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...