A key to directing

Just finished directing another episode of INSTANT MOM that was written by that sparkling young writing team of Annie Levine & Jonathan Emerson. I’d like to thank them for writing in stunts and a dog. But it was a terrific script and INSTANT MOM has a fabulous cast headed by Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Michael Boatman, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Beginning on September 19th it returns to TV LAND with all new episodes from 8-9 PM every Saturday. Every...

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Inside THE PRICE IS RIGHT

Today is my daughter Annie's birthday. So as a salute I thought I would reprise something she wrote for the blog a few years ago. Thanks for being such a wonderful daughter. And for being funny. I love you.My daughter Annie recently attended the taping of THE PRICE IS RIGHT and along with her writing partner, Jon Emerson files this account of it: Recently, a friend of mine came to visit and wanted to do something “touristy” in the city. I...

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Why I'm glad I got out of radio

I thank “Kung Fu Fighting.” I was a disc jockey in San Diego in 1974 working the 7-midnight shift. Although we were called a Top 40 station, our playlist was more like Top 20. Research suggested that repetition was the key to rating success so we played the same damn records over and over. The “power” rotation was like five records that played every 70 minutes or so. There were nights when “Kung Fu Fighting” would come up four times a...

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Friday Questions

Yes, it’s that time of the week again.Ted O'Hara with the first Friday Question:Have you ever found that you've boxed yourself in on future stories due to some plot detail in a past show that seem innocuous at the time? And if so, how did you get out of it? Yes, it's happened.  You generally try to let time pass and hope no one notices. And yes, that's the chicken shit solution.  In only the second episode of CHEERS we introduced Sam’s...

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Actors breaking up in the middle of a scene

Here’s one of those Friday Questions that became an entire post. It’s from Tyler: Do sitcom directors tend to be more amused or irritated by repeated takes being blown by one or more actors in a scene laughing and giggling? Have you worked with any actors who got irked by co-stars who repeatedly did so? I've just been re-watching all the Seinfeld blooper reels (often as funny as the show itself) and Michael Richards at times gets clearly annoyed...

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Are "stories" still important?

A lot of Millineals say no. They point out that webisodes are very popular and a recent survey claimed that 2:26 is the optimum length. So who needs to kill themselves coming up with stories? They’re a royal pain in the ass to concoct and audiences prefer their entertainment in bite-sized portions. Who needs an ingenious beginning, middle, and end when you can show a cat trying to climb a greased pole? Here’s the problem with that theory (besides...

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THE MAN FROM UNCLE -- THRUSH couldn't kill him but Guy Richie did

THE MAN FROM UNCLE wasn’t just bad. It was downright insulting. I shouldn’t be surprised. It was done by Guy Richie who is the king of style over substance. But this screenplay was so incomprehensible that it was clear Richie didn’t care. There wasn’t even an attempt to fill the audience in or plug up ridiculous logic holes.   Instead, the screen was filled with slick, glossy, absurd action sequences, and ‘60s tropes. What he was...

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How I make my final Emmy decisions

We’re in the final round of Emmy voting. As a proud TV Academy Member I have some very difficult choices to make. Forget all the snubs, there are so many worthy nominees that my head is starting to explode. So how to decide? I could watch all of the shows. Most are available on line. But Jesus, that takes forever. And then I’ll have more factors swimming around in my head. He was surprisingly compelling here. Once I gave this show twelve...

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One of my writing pet peeves

This is a re-post from four years ago, but the condition still exists.I saw MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, which I liked but didn’t love (even if all the critics tell me I'm supposed to love it). There were some nice moments in it, I enjoyed the fantasy aspects but ultimately thought it would have made a better Woody Allen short story. (If you’re not familiar with his collection of short stories, treat yourself. They’re hilarious and wildly imaginative....

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Snap, Crackle, Pop, Good Morning

Not often you hear the Rolling Stones sing a jingle.  But here are Mick and the boys for Rice Krispies.   Maybe it should be SNAP, CRACK, SNORT.Or  SNAP, CRACKLE, OW!  Here's TV's "Walter White" for Preparation H...And if we're doing celebrity commercials, how can I not feature you-know-w...

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Congratulations to Annie & Jon

Let me put on my proud father hat for a moment.  My daughter Annie and her writing partner Jonathan Emerson just announced their engagement.   If they can write comedy together without killing each other then marriage should be a breeze.   Congratulations.  I love you both.Friday Questions bel...

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Friday Questions

TGIFriday Questions (and the second Natalie photo of the week):David P is up first.Have you ever considered posting pictures of Bebe Neuwirth on occasion instead of (or in addition to) pictures of Natalie Wood? No.From Steve B:Ken, I was wondering about your process for writing your DVD spec. How long total did it take to write, and how much time did you devote to breaking the story and writing the actual script? Plus, when was the last previous...

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Join me and Kevin Smith on a podcast

I was the guest on Kevin Smith & Matt Mira's podcast.   It was great fun.  I got to gas off about myself and swear for 90 minutes!   A narcissist's dream.   Here's where you can go to hear it.  Thanks again to Kevin and Matt for having me on and hopefully you will still have an audience next week.  ...

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Watch one of our unsold pilots!

For many years the major networks would air their unsold pilots during the summer. The industry nickname for this practice was FAILURE THEATER. But it used to be great fun to watch the pilots that didn’t get series orders. Some were better than what got on, and a few were jaw-droppingly atrocious. Today my blog reprises this summer programming highlight with a pilot David Isaacs and I wrote called UNDER ANDREA. We adapted it earlier this summer...

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What to do on your first TV writing gig?

Regular readers of this blog know that when I can't find an appropriate photo to accompany a post I feature photos of Natalie Wood.  This is now one of my favorites.  Here’s one of those Friday Questions that thanks to long-winded me now becomes an entire post. It’s from Sarah.You've written about how to get that first TV writing gig (all of which has been tremendously helpful, thank you!) but I can't seem to find anything you've written...

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TRAINWRECK: My review

Okay, I’ve given it over a month so I’m assuming most people have seen TRAINWRECK. If not, SPOILER ALERT. Come back tomorrow. Like I said before, it’s waaaaay too long. Lots of scenes that don’t advance the story. And the audience is way ahead of you through most of the movie. When that happens, get to it already. But there were a lot of funny moments and a few hilarious scenes, and LeBron James is now the funniest actor in Hollywood. ...

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The latest fad

What an idiot! When I was nine I threw away my unfinished Crusader Rabbit coloring book. I thought I had outgrown it. And this is my problem. I can never guess trends, even ones as obvious as this. According to a recent article in the NY TIMES (so it has to be true), the latest fad is adult coloring books.They’ve occupied as many as eight of twenty spots on Amazon’s Best Seller List. 1.3 million adult coloring books have been sold. Just...

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What NOT to wear at a music award show

A couple of weeks ago I told the story of how cool I looked in the GQ profile (thanks to borrowing someone else's clothes).  Here's what happens when I was left to my own devices.  In the late '70s my partner and I were writing a pilot for the very flamboyant film producer, Alan Carr.  He had just produced the film adaptation of GREASE.  The pilot was about a girl who booked rock acts for a live music show like THE MIDNIGHT...

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Writing our first script... at Fort Ord

It’s one thing to get a break, but it’s another to take advantage of it. If you’re lucky enough to get your first script assignment it really behooves you to hit it out of the park. A possible staff job could be yours if your script impresses the powers-that-be. And your agent will have a much easier time getting you more work with a killer script that’s been produced. All of a sudden you start building momentum.  So there is a...

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Friday Questions

Would it be Friday without Friday Questions?Ike Iszany starts us off:Why do sit com set often have so many angled walls? The rooms seem to have 7 to 10 walls and no 90 degree angles in them. And often have little alcoves that never get used for anything. Two reasons. The first is to allow cameras more access. Remember on shows shot with an audience you have four cameras. You want the sets to be wide enough to accommodate them all. Even small...

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The Doctor and the Emperor

I know I bemoan this a lot, but I really miss the days when radio was fun. Recently I did a post on Bob Crane. Morning radio especially was the playground for wildly creative and funny entertainers. Some of my earliest comic influences were disc jockeys – Dick Whittington, Robert W. Morgan, Bob & Ray, Lohman & Barkley, Dan Ingram, Gary Burbank, Don McKinnon, Larry Lujack, Gary Owens, Dale Dorman, and the two gentlemen I’m highlighting...

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