May 2013 be for you what 2012 was for...

Adele, Jade Jones, Ben Affleck, Usain Bolt, Lena Dunham, the San Francisco Giants, the New York Giants, Claire Danes, Barack Obama, Miguel C...

LA is a great town when there's nobody here

The best week of the year in Los Angeles is always this one, the final seven days of the year. More property taxes and obligations are on t...

Stuff they don't buy on SHARK TANK

SHARK TANK has become a guilty pleasure.  Enterprising people trying to interest billionaires into investing in their new miracle products o...

The road to Hana

Here are some great photos on the road to Hana and other assorted Maui locales taken by my son Matt.  He has the kind of camera that's j...

HOMELAND for the holidays

Last Friday Questions of the year.  I hope I do them justice. Brian starts us off: Ken - what do you think of Homeland and The Last Resort? ...

Engineers in paradise

Here's Part 2 of my recent Maui travelogue.  Part 1 was yesterday. After a week of exploring the wonders of the island and exchanging re...

the house of sand and vog

Hope you had a great Christmas.  As my longtime readers know, whenever I venture out of town I return with a travelogue and rental car horro...

My favorite funny foto of the year

Those who know me and my affection for the '60s and Bob's Big Boy will especially appreciate this alternate version of the classic r...

A Mommy Dearest Christmas

May your family have as wonderful a Christmas as Joan Crawford's. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

My Christmas card next year

R.I.P. Jack Klugman

Sorry to hear of the passing of Jack Klugman.  He was 90.  You may remember him as either Oscar Madison or Quincy M.E.  For years before tha...

All about (Christmas) Eve

You would think that being Jewish on Christmas Eve I would feel left out. Actually I love Christmas Eve. Here are two reasons why: The fir...

Full confession

I have a good friend who, back in the ‘90s, used to work for SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. Every holiday season he would send me an SI holiday gift b...

Dear Santa: All I want is a Fizz-Nik

What’s the dumbest holiday gift you’ve ever received? Mine was a Fizz-nik. And understand, I really WANTED this thing. In my dumb kid-...

A Christmas show by Matthew Weiner & me

Here's a BECKER Christmas episode, written by Matthew Weiner (creator of MAD MEN) and directed by me.  I wonder -- whatever happened to ...

Judge Judy, NFL stars, and other actors

Back in LA, ready with Friday Questions. Cap'n Bob begins: Do non-actors like Judge Judy need to be in an actor's union? How about n...

The scam of the century... or at least bicentennial

Yesterday I talked about about my days teaching radio at the KIIS Broadcasting Workshop. This was during that period where my writing partne...

Before I was a writer...

So when I got fired from KSEA a week before Christmas (see yesterday's post), that's when I decided to give up radio and pursue writ...

The Christmas I got fired

One of the many reasons I became a writer is that I got tired of being fired as a disc jockey. Today marks the 38th anniversary of the la...

Okay, so who REALLY REALLY created BEWITCHED

Lots of comments Friday about my post on who created BEWITCHED. A number of you suggested real credit should go to the screenwriters of the...

My Xmas movies recommendations

A CHRISTMAS STORY is my all-time favorite holiday movie. I’ve seen it probably fifty times, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually watched i...

A personal plea from Batman

Hi kids, this is Batman, the old Caped Crusader.  Y'know, the '60s was a glorious era.  I could still fit into my suit, Robin and I ...

When not to take down your Xmas decorations

This is my friend Kevin’s house in the residential San Fernando Valley. He’s Jewish but loves to celebrate the colors and lights of the se...

Who really created BEWITCHED?

Aloha from Hawaii where the tradewinds are whispering Friday Questions: Derrick starts us off: How is it decided who gets credit for creati...

Another one of my rants

Hollywood motion pictures are designed for young audiences. 18-34 is the only demographic the industry believes still goes to the movies. ...

The best book on improv comedy

... is now available.  IMPROV COMEDY by Andy Goldberg is once again in print.  You can get the paperback version here.  Of all the books on ...

My Kim Basinger metaphor

Ever see the Bruce Willis movie BLIND DATE? It’s from so long ago he still had hair. In this very funny film (written by Dale Laudner) Br...

The worst agent sales pitch EVER

Here’s another Hollywood agent story. I told one recently, and they are always crowd pleasers.   This is one of my personal favorites.  It’...

Do rewrites always make shows better?

As kind of a fun experiment, Earl Pomerantz, over on his fine blog, and I are both going to write today on the same topic – whether rewrites...

Decoding Hollywoodspeak

Most of the real creativity in Hollywood goes into positive spin. Here are some industry expressions and what they really mean: “Hospita...

A handy writing tip

Just saw one of my favorite DICK VAN DYKE SHOW episodes, “100 Terrible Hours”. It’s the one where Rob was a disc jockey and had to stay ...

Happy Hanukah bitches

Tonight is the first night. Thought I'd show you something traditional to get you in the mood.

R.I.P. Reinhold Weege

So sorry to hear of the passing of Reinhold Weege.  He wrote for BARNEY MILLER, MASH, and created NIGHT COURT.  Very funny writer and lovely...

Friday Questions

It’s always extra poignant being in Hawaii during Pearl Harbor Day. As the “Day of Infamy” gets further into the mist, take a moment to rem...

KILLER KARAOKE -- amusing or the Apocalypse?

As you know I like to surf my channel guide in search of the worst, cheesiest, most appalling reality shows on television. The more insipi...

Casting against type

But first a word from our sponsor -- me.  For the holidays I have just reduced the price of my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME.   Paperback...

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: My review

David O. Russell is one of those filmmakers who is capable of making an extraordinary movie or a giant piece of shit. You wonder how the s...

Oscar campaigns

We have officially entered Oscar season. This is the time of year Harvey Weinstein, Steven Spielberg, and Will Smith live for. Studios wil...

How to recognize a bad sitcom

Charlie Hauck is a terrific comedy writer (FRASIER, MAUDE, etc.) and a hilarious author. His comic novel about a writing team launching a ...

The CHEERS script that could have ruined us

Happily, there's no writers strike this year (it being leap year).  One byproduct of a writers strike is that studios may shoot existin...

Friday Questions

Aloha from Wailea, Maui.  If you have any restaurant suggestions, please pass 'em along.  Mahlo, y'all.   Even in paradise I never ...

My review of LINCOLN

Director Steven Spielberg was very disappointed in the outcome of his movie last year, WAR HORSE. Not because it bombed at the boxoffice bu...

Angus T. Jones -- holy shit!

So Angus T. Jones has found religion and publicly told America to not watch his show, TWO AND A HALF MEN, because it’s “filth.” Just so I ha...

#LizAndDick: My review

Oh my fucking God! I only hope that when they do the Lindsay Lohan TV biopic – and they will – that it’s as jaw droppingly atrocious as LI...

If I ran NBC

Here’s a question from reader Jim that set my mind a'wanderin': What would you do to turn around NBC's fortunes? Let's say ...

A Black Friday shopper lives to tell about it

Thanks to everyone for your nice comments on yesterday's post.  They're always greatly appreciated.  And now... In the spirit of tho...

My 7th anniversary

Monday marks the 7th anniversary of this blog. Who can even remember 2005? It was an experiment – stretching exercises for a writer. I...

Chevy Chase has left COMMUNITY

Wow! Knock me over with a feather! Chase is leaving the show immediately. They still have a few more episodes to shoot to complete their s...

(Black) Friday Questions

Here are some Black Friday Questions to read on your smart phone as you stand in line at Kohl’s. Johnny Walker has one about writing spec sc...

Happy sitcom Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. I look forward to the holiday, never writing about it. Every sitcom I’ve ever worked on, we’ve had the obligatory Thanksgivin...

Some last minute Thanksgiving thoughts

I bet Ann Curry is thrilled she doesn’t have to get up and host the Macy’s Parade. To all the people who have been in line at Best Buy since...

What I'm thankful for...

Besides my family, here are some of the things I’m thankful for this year. Claire Danes Vin Scully The Good Wife Felix Hernandez Hostess Cup...

A Hollywood tradition -- my Thanksgiving travel tips

The Thanksgiving holiday is the peak travel weekend of the year (in America. The rest of the world could give a rat’s ass about Thanksgi...

Great innovator or menace to society?

There has been much debate about whether the Manhattan Project – that created the first nuclear bomb – was ultimately a positive thing becau...

Claudine's back in jail again

As a perfect follow-up to my post today about Claudine Longet killing her boyfriend, here's a song by the Rolling Stones about the incid...

The perfect holiday gift for this year

I know it sounds like just another plug for my book but hear me out. This one’s legit! With the holidays just hours away, THE ME GENERATIO...

When Annie met Sandy

Readers of this blog know that I file travelogues whenever I return home from trips.  I even compiled the funniest of them in a book, WHERE ...

In network cancellation news...

A number of shows have been cancelled over the last few days. None of them are a surprise. CBS axed PARTNERS (the blatant rip off of the 1...

Who pays for stunt casting?

Last Friday Questions before Thanksgiving. Derek (in Calgary) starts us off: My question relates to stunt-casting and the fee paid to the st...

My most surprising role model

I was at lunch recently with a writer friend and we got onto the topic of role models. We each had writers, parents, other individuals we a...

Audience research is bullshit

A perennial topic on this blog is research. In my interview last week with former NBC President, Warren Littlefield he discussed it and the...

Why are some shows cancelled so soon?

It's the Fall Season.  Some new shows have already been given the quick hook (sorry MADE IN JERSEY).  I Got a Friday Question about that...

R.I.P. Lucille Bliss

Lucille Bliss, the first voice of Crusader Rabbit passed away this week.  She was 96.  She had a long career, did many cartoon voices includ...

Sitcom Room 6

SITCOM ROOM 6 was held this weekend at the birthplace of comedy -- the Custom Hotel in Marina Del Rey (just a mile from LAX where Denzel Wa...

Social Network Rejection

Hello from the SITCOM ROOM where everyone is having way more fun than in Robert McKee's class. Meanwhile, I've been subjected lately...

How to be a good showrunner

Natalie Wood Hello from the Custom Hotel where I am holding my annual SITCOM ROOM seminar this weekend.  Wish you could be here.  This is th...

More stuff you wanted to know

Here are some Friday Questions as I prepare for this year’s SITCOM ROOM seminar, which begins tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you luck...

My review of FLIGHT

Paramount Pictures is making a big Oscar push for FLIGHT. It did very well at the boxoffice on its opening weekend and Paramount is crowin...

The 2012 Election Re-Cap

I have found that it’s difficult to talk politics on this blog. Even political satire (and this is essentially a humor blog). But it is su...

My talk with Warren Littlefield: Part Two

Happy Election Day. Get out there and vote. This is part two of my interview with former President of Entertainment for NBC, Warren Little...

My talk with Warren Littlefield

Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment during the '90s and was Brandon Tartikoff's key lieutenant in the '80s...

For all you foodies -- here's a restaurant review!!

L.A. has no shortage of chic, trendy, super hip restaurants.  I mean, Justine Timberlake, Simon Cowell, and Ann Coulter have to eat.  These ...

the Sunshine Boys

I posted this on Facebook and it got a bunch of "likes" so I'm posting it here.  My partner David Isaacs and I at my book sign...

The value of re-inventing yourself

I’m a BIG believer of re-inventing yourself. It keeps you young, you learn new things, and in this economy and marketplace it just provides...

Friday Questions

Okay, here they are.  Today's Friday Questions.  ScottUSF leads off: What does it mean in Deadline|Hollywood when they mention a pilot/s...

30 years ago today

Friday Questions follow later this morning, but first I wanted to take a few minutes to wish my son, Matt a happy 30th birthday.  He's s...

UP ALL NIGHT switches to multi-camera format

NBC announced this week that UP ALL NIGHT was changing formats and going from a single-camera show to a multi-camera show. Single-camera m...

Get well George Wendt

George Wendt is having a medical procedure done in Chicago and is expected to make a full recovery.  If you would like to send George a ...

The night the Hell's Angels went trick or treating

Here's a Halloween story from my sordid disc jockey past.  1971 and I was doing weeekends at KERN in Bakersfield. I was five at the tim...

Any post in the storm

My heart goes out to everyone on the east coast getting battered by this vicious storm. I’ve never been in a hurricane per se, but I was i...

Thanks to everyone...

photo by Sharon Weisz for coming out to my book signing Monday night at the Grove for THE ME GENERATION.. BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s)...

My book signing is tonight!!!

Tonight’s the night of my book signing at the Barnes & Noble at the Grove in West Los Angeles. It’ll be from 7-9, I’ll be reading a sec...

My idea for a really cool slasher movie

Yes, I posted this a couple of years ago but no one optioned my brilliant idea so I'm trying again. I must admit I never got into those...

R.I.P. Alan Kirschenbaum

So sorry to hear of the death of comedy writer Alan Kirschenbaum.  He was only 51.  Alan co-created YES, DEAR and was involved in any number...

My favorite comedy screenplays

Someone asked me to list my top ten favorite comedy screenplays. Fine, as long as I don’t have to do it in order and don’t have to limit my...

Friday Questions

Friday Question Day and a happy birthday to my writing partner, Professor David Isaacs: To start it off, we have Janice: When watching Wings...

My review of SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS

As you prepare for your moviegoing experience this weekend, you might consider this flick.  Not many people can make an original movie while...

Zany adventures in directing

My favorite part of directing multi-camera shows (shot before a live studio audience, or at least semi-conscious) is the early rehearsal pro...

I'm tired of Ricky Gervais

This may be an unpopular blog post. I’m sure I’ll be accused of being old and cranky and to those I say, “I am not. And get off my lawn!” ...

Forget Obama & Romney -- vote for me

Hey, Mariner fans.  I could use your vote.  I promise to call play-by-play and lower taxes.  Just go here.  Thanks. 

One of those Hollywood Agent stories

If you’ve been in the business more than eleven minutes you have at least three of them. I will not name names but I swear this story is a...

Some announcements...

Pretend this is me ...reminders, recommendations, and fun links.   A reminder that I'll be signing my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (...

What's a "Bono?"

In between the time Sonny Bono wore fur vests and became a US Congressman he owned an Italian restaurant on Melrose Ave. in LA named “Bono’...

Brandon Tartikoff

I was honored to attend the reception at USC for Brandon Tartikoff last Thursday night. His wife, Lilly donated all of his papers and memor...

The biggest laugh we ever got

Some Friday Questions for your weekend pleasure: Splenda has a low calorie question: In sports, veteran players who might be a risk are some...

First new sitcom to get blown out this year is...

ANIMAL PRACTICE.  Who had ANIMAL PRACTICE in the pool?  It apparently received a whopping 1.0 share among viewers under 50 last night and th...

My review of ARGO

Boy, Persians really took it in the shorts this weekend in the US boxoffice. The top two films were TAKEN 2 and ARGO – the adversaries in b...

Being hit on by a swinger couple

Got your attention, didn't I?   That title will make sense.  Keep reading. I don’t go to comedy clubs anymore. I’ve had my fill of bad...

How to win tonight's presidential debate

CNN’s live coverage of the last presidential debate featured a graph at the bottom of the screen showing the continuous reaction of focus gr...

Another rant on the current state of TV

One of the most memorable characters from CHEERS was Al Rosen, or – as he was referred to on the cast list – “the man who said Sinatra.”   H...

The REAL Tom Tuttle from Tacoma

I received an email from Tom Tuttle from Tacoma. Fans of VOLUNTTERS recognize that as the name of the character John Candy played in the ...

What to see and do in LA

It’s a slow day in LA.  Lindsay Lohan had a screaming fit with her mother in a limo and was yelling that Mom was on cocaine.  Ho hum. I k...

What show to spec?

Time for Friday Questions. Will try to add an extra day or two of these in the next few weeks to get caught up a little. But please, conti...

Looper vs. the Jetsons

I saw LOOPER recently (rollicking good fun until you go home and realize none of it makes sense… but Bruce Willis is great, Joseph Gordon-Le...

I am having a book signing in LA

It's also an excuse for that long overdue meet-and-greet with LA fans of the blog, but I will be having a book signing at the Barnes ...

Is it worth doing a weekly sitcom live?

The writing team of Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa (two talented and lovely people) just sold a pilot to Fox that would be a domestic come...

My version of SUPERBOY

Here’s another chapter in my saga of the Superman legend if a Jewish couple had found him in the cornfield. The first part is here. A bre...

More photos from the CHEERS reunion party

Most of these are compliments of AP.  Warning:  many of these photos are of writers.  Names you've seen on the screen for years.  But ma...

The CHEERS 30th Reunion Party

You know it’s a great party when it lasts for six hours. The CHEERS 30th reunion bash Saturday night in Beverly Hills was the perfect blend...

Why Week Two is often Weak Two

For most new shows this is the toughest week of the year. Week two. The phony network hype begins, already heralding the next big hit of t...

The CHEERS names not everyone knows

CHEERS is 30 years old.  Tonight there is a reunion party for those of us honored enough to be part of the show.  Will let you know how it g...

the SITCOM ROOM is SOLD OUT

Sorry I couldn't take more, but I had to limit the number of participants to make sure everyone gets a real "writers room" exp...

Only one opening remains

... for this year's SITCOM ROOM seminar - November 10 & 11 in Los Angeles.  I only hold these seminars once a year and we're sol...

Hire funny people... and women ARE funny people

Got a Friday Question? Rebecca does: I noticed this year that nearly every pilot features a really hot cast. But a lot of the enduring clas...

A look into the creative process

Yesterday’s piece was purely for laughs. But today I want to use it for instructional purposes. The scene could easily be the opening of a...

If I wrote the Superman legend

EXT. CORNFIELD – SMALLVILLE, KANSAS -- DAY (1990) A rocket hurtles out of the sky and lands with a crash, a plume of smoke trailing behind...

My thoughts on the GQ CHEERS article

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of CHEERS, GQ magazine did a lovely piece on the show. It appears in the print edition, but a longer more...

The Great Debate -- no, not THAT one

I'm talking about the more important “Should you write a premise pilot?” dilemma?  Last week I discussed the pros and cons of premise ...

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 tim...

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, ...

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...

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 ...

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 questio...

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 ...

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 laug...

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 anot...

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. S...

The CHEERS intelligence graph

Compliments of Neatogama.com. As someone who wrote these characters for nine years, this would be my order: Lilith Frasier Diane (now comes ...

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...

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...

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...

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 C...

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 tim...

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...

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 ...

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 co...

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 ...

I miss NBC WEEK

The networks are rolling out their new fall shows. I think. The premieres are scattered; some not even airing in their regular time slots. ...

Remembering Larry Gelbart

As if 9/11 wasn't already the bleakest day in modern history, three years ago on that date Larry Gelbart passed away.  He was 81.   He w...

9/11 and David & Lynn Angell

I re-post this every year on this date. 9/11 affected us all, profoundly and in many cases personally. Two of my dear friends were on fligh...

Gilbert Godfried reads 50 SHADES OF GREY

As a postscript to today's post on bad sex writing -- how about some bad sex reading?    And to think I recorded my own audiobook instea...

Bad sex writing... or rotten erotica

WARNING: SEXUAL CONTENT AND NAUGHTY WORDS! With FIFTY SHADES OF GREY such a huge sensation, erotic fiction is the zeitgeist of the day (or i...

You've got to see this video

This must've taken weeks! Thanks to deft editing, the MAD MEN cast performs Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Everything you wanted to know about the CHEERS "Bar Wars"

I get a lot of questions about the “Bar Wars” episodes of CHEERS that my writing partner, David Isaacs and I wrote. So here are the FAQ’s.D...

Great minds plot alike

Am I the only one who noticed that the big concluding scene of THE NEWSROOM and SUITS was the exact same scene? I’ve held off writing this...

Telling an actress she needs plastic surgery

As always, thanks for the Friday Questions. Here are a few answers and a visual aid. Jim S. gets us started: You mentioned that a network m...

My Good Day LA appearance

From this morning. On with Steve Edwards and Lauren Sanchez. I was somewhat thrown by the fact that the people interviewing me actually re...

What the fuck is happening here?

Been spending the week catching up on shows I had DVR’ed while on the road. Mostly cable hour dramas. (What else is on in the summer?) ...

The rain, the park, and other things

This is part two of my recent travelogue.  Part one is here.  And more photos are here. Rendezvoused with my son Matt in Chicago. The first ...

On the road again

Another summer swing calling Mariners games. This one took me to Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Proving I’m the king of great timing,...

The Berlin Wall, bikini waxes, princesses in butter and MORE!

Happy Labor Day!  How are things shaking?  Tomorrow I'm posting my travelogue from my recent road trip with the Mariners. But first, som...

Going through another earthquake

They always seem to be in the middle of the night when it's warm.  This morning about 3:30 everyone in LA was jolted out of bed by somet...

AV Club's Top Ten MASH episodes

You can find it here.  Happy to say my writing partner, David Isaacs and I made the list with POINT OF VIEW.   We also made honorable mentio...

I miss Jerry

The Labor Day weekend just isn't the same without Jerry Lewis hosting the telethon.   I unabashedly loved that show. I looked  forward t...

My day with Johnny Carson

Back in Los Angeles. Travelogue of my road trip with the Mariners will follow sometime next week. In the meantime, got a Friday question y...

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....

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 fro...

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.

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 as...

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 ...

Sportscaster tells Vin Scully to get his shit together

This is Rebecca Hall from KTLA, Channel 5:

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...

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 ...

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...

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 b...

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

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, a...

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 se...

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...

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 befo...

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 S...

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 5,00...

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 t...

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 o...

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 Mar...

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 71...

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. ...

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...

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. W...

Fifty Shades of Grey

Like everyone on the planet I just finished reading FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. In case you’re one of the eight who haven’t read it yet – it’s a ...

Join me on the Jim Bohannon Show

I'll be on the Jim Bohannon national radio show tonight for an hour discussing my new book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN TH...

Olympic Closing Ceremony: NBC fucks up yet again!

What I love about the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics is that it’s a television event the whole world sees at once. Unless y...

How we break a story

Comedy 101 continues.  Here’s an inside look at the thought process that goes on behind-the-scenes when plotting a half hour sitcom. But f...

Comedy 101

Haven't done this in awhile but several of you have requested it. Today I'll show an episode of our CBS show ALMOST PERFECT and tom...

Tweets of the week

In case you missed them or are one of the 3 billion people on the planet not following me, here are some of my Tweets of the Week: If ANNA K...

What does a showrunner do?

Hi kids. It’s time for some bonus Friday questions. What’s yours? Reader John asks: Ken, what's the hardest type of character for you...

What you see is what we show you

Friday Questions coming attacha. Ben asks: At a taping of The New Adventures of Old Christine a few years ago, I noticed it was shot digital...

Review: SUITS

The USA Network has enjoyed great success mounting hour-long series that are all glossy, colorful, and generally lightweight. That’s not a ...

Why Vin Scully is so great

Just a typical Vin Scully broadcast. This was from a Dodger-Rockies game earlier this week. Even if you're not a baseball fan, watch t...

Message for Dan Harmon

Aaron Sorkin, in a recent magazine article talked about leaving WEST WING. (I don’t remember which magazine. There was about a three-week ...

Announcing my Seattle book signing!

I will be having a book signing for my new book THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s) on Monday, August 20th from 5:00-7:0...

You try talking for eight hours

I may not be the voice of my generation, but I am the voice of ME generation. No, I'm not turning into Popeye.  I just completed recordi...

How Ryan Seacrest got his big NBC deal

Ryan Seacrest recently signed a huge deal with NBC. As a result, he's reporting from the Olympics -- proving himself as useful as cuffli...

The Comedy Writing Team MATCH GAME

In an earlier post I talked about the benefits of writing with a partner. Summary: you always have a ride when your car is in the shop.But y...

My Tweets for the Week

For those who don't follow me on Twitter, here's what you missed this week.    If you juxtapose the letters in Gabby Douglas’ last n...

Funny writers on funny writing

Earlier this year I participated in a seminar at U.C. Santa Barbara on comedy writing sponsored by the Carsey-Wolf Center. I spoke on a pan...

Worst network note ever

Friday Questions

Here are some Friday Questions.  Do you have one?  Please leave it in the comments section. Thanks. Kev starts us off: What do you think of...

The 8 Tips For Becoming a Good Warm-Up Guy

Over the years I've written, produced, and directed hundreds of episodes of sitcoms shot before a live studio audience. Especially in th...

Adventures of a Warm-Up Guy

Here's a bonus Friday Question that leads to a worthy topic: Warm-Up Guys. It’s from Brian Phillips: Warming up an audience takes a spe...

Warning: I'm feeling snarky today

So here are some random topics... Now that the MODERN FAMILY adults have gotten a pay raise, the kids want to negotiate pay hikes as well.  ...

Receiving a Television Critics Award

Just as swallows return to San Juan Capistrano every March, television critics flock to Los Angeles every July for their bi-annual conventio...

More Olympic Controversy

As the stories begin emerging, it is more and more apparent that we Star Spangled Americans were treated to a distorted view of the Opening...

THE DARK KNIGHT review RETURNS

Yes, this is a re-post.  It's my review of the DARK KNIGHT from August, 2008.  Like I said earlier, I thought the latest one was okay bu...

The Olympics Opening Ceremony: Review

First, some disclaimers. I have no idea what I would have done had I been given the assignment to create the Opening Ceremonies. Danny Boyle...

The MODERN FAMILY cast holdout

This is a Friday Question I've received so often this week that I want to devote the entire post to it. Among those asking was Rock Golf...

Because you asked for it

Since Friday Questions are so popular I thought I’d sneak in a bonus day. So here are Thursday Friday Questions. Stephen starts us off: W...

The REAL Newsroom

This has been a fun week. I’ve been making the rounds promoting my book. This morning I was on KRTH 101 radio with Gary Bryan in Los Ang...

Batman

Saw the new Batman movie.  Loved the last one with Heath Ledger.  This one was okay but disappointing.  Sorry fanboys.  The villain wasn...

Warning: I will be on TV today

I'll be appearing on the Channel 9 2:00 News today in Los Angeles to talk about my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE ...

My thoughts on the Ichiro trade

... since I've gotten like fifty emails and texts.  It’s always tough to say goodbye to a Hall-of-Famer but I think today’s trade of Ich...

The Ringo Starr Concert: 50 Greys In Shades

Hey, those old guys can still play!  Was fortunate enough to see the Ringo Starr All-Starr Band’s final concert Saturday night at the Gree...

My favorite Disneyland story

Here's another excerpt from my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s).   Check out my website.  It's loaded w...

My thoughts on yesterday

It’s obviously impossible to write anything humorous today in the wake of the Aurora, Colorado shootings yesterday. My heart goes out to a...

One of my proudest achievements on CHEERS

It’s Friday Question Day (a feature you guys still seem to like).  I'll try to sneak in a few extra question days in the next few weeks....

My reaction to todays Emmy nominations

The 2012 Emmy nominations are out! Here are the Best Comedy nominees: MODERN FAMILY, 30 ROCK, BIG BANG THEORY, GIRLS, VEEP, CURB YOUR ENTH...

Should Pole Dancing be an Olympic sport?

In anticipation of the Olympics (or perhaps upstaging them), this evening in London the two-night World Pole Sport Championships begins. O...

Thanks!!!

Thanks so much to everyone who answered yesterday's post.  If you haven't yet, please do.  When I started this blog I never dreamed ...

Who's out there???

I haven’t done this in close to a year. But today I want to hear from YOU. It’s nice for me to know who is out there and what you like or...

"New Choice!"

There was another great exercise for comedy writers in Andy Goldberg’s improv class last Wednesday. This one was called “New Choice!” Two...

Review: To Rome With Love

How many movies does a writer/director have to make before he no longer has to follow any rules of logic or good storytelling? How many mo...

Check out my new website!

The website for my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME has been revised and really spiffed up!   There's now a sample chapter and a whole p...

Writing problem: what to do if you get stuck

This happens often as you write your script or novel. You come to a point where you think you’ve written yourself into a corner. A plot ...

"Life Without Dick" and other LIFETIME movies

I found a website that lists all of the movies shown on LIFETIME. I imagine most of these are Movies of the Week made specifically for LIF...

Standing up to the star

Egads! It’s Friday the 13th. But answering a question of yours is considered good luck, so here are a few. John starts with a question t...

Radio Daze

Here’s another tale from my colorful yet brief radio career. There may be a book in these stories (assuming I sell more of my current one....

Everything you ever needed to know about comedy

Dan O'Shannon is one of the executive producers of MODERN FAMILY.  He was a showrunner of FRASIER and an executive producer of CHEERS.  ...

Fun with flops

Readers have asked why I continue to bring up AfterMASH and my involvement in it? Well, number one – it was a legendary failure. In only ...

Handicapping the Best Comedy Emmy

I’ll be very curious to see what shows get nominated in the Best Comedy category for the Emmys. There seems to be two very distinct camps t...

Ernest Borgnine 1917-2012

Wow. It’s been a bad week for sitcoms icons. First Andy Griffith, and now Ernest Borgnine has passed away at 95. He remained robust and ...

How many of you contestants are from out of town?

The life of an aspiring stand up comedian is a grueling one. Years of knocking around, working crappy comedy clubs, first on open mic nigh...

Coroner changes the cause of Natalie Wood's death

As many of my longtime blog readers know, I am obsessed with the Natalie Wood drowning case.   I don't believe her death was "accid...

The history of Rock & Roll... in twelve minutes

This is totally great.  Chicago guitar salesman Alex Chadwick strums out 100 R&R riffs in twelve minutes.  The man can pick it!   Hot li...

Check out this very weird photo.

It looks like the girl is sitting and the guy is hugging her neck, right?   Look again.  It's the other way around.  He's sitting, s...

Did Robin William really ad lib all those great Mork lines?

Thank God it’s Friday (Question Day). What’s yours? Nick gets us started: Is there much room for ad libbing on the set of sitcoms? I know i...

Before I blogged I drew

In my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE '60s), which you should buy already, I talk a lot of cartooning and doing cari...

What to do in Hawaii

If you’re in Hawaii on July 29th here’s something really cool to do! Ron Jacobs, local personality known as Whodaguy and the architect of th...

Andy Griffith 1926-2012

So sorry to hear of the passing of Andy Griffith. I never worked with him, only met him once. It was at a memorial service for one of his ...

Bill Cosby: mentor?

This post is along the lines of Sunday's. I’ve always been a big fan of Bill Cosby. Loved his comedy albums as a kid, took my wife to L...

Ann Curry was weak on cooking segments. KILL HER!

Ann Curry was weak on cooking segments! That’s the horsehit explanation Steve Capus, the idiot president of NBC News gave for why they had t...

Actors: How to give notes to writers

Actors, here are some tips on how to convey your script concerns to writers in a way that might result in them addressing your problems wi...

Vin Scully is a National Treasure

Vin Scully is in his 63rd season of calling Dodger baseball. The probation period is almost up. But seriously, he is the Mozart of baseball...

Oh no! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are getting divorced

There is no joy today in Hollywood.   The relationship the town thought would last forever..  or at least six years, is apparently ending.  ...

Getting tickets to see TV shows

Wrapping up the week and month with Friday Questions. Unknown starts us off. At least he’s not Anonymous. I have a friend who is taking hi...

Best known for something else

Lots of people have heard of the Tommy John Surgery. Done primarily on baseball pitchers, it’s a procedure where they take a tendon from y...

More advice for young writers

There was a great exercise in Andy Goldberg's improv class recently. Yes, I still take an improv class. (You'd think I'd be b...

If Aaron Sorkin wrote THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW

Aaron Sorkin is back!  I loved THE NEWSROOM.  It's the perfect vehicle for his whip-smart dialogue.  (It was also nice to see the wonder...

What ever became of Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly?

Here's another reader question where I can go to the source itself.  From Bradley: Do you know what became of Jackie Swanson after Cheer...