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...