My favorite comic book movie

I just saw THE AVENGERS. I figured, why go the first night? Like everyone else it seems, I found it rollicking good fun. Joss Whedon kn...

Gary Burghoff explains Radar

I love when I can sometimes go to the source.  Reader Michael Rafferty submitted a Friday question.  Here's the question and the answer ...

MY BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE!

The Kindle version of my new book, The Me Generation.. By Me (Growing Up in the '60s), is now ready to download. Only $6.99. You can ord...

Memorial Day then staff work begins!

Happy Memorial Day. This is the time of the year when writing staffs go back to work. If you’re an aspiring TV scribe, I hope someday that’...

Okay, I gotta weigh in on the Burger Debate

On Friday I mentioned that I thought Five Guys is giving In N Out Burgers a run for their money. This sparked many great comments from vari...

What the puck is this?

The Los Angeles Kings are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Long-suffering fan are ecstatic, and this town (now that the Lakers have been elimin...

Visual aids

Earlier this week I posted the travelogue from my recent trip to Seattle, New York, Boston, Cleveland, and Denver.  With my trusty iPhone 4s...

Friday Questions

Getting you ready for the long Memorial Day Weekend, here are some Friday Questions. Two things – one important and one inconsequential. ...

More thoughts on your Dan Harmon thoughts

Thanks to everyone for all your comments on my Dan Harmon posting. Thanks to Dan for linking to the piece. In between the folks agreeing...

By the time I get to Boston, Cleveland, and Denver

This is part two of my five-city travelogue broadcasting for the Seattle Mariners.  Part one (Seattle and New York) was yesterday.   Went to...

Around the country in 14 days

Back from a whirlwind two weeks of calling Mariners baseball that took me to five cities, four time zones, two leagues, and eight different ...

Dan Harmon's firing: My take

A lot of you have asked my take on the NBC firing of Dan Harmon from COMMUNITY – a show that he not only was running but created as well. ...

Here it is -- My new book cover

Here it is. The cover of my new book, coming out within weeks or sooner. Also, I have a new website dedicated to the book. Feel free to che...

Me & Marvin Gaye

It's finally coming out!  My book about growing up in the '60s will be released within weeks on Amazon!  To get you in the mood, her...

In defense of Multi-Camera shows

Practically every great sitcom for the last 60 years has used some version of the multi-camera format. Yes, there are exceptions like MAS...

WINGS deserved more recognition

Howdy from Denver. Here are some Friday Questions from the Mile High City. Michael gets us started: I always felt "Wings", whil...

What you can and can't say on television

A few weeks ago I spoke at a comedy symposium at U.C. Santa Barbara (along with other panelists the students had actually heard of).  There ...

I hate PowerPoint

Imagine you had to give a presentation to a fairly large group. The topic is something you know something about. The quarterly report. T...

Now that the networks have announced their schedules, some random thoughts...

Unlike NBC, CBS opted to pick up comedies by proven showrunners. Max Mutchnick & David Kohan got a show along with Alan Kirschenbaum. ...

Help Wanted: Showrunners

Just left New York before the big Upfronts announcements – not that any of the networks would’ve invited me to any of their launch parties a...

Live from the train

This is a first -- a live blog post. I'm on the Mariners train from New York to Boston. The team won today so I get to ride inside and...

Happy Mothers' Day to all you moms and queens

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Especially to the mom of my kids, Debby. This year I'm spending Mother's Day the traditional way -- at ...

A long long Levine & Isaacs episode

This is one of my favorite episodes. Its from THE TONY RANDALL SHOW. David Isaacs and I wrote it in 1977. The premise stems from an artic...

Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. for Cialis

Funny parody...

Questions Friday Style

Hello from Noo Yawk! The Mariners begin a pivotal, crucial three-game series with the Yankees tonight. I’ll be calling the play-by-play f...

Writers Indignity #2756

A few years ago I got a call out of the blue from Twentieth Century Fox Publicity. The 7th season of MASH was being released in Great Brita...

Summer Movies Preview 3

Wrapping up this year's Summer Movies Preview.  Most of these will come out in August and you know Hollywood only saves the best for Lab...

Jon Hamm raps the TAXI theme

This you've got to see. Jon Hamm rapping to the TAXI theme, and pretty much explaining the series. As I heard this I thought: Now this...

Summer Movies Preview 2

Continuing our look at the movies that'll be clogging your cineplex very soon:  MAGIC MIKE – Channing Tatum reprieves his real-life role...

Summer Movies Preview

Hello from Seattle.  Tonight I begin two weeks of broadcasting Mariners games on 710 ESPN Seattle, the Mariners Radio Network, Sirius/XM sat...

The Worst Songs of All-Time

I haven't done this in a couple of years but it's one of my favorite features -- suggesting and asking you to contribute to the list...

Book recommendation

Getting ready for two weeks of doing play-by-play for the Mariners. How do you pack for Seattle, New York, Boston, Cleveland, and Denver? ...

Ever wondered what a Laugh Track machine looks like?

Check this out. Originally invented by Charles Douglas in the '50s. And his son Bobby has followed in his footsteps. Bobby is also one...

Another FRASIER myth debunked

Friday Questions coming attacha! Zhou gets us started. Was it the thought process to make Frasier so much like the notable and famous Ameri...

Sometimes writers have to hold their ground

Remember an episode of CHEERS called Rat Girl?   Lilith's pet lab rat dies and she couldn't part with it so she kept it in her purs...

How do you know if your script is any good?

Note: When I can't find an appropriate picture I post Natalie Wood photos That’s always the big question for young scribes writing a spe...

Which current shows will get picked up? My speculation.

Upfronts are only a couple of weeks away. That’s when the broadcast networks (remember them?) set their Fall Schedules. At the moment the...