photos.The Kahala resort with no Hollywood types in view.  How many divorced couples have their picture in front of this waterfall?This is a month when the waves are the highest and most dangerous at the North Shore.   Above is an action shot of some of...

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Aloha Oy

Like swallows returning to Capistrano or Alex Rodriguez to Biogenesis, my wife Debby and I once again fled to the Kahala Resort on Oahu, Hawaii. This was the first time in ten years, however. We used to go every Christmas back when it was the Kahala Hilton and then Kahala Mandarin Oriental Redundant. Back then we had to fight 800 other guests for the remaining two lounge chairs because Jeffrey Katzenberg and Jeff Wald reserved all the rest....

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When shows switch networks

Here’s a Friday Question that just became a Holiday Question. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, everybody. Johnny Walker asks:On the rare occasions that shows are cancelled, but then resurrected on other networks (e.g. Taxi moving from ABC to NBC, Buffy moving from The WB to UPN, etc.) do the cast and crew get to renegotiate their contracts? Or are they still bound by the original contracts?Usually they are, which brings up a big issue for the...

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You football fans know about this thing called television, right?

Today is the NFC and AFC Championship Games. I must say I’m very disappointed this year. Not by which teams are competing – both games feature a great match-up – but by the fact that neither game will be played in a blizzard or monsoon. What the fuck? In Seattle game time temperature should be around 50. That’s summer weather up there. Sure there may be rain, but who in Seattle will even notice? And the situation in Denver is even worse....

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Interviewing for writing jobs

Here’s a Saturday question. It’s like a Friday question except the question itself is longer than the answer. As always, when I can't find an appropriate picture I feature Natalie Wood. From Josh:I'm writing to you because I've started to take some showrunner meetings/interviews for TV comedies and I find them perplexing. In the past, when you've given a young writer or writing team their first gig, what did you feel constituted a successful...

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