Must Hear TV

In Honor of Rob Reiner and Anthony Geary

2025-12-15T16:15:00.004-05:00

In 2020, I had the honor of co-authoring a book with the late legend Norman Lear about his seminal sitcom, All in the Family. As part of that process, I got to interview so many of my idols, from Norman himself to two of the show's stars, Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers, plus lots of guest actors, writers, directors, and crew members who brought the groundbreaking Bunkers to life.

Yesterday, the world learned the sad news about the tragic deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. And today, we learned that on that same day, December 14, the world lost Anthony Geary, who had been living in Amsterdam with his husband, and remained best known for playing Luke, one half of soapdom's most famous couple on General Hospital decades back. But most people may not realize that Geary had one of his very first acting roles on All in the Family, playing Mike Stivic's possibly gay friend, Roger.

The episode featured one (or possibly two) of the earliest depictions of a gay character on network television, and still holds up to day for its bravery and strong message -- and of course its comedic genius. I'm devastated by the loss of both Rob Reiner and Anthony Geary on the same day, and can't help but think of this episode from All in the Family's first season, "Judging Books By Covers." I'm sharing here the full writeup about the episode for the book, All in the Family: The Show That Changed Television, that was published by Rizzoli in 2021. I urge you to check it out, as we remember these two greats taken from us tragically and too soon.

L-r, Rob Reiner, Anthony Geary and Sally Struthers
in the historic fifth episode of All in the Family's debut season,
"Judging Books By Covers"

Season 1, Episode 5

“Judging Books By Covers”

Written by: Burt Styler

Directed by: John Rich

Guest Stars: Anthony Geary as Roger

Philip Carey as Steve

Bob Hastings as Tommy Kelcy

Billy Halop as Barney

Billy Sands as Nick

Linn Patrick as Jerry

Original Air Date: February 9, 1971

Synopsis: After surmising an effeminate friend of Mike and Gloria’s to be gay, Archie discovers that one of his old bar buddies, his football idol, is himself homosexual.

Norman Lear: Gay people were then and are now a part of everyday life, which is why we did this episode. It’s not that we were looking for subjects that would startle or stun an audience. We just wanted to look at real life, and deal with subjects that mattered. So while in 1971 this story may have been something new to television, it wasn’t new in the neighborhood. You didn’t get to be as old as I was and not know someone who was gay.

Now, what could be better dramatically and comedically than Archie, after going on and on about Mike’s friend at the bar, then not only learning that a guy he admired for years as a great football player and a strong male is gay, but to learn it as they were arm wrestling, right there in their moment of “double maleness?”

Steve is a big guy who could easily slam Archie’s arm down, and boom! He did. I like that Steve was very matter-of-fact about his sexuality, and didn’t hate Archie for his attitude. He had long since learned to live his life.

In arguing about Roger, Archie says, “I never said a guy who wears glasses is a queer. A guy who wears glasses is a four-eyes. A guy who's a fag is a queer.” I’ll never forget that line. I don’t remember having trouble with too much of the language in this episode from the network – but I do remember being surprised that not everybody knew the expression “four eyes.” There had been a time when if someone wore glasses, it was socially more noticeable, enough to elicit comment. At that time, a guy who wore glasses was a “four eyes.” Apparently later, that wasn’t an exceptionally well-known expression.

There’s another memorable bit in this episode, too: the “trick” Gloria and Mike show Archie and Edith, involving trying to step back from the wall, lean down over a chair, pick it up and stand up straight. It’s something that women can do, and men can’t, based on balance. It had been something that was going around at the time, and I remember someone showing it to me. When I tried to do it myself, and had a difficult time, I realized how well it would work on the show for our characters.

Anthony Geary: I had just left college in Utah and come to L.A. in a play. Then I got this script, and was really shocked and excited about it. In those days, to be gay, you would hear everything in terms of negative reactions. It might make you not want to get out of bed in the morning, because it was so oppressive, and so minimizing as a human being. I know because I am gay, and I had to face some fear about this role, but then I realized I had to do it, because it was just too good, and too special. This show was new, and was already jumping into deep water.

I hadn't done that much television or film, but even though the TV process was new to me, it felt very comfortable to have a few days to rehearse, and then have the audience there and get their immediate reactions. The episode happened to tape on the very day that All in the Family was premiering on TV. And I do remember how on that day, everybody was really nervous, because they didn’t really know what they had. But then, just as we were about to shoot the show, some reactions came in from the show’s airing in New York, and everyone was thrilled, and after the show went out to an after-party.

But that also meant that I was appearing on this show knowing nothing about it. What style was it? The characters seem to be acting realistically, but it’s obviously a farce. But a farce with societal statements? As iconic as the Bunkers later became, I knew nothing about them. And it was hard to figure out how to fit in.

I remember a little tension early in the rehearsal process, because I tried some things that weren’t appreciated. For one thing, just to watch Jean Stapleton being the dingbat was so much fun! I would be constantly laughing, and so I tried to make it part of the character, as if I wasn’t suppressing myself. They didn’t like that, and that makes sense. But Jean, then can you stop being so goddamn funny?! Jean would be very comforting, and would take my hand when she saw things going a little rough in rehearsal.

I had to figure out exactly how gay Roger would be, although I loathe saying that, because any of us who is gay or knows gay people knows that there’s no one way to be gay. But in that script, Roger had to elicit strong feelings from Archie. So I tried to make him just the friendliest kind of guy imaginable, flamboyant, with lots of gestures, excited about life, a younger-than-springtime kind of guy. I asked from the wardrobe department to give me a longer scarf than they had initially provided, so that when I came through the door and started talking with my hands, I could really get that thing flying. I figured Roger was going so fast and having such a good time with his little life that he didn’t even hear the negative kinds of things like Archie would say. It was silly, and cartoony in a way, but it seemed to work.

After a while in rehearsal, Norman called me aside and said, “I love what you're doing. It's absolutely perfect. Don't change a thing. There are a lot of feelings around this episode from the network all the way down. We're taking a big risk here, but you're being very courageous.” That relieved me of all my fear, and then I was able to go forward. It ended up being an extremely positive experience for me. This episode has turned out to be an iconic piece, and I’m proud of it. I quite like “Roger the Fairy.” He is precious to me.

A Divas Christmas on Lifetime

2023-11-30T20:53:00.005-05:00

Back in the spring of 1985, I first heard about a pilot being filmed in Los Angeles called The Golden Girls, the cast of which was to be like a supergroup of the best women in TV comedy. I got a similar feeling when earlier this year, I first heard about Lifetime’s new holiday movie, Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas, starring five TV legends: Linda Gray, Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, Loni Anderson and Nicollette Sheridan. And to top it all off, the film was written by Stan Zimmerman and James Berg, a team who got one of their earliest jobs on the first season of The Golden Girls and went on to write for other female small-screen icons, from Roseanne to the title characters of Gilmore Girls.

As Stan Zimmerman prepares not only for the Ladies of the ‘80s premiere – 8PM Eastern/Pacific, this Saturday, December 2 on Lifetime -- but also the February 13, 2024 release of his memoir, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore, I sat down with him to talk about what we can expect from our eagerly anticipated date with the Divas this coming weekend.

The Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas cast (l-r): Donna Mills, Loni Anderson, Linda Gray, Morgan Fairchild and Nicollette Sheridan, with writer Stan Zimmerman at The Maybourne Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA, November 28, 2023.

Must Hear TV: Where did the idea come from, to do a Christmas movie for Lifetime, reuniting divas from the ‘80s? How did it all come together?

Stan Zimmerman: I have to give credit to Jason Wood, who is now head of casting at Lifetime. He was the casting assistant on the very first pilot Jim Berg and I wrote, and then became our assistant. We've remained in touch, and we were talking about him coming to see a production I just directed in Los Angeles of the play “The Diary of Anne Frank,” with a cast of predominantly Latinx actors, because I wanted him to discover some of those talents that he didn’t yet know. When we were talking one day, he mentioned, “There’s a project here at Lifetime – would you mind if I threw your hat in the ring, for you and Jim to pitch for this?” He told me the basics they already had: they had a deal with five iconic actresses, and wanted a Christmas movie, which had to be shot in just thirteen days, and in only one location. I said, “Give me 24 hours.” And then Jim and I came back in 24 hours and pitched ideas for the film to the producer, Larry Thompson. This was so on-brand for Jim and me, right up our alley! So we were bursting with ideas.

MHTV: That’s all they had at that point? Unite these women in a Christmas movie?

SZ: Yes. The rest was up to us. The hardest part was the one-location thing. We could redress that one location, so it could be a mansion, it could be a hotel. All the rooms could be turned into other locations. We could use the parking lot, or shoot a scene in a car in the driveway. But it had to be shot in one location in 13 days. This was in March of 2023. Jim and I were in Dallas, about to world premiere our play, “Silver Foxes,” and so our heads were in that space. But we knew this was an opportunity we just couldn't pass up. And so we pitched maybe six or seven ideas, and Larry Thompson liked all of them. And then something happened that you don't hear very often: he said to us, the writers, “What do you guys want to do?” With the time crunch, the idea that really jumped out as our favorite was based on what all these women are known for, and that was soap operas. Almost all of them had started on, or at one time were on a daytime soap opera. I was an ABC soap freak as a kid: All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital. I did some research and found out like Donna Mills had started in a soap called Love is a Many Splendored Thing, a CBS show back in the day.

MHTV: Never mind Knots Landing! In your mind and Jim’s, is this more based on daytime soap or primetime? Because when I see names like Donna Mills, Nicollette Sheridan, Morgan Fairchild and Linda Gray, I think of primetime soaps.

SZ: Yes. But the concept for the film was that, because all of these daytime soap operas are being canceled, there was a daytime soap opera called “The Great Lakes.” And at one time or another, all of the divas were on that show. Now, the show is being canceled. Jim and I have often wondered, why are daytime soap operas not as popular anymore? Why haven’t they been reinvented? So for our movie, what if they come back for one final Christmas episode, done live. And play off of their daytime diva and nighttime diva images. And with those crazy storylines that daytime soap operas have, we thought it'd be really fun and campy. In our minds, that was what the audience would be craving. When they heard about these five ladies coming together, they’d want those bitchy lines. They want the slapfest. They want the crazy storylines. So Larry agreed, Lifetime agreed, and we made a deal very quickly. And off we went to writing. We had so little time, that there were days when I was at the Golden Girls convention “GoldenCon” in Chicago this past March where I would have to go up to my hotel room on breaks and meet Jim on Zoom to write some scenes and bang out that first draft. Because we had a deadline of May 1, which was the writers' strike. So we knew: computers off May 1.

MHTV: And that is a crazy short time to write a movie.

SZ: It’s a crazy short time to write an email. Because there are so many levels of people that have to weigh in. It’s not just, “it’s March, Jim and Stan, write whatever you want.” You have to write outlines. And I wanted an outline to be approved. I hate wasting time when I'm writing. So I wanted everybody to sign off first. Jim and I are experienced veterans at this, and they were actually going to give us more latitude, to go off and write, but I was very adamant about, “No, you're seeing an outline” -- or what we call a beat sheet, which is kind of an abbreviated outline -- to sign off on the basic beats of the plot. That way, after getting approval, we could then write scenes quickly. I always think that's easier.

I love the structure part of developing scripts. For some reason, my mind just thinks that way. On sitcoms, I would always be the one taking writers off into a room and do what we call beating out the story and the structure of it. So once we got the structure, that pretty much stayed the same. And we wrote really, really quickly. I think that was one of the solid points of hiring us as writers, because we kept saying to them, “We're used to writing fast on sitcoms,” where sometimes a script gets thrown out on the day of a rehearsal, and you have to be rehearsing a different script the next morning. So you might have to do a page-one rewrite sometimes. From all the shows that we've been on, from Golden Girls to Gilmore Girls and Roseanne, or Rita Rocks for Lifetime, we’ve experienced every single thing you can imagine. Here, luckily, they were happy and we didn't get a ton of notes. Because on May 1, we had to stop. We would love to have continued working, and to have gone on set. I kept joking to Jim, “I'll dress as a grip, and I’ll have a mustache and a hat and overalls or something, and just stand behind a potted plant.” Of course I couldn’t do that, because of the strike. But we were able to talk to the actresses on the phone during our writing process, to get their notes. And that was really cool.

MHTV: How much were the actresses able to shape their characters?

SZ: Quite a bit. Before they signed off, they all either had phone calls – one of the original actresses who was going to be in the movie, Joan Collins, sent in written notes, because she was in England -- but with the others, we got on the phone and had long conversations that were really interesting.

MHTV: And was that a dream for you? Had you met all of these women before?

SZ: I had not met most of them, which was crazy, because most of them hadn't done sitcoms, except Loni Anderson. I had met Joan Collins, when Jim and I had developed a show for her. We always thought she was really funny. And she ended up being on Roseanne, but not when we were there. But because people are obsessed with royalty in America, so we pitched a show for her and Rupert Everett as royalty that had to flee their country with nothing but their titles, and then came to America, and were scamming in Beverly Hills. And she loved it. And we spent time with her in her home in Beverly Hills. We happened to be in Europe and went to her house in London. That story is in my book…

MHTV: Which is…?

SZ: The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore. It’s the story about all the wonderful women that I've worked with. And Roseanne. There is a section about the developments that we had with so many wonderful women, and that that chapter is called “The Next Lucy,” because all of these actresses that we would meet with, from Joan Collins to Teri Hatcher to Miss Diana Ross, they all said at one point in the meeting, “I want to be the next Lucy.” And we all know there can never be another Lucy. It’s a tall order. But we felt we could tap into what was funny about Joan Collins and her dry, very Oscar Wilde sensibility. But unfortunately, the show never came to be.

When we spoke with all the actresses, they gave us ideas on how to deepen their characters. And because we had really studied a lot of their interviews online, we pulled from their real stories. So for example, we found out that Donna Mills had adopted a child, so we put that into the character -- but we bumped it up to where she had adopted five or six children, in the Angelina Jolie or Madonna category. And another actress who was originally going to be part of the cast, Jaclyn Smith, is such an entrepreneur. So we created a storyline about giving up a lot of show business to start her own businesses. And has she been so obsessed that she has neglected relationships?

Ultimately, because of the actors’ strike, they literally had a very short window to film this. So the good part was they had to film the script we wrote. But the bad part was that it was hard for the actresses to rearrange their schedules with short notice, and so Joan and Jaclyn dropped out, even though they loved the script. After that, Morgan Fairchild switched roles and ended up playing the one written for Joan. No fool, she knew where the jokes were! And she does have a lot of one-liner zingers that are going to make memes one day, I just know it. I’m hoping. On the level of some of the other lines Jim and I have written, like “Sure, Jan,” from The Brady Bunch Movie, or from The Golden Girls, “No, no, I will not have a nice day,” which I see all the time, people imitating it, which is really cute. This is a very different kind of Lifetime Christmas movie, because A, it’s a comedy. But there is a lot of romance in there. There are some very heartfelt moments as well. I have to admit, I get a little teary at the end. I wasn't sure if I wanted to put in a part about how the young male lead was affected by his mother's passing. But it's something I'm still dealing with. And I realized that not only would it be therapeutic for me, but maybe for other people as well.

MHTV: Of course. The holidays are when everybody thinks about relatives they've lost.

SZ: So there's a line in there, when the guy says, “A part of me died when she died.” And especially during the holidays, and not being with her on Thanksgiving, this year was pretty difficult for me. So I was glad that they allowed us to keep lines like that in there. Also, it was fun to name the young lead female after my niece, Nell. That’s always fun to do.

MHTV: Speaking of the names, I love the device of giving all the characters the names of their famous TV characters, like Ewing and Cunningham and Marlowe.

SZ: It's honoring their past, and what they bring so beautifully to this project. And I think that's why this storyline works so well, because when they arrive, they literally come with a lot of baggage, but also good baggage from their long careers in this genre.

MHTV: With your writing background, obviously, people might get a sense of The Golden Girls from this movie – although on The Golden Girls, Rue McClanahan was only 51 when the pilot was made. Here, everyone in this movie is older than that. And yet they're still vital, and they're still playing sexy roles. In what ways, consciously or maybe even subconsciously, were you affected by your Golden Girls experience when creating this movie?

SZ: Well, that was such an important part of Golden Girls, showing these women as vital and sexual and working and with relationships and conflicts. And I know that's an important part for Donna Mills, that she wants to show that you don't have to just sit in a corner after 60. You can sit in a corner if you want to, but you can also go off and make a Jordan Peele movie like Donna did. And I really respect that about her. That's been the theme in our work, that no matter what age, you keep living. And every day you wake up, and the joy that I have of jumping out of bed. Although sometimes now I make some grunting noises.

We wanted to give all these characters jobs and emotions, and love. To have Linda Gray be with hot Christopher Atkins! As a gay man, I remember being young and watching The Blue Lagoon. I think I looked at pictures of him in that for a long time. So it's exciting to reunite them, since they played lovers on Dallas.

MHTV: What are the challenges to writing a Christmas movie? How do you get in the Christmas mood in March?

SZ: Christmas movies are a breed unto themselves. When Jim and I were writing it, we had to think, how can we cram every single little bit of Christmas into every scene and shot? And then they still were yelling, “More Christmas!” And we were like, what more can we do? So you have to be clever about how you put it in so it seems organic. Scenes around a Christmas tree. Or because the movie is about the making of a TV show, we could have fun with shots, where it looks like it’s snowing, and then you pull back and reveal how we’re actually in sunny California. We even got meta at the end, talking about how they can turn this into a reality/soap opera for today’s day and age. Or they could go off and make a Valentine's movie. So we're hoping that the audience watches the movie and that it's so popular that we can continue with these characters and add a few more divas.

MHTV: Obviously Joan Collins and Jaclyn Smith couldn't make it this time, but maybe later? Are there more divas on tap if this goes further?

SZ: I literally have divas driving around my house, honking, asking, “Where is the script?” That would be the fun part. I have many friends like Joan Van Ark who I would love to be in the movie, and it would be great to bring Michele Lee into it.

The business now, I think it's just trying to get back up on its feet and figure itself out. I think Lifetime has been a little overwhelmed with the response to this movie already, before it has even aired, but I'm not. I told them, people are going to go nuts when they hear these five actresses are in this movie together! There's a need to celebrate older women, and especially these women with what they've accomplished in their lives and what they're still accomplishing, and yet also to have fun with it and not take it too seriously. So I think there's so many more stories to delve into with these characters and other characters in that age group that I hope we get to do that.

MHTV: Certainly, if The Golden Girls could come up with seven years’ worth of stories, you've got plenty to say as well.

SZ: I'm sure they have some ex husbands. It could be, “Hi, it’s me, Mort,” instead of Stan Zbornak.

MHTV: What is the update with “Silver Foxes,” your gay male version of The Golden Girls that you mentioned you staged as a play in Dallas this past spring?

SZ: When Jim and I first wrote “Silver Foxes,” we had a reading of it in my living room with Leslie Jordan and George Takei. We had created it for Logo as a half-hour sitcom, but when we found that no television network wanted to deal with an older demo or gay audience, we turned it into a play and had that sold-out run in Dallas, that Michael Urie from Ugly Betty and Shrinking directed. Actually, I found out today that there is a gay theatre company in Dublin, Ohio, that just secured the rights for the next production, which will be in September of 2024. So I'm going to go there for opening night. I won’t be involved in the play, but they want me to come and do a Q&A. Recently, we had a wonderful reading of the play in New York City that Michael directed. So we're really hoping to get it off-Broadway. That's our goal -- and then eventually, it becomes so popular that will become a TV series.

MHTV: With the Divas, these women are famous and beautiful and beloved. Why do you think there haven't been more vehicles for them to be doing stuff lately, and for others in their age group? Do you think that it's going to change with things like this movie, or maybe with “Silver Foxes?” What is it going to take to change things?

SZ: Personally, I don't think even the success of this will change things. I think people in the entertainment business unfortunately have very narrow minds of what the audience is. And they don't see the value in portrayals of older people. Meanwhile, young people adored Betty White up until the very end. And these kinds of shows don't just attract an older demo, but it's hard for executives to see that. They attract all people. Most young people have grandparents that they love, and they could watch it and laugh with them -- or watch it and call them after and understand them more. Yes, of course, I'm always hopeful, but I've just been around this so much. And I am still a half glass full kind of guy, so I do hope that this can change things. But I'm going to keep working and pushing these kinds of shows and these kinds of characters, whether networks come running at us or not.

MHTV: Maybe the success of ABC’s Golden Bachelor will help, too. And that glass of yours, is it half full of champagne or whatever that that highly alcoholic beverage was they were drinking in that late night scene?

SZ: Some crazy “Christmas concoction.”

MHTV: …That makes all of their truths come spilling out.

SZ: That’s what I’ll be drinking on December 2. A lovely woman named Tami, whom I met on the first Golden Girls cruise in 2020, sent me these two beautiful martini glasses, and a bottle of Ciroc vodka, my favorite. So I’ll be toasting the Divas.

Go Live with The Conners

2021-08-26T17:47:00.004-04:00

Today, ABC announced that for its season 4 premiere, The Conners will once again be airing a live episode. But this time, there's an intriguing twist.

At the same time, the network also announced an innovative sweepstakes, titled "You Can Be a Conner." Winners will receive a call from the cast -- on-air, as part of the episode.

Today at the Television Critics Association teleconference for critics, Executive Producer Bruce Helford referred to the gimmick as "working without a net," because the selected fans will not know what the topic of the episode and thus the call will be -- nor will the producers know what said fans will say, live on-air. (One would imagine that ABC will be airing the whole thing on the standard 7-second delay, but still, I think the censor should start practicing hitting that button now.)

The episode will air on September 22 at 9 PM Eastern, and will be performed live for both the East and West coasts. Enter at www.BeAConner.com, and see details below in ABC's press release.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: ‘THE CONNERS’ IS GOING LIVE!

SEASON FOUR TO DEBUT WITH LIVE PREMIERE EPISODE

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22, ON ABC

‘YOU CAN BE A CONNER’ SWEEPSTAKES LAUNCHES TODAY

GIVING FANS A CHANCE TO WIN AN ON-AIR CALL DURING LIVE PREMIERE BROADCAST

ABC’s No. 1 comedy last season is set to return with more laughs, surprise guests, a live episode and a chance for viewers to win a virtual appearance as a member of the Conner family in the season four premiere when “The Conners” returns WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 22 (9:00-9:31 p.m. EDT).

The cast of “The Conners” will perform live for both the East and West Coast broadcasts of the season four premiere episode. The members of America’s favorite family are no strangers to live television, but this time, they’ll need some extra help to pull it off. Starting today, ABC and “The Conners” are launching the “You Can Be A Conner” sweepstakes, offering viewers the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience by entering for the chance to win a virtual appearance during the live season premiere episode. As part of the storyline, a Conner family member will call each lucky sweepstakes winner for a live conversation regarding how they deal with some of the same life issues that the Conners navigate on a daily basis.

The sweepstakes is open to legal U.S. residents, 18 and older. No purchase is necessary to enter; visit www.BeAConner.com for official rules and full details.

“The Conners” stars John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy, Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy, Jayden Rey as Mary Conner and Jay R. Ferguson as Ben.

“The Conners” is executive produced by Tom Werner, along with Sara Gilbert, Bruce Helford, Dave Caplan, Bruce Rasmussen and Tony Hernandez. The series is from Werner Entertainment.

Follow “The Conners” (#TheConners) on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

ABC programming can also be viewed on demand and on Hulu.

A Tribute to Anne Beatts and her creation, Square Pegs

2021-04-10T19:46:00.028-04:00

Back in the days when I was editing the “Icons” (classic TV) section of CBS’ Watch! magazine, I was like a kid in a candy store. So many of the shows I had grown up adoring had been on CBS – and now, I had license to get in touch with any of those shows’ creators and/or stars, to write tributes of all my favorites, one by one.

In February of 2008, I was thrilled to get to interview Anne Beatts, to pay tribute to her 1982-83 sitcom Square Pegs, short-lived but influential on my generation of actors and writers – and everyone else adolescent at the time. [I must admit, my writing partner Bonnie Datt and I were so molded by Square Pegs that we even wrote its characters into a spec script we wrote for Sex and the City – melding the two worlds and winning a few screenwriting awards in the process.] The piece ran in the magazine’s May/June 2008 issue; you can check it out here:

But Anne, who died this past Wednesday, April 7 at age 74, was way too interesting to be confined to a mere page’s worth of memories. And so below, here is the full scope of her memories not only of creating the beloved sitcom which brought Sarah Jessica Parker to national attention, but also as a pioneering “girl writer” on Saturday Night Live.

The Square Pegs Origin Story

Square Pegs was autobiographical. What happened was that I had been on Saturday Night Live for the first five years of that as a writer. And then the upheaval happened. Lorne Michaels was no longer doing the show. Everybody left at one time. And I had an agent, an older gentleman named Frank Cooper. He had been Frank Sinatra’s first agent – he was of that generation. He was trying to get me some other work. And he said, “I guess you were probably very popular when you were in high school.” And I said, “Oh, Frank, are you kidding? I wasn’t very popular at all! I was a square peg when I was in high school!” And he said, “Why don’t you write about that?”

Frank had the idea he could sell a high school show to CBS. There wasn’t a show like that at the time. I guess there had been Welcome Back, Kotter and Happy Days, but at the time there wasn’t a show of that nature. And he knew that CBS was wanting to skew younger -- which was a little bit of an uphill battle. So we went in, and I had never pitched a sitcom. I had never written a sitcom, or spec script, or had anything to do with the word “sitcom” -- and it kind of stuck in my throat a little bit.

I went in to CBS and had thought out what my life had been like in high school, me and my best friend. So Square Pegs was based on us; I was the Sarah Jessica Parker character, the skinny one with glasses, and she was the short one with braces. I harkened back to us, when we were in Somers High School in the ‘60s, in Somers, New York.

I wasn’t a big sitcom watcher. So in my concept, I harkened back to [the 1959-63 CBS sitcom The Many Loves of] Dobie Gillis. That was a model of a high school show that I really liked. And then when I went in to pitch, guess who was in the room? Dobie Gillis! Because Dwayne Hickman was an executive at CBS at this point. So here I go in to have a meeting with Kim LeMasters who was the CBS development exec at the time, and in the room – the way there’s always 3 or 4 people in the room – was Dobie himself! I thought at the time that this was either good or bad omen. I guess it proved good. Because there I was, talking how much I loved Dobie Gillis and how my show could be like that. That was the pitch.

My agent had set up for us to meet at NBC the next day. I was at the Chateau Marmont [hotel], getting dressed for the meeting, and the phone rang. It was my agent and the executives from CBS. They had some concerns and questions about the show. And basically it was, what about sex, drugs and rock and roll? This was 1981, I guess, because I was on SNL from ’75 to ’80. So this was the fall of ‘81. Were these girls having sex? This was pre-Dawson’s Creek; you did not want the answer to be yes. You wanted the answer to be no, because they wanted to do something that was basically an 8 o’clock show. And I said no, that they weren’t– which was perfectly true. I wasn’t telling them just what they wanted to hear, but what my vision of the show was.

[My main characters] aspired to those things, but were nowhere near reaching them. And I quoted another archetype, another movie that was important for me, which was The World of Henry Orient. About a little girl chasing Peter Sellers around New York -- which I later learned was actually based on the real experience of the author, with Oscar Levant, of all people. The original book was written by Nunnally Johnson’s daughter [Nora], and she had had for some bizarre reason an insane crush on Oscar Levant, so that was why there was this concert pianist character, played by Sellers, who they were crazy in love with.

I said that’s sort of the level of sexuality these [Square Pegs] girls are operating on. So the CBS executives got it, and they bought the show on the phone. Sad to say, I never had the meeting with NBC, because that actually would have been a better network, probably. Hindsight being 20/20, maybe that would have kept the show on the air longer, because they were still struggling. It turned out it was actually one of Brandon Tartikoff’s favorite shows. He tried to buy it as a summer replacement show, but they had already unfortunately syndicated it to USA, so that deal didn’t happen.

Cheers was on NBC, and they had lower ratings than we did that year. But [Tartikoff] believed in that show, and kept it on the air. Unfortunately we were on the “Tiffany Network,” and were messing with CBS’ ratings. This in the day when there were only three networks. We had a 23 share. Now if you had a 23 share, you would be the queen of Hollywood. More people saw Square Pegs than ever watched an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, and Square Pegs was a flop. That’s the ironic part about it!

We did special material for the Square Pegs DVD, which comes out on May 13 [2008], and I think it will do well, although that depends upon if they promote it or not. But it might do quite well, because people who were fans might buy it now for their kids. Because it’s been 25 years. So I think maybe the people who were 13-year-old girls are moms now, and might say it’s great for their kids. That’s what I’m hoping, anyway. There could be potentially a new generation of fans. There’s still a tremendous amount of web presence for the show, all these web sites and things like that, and places where you can download episode guides and songs. There’s a tremendous amount of fan stuff that’s out there.

The Launch of SJP, and Her New Friend, Amy Linker

We tried to tie the DVD to coincide with the Sex and the City movie. We were able to get Sarah Jessica Parker on all the extras – actually all the cast members, except Merritt Butrick, who died [in 1989] and Jon Caliri, who was unavailable. [SJP] had done Annie, but as she herself has said, she was not the first Annie [on Broadway]; she was like Annie #3 in the production, and she wasn’t Andrea McArdle. And so really, that had not launched her career; so yeah, we did kind of discover her. The person who was really responsible for that was Eve Brandstein -- she was the casting director for Norman Lear -- who also could be credited for discovering George Clooney and so many others. She put a lot of people on shows.

When I finally wrote the pilot script – it was kind of amazing because it was the first sitcom ever I had anything to do with – I wrote the script, rewrote the script, it went to pilot, and then series. I was like “Oh, I think I’ll do this [for a living.]” Little did I know, it was like getting struck by lightning to get that to happen.

When the show was going to go to pilot, every production company in Hollywood was sniffing around, because I had this deal and a show for which I’d just written the script completely on my own. So I was the most popular person in Hollywood at that point. People were sending me flowers and champagne – it was amazing. On the strength of Mary Kay Place’s recommendation, I went with Norman’s company. She said “If you want to have your creative vision serviced…” That’s how Eve and I first met. Eve and Kim Friedman, who directed the pilot, and I went on a cross-country mission to find kids for this show. And one of the big things about Tandem, as Norman’s company was called then, was that they were willing to cast age appropriately. Because everybody else wanted [actors] over 18. Like in 90210; they didn’t want the trouble of working with actual, real kids. And so that was another reason that really sold me on [Tandem] as a production company, because they did work with kids. With The Facts of Life and so on, they were accustomed to it, and would cast age appropriately.

Sarah Jessica Parker was the first person that I ever saw for the role of Patty. Eve brought her in. We were in New York, and she read, and Eve was like, “Isn’t she great!” And I was like “Yes… but she’s too pretty.” Eve had a pair of sunglasses, knocked out the lenses, and put them on her, and said, “Now have her read.” I still wasn’t convinced. We made her come back like 8 times to audition. You know how it is – do you take the first apartment you see?

Obviously she was the best person -- and with the Lauren character, we had similar issues because we were meeting these chubby girls. And we knew we could put on fake braces. But we were still reading girls who were chunky, and couldn’t find anybody. Then I had the idea that we could put her in a fat suit. Because I remembered when we were doing the bees on SNL, and we had these little padded body suits for the bee characters. In 1982, the whole thing of prosthetics wasn’t nearly as advanced as now. But still I thought, “Why can’t we do that?” So poor Amy Linker had to wear fake braces and body padding and still deliver a performance. Sarah had, of course, fake glasses, and as she said, she had to dress as an Appalachian child. She got her revenge for that later!

Casting the Cool Kids

Literally, we went everywhere. San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago. Jami Gertz was in Chicago, and she had kind of done local commercials. Nothing really. And Tracy Nelson was a funny thing, because she said to me when she auditioned, “You worked with my father.” I was like “What?” and it turned out her dad was Ricky Nelson, who had been a host on SNL. Which made me feel a lot older suddenly. I got a few gray hairs there, I think.

So we did really do the Gone With the Wind talent search to get these people, the embodiment of the characters as I saw them. One reason the show worked so well, I have to credit the casting. John Huston used to say casting was everything, and I really have to say that it is.

A Slice of Real Life

I think [all the characters] were high school archetypes. That may have changed, but I suspect not all that much. There’s the student leader like Muffy, the king and queen like Vinnie and Jennifer. And then Jennifer had to have a friend and confidante, and I really wanted to have the show be multiracial, so it was logical to me to have an African American girl [played by Claudette Wells]. Which also was groundbreaking; not since I, Spy had there been black and white friends. And this was 1982! So that was important to me that there be a person of color in the show. As there had been back where I was; Somers was a predominantly white bedroom suburb, but there were Black kids in the school.

My friend does know that Lauren was based on her – and I think she’s flattered. I had saved all the notes we wrote to each other when I was in high school. The one issue was whether the show needed to be period or not, like The Wonder Years, which came later. I really wanted it to be contemporary, because I wanted to be able to do jokes about Reagan and things like that, and be “of today.” So I borrowed the daughter of a friend of mine and her friend, who were 14-year-old girls who went to private school in Manhattan, and lived in Soho. So I thought of them as reasonably sophisticated. I wanted to check that I wasn’t totally off. I remember, I took them to lunch and said, “Is there anyone in your school who is doing this?” And they said “Oh no, only the sluts!” And I thought, “God, things have not changed.”

And then I asked them, “Who are your heroes?” and they said Che Guevara – they didn’t really know who he was but had a poster – and James Dean. And then I was like “Okay, I can still write this.” But then I tried to keep my ears open to current slang, and that’s how the Jennifer Valley Girl character came about. And that was before the song “Valley Girl;” even though the show was on the air after the Moon Zappa song came out, we had shot the pilot before that. That was something Tracy came up with. I remember Tracy said – she was not conventionally the pretty girl -- that she was auditioning with all these girls more conventionally gorgeous. And they were like, “You’re not here for the Jennifer character!” They were mean to her. And so she figured “I’m going to get this” – this fierce resolve. Here were the girls who had been mean to her in high school! She ended up doing a devastating take on people she had observed.

The Music of Square Pegs

The music was another thing that was groundbreaking – this was pre-Miami Vice. There really hadn’t been rock and roll on TV since Ricky Nelson. It was very important to me that the music be part of their world. Johnny Slash, the anomalous character, was the way the music came into the show. If you want to talk archetypes, there’s always the strange kid. And he said he was “left back and laid back.” It’s like that line in Animal House: “Six years of college down the drain.”

I was listening to the radio, and I was going to clubs in New York, and was hearing these [New Wave] groups. What was interesting about The Waitresses -- my friend Lynn Goldsmith is a rock and roll photographer who just put a book out. She had taken shots of all these iconic people, like Springsteen. She was someone I turned to for music world connections. She told me about The Waitresses, “the perfect group for your show.” I was like “Okay, the Waitresses.” And then [coincidentally] I was listening to a song on the radio, “I Know What Boys Like” – [and thought] “this is the perfect group for my show!” I said, “I don’t know about the Waitresses, but I want the group who did this song!” So we got them, brought them out [to L.A.] to be in the pilot, and also to write the theme song.

When they had Square Pegs on Nick at Nite at one point, they had a sequence which thrilled me, where they had people in the street, singing theme songs -- and they had people singing the Square Pegs theme song. So I was pretty pleased. I worked with them [in writing] it – glasses, and cliques, and so on. I was telling them what it should deal with.

Once we did the pilot, and then it was picked up by CBS, which was also quite an amazing thing, the market research for it was not good. It said things like “These kids should be in an insane asylum, not a high school. They’re disrespectful of adults.” Cleverly, Kim LeMasters kept it under his hat, because luckily for me, he had been promoted up the ranks as the show had moved along, and had more power, and was a big proponent of the show. And ultimately [CBS senior programs executive] Harvey Shephard also became very fond of it. His daughter, Greer Shephard, went on to produce such shows as Popular, and was a big fan of the show.

At one point, for Muffy’s bat mitzvah, it had originally been booked to be The Clash, and they fell through. And funny, to think that The Clash was going to be on Square Pegs. When they fell through, we had the Boomtown Rats begging to be on the show. They sent us a side of smoked salmon. Meanwhile, Devo was also another possibility, and they were local. So I had to call up CBS and ask them which. Harvey called his daughter Greer and asked her – she was in high school at the time – and she picked Devo. So Devo was on the show. And then they tried to cancel, and I couldn’t find out why they were cancelling; and it turned out the head Devo guy had scheduled root canal for the same week. I remember being on the phone with him saying, “Change your appointment – you have a contract!”

Square Pegs on the Air

When the pilot got picked up, I had to hire a writing staff. That was another struggle, because I remember they made me hire Andy Borowitz. They didn’t want to have a staff composed entirely of women. I wanted women because I was writing about girls in high school, so it seemed the writers should be women. So the staff was women, and Andy. He was our token male. We used to call him Tootsie Borowitz.

M*A*S*H was the only other single-camera show on the air at the time. Our [Director of Photography] was a guy who had worked on M*A*S*H. He was about 70 or something. Emil Oster. People were not shooting single-cam because it is more expensive; but now, everything is single camera. Obviously there will always be multi cam shows, because comedians like to perform in front of a live audience. I teach sitcom at USC – I work for the writing division of the School of Cinema and Television, now called the School of Cinematic Arts because George Lucas gave them a bunch of money. I’m an adjunct professor. And almost all the shows I’m teaching are single-camera. Entourage, Weeds, even Scrubs or 30 Rock. So that was another issue. And that was another reason why – when I was in this bidding war where people were wining and dining me and wanting me to pick their production company – one of the stipulations I had had was that I wanted the show to be single cam.

I had worked on commercial parodies on SNL and actual commercials in England, which is where I had first worked in TV: 30 millimeter film, sixty-second black-and-white TV commercials in the ‘60s in London. So it was very important to me to do [Square Pegs] in single camera, because for me it was a reality element. I felt it should be [shot] in a real high school. And it was shot in a real, abandoned high school, in Norwalk, California. It had been condemned for heating problems. It was the school where they had shot Grease 2.

The show was supposed to be set in upstate New York, outside of New York City – a la Somers. But it was odd, because there ended up being a Valley Girl on the east coast – because she was a transfer student. The reason we shot it in Norwalk was to find a school that looked like one of those WGA school buildings they built during the Depression on the East Coast. There wasn’t that kind of school in Beverly Hills. And so the exterior shot was actually a middle school that’s over on McCadden place in Hollywood, and the interiors were all at the school in Norwalk, which was great; we would never have been able to build those sets. We had the full cafeteria, and an auditorium and theater – it was an amazing physical plant.

What was very lucky was there was a football strike. Football was on another network, ABC, but it was lucky for us in terms of our competition. We were on opposite Little House on the Prairie on NBC, so that was the real ratings competition, because obviously it was a similar audience. I never wrote the show to be a kids’ show. I didn’t realize that, that they would say “Is it an 8 o’clock show or a 10 o’clock show?” To me it was a show. It was meant to be for everybody. It was sort of ghettoized by CBS in a way I never intended to happen.

[Mondays at 8PM] wasn’t a great night or a great time slot. But because of the football strike, we were protected for a while. Then they moved us to Wednesdays at 8:30, and that was the death of the show. They said “We have great new show to give you as a lead in: Zorro and Son.” There wasn’t a lot of competition, but in a counter-programming move, NBC moved The A-Team up to 8 o’clock, and that was the end. Suddenly we got a 12 share – still not so shabby in today’s terms, but then it was death. I was in New York and called up to get the overnights, and the girl told me 12, and I knew pretty much that it was over. And then she asked me for a job, and I wanted to go, “With timing like that, stay out of comedy.”

We got cancelled after 20 episodes. It would have been nice to get 22 or 24, but we had 20. We had a lot of support from the network. We had a lot of support from CBS, but not from the production company. That show was expensive for them, and the guy who was running it, who later went back to England, just never got the show and didn’t support it. He actually left the company after that year, because he also had allowed them to cancel Archie Bunker’s Place on his watch, and it wasn’t taken very well.

We were on at 8, so we were trying to start the night. We didn’t have a hammock, a lead-in. The only lead-in we ever got was Zorro and Son, and of course that was famous [as a disaster, lasting just five episodes]. The thing about it is that if right now, you had a show that every 13- to 16-year-old girl was watching, you’d have Gossip Girl. And you’d be a big hit.

But here's the big difference between our show and other teen shows, like Our So-Called Life. Our show was a comedy. And I think that is a big difference. If the show had been kept on the air, it had the potential to be more successful than drippy shows about teenage angst. Our show was based on the premise that someday you'll look back on all this and laugh.

Join the Pet Set

2021-02-23T17:00:00.001-05:00

If you are a fan of animals, of classic TV -- and here's a no-brainer: a fan of Betty White -- then you'll want to check out today's DVD box set release of her early '70s talk show, Betty White's Pet Set.

The show's 39 full-color episodes, which debuted in 1970 -- in one early episode, Betty hosts her friend Mary Tyler Moore, years before she would join that show and become an iconic member of its cast -- boast a veritable who's who of '70s television, each star stopping by to show off a beloved pet. It's such a revealing and intimate look at the stars' personal lives, the kind you won't get during a packaged, PR-approved visit to The Tonight Show.

No one will ever have a career like Betty's, spanning eight decades in televi
sion, because Betty was quite literally there when they first turned on the TV cameras in Los Angeles, hosting hours each day of live talk. By the time of Pet Set, Betty was an established pro, and it shows in her quick wit, and her ability to make her guests comfortable and move the segments along. Combine that with her innate love for and comfort with all creatures great, small, and even deadly, and also her relationships with experts in zoology and conservation, and you have a breezy half hour that's both enlightening and entertaining.

I've heard that Betty has had these episodes sitting in her treasure chest for years, and decided now, at the show's 50th anniversary, was the perfect time to release them for a new generation to enjoy. (They are also apparently available, for a fee, on Amazon Prime.) The box set, which was released today, also boasts a good number of special features, including a behind-the-scenes mini-documentary; promo and public service spots; photo galleries of Betty and pets and also Betty and her husband /fellow producer Allen Ludden; and several featurettes about Betty subtitled Game Show Goddess and Queen of Television.

I spent the weekend bingeing episodes with such amazing guests as Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, Paul Lynde, Agnes Moorehead, Beverly Garland, Lorne Greene, Eve Arden and Barbara Feldon -- and I have so many more to look forward to, including Doris Day, James Stewart, Burt Reynolds, Shirley Jones, Michael Landon, Barbara Eden, James Brolin, Della Reese, Vincent Price, Eva Gabor, Eddie Albert, Peter Marshall, Rose Marie, Bob Crane, Bill Bixby, Jim Nabors, Bob Barker, Mike Connors, Barbara Bain, Dennis Weaver, Johnny Mathis, Donald O'Connor, Merv Griffin, Rod Serling, Pat Carroll, Peter Lawford, Vikki Carr, Amanda Blake, Arte Johnson, Sue Anne Langdon, Miyoshi Umeki, Richard Deacon, Nancy Kulpe and Billy DeWolfe.

Between Pet Set and my continued viewings of The Love Boat in preparation for writing my next book, I can look forward to spending many of these pandemic hours with some old friends from sunnier times past. Thanks, Betty!

The Kids Are More Than All Right -- and you have a second chance to see them

2020-08-19T17:31:00.009-04:00

For as much success as ABC has had in launching comedies that introduced us to American families of different ethnicities -- black-ish, The Goldbergs, and Fresh Off the Boat, as the most prominent examples -- the network has for some reason been unable, or more likely too impatient, to make a success out of a sitcom featuring an Irish-American clan.

In 2016, ABC launched the very funny The Real O'Neals, about a modern day Irish-Catholic family with a gay son -- but cancelled the whole enterprise after just two abbreviated seasons and 29 episodes.

Then in 2018 came The Kids Are Alright, an, I daresay, even better, funnier comedy, about the exploits of the gaggle of eight Cleary brothers and their comically world-weary parents (Mary McCormack and Michael Cudlitz) in the turbulent 1970s. One needn't be Irish-American like me to appreciate the warmth and authenticity of this truly laugh-out-loud show -- plus, isn't everyone Irish at least that one day a year in March? -- but ABC clearly didn't see it that way. In one of the network's more shocking, short-sighted cancellations of late (although remember, they also prematurely cancelled The Real O'Neals, Better Off Ted and Happy Endings, so should we be surprised, really?), the Cleary Kids lasted just one season.

I'm sure no one was as disappointed as the show's creator, Tim Doyle, and not just for the usual workaday reasons, but because The Kids Are Alright was based on his own upbringing, as the artistic child with acting aspirations amid a writhing horde of brothers. Doyle, whose credits include beloved shows like Better Off Ted and Ellen, on which he served as executive producer, used his acting background to provide the voiceover narration for the show, which faithfully retold many of his own hilariously humiliating life stories.

But now, in a streaming world, is any sitcom family truly dead? Just recently, all twenty-three episodes of The Kids Are Alright popped up on Hulu, which is both a joy and relief to me, because now I can safely delete them from the valuable real estate on my DVR. In celebration of the Clearys' return, I asked Tim six questions -- I should have made it eight, one for each Cleary kid -- about why we should watch.

Must-Hear TV: How did the show end up getting on Hulu?

Tim Doyle: During the initial run, Disney made each episode available after airing on the abc.com website and Hulu. But after we didn’t get our season two order, it was quickly pulled down from both — which seemed weird. I didn’t understand their hurry to make us unavailable. Other canceled ABC shows were still being offered. Hell, there are canceled shows which I wrote back in the ‘90s still running on those sites. My first TV job, Jim Henson’s Dinosaurs, is coming back to Disney+ in a couple of weeks!

Fans of The Kids Are Alright kept contacting me on social media, complaining they couldn’t watch those original 23 episodes — nothing on any streaming service, no DVD release. What gives? Then when the quarantine descended, it just struck me as wasteful, like the company was missing a bet to give folks something they might enjoy bingeing during these crazy times, and maybe even build a new audience who didn’t find the show during its network run.

When fans reached out, I basically started encouraging them to write to Disney Channel, Disney+, ABC, Hulu — the various platforms Disney now owns. These fans are passionate. I think they even sent a few pleading letters to Nat Geo! And suddenly I got a nice email from Peter Rice, the CEO of Walt Disney Television, telling me that Kids would go back up on Hulu starting August 5. No idea what their internal process was, but I have to assume that viewer enthusiasm must have played a role.

MHTV: How do you feel about the show being back and available for viewers to discover?

TD: I obviously think it’s great. You make these shows to be seen, and I’m afraid Kids never really got the launch it deserved. Any interest in our premiere got massively overshadowed by the huge scandal in the fall of 2018 surrounding Roseanne getting herself fired from our lead-in show, The Conners.

The press pretty much ignored our premiere, when they weren’t being preemptively dismissive as they often are with new network offerings. The glib wisdom regarding us was that we were just a ‘70s version of The Goldbergs — which nobody who watched a single episode would ever actually say. I must have read ten versions of the same smarty-pants “Goldberg Variations” joke among the quippy quick hot takes folks who write for the short attention span media.

It was gratifying, however, when more serious TV columnists weighed in and we got almost universal praise, I assume because they actually took the time to watch the episodes. We received an extremely high rating on Rotten Tomatoes as well, and the pilot script earned a WGA nomination for best writing of a comedy episode. I felt confident that if we made past summer we could easily pick up a few Emmy nods — at least Mary McCormack, Michael Cudlitz and our art department. With that encouragement the cast and crew worked insanely hard and delivered a consistently strong first series of 23 episodes. The show did well but was never quite a ratings hit, struggling to break through all the media clutter. So now I feel like there’s got to be a massive captive audience out there who can discover and love this show if we can only help them find it on Hulu.

MHTV: What to you is so personal about the Clearys that you want to share with the audience?

The Kids Are Alright creator
Tim Doyle with his TV alter ego,
Jack Gore, at PaleyFest,
September 8, 2018.

TD: Well, it really is based upon my childhood, my family, my parents -- so writing it was the most gratifying and fascinating creative act I have ever experienced, a true act of confession — of saying things I’ve always wanted to say about being a brother, being a parent, being a son, being a Catholic, being lower middle class, and living through that very confusing decade of the 1970s. For thirty years I’ve been writing other people’s TV shows, telling my own stories only through that distorted, veiled lens. By contrast Kids was so pure and gratifying. No, it’s not a documentary. A lot of things had to be changed from my real life for technical reasons, for legal reasons, or for comedy, but... I can now say to my daughter, or some grandchild down the road... to anybody interested, really: If you want to know who I am, watch the show. It’s all in there. I got that rare opportunity in an artist’s life to cut straight down to the bone and give you my DNA. And a major corporation paid for it all!

MHTV: What parallels are there between the time period the Clearys live in versus where we are now?

TD: The anger in the public discourse was very similar to now, the social and political divide. I think now is worse, but only by a bit. In 1972 some of our beloved national leaders had recently been ASSASSINATED, and we watched it happen on live TV — as disorienting, scary and surreal as witnessing 9-11.

The Vietnam War had us divided. Nixon had us divided. Like today everyone was on a hair trigger of rage, exhilaration and frustration as we watched violent street protest and a presidency falling apart. Would our republic even survive? These are real questions we worried over then and are definitely revisiting today.

My father had terrible politics. But I loved and respected him. I loved my mom as well but she was suppressed and oppressed by the times, never becoming the fully realized person she certainly should have been. And watching the two of them struggle and puzzle through those turbulent years where everything they valued was suddenly up for grabs gave me the perspective to become — for good and for bad — the person and the artist I am today.

MHTV: Were you surprised the show didn't get picked up for season 2? What were your plans for the family and their further experiences?

TD: There were a number of warning signs along the way, but I was still absolutely flabbergasted with disbelief when ABC chose not to order a second season. In my mind — and I think there’s an objective case to be made for it — we were the BEST comedy on their schedule, CERTAINLY better than several of the shows with LOWER or absolutely comparable ratings which they chose to renew instead. I could not believe the choices they made.

I remember telling Karey Burke that she must possess a high threshold for embarrassment to keep several of the shitty shows she did and toss mine in a dumpster. (BTW this lack of diplomacy with my bosses might also have been a factor in getting my show canned.) In retrospect, our status on the network became much less secure as soon as Channing Dungey and Jamilla Hunter left ABC in December 2018, and were replaced by Dana Walden and Karey. A new creative team coming in always wants to prove itself with a sharp change of direction, and Kids was a leftover project of Channing’s. She had been our champion. Suddenly ABC was giving us fewer on-air promotions, our strong lead-in The Conners went away, and we found ourselves pre-empted to try out new shows in our time-slot. I should have seen the writing but I still naively thought that our superior quality would win the day.

In terms of season 2 and beyond, I have notebooks full of scribbled notions, things we just never got to in the first 23. And more stuff pops up every day — a glance at an old family album or seeing a retro commercial on the internet will send me instantly right back to 1972. The great thing about a series which comes out of your life is the deep story resources immediately at your disposal. Someone in the writers’ room asks, “Did Frank ever have a girlfriend?” or “Did your mom ever work outside the home?” or “Did Joey ever get in serious trouble with the law?” and you’re off to the races with memories of the funny, painful, real stories a family like mine experienced. I would LOVE to get to the REALLY GOOD stuff: Timmy’s adolescence under Joey’s Bob Guccione-style tutelage and the tug-of-war I went through for years (am still going through?) between sex and my more childish passions, like magic, musical theater and puppetry!

MHTV: Is there any chance, particularly if the show does well on Hulu, that it could come back? And if it does, will you please change the spelling to "All Right?!"

TD: There’s always a chance. Just a year or two ago I would have scoffed. Dead is dead. Once a show has the stink of rejection on it no platform is going to risk the shame of associating itself with a proven failure.

But I can’t argue with the passion of our fans. They keep asking me for more — an animated cartoon, a comic book, a novel, a Halloween or a Christmas special. You have to think “never say never” these days. There is just sooooooo much TV and so so so many players with such a voracious appetite for content. Yes, I’ve moved on to other projects but I’m still scribbling in my notebooks ideas which I’d love to do on some future iteration of The Kids Are Alright. So wherever I end up next with my new series ideas — cable, streaming, network, Google Maps, the little TV built onto the gas pumps — if I find any further measure of TV success I’ll be looking to leverage that success into a revival of Kids taking place perhaps in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, reuniting that amazing cast and telling more stories from deep vault of my remarkable but also highly-typical American family.

And yes, I’d be happy to change the “alright.”

You Will Love Love, Victor

2020-06-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Love, Victor, starring Michael Cimino as Creekwood High School's latest queer/questioning student,

premieres Wednesday, June 17 on Hulu

In 2018, Love, Simon made big-screen history as Hollywood’s first gay teen romcom. Based on Becky Albertalli’s 2015 YA novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, the film, adapted by This Is Us head-writing duo Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger and directed by gay powerhouse producer Greg Berlanti, ended up grossing $66.3 million in worldwide box office, against a production budget of $10-17 million, making it a bona fide hit – and deservedly so.

Having seen Love, Simon at least a half-dozen times since its release – it has become one of those films that, if I happen to come across it on TV or even on screen in a bar, I just drop everything, settle in and watch it to the end – I was both excited and maybe even a little nervous to hear that the film was being further adapted into a television series, Love, Victor.

Now, after viewing all ten episodes of Love, Victor’s first season (which drops on Hulu this Wednesday, June 17), I am not just pleasantly surprised, but thrilled by this expansion of the Simonverse. The show has all the film’s best DNA, including literal links to the Simon characters we fell in love with, and yet expands the world of Creekwood with new, endearing, and more diverse characters.

Actually, I didn’t just “view” all ten episodes of Love, Victor; that word is way too casual for what my husband, Frank DeCaro, and I did that night last week. We binged Love, Victor. We devoured it. And days and days later, we can’t stop thinking about it. The show may be more literally aimed at a teen audience, to match its mostly teen characters; but for older viewers as well, gay or straight, it brilliantly brings you back to those moments in high school when decisions were tough, when the stakes were high, and when abject humiliation seemed imminent.

So if you’re like me, and immediately binge all ten roughly half-hour episodes in one sitting and are left in its particularly satisfying, cliffhanging end moments, you’ll be googling to find out what’s next for Victor and the entire Salazar family in Atlanta. That’s why, in my interview with Love, Victor’s executive producer and showrunner Brian Tanen below, I start with mention of season two, and work my way back.

Love, Victor showrunner Brian Tanen

Must-Hear TV: Here we are, just a few days before Love, Victor premieres on Hulu – and in what seems to be a big show of confidence on the part of the network, the show is already renewed for a second season. At this moment, how far are you into writing season two?

Brian Tanen: We have been at it for a few weeks. We're in the early to middle part of the season, coming up with ideas for what we might be headed, and it's really exciting. [With season one] it was incredibly exciting and meaningful experience to get to work on a show and a season about a kid really figuring out who he is and, and as we do within the LGBT community, having to come to terms with it and stop being afraid of it, start embracing it and eventually even feel pride for who you are.

That's really the journey of season one. So season two is exciting, because it's all those things that happen next. Once you have figured out who you are, you have a whole range of experiences that you've been denying yourself. And so it's really wonderful to get to have a character who has figured things out and gets to experience first, love first heartbreaks, first sexual experiences -- all the rich experiences that everyone has.

Must-Hear TV: Yes, and I won’t give away the season one cliffhanger, but boy, did you leave us on a cliff!

Brian Tanen: It's a cliffhanger but it is also a really important, conclusive ending to the story of season one.

Ana Ortiz and James Martinez as Victor's parents, Isabel and Armando Salazar.

Previously, Ana has played the mother of a gay son (Mark Indelicato) on Ugly Betty,

while James currently recurs as the father of a queer daughter

(Isabella Gomez) on Pop's One Day at a Time.

Must-Hear TV: When you wrote that last scene of the first season, did you write beyond it, or even shoot further into the scene to use it in season 2?

Brian Tanen: I think our feeling was that it was Victor's [Michael Cimino] journey. And we knew that we didn't want to go past that. In the opening moments of the show, Victor tells the audience that his story is nothing like Simon's. And while we know [Victor’s parents] Isabel and Armando [Ana Ortiz and James Martinez] at this point of the season, and we know that they're crazy about their kid, we also know that they're more conservative, they're deeply religious, and we just know that it's going to be a more complicated journey ahead for Victor.

One of Armando's first questions is where in the new Atlanta

apartment to hang the crucifix.

Must-Hear TV: What was your first experience with the “Simonverse” or the Creekwood universe? Did you read the book? Had you seen the movie? How did you get involved with Love, Victor?

Nick Robinson in Love, Simon,

released in 2018. Nick is one
of the producers of Love, Victor.

Brian Tanen: I came to the project originally as a fan. I had seen the movie and loved it. Then Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, who wrote the film and created this series, met with me early on in the process to talk about how they wanted to adapt it from film to television, and they pitched out for me, what their take was on expanding the universe of Creekwood and how the new story would be connected to Simon from the film, and I thought it was such a brilliant take. I absolutely adored the movie. But I understood some of the conversation about the fact that Simon had this idealized experience. The fact that so much of LGBT representation is always focused on white characters. The fact that Simon's family was so accepting, and wealthy, it just seemed like that character came from a certain amount of privilege. And there was certainly an opportunity to tell a different story here, which really excited me.

Must-Hear TV: In the structure of the show, Victor writes to Simon in each episode for advice. In season two, will we see Victor pay it forward to someone else?

Brian Tanen: I won't give any spoilers for season two, but I know on the writers’ room wish list we would love for Victor to not be alone as an LGBT student at Creekwood. I know we'd love to be more queer characters to populate our world.

Must-Hear TV: When you start with a movie, how do you expand its world to add in more story for secondary characters? Love, Simon had some great moments for supporting characters, but obviously with a series you have more time for that. What were some of the conscious ways that you made Victor's world a little bigger than Simon’s had been?

Rachel Hilson as Victor's girlfriend, Mia

Brian Tanen: One of my favorite parts about the show is that Victor isn't the only person dealing with secrets or problems. You learn over the course of the season about the personal problems of Mia [Rachel Hilson], Felix [Anthony Turpel] and Lake [Bebe Wood]. Everybody, especially teenage characters, is dealing with their own problems and their own secrets. And so it was a joy to be able to explore their lives and tell their stories, as well. And we have such a incredible cast of young actors. Each one of them to me feels like a little find. So you just kind of wanted to live in their world and find out more and more about them.

Isabella Ferreira as Victor's sister, Pilar

Must-Hear TV: As is Isabella Ferreira, who plays Victor’s sister, Pilar. It feels like every one of those characters had his or her own moment of coming-out, not necessariliy as queer, but there was the same process of opening up and showing vulnerability.

Brian Tanen: Yeah, I think that's exactly right. Even the parents are somewhat “closeted” about the things that are happening in their lives. The parents have this big secret, too, and that sort of explodes in the early to middle part of the season.

Must-Hear TV: What was the thought process behind Victor's ethnicity? How did his family come to be Latinx?

Brian Tanen: I think there was a concerted effort to tell a different story than Simon's from the film. In queer representation, there’s often a focus on young, white men. And we felt that a coming-out journey would be different through the lens of a non-white character. And we were lucky to have a wonderful writing staff that was highly LGBT-forward and Latinx-forward, and as a result, we were able to pull from people's individual experiences so that the stories would be as authentic as they could be.

Anthony Turpel as Felix and Michael Cimino

as Victor -- or is this "Velix?"

Must-Hear TV: I’ve been contacted by people on twitter who are already ‘shipping different combinations of characters – I have one person asking me about “Velix” – and I don’t want to confirm or deny that that’s what happens. But how did you decide the beats for Victor’s love story? After Love, Simon, how do you tell another teen gay male love story differently? It seems like there are only so many romcom tropes at your disposal.

Mason Gooding as jock and part-time

antagonist, Andrew

Brian Tanen: I have also seen the tweets where people are ‘shipping Victor and Felix, and they're ‘shipping Felix and Andrew [Mason Gooding], and there's an assumption that every character on the show will be queer. And I find that so endearing! Fans are guessing who's going to get together. And while a lot of it is not quite right, I do think there are individual little love stories within the season, some of which are platonic. But that those pairings are still ‘shippable, if you know what I mean, right? I find Victor and Felix's relationship one of the most endearing of the entire show.

George Sear as Creekwood's resident

out student/barista/guitarist, Benji

In terms of telling a different teen gay love story, I think the story of Love, Simon was an untraditional romantic comedy in that it was two people who are missing each other the entire time, and didn’t know each other's identity. Love, Victor has some of the romcom DNA, but there's this doomed love triangle situation happening. We, the audience, are probably aware that this is not really going to work. But we also understand that there's real love there. And then there's Benji [George Sear], who is more like a fantasy all season, this ideal who makes Victor's heart go pitter patter. I think in future seasons, all of that fantasy stuff kind of becomes real. There's actually a lot of story opportunity.

Must-Hear TV: What would this show have meant to you when you were a teenager? And turn that into a pitch for why teenagers should watch, and why adults should watch.

Brian Tanen: I can't think of another show on television that has a young gay protagonist. So, for any teenager seeing this story, which has so much heart and affirmation and joy – well it’s funny that I get emotional thinking about it again, but you use it. We would tell these stories in the writers’ room about things that happened to us in high school or, or what we wish had happened, and then we would get to put them in the show. So I think for any teenager who is struggling with these issues, to be able to see themselves represented on screen and represented in a way with heart and joy will just be an absolute breath of fresh air. And for parents and really anyone else, the show is just incredibly charming and inclusive, and it will cure your summertime blues. We're going through really turbulent times right now. The show has a message of love. I feel like it’s kind of right what the doctor ordered right now.

Must-Hear TV: I know it was obviously deliberate that the show would debut in June for Pride month, but who knew that we’d also be going through such turmoil as a country, and that the show could be a balm.

Brian Tanen: We talk a lot in the writers’ room about how LGBTQ rights as we know them were largely born out of the Stonewall riots, and how that movement was championed and led by black trans activists. So we feel a great deal of solidarity with what's happening in the country right now. And I think the show hopefully feels like a show about inclusivity and equality and wanting to make the world a better place.

Must-Hear TV: What I like about Victor is that he takes action to make his world better. So many of the protagonists from the teen movies I knew were more passive, like Molly Ringwald waiting in the window for Jake to show up. But there are a few moments in this season where Victor really takes a chance.

Brian Tanen: Who amongst us hasn't been in a situation where you are close to the person you have a crush on? And it feels like something might happen, but neither person is brave enough to make that move. But in our wish-fulfillment version, Victor goes for it. For the writers, there was a lot of feeling like, “if only we could rewrite our own histories, and be braver.” And even though it takes him a while, Victor does become a brave character.

Must-Hear TV: Speaking of wish-fulfillment in looking back, do you think you will hear from older LGBT people who say, “If only I’d been more like Victor?”

Bebe Wood as Creekwood classmate Lake

Brian Tanen: When Love, Simon came out, I noticed my Facebook feed was filled with comments from gay friends of mine, adults who had gone to see this film and absolutely loved it. And even though it’s about teenagers and is geared largely to a younger audience, a lot of LGBT adults didn't have that sort of romcom experience, so they still have an appetite for it, and still have a desire to see a younger generation have this moment. So I'm hopeful that this will resonate with with adults as well.

Must-Hear TV: What can you tell us about Season Two? Because I'm sure there are going to be a lot of people like me who devour season one within one day and want to know more.

Brian Tanen: Well, one thing I think I can say is that I think people are aware that the show had originally been written for Disney+, and then was eventually moved over to Hulu. And now the reality of having our season two on Hulu provides so many opportunities to see these characters grow up. The writers on our staff, especially the gay writers, knew that one of the major problems with the representation of LGBTQ characters in media is that we're allowed to exist as long as we are not very sexual, if we're the funny friend, or the sidekick, but you rarely see narratives centered around characters who are have their own desires and crushes and sex lives. And so, now that we're on Hulu, that's something that I know we are all excited to write about, teenagers going through their first sexual experiences. And what that looks like in 2020 when you're an LGBTQ teen.

Must-Hear TV: So basically, thanks to Hulu, now you can be a little more risqué?

Brian Tanen: I think we could be. I think season two will be even sexier.

Love, Victor season 1 (10 episodes) premieres on Hulu on Wednesday, June 17.

Celebrate National Cheesecake Day with the Girls in Miami

2019-07-29T16:28:00.001-04:00

For those of us who can't get enough of the Golden Girls -- including enjoying on Hulu, where they will soon be joined by their sisters, the Designing Women -- tomorrow (Tuesday, July 30) is your chance to celebrate in Miami, where ABC Studios and PopSugar are marking National Cheesecake Day with a Golden Girls pop-up event at Vicky's House restaurant in Coconut Grove.

Check out the special, limited-edition cheesecake milkshake, and snap up something from the ever-growing line of official, licensed Golden Girls merchandise (see photos below). And of course, to get your copy of Golden Girls Forever, my book which spurred the studio to create official merch, check it out here.

ABC's press release below. I can't be in Miami tomorrow, but have a cheesecake milkshake for me!

In honor of the ladies who define the term “Squad Goals,” ABC Studios and PopSugar are celebrating national Golden Girls Day and National Cheesecake Day with an exclusive one-day-only “The Golden Girls” pop-up event at Vicky’s House in Coconut Grove, Florida, on Tuesday, July 30, from 12:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Fans and their friends are invited to stop by for a limited edition cheesecake milkshake inspired by “The Golden Girls,” pose for themed photo ops – including a scenic recreation of the ladies’ iconic lanai – and shop ‘til they drop on new and unique branded merchandise at the retail pop-up store!

The pop-up store will offer fans the opportunity to purchase “The Golden Girls”-themed merchandise. Among the unique merchandise are books, party supplies, pins, dolls, tees, car sunshade, shower curtain and poster. All items can be purchased at https://www.toynk.com/collections/golden-girls.

THURSDAY, JULY 30

Location: Vicky’s House

3190 Commodore Plaza

Coconut Grove, FL 33133

The Ladies of Sugarbakers Ride Again

2019-07-26T14:24:00.004-04:00

The cast of CBS' original Designing Women (1986-93):
l-r: Annie Potts, Jean Smart, Meshach Taylor,
Delta Burke, Dixie Carter

This morning, at the Television Critics Association convention in Beverly Hills, Hulu made one of the most exciting announcements of the press tour so far -- about a show that premiered nearly 33 years ago.

After finding huge success in streaming all seven seasons of The Golden Girls, Hulu has announced its acquisition of all seven seasons -- 163 episodes worth -- of the 1986-93 CBS hit sitcom Designing Women. The series will be available beginning August 26, which not so coincidentally, happens also to be Women's Equality Day.

Following a similar comedic "rule of four" with its characters, Designing Women starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts and Jean Smart as four women of different backgrounds and certainly personality types who ran a successful design firm in Atlanta, with Meshach Taylor joining as a fifth partner in the Sugarbaker Firm. In many ways a Southern Golden Girls, Designing Women dared tackle political topics and social issues of its day even more directly -- in fact, it was the first sitcom to air an episode dealing with the HIV/AIDS pandemic -- and has earned a similarly devoted following even more than three decades later. In fact, it's hard to find a gay man of a certain age who can't quote Julia Sugarbaker's "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia" rant word for word, after seeing the video clip playing seemingly on a loop in American gay bars.

With reboot fever in full bloom, Designing Women's prolific creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, had recently written a pilot script which would feature a brand new generation working at Sugarbaker's -- but they would also be graced by recurring, if not regular, visits from the show's three original stars, Burke, Potts and Smart. At a press event for Potts' current series, CBS' Young Sheldon, in the spring of 2018, she expressed enthusiasm for appearing again as Mary Jo Shively in any new Designing Women; but unfortunately, this past winter of 2019, ABC declined to shoot a pilot for the series.

It's not a complete coincidence that after Hulu began streaming The Golden Girls that Disney/ABC, the show's rights owner, finally began creating merchandise such as tee shirts, action figures, themed Monopoly and Clue games, and so much more. (Immodestly, I must say that part of the credit should also go to my book Golden Girls Forever, which alerted Disney about all the merch money they had long been leaving on the table.)

So perhaps, with the new heat coming from Hulu, Designing Women might ride again?

Get the scoop on FX's new series Fosse/Verdon

2019-02-09T19:58:00.002-05:00

Click Here:

Fosse/Verdon: Michelle Williams and Sam Rockwell on why creating new FX series was ‘next level of difficulty’

One Day at a Time Celebrates the Release of Season 3 on Netflix.

2019-02-09T19:51:00.003-05:00

Click Here:
One Day at a Time Celebrates the Release of Season 3 on Netflix.

Remembering Kaye Ballard, 1925-2019

2019-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the world awoke to the news that the singer, actress and comedienne Kaye Ballard, famous for originating roles in Broadway’s “Carnival” and “Golden Apple,” and on the TV sitcom The Mothers-in -Law, had died at her home in Rancho Mirage, California, at the age of 93.

Kaye’s death comes just a week after that of one of her best friends, another beloved Broadway and comedy legend (and another fixture in the Palm Springs area), Carol Channing, who died just short of her 98th birthday.

with Kaye Ballard in the New York studios
of Sirius XM for "The Frank DeCaro Show"
September 28, 2010

I had the pleasure of meeting both Carol and Kaye when they guested on Sirius XM’s “The Frank DeCaro Show,” as well as in interviews celebrating many of their famous projects. For my upcoming book on The Love Boat, I was fortunate enough to get a fun story out of Carol. And two years ago this month, I spoke by phone with Kaye about The Love Boat and so much more of her career. My fellow paesana, Kaye and I got along famously – and we even compared notes about Southern Italian cuisine. After all, as Kaye would point out when giving out her phone number, the digits even had the word EAT embedded within.

Below, just a bit of our fun conversation, which I’m so glad I had the opportunity to have with a show business legend.

Must-Hear TV: Tell me about the documentary you’re working on, about your life and career.

Kaye Ballard: You will be shocked with some of the people who spoke on it! Hal Prince and Woody Allen – who never talks about anything. I’m so thrilled he said yes. I knew him when he first started. He’s been wonderful. And I always write him after a movie and rate it.

I have worked with great, great people, honey. All the people I worked with on The Perry Como Show. Being this old and never stopping to win an Emmy or anything like that, I just kept working and meeting all these people, and getting to know them.

MHTV: A few years ago, I saw a lot of your talented friends join you on stage in Palm Springs, when you gave your “Going Out of Business” retirement performance.

Carol Channing and Kaye Ballard
at the Camelot Theater in Palm Springs
following the performance of
"Kaye Ballard: Going Out of Business"
March, 2014

KB: Oh, Carol Channing! My Carol Channing. She did a number in that show. Oh god, I love that number [Cecilia Sisson]. And I genuinely laugh that hard at that number every time I hear it. The audacity of her taking that long, and to keep whistling – she’s one of the most wonderful people in the world.

MHTV: Other than The Love Boat, you’ve had so many great TV roles. I talked with Bernie Kopell about working with you on The Doris Day Show.

KB: And we worked with Billy DeWolfe, who was a very close friend of mine. He was one of the funniest men who ever lived. He called me “Rose Boozy,” and he called Doris “Clara Bixby.” He was just wonderful, and had the kind of wit that I think is missing today.

MHTV: And of course, it was on for only two seasons, but people still remember and love The Mothers-in-Law.

KB: That was my favorite thing, because I loved Eve Arden and I loved my first husband, Roger C. Carmel. Oh my God, what a great actor he was. Do you realize that that show went off the air because they wouldn’t give us a $250 raise? Isn’t that funny? It was amazing. Eve Arden and I said, “Forget the raise – we want to keep going!” But Roger said “No, it’s the principle of the thing, Cutes,” and they replaced him, which ended up being a mistake for the show.

MHTV: In addition to this documentary, a few years ago, you also published your memoir, How I Lost 10 Pounds in 53 Years.

KB: Every word is true, and I think you can get it on amazon for either $5 or $10. It’s wonderful what happened last year -- I had sent it to [theater and book critic] John Simon, and he threw it aside. But then he wrote in his blog, “I picked up a book that Kaye Ballard wrote 6 or 7 years ago, and I’m so sorry I waited that long.” And he just loved it. And so he made my old age!

MHTV: Tell me more about your documentary [titled Kaye Ballard: The Show Goes On, which premiered earlier this month at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, after which Kaye, suffering from heart problems just weeks before her death, received a standing ovation.]

KB: At the moment it’s called “Medium Rare and Well Done.” Because I’ve been in every medium of show business, and it’s called “Rare” because Carol Channing and I were maybe two of the people living who performed for the princess before she was queen. So that’s pretty good.

MHTV: Is that Princess Victoria, you mean?

KB: Elizabeth! Not Victoria, you cruel little person.

I say “Well Done,” because I think I have done it well. Even though I didn’t win a Tony or an Emmy – that frustrates me to death. Everything is politics, not only in show business, in every business. Because I deserved one. I certainly deserved nominations. For “Carnival,” for “Golden Apple” – I should have won.

At that time, I was doing every medium, and they didn’t have respect for people who could do every medium.

MHTV: Was there a stigma back then against actors who appeared on TV?

KB: It’s not like that anymore, but it was then. If you were kind of a hit in supper clubs, they didn’t think of you seriously as an actress or anything else. But since then, I’ve proven it to myself, because I’ve done plays with Imogene Coca, Sandy Dennis – I could name many other people. And so therefore, I know I was good. That’s why I say “And Well Done.”

I thought I was pretty damn good in all the things I did, and I never resorted to any kind of vulgarity. That’s what I resent today. It was Jack Benny who told me that – he said, “Funny is funny, and you don’t have to go that far.”

And you know what was funny -- when I did The Mothers-in-Law, and I bit my fist, [the network censors] called the Italian embassy. And when the Italian embassy came on the set, they asked them, “Hey, what does that mean?” but you know, I say “Va Fa Napoli.” That sounds like it could be vulgar, but it means “Go to Naples.”

I did the movie The Ritz, and I had to say “FUCK” in the last scene. My mother wouldn’t talk to me for months. I had to do that. I said it once, and I got this long grief in this f-ing family. My mother went into shock.

MHTV: Was your mother very proper?

KB: She was from Calabria. She came over from Italy when she was about 8 or 10. And talk about grief, my grandmother came over with five kids and one of them died of diphtheria on the ship. It took them 30 days to come across. It was the cattle boat. I’ve had an interesting life.

MHTV: Which we’re about to see on the big screen.

KB: The documentary has all these interviews, and now the filmmaker will piece it together. Michael Feinstein, Rex Reed, Liz Smith, wonderful people. Donna McKechnie, Jerry Stiller – my best friend. Oh, I love him more than I can tell you.

I’ve been lucky. I’ve met all the people I’ve really admired, and got to know them, like Bette Davis and Cary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck, and another idol, Irene Dunne. Clark Gable, I asked him for an autograph, and he said, “The heck I’ll give you an autograph, but I’ll give you a kiss.”

MHTV: Did you take the kiss from Gable?

KB: Yes. It was when I first performed with [bandleader] Spike Jones, in 1947 or ‘48. We were playing the Trocadero, and I went up to Gable and said “Oh my God, I’d love it – can I have your autograph?” And he said no, but he stepped and kissed me on the cheek. I thought “Oh my lord!” It was wonderful.

I think people are going to say, “Oh, you didn’t know all those people” – but I knew much more than that! When I went to England, I turned down a date with Richard Burton, because I was doing two shows a day. But then I met his wife and Jean Simmons and Glynis Johns and Michael Wilding. I was fascinated with anybody in show business who achieved excellence.

MHTV: You mean you could have had those diamonds instead of Liz Taylor?

KB: I doubt it. I wouldn’t even know how to be a glamour queen.

MHTV: They say that passion for something, like your appreciation of excellence in a performer, is what keeps people going.

KB: That’s it. I can get jaded today with some of the performances. But I still admire. I’m a fan. I’m an eternal fan.

An Evening with Sunday Morning, a Night with CBS Sports

2018-10-09T20:49:00.000-04:00

The stage is set for "An Evening with CBS Sunday Morning"
October 1, 2018, Town Hall, New York City

In 2014, Netflix reconstructed Friends' Central Perk coffeehouse in Manhattan's East Village. The following year, Hulu recreated Seinfeld's Monk's Diner on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. And this past spring, PBS brought Downton Abbey to life in the 21st Century, with an exhibition of props and memorabilia that has toured from Manhattan's 57th Street to its upcoming next stop in Florida's West Palm Beach (opens November 10.)

Jane Pauley interviews The Front Runner director
Jason Reitman (l) and star Hugh Jackman
Town Hall, NYC, October 1, 2018
Photo by John Paul Filo/CBS

Now CBS is the latest network to get in on the action -- and it has created a whole new division to do so. With TV audiences becoming ever more fragmented, one of the best ways to bond with viewers -- and in some cases, start a new stream of revenue -- is via "interactive television," giving audiences a chance to experience aspects of their favorite shows live and in person.

On October 1, CBS Experiences (or CBSX) debuted its first presentation, a live version of its well-heeled newsmagazine CBS Sunday Morning at Manhattan's Town Hall. "An Evening with CBS Sunday Morning" was hosted by some of the morning show's famous correspondents, and featured interviews with the likes of the director and star of the upcoming film The Front Runner, Jason Reitman and Hugh Jackman; the cast of Murphy Brown; subjects from favorite past stories such as Georgia widower Dan Peterson and Norah Wood, the little girl who asked to hug him in the supermarket; plus live performances by Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste, David Yazbek of the Broadway show The Band's Visit, David Brown's The Harmony Project, and more.

The cast of Murphy Brown (l-r, Grant Shaud, Joe Regalbuto,
Faith Ford, Candice Bergen) with Lee Cowan
NYC's Town Hall
October 1, 2018
Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS

Next up, CBSX tackles an even bigger demographic, putting together a program for sports fans called "CBS Sports Friday Night Tailgate." Featuring the networks' famed sportscasters Phil Simms, James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Boomer Esiason, plus gourmet "tailgate food" from Bareburger, Mighty Quinn's barbecue, Tao and more, the program will take place at Times Square's PlayStation Theater on Friday, November 9 at 7 PM Eastern. (Click for more info.)

Stay tuned for more announcements of unique CBSX experiences, which I hear are planned thru 2019 and beyond.

Musician David Krauss kicks off the evening
with a performance of the CBS Sunday Morning theme
"Ablassen," by Gottfried Rieche.
October 1, 2018, Town Hall, New York City
Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS

Correspondent Mo Rocca introduces his fellow CBS Sunday Morning Journalists
October 1, 2018
Town Hall, New York City
Photo by John Paul Filo/CBS

CBS Sunday Morning correspondents:
(l-r), Tracy Smith, Lee Cowan, Rita Braver,
Martha Teichner, producer Rand Morrison,
Jane Pauley and Mo Rocca
Town Hall, NYC, October 1, 2018
Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's Jon Batiste
performs at Town Hall, NYC,
October 1, 2018
Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS

A performance by The Harmony Project, led by David Brown
From left: Candace Haynes, Nicole Jie, Sybil Scoby, Joshuah Campbell,
Jamie Leonhart, Damaras Obi and Chanté Odom.
Town Hall, NYC, October 1, 2018
Photo by Michele Crowe/CBS

Charles Osgood, host of CBS Sunday Morning from 1994-2016,
waves to the crowd at NYC's Town Hall,
October 1, 2018.
Photo by John Paul Filo/CBS

Last Chance to Join Will & Grace on Set

2018-09-09T18:35:00.001-04:00

Since the start of the series' "reboot," the producers of Will & Grace have been doing something extraordinary, partnering with a different charity each week and providing a pair of tickets to the show's taping, complete with VIP access.

For the taping on September 26, the show joins with the Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ advocacy group, providing not just tickets to the show and a tour of the iconic sets, but also round-trip airfare to Los Angeles and a two-night stay at the super-luxe new Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Beverly Hills.

Each $10 donation to HRC buys an entry into the ticket drawing, and all entries must be completed by 11:59 PM tomorrow, Monday September 10. Good luck!

Info below:

We’ve asked a lot of you this past week, and you’ve never once let us down. Here's our way of saying thank you for your support. Don't miss out! -HRC

I'll keep this brief, James —

Next Monday is your LAST CHANCE to win a trip to Los Angeles for you and a guest to attend the taping of “Will & Grace”! Donate $10 before 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, September 10th and be entered to win before it’s too late.

Your chances of attending the taping of “Will & Grace” in LA just DOUBLED – we now have two sets of tickets to the September 26th taping with hotel and flights on us!

And remember, you can enter more than once – each $10 you donate gets you another chance to win. But hurry, we’re closing entry Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET!

James, if attending the taping of NBC’s hit show wasn’t exciting enough, the two winners also receive:

A tour of the iconic set
Round trip airfare for you and a friend
A two-night stay at the new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, an urban oasis in one of the world's most glamorous cities

Even if you aren’t selected, you’ll still be helping Will, Grace and rest of the beloved cast and crew promote LGBTQ acceptance. Your donation also invests directly in HRC’s work to protect our civil rights and to secure equality for all. So can we count you in?

Make a $10 gift before next Monday’s deadline and be entered for your chance to see the filming of “Will & Grace” in person. Submit your name by clicking here.

Good luck,

Zack Hasychak
Deputy Director of Membership Outreach

P.S. The more times you contribute $10 by 11:59 p.m. EST on Monday, the more times you’ll be entered for a chance to win. Boost your chances of winning ASAP.

Born This Way Continues to Unite and Uplift

2018-08-14T21:11:00.001-04:00

The Housewives certainly have their place. But if, like me, you're also looking for something a little bit kinder and more uplifting in your reality TV, check out tomorrow night's season 4 premiere of A&E's groundbreaking series Born This Way.

Born This Way is the continuing story of seven adults living with Down Syndrome as they strive for more independence, career success (cast member Megan Bomgaars is the force behind a fashion collection, Megology) -- and in this season, marital bliss.

The show debuted in 2015, and has been an important force in changing public perception of people with disabilities, and what they can achieve if given the chance. Cast member Elena Ashmore's mom, Hiromi, told me how much the show has helped Elena grow in her understanding that "Down Syndrome" need not be a label used to hold her back, and has helped the two of them grow closer together. And this series has had a powerful effect in depicting people with disabilities not only in the U.S., but as Hiromi reminded me, around the world as well. When Born This Way showed their visit to their native Japan last season, Hiromi was pleased to see how that country's attitudes about disability have also improved.

Today, A&E Networks, in association with the fantastic group Best Buddies International, threw a wedding-themed premiere event at Catch restaurant in West Hollywood, to celebrate the union of cast member Cristina Sanz with her new husband Angel. Celebrities such as Maureen McCormick and Kelly Hu, each with a personal connection to intellectual disability, came out to help celebrate. And as part of the festivities, A&E has posted a "registry" for Cristina and Angel, allowing fans to donate to one of several related charities.

Kelly Hu (top, center) with Born This Way cast members (l-r)
John Tucker, Megan Bomgaars, Angel, Cristina Sanz, Rachel Osterbach,
Elena Ashmore, Sean McElwee, and Steven Clark.)

Maureen McCormick with the Born This Way cast

Cast members Angel (center) and Cristina Sanz (right) with
Born This Way executive producer Laura Korkoian

Born This Way has shown us Cristina and Angel's relationship as it began and as it progressed, and now season 4 will conclude on September 5 with the episode showing their wedding. As one A&E executive told me, it's such an emotional episode, be prepared to cry.

Congratulations to newlyweds Cristina and Angel!

Born This Way
Season 4 debuts Wednesday, August 15, 2018
8 PM - 10 PM Eastern/Pacific (two episodes)
A&E

A Marvelous Campaign

2018-06-12T20:25:00.000-04:00

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel's instagram
post from earlier today, depicting its
FYC "MARVELOUS" installation
at Glendale's The Americana at Brand
shopping center.

Despite assertions to the contrary, life in Los Angeles is indeed measured in seasons -- awards season, pilot season, staffing season, and in the past few years, an ever growing "For Your Consideration" season, during which just about every show on peak TV throws a celebration of itself, in hopes of reeling in an Emmy nomination.

Most of these events consist of a panel discussion, followed by some sort of cocktail party. And while they're a great way for both journalists and fans of a show to get a fun glimpse behind the scenes, these soirees do all tend to blend together come nomination time.

Occasionally some shows cut through the clutter by doing something a bit different, as in the case of the fabulous Amazon Prime show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Yes, Mrs. Maisel creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino, plus actors Rachel Brosnahan, Alex Borstein, Marin Hinkle, Tony Shalhoub and Michael Zegen already participated in a panel at Amazon Studios' temporary exhibition at the Hollywood Athletic Club this spring. But the show is just beginning another campaign, drawing attention not just itself but to some deserving female-run enterprises as well.

As announced today, Amazon Studios has selected eleven "women-led companies, individuals with a voice, and those who continue to usher in change and progress" as honorees. In front of each place of business in New York and Los Angeles, Amazon will be erecting, starting today and lasting for one week, an installation of letters spelling out "MARVELOUS," in reference to the series' trailblazing stand up comic and heroine.

I devoured the first season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and am excited that production on the series' second season is currently underway in New York. But I'm even more excited that among the honorees is Lizz Winstead, the co-creator of The Daily Show, the founder of Lady Parts Justice League (advocating for and safeguarding women's reproductive rights), and the officiant at my wedding in 2011. Hopefully, this recognition will put a spotlight on women like Lizz, doing amazing work, and empower them to keep up the fight.

Lizz, by the way, kicks off her 2018 "Vagical Mystery Tour" tonight in Bethlehem, PA, and will continue to six more cities through early August. Check out the Vagical Mystery Tour schedule here.

Below, Amazon's official announcement:

AMAZON PRIME VIDEO CELEBRATES EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS WITH A UNIQUE EMMY FYC CAMPAIGN FOR THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL

Eleven sets of eight-foot-tall “Marvelous” block letters are being installed across Los Angeles and New York to celebrate women-led companies, individuals with a voice, and those who continue to usher in change and progress

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 12, 2018 – Amazon Prime Video today announced it is launching a unique Emmy FYC campaign for the series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel celebrating empowering and inspiring individuals. Starting today and lasting for one week in Los Angeles and New York, Amazon is installing eleven sets of “Marvelous” eight-foot-tall block letters in front of businesses that are founded and led by women, as well as locations where individuals are driving positive change in the world. These illuminated installations are a recognition of the honorees’ achievements and their innovative businesses. They celebrate women with a voice and those who are leading change and progress.

“The character Midge Maisel is a strong, talented woman who strikes out on her own to forge a new path, and in the spirit of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, we are excited to shine a light on other fantastic, entrepreneurial women,” said Mike Benson, Head of Marketing, Amazon Studios. “We hope that this campaign will inspire others to find their unique voice.”

Fans of the series are encouraged to take photos with the letters and join the conversation on social media by using the #Marvelous and tagging @MaiselTV across all social media platforms. Not only can they share the unique things that make them feel “Marvelous,” but they can also nominate another person in their lives who they feel embodies what it means to be marvelous as well.

The women being honored include:

Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, co-Founders and co-CEOs of theSkimm – Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin are the co-Founders and co-CEOs of theSkimm, a membership company that makes it easier for millions of female millennials to live smarter
Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder of Bumble – In 2014, Whitney Wolfe Herd founded Bumble - where women make the first move - in order to challenge the antiquated rules of dating. Now, that idea has expanded into BumbleBFF and BumbleBizz. Bumble users can connect with confidence whether in dating, networking, or meeting friends online. Bumble prioritizes kindness and respect, providing a safe online community for users to build new relationships. In just over three and a half years, Bumble has 33 million registered users, who have made 561 million first moves and over 165 billion swipes!
Katie Rosen Kitchens, Founder of FabFitFun – Katie Rosen Kitchens has led the evolution of FabFitFun as a leading female-focused media brand, curating fresh and exciting products for FabFitFun members and overseeing all brand partnerships and product development
Reshma Saujani, Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code – Reshma Saujani is the Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, the nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in tech that has already reached 90,000 girls of all backgrounds in all 50 states
Payal Kadakia, Founder of ClassPass – Payal Kadakia is the Founder and Executive Chairman of ClassPass, the leading membership to the world’s largest fitness network with over 9,000 partners in 50 cities worldwide
Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, James Beard Foundation award-winning Chef and Restaurateur – Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne are founders and owners of The Lucques Group, a Los Angeles hospitality company that comprises three fine dining restaurants – Lucques, a.o.c., and Tavern – and four marketplace restaurants – The Larder at Maple Drive, The Larder at Burton Way, The Larder at Tavern and The Larder at Tavern at the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Along with these culinary enterprises, the company also operates Lucques Catering, the Larder Baking Company and comprehensive food and beverage services for the Hollywood Bowl
Florence Shin and Athina Wang, Founders of Covry – Florence Shin and Athina Wang are the founders of Covry, an eyewear company embracing and celebrating diversity. Their innovative approach to comfortable eyewear goes beyond the standard fit by catering to diverse face shapes
Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson, co-Founders of The Kind Campaign – Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson, co-Founders of The Kind Campaign, are the internationally recognized nonprofit that brings awareness and healing to the negative effects of girl-against-girl bullying
Lizz Winstead, Founder of Lady Parts Justice League and co-Creator of The Daily Show – As co-creator of The Daily Show and co-founder of Air America Radio, Lizz Winstead has helped changed the very landscape of how people get their news. Known as one of the top political satirists in America, Winstead was recognized in Entertainment Weekly’s “100 Most Creative People” issue. Lizz currently spends her time at the helm of Lady Parts Justice League (LPJL), a comedy-driven reproductive rights organization she founded
Cecile Richards, Former president of Planned Parenthood and author of Make Trouble – Cecile Richards is a national leader for women’s rights and economic justice, and a lifelong activist

Amazon will have the “Marvelous” block letters in the following locations:

Westfield Century City
The Grove
The Americana at Brand
9200 Sunset Blvd.
Santa Monica Pier
The Four Ladies of Hollywood Statue adjacent to the Hollywood Walk of Fame
8500’s The Larder at Burton Way (Caruso’s luxury residential landmark which is also at 8500 Burton Way at the intersection of La Cienega will be turning its iconic cloud light pink for the campaign)
FabFitFun Offices
Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center
Time Warner Center
10^th Ave. and 33^rd St. in New York City

About The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel from renowned creator Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) and Executive Producer Daniel Palladino (Family Guy), written and directed by Sherman-Palladino and Palladino, stars Golden Globe winner Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 1958 New York City woman who has everything she’s ever wanted—the perfect husband, two kids, and an elegant Upper West Side apartment perfect for hosting Yom Kippur dinner. But her perfect life suddenly takes an unexpected turn and Midge discovers a previously unknown talent—one that changes her life forever.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel also stars Golden Globe winner and three-time Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub (Monk) as Midge’s father Abe Weissman, Alex Borstein (Family Guy) as Susie Myerson, Michael Zegen (Boardwalk Empire) as Midge’s husband Joel Maisel and Marin Hinkle (Two and a Half Men) as Midge’s mother Rose Weissman.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is the winner of two Golden Globes (Best TV Series, Comedy and Best Actress in a TV Series, Comedy (Rachel Brosnahan)), two Critics’ Choice Awards (Best Comedy Series and Best Actress in a Comedy Series (Rachel Brosnahan), a 2018 Peabody Award, a PGA Award (Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy), and was nominated by the DGA and Costume Designers’ Guild.

Sex and the City is almost old enough to drink a cosmo

2018-06-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

With much fanfare this morning, Sex and the City is celebrating the 20th anniversary since its debut on HBO in 1998.

Popping up around the web have been stories about the show's place in the late '90s zeitgeist -- and critiques of how episodes don't hold up to our current standards when it comes to LGBT and other minority depictions -- plus click-through galleries of Sarah Jessica Parker's best and worst Carrie Bradshaw fashions. A blog at cabletv.com has compiled a list of dozens of New York eateries patronized by the fab foursome of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha.

But for me, the best way to reminisce about Sex -- and its huge impact on pop culture, on depictions of women on TV, and even on the world's view of New York (sorely needed after the crisis of 9/11) is via a brand-new book published today, Sex and the City and Us, by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong.

The author of two other fabulous TV behind-the-scenes companions -- Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted (2013) and Seinfeldia (2017) -- Armstrong takes the reader step-by-step through Candace Bushnell's early years in New York, the origins and evolution of her Sex and the City column, and the development of that material with producer Darren Star into a new half-hour comedy for HBO. From there, we go behind-the-scenes to learn how characters and storylines were conceived, and how everything changed once the show blossomed into a mega-hit.

Armstrong doesn't shy away from criticisms of the show as well, pointing out places where its conceits haven't quite aged as well as one would like. And yes, there is mention and some explanation of the Parker-Cattrall "feud," the back-and-forths of which, as the planned Sex and the City 3 feature film met its premature demise, were only becoming public as the book went to print.

Personally, I'm still hoping all differences will be ironed out and SATC3 will eventually happen -- I guess that makes me an optimistic Charlotte. Yes, some of those over-the-top Sex and the City 2 Dubai moments were more cringeworthy than fun -- oy, those outfits as they walked the desert dunes! -- but one of the things we've always loved about Carrie is her willingness to take chances, including with her fashions. I, for one, would never have advised wearing a tutu on the Manhattan streets -- especially if there's a chance you'll be splashed by a bus (with your face on it) -- but Carrie somehow made it work.

Yes, some of Carrie's voiceovers or Samantha's double-entendres may no longer seem exactly cutting edge. But twenty years ago today, Sex and the City was a show that changed the way single women were perceived, and perceived themselves. It brought whole new glamour to their world, and to New York as a whole. So let's sit back, binge-watch, and follow along in Armstrong's fabulous new book. Because after all, as with pizza, even imperfect Sex is better than no Sex at all.

Designing Women Reboot? If so, Annie Potts Wants In

2018-03-22T20:17:00.001-04:00

PaleyFest's Young Sheldon panelists:
(back, l-r) creators Chuck Lorre and
Steve Molaro, moderator Jessica Radloff,
stars Montana Jordan, Annie Potts,
Zoe Perry, Lance Barber and
Jim Parsons, and (front)
Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord
March 21, 2018, The Dolby Theater, Hollywood
Photo by Michael Bulbenko for the Paley Center

Last night at Hollywood's Dolby Theater, the 35th Annual PaleyFest presented two related panels, featuring the creators and stars of both the 11th season sitcom megahit The Big Bang Theory, and its freshman prequel Young Sheldon, which in its debut season ranks as the top new show on TV.

As Young Sheldon stars Iain Armitage, Raegan Revord, Montana Jordan, Zoe Perry, Lance Barber and Jim Parsons also walked the blue carpet prior to the panel (expertly hosted by Glamour's Jessica Radloff), I was most excited to talk with Annie Potts, who of course had already portrayed one of the protypical Southern women on TV on the '80s-'90s CBS sitcom Designing Women, and now was playing a slightly older model as Memaw on Young Sheldon.

Ironically, Young Sheldon is set in the late '80s, when Designing Women was one of the sitcoms ruling CBS' airwaves. During the panel, the cast was even asked if Raegan's character Missy, always parked in front of the TV, might end up watching Designing Women, but the show's creators, Steve Molaro and Chuck Lorre, and particularly Annie, think that might be too bizarre.

But clearly, with the return of Will & Grace and the impending returns of Roseanne and CBS' own Murphy Brown, the idea of somehow rebooting Designing Women is in the air. In fact, when I asked Annie if she had any interest in a Designing Women reboot, she noted that someone earlier on the carpet had already asked the same thing.

So, would Annie like to juggle her current role as Memaw with a reprise of her beloved Mary Jo Shively? "Yes, I would," the actress immediately answered. "I'd love to! I don't know when I'd do it, but if Linda Bloodworth[-Thomason] wanted to write six episodes or something, that could be done during a hiatus period, yeah, I'd do that! Because I think it's important. Those were strong characters, and we got to say stuff that women haven't been able to say since. I mean, we took on Donald Trump long ago! We were speaking truth to power."

Will & Grace Renewed -- Again

2018-03-18T02:18:00.001-04:00

At PaleyFest at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood:
l-r, moderator Dan Bucatinsky, NBC president Bob Greenblatt
Will & Grace director Jimmy Burrows, stars Sean Hayes,
Debra Messing, Eric McCormack and Megan Mullally,
co-creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.

As of tonight, it's official: Will & Grace is back for the long haul.

As the cast of the popular rebooted sitcom took the stage at Hollywood's Dolby Theater for a panel on night two of the annual PaleyFest, it was Megan Mullally who urged co-creator Max Mutchnick to announce the official news: not only will W&G's rebooted season 2/overall season 10 be increased from a planned 13 to now 18 episodes, but NBC has already renewed the show for a third (or eleventh) season.

After a day on a photo shoot at the W Hotel in Hollywood, the cast assembled -- along with Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, plus Mutchnick, co-creator David Kohan and director/executive producer Jimmy Burrows -- at the Dolby for an interview conducted by Scandal actor, writer/producer and W&G super-fan Dan Bucatinsky, who recently reprised his character Neil, from the original series.

Below, NBC's official announcement of its pickup of the series for season 3:

‘WILL & GRACE’ EXTENDS ITS TRIUMPHANT RETURN WITH SEASON THREE PICK-UP

Additional Season Two Episodes Ordered as Critical Acclaim Builds for Original Cast and Production Team

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – March 17, 2018 – “Will & Grace” is giving you more, honey!

The return of “Will & Grace,” which began as an Internet reunion that turned into a one-season order and then a two-season order before it even went back on the air last fall, has just been ordered for a third season to premiere in fall 2019. With its razor-sharp wit intact and all four Emmy Award-winning actors back at the top of their game, one of the best NBC Must See comedies will return for an 18-episode third season.

In addition, the network has increased the season two order, which will begin again next fall, from 13 to 18 episodes. The announcement was made by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment.

“As far as I’m concerned, we can’t get enough of ‘Will & Grace’ and 23 more episodes is music to my ears,” Greenblatt said. “We’re eternally grateful that Debra, Eric, Sean and Megan feel the same way and wanted to keep this good thing going. I’m overwhelmed by the euphoric response the new show has received from the press and the audience, and my hat is off to the unrivaled writing team of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, as well as the brilliant directing of Jimmy Burrows, for consistently delivering one of the best shows on television.”

So far this season “Will & Grace” is averaging a 3.1 rating in adults 18-49 and 9.8 million viewers overall in “live plus seven day” figures from Nielsen Media Research. “Will & Grace” is NBC’s most-watched primetime comedy at this point in the season in eight years and has improved its Thursday timeslot by +48% versus NBC’s year-ago results for regular non-sports programming in 18-49.

“Will & Grace” has received critical acclaim since the show’s return in September. “Watching it is like running into an old flame who looks fantastic and is as bright and fun as ever,” said The New York Times. Entertainment Weekly wrote that

“‘Will & Grace’ has been just as incredible as the original series: hilarious, poignant, contemporary” while USA Today added, “Watching the foursome is like taking in a tango by professional dancers.”

Season one has been highlighted by an array of top guest stars, including Jennifer Lopez, Alec Baldwin, Minnie Driver, Ben Platt, Molly Shannon, Jane Lynch, Andrew Rannells and more.

“Will & Grace” stars Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes and Megan Mullally. Max Mutchnick and David Kohan, who co-created the series, write and executive produce. James Burrows directs and executive produces. “Will & Grace” is produced by Universal Television.

Maurice Made "Golden" Magic

2018-03-15T18:36:00.004-04:00

Recently, I learned of the passing of makeup artist and inventor, Maurice Stein. I had the pleasure of interviewing Maurice in 2006, inside Cinema Secrets, the Toluca Lake, California store which sells not just cinema-quality makeup, but also many of his ingenious innovations.

Talking with Maurice was one of the most memorable experiences I had in researching Golden Girls Forever -- and that's really saying something, because I also got to sit for a day each with Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Betty White! But for one thing, makeup artists are often privy to the most intimate details of stars' personal lives, spending so much time with them each day. And Maurice's memories of the groundbreaking show, and his storytelling skills, were both superb.

But the most interesting thing I learned that day was about how, out of Golden Girls necessity, Maurice ended up inventing a brand new cinema technique that is still used to this day. Below, a featurette that didn't make it into Golden Girls Forever, due to space constraints. (Hopefully it will someday, in some kind of expanded edition.) I think it's a proper tribute to a funny, warm guy whom I had the pleasure of meeting, and who helped bring the world laughter via Sophia Petrillo.

As The Golden Girls progressed, the series’ hair and makeup crew would be tasked with some very specific challenges, such as turning Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur into a convincing Sonny and Cher. But by then, such sartorial switchups were old hat for costume designer Judy Evans, hair stylist Joyce Melton and makeup artist Maurice Stein. After all, they’d already been convincingly transforming Estelle – actually a tiny bit younger than her co-stars Betty and Bea – into an old lady for years.

For the earliest episodes in season one, Estelle's hair was merely sprayed gray, as the actress herself had done to perform her shtick for producer after producer during her many auditions. But very soon, as it became clear that The Golden Girls would be an enduring hit, it also became obvious that some things had to change.

And so, not far into the first season, the show's producers commissioned Sophia's trademark -- and expensive -- curly white human-hair wig. But the larger problem was, the prevailing old-age makeup technique at the time, a process called “stretch and stipple,” took over four hours to apply, and as Maurice remembers Estelle saying, “an hour and a half, and a couple of vodkas, to take off.” Each week, that added up to five or six hours of expensive production time – and an extra headache for an already nervous Estelle.

And so, Golden Girls producer Marsha Posner Williams had made a call to Maurice, luring him out of his early retirement; as luck would have it, Maurice had spent his newfound spare time inventing a new waterproof, oil-free foundation. Now, instead of putting his star through the time-consuming application, blow-drying and powdering of layers and layers of latex, Maurice was able to cover Estelle’s face with several strata of the fast-drying foundation, and followed by accentuating her natural wrinkles with a makeup pencil (and, after Estelle’s facelift between seasons one and two, creating those lines anew.)

Today, Maurice still sells his Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation to the public; and because it's one of the only products medically approved to cover radiation burns, he donates his time and product to kids in burn units and to women with cancer. As Maurice jokes, his products “aren't tested on animals…but on actors.” So really, he adds, in the end, it was partly Estelle's ambition to play Sophia that has resulted not only in an innovative new product, but also in charitable work that has benefitted people around the world.

Jim Colucci, Golden Girls Forever, copyright 2016 HarperCollins Inc.

Join The Good Fight

2018-03-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Good Fight season 1 DVD
featuring stars (l-r) Cush Jumbo,
Christine Baranski, Rose Leslie

I have a confession to make: I'm not a huge TV streamer. There's simply too much good stuff to watch on network and cable TV, and it fills up my DVR (again, old fashioned tech, I guess, but it works for me.) So I rarely have to go looking for extra ways to watch even more TV, especially at an extra cost, even if those series are widely acclaimed.

For one thing, eventually they'll come out on DVD. And that's exactly the case with my favorite show currently on any platform, CBS All Access' The Good Fight. A continuation of CBS' former (and amazing) series, The Good Wife, The Good Fight may even be a bit better than its predecessor.

Season 1 starts with Christine Baranski's Diane Lockhart, on the eve of her planned retirement, finding out that her savings have been wiped out by a Madoff-esque Ponzi scheme, perpetrated by her supposed friend, Henry Rindell. Now, with Henry's daughter Maia (Rose Leslie)'s reputation destroyed as well, the two women join one of The Good Wife's most recently introduced and yet most beloved characters, Cush Jumbo's Lucca Quinn, at one of Chicago's pre-eminent, predominantly African-American, law firms.

CBS All Access is of course also the home of the newest Star Trek series, Star Trek: Discovery -- and its run, which began this past September, has been a boon to the now nearly four-year-old service in terms of attracting subscribers. But Star Trek or no, The Good Fight is so good, it itself is also worth the monthly cost.

Season 1 consisted of ten, nailbiting episodes (and, it's worth noting, episodes which are free of network standards and practices constraints in terms of language and nudity) -- and as of this week, they're available on a three-DVD set, which also contains a gag reel and deleted/extended scenes. The show's already captivating season 2 began "airing" -- if that's what one can call episodes which continue to drop each Sunday -- on March 4, and so now is the perfect time for newcomers (even non Good Wife watchers) to catch up.

The Good Fight
Season 1 available on DVD, release date March 13, 2018
Season 2 airing on CBS All Access, beginning March 4, 2018

GALECA Announces its 9th Annual DORIAN Award Winners

2018-01-31T14:01:00.000-05:00

For the past nine years, I've been honored to be a member of the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA), which bestows its Dorian Awards on shows depicting, serving and generally entertaining the LGBT community.

This year's winners have just been announced, with awards to be distributed at our February 24 "Winner's Reception" in Beverly Hills. And although of course I voted for Will & Grace, I am happy to see RuPaul's Drag Race and Feud: Bette and Joan get much-deserved recognition in those categories.

Other winners include Greta Gerwig as best director, Sally Hawkins as best actress, Timothee Chalamet as both best actor and rising star, Jordan Peele for best screenplay (and another win as a "Wilde Wit"), Michael Stuhlbarg and Laurie Metcalf for best supporting actor and actress, and Meryl Streep winning our version of a lifetime achievement award, as our "Timeless Star." Call Me By Your Name wins the award for best film of the year.

On the TV side, winners include Big Little Lies as best drama, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as best comedy, Nicole Kidman and Kyle MacLachlan winning the acting awards, and the amazing Kate McKinnon winning twice, as a "Wilde Wit" and also for her musical performance as Kellyanne Conway.

The full list of nominees and winners is below.

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics

(as in Lesbian! Gay! Bisexual! Transgender! Queer!)

Name Dorian Award Film/TV Winners

• • • • •

'Call Me By Your Name' is Best Film, Greta Gerwig Takes Best Director

'Get Out' Auteur Jordan Peele Scores Best Screenplay and More

Sally Hawkins Wins Best Actress, Timothée Chalamet is Both Best Actor and Rising Star

'American Gods,' Kyle MacLachlan, Samantha Bee, ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race' Rule TV Categories

Meryl Streep is Group’s Latest 'Timeless Star’ Honoree

Wednesday, January 31, 2018 - Hollywood, CA — The distinctly unique GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, comprised of over 200 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally entertainment journalists in the U.S., Canada and U.K., has announced its ninth annual Dorian Award winners. This year’s 26 TV and film categories, again running from mainstream to LGBTQ-centric, include inaugural awards for Supporting Film Performance. A handful of select recipients will join the group for GALECA’s annual Winners Toast on Saturday February 24th in Beverly Hills.

Broflakes won’t be happy about this: Call Me By Your Name, which led with nine nominations, was named 2017’s Film of the Year. The bittersweet story of two American men — a teen and a 20something — falling for each other in Italy also earned Timothée Chalamet a Dorian for Film Performance of the Year — Actor. Chalamet, seen in Dorian nominee Lady Bird as well, was also the group’s Rising Star pick. Meanwhile, Greta Gerwig, writer and helmer of the female-focused coming-of-age drama Lady Bird, was named Director of the Year.

Jordan Peele, formerly of TV’s acclaimed Key and Peele sketch comedy series, earned Screenplay of the Year for Get Out, the heart-stopping thriller and acidic satire about a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) who discovers his white girlfriend’s “liberal” parents are secretly murderous racists. Peele was also crowned Wilde Artist of the Year (nominees included Gerwig, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch and Guillermo del Toro) and Wilde Wit of the Year. Peele shares the latter award with Saturday Night Live fixture Kate McKinnon, nabbing her second win in that race — along with a victory for her sing-songy imagining of Trump explainer Kellyanne Conway taking her "alternative facts" act to Broadway.

Film icon and feminist activist Meryl Streep was the group’s latest choice for Timeless Star, a career achievement honor previously won by such equally beloved stars (and human-rights champions) Jane Fonda, Dame Angela Lansbury and Sir Ian McKellen.

“Who doesn’t love Meryl Streep outside of non-feminist Donald Trump?” quipped Diane Anderson-Minshall, GALECA’s president as well as editorial director of The Advocate magazine. “Streep’s latest film, The Post, speaks to her commitment to playing, and supporting, strong women who push for or at least embody the need for equality. As The Washington Post’s firebrand Katherine Graham, she inhabited the role of the first female publisher of a major American newspaper — a woman who went from housewife to overseeing the revelations of both Watergate and the Pentagon Papers at a time when most of the men around her were too afraid to take on either. And this was all long before the #MeToo movement.” Adds John Griffiths, GALECA’s Executive Director, "From Sophie’s Choice to Postcards from the Edge, Streep’s an incredibly stirring and affecting actress who transports, delights and nails various accents like no other. I’d say she definitely qualifies as a timeless star — and amid all the headlines about sexual harassment in Hollywood, she’s also a very relevant current voice.”

Fun fact: Streep won a Dorian Award for The Iron Lady back in 2012.

In additional trademark races, God’s Own Country — 2017’s other visceral love story involving two gay men — won as GALECA's Unsung Film of the Year (the competition included director Angela Robinson’s Professor Marston and the Wonder Women). Awards-season darling The Shape of Water impressed as Visually Striking Film of the Year. And mother!, Darren Aronofsky’s over-the-top psychological chiller starring Jennifer Lawrence, was deemed Campy Flick of the Year.

Among TV categories, HBO’s sleek murder mystery Big Little Lies took TV Drama of the Year, with star Nicole Kidman (as a battered wife) triumphing too. Kyle MacLachlan was Kidman’s male counterpart for Twin Peaks: The Return. Starz’s provocative gods-among-us fantasy American Gods took Unsung TV Show, fittingly as its future the freshman series’ future is reportedly up in the air. And programs each celebrating their second win in a row: TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (Current Events Show of the Year) and the Lady Gaga-loved gay performance contest RuPaul’s Drag Race (LGBTQ Show).

Below is the complete list of Dorian winners.

GALECA, The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, previously known as the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, includes members who review, write and/or report on film and television for a diverse number of media outlets, including BuzzFeed, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, The Advocate, CNN, the Associated Press, People, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Collider, Vanity Fair, Screen Crush, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, New Now Next, The Guardian and the BBC. For more information, visit GALECA.org. Also find us at #DorianAwards, and enjoy our posts via @DorianAwards on Facebook • Twitter • Instagram

GALECA 2017/18 DORIAN AWARDS — WINNERS

FILM OF THE YEAR
BPM (Beats Per Minute) - The Orchard
Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics (WINNER)
Get Out - Universal
Lady Bird - A24
The Shape of Water - Fox Searchlight

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR (FILM OR TELEVISION)
Sean Baker, The Florida Project – A24
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird - A24 (WINNER)
Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk – Warner Bros.
Jordan Peele, Get Out - Universal

BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR -- ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight (WINNER)
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Fox Searchlight
Margot Robbie, I, Tonya - Neon
Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird - A24
Daniela Vega, A Fantastic Woman - Sony Pictures Classics

BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – ACTOR
Nahuel Perez Biscayart, BPM (Beats Per Minute) — The Orchard
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics (WINNER)
James Franco, The Disaster Artist – A24
Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out - Universal
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour – Focus Features

SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR -- ACTRESS
Mary J. Blige, Mudbound - Netflix
Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip - Universal
Allison Janney, I, Tonya - Neon
Laurie Metcalf, Lady Bird - A24 (WINNER)
Michelle Pfeiffer, mother! - Paramount

SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR -- ACTOR
Willem Dafoe, The Florida Project – A24
Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name- Sony Pictures Classics
Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
Sam Rockwell, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Fox Searchlight
Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics (WINNER)

LGBTQ FILM OF THE YEAR
BPM (Beats Per Minute) — The Orchard
Battle of the Sexes - Fox Searchlight
Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics (WINNER)
A Fantastic Woman - Sony Pictures Classics
God's Own Country – Samuel Goldwyn Films

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
BPM (Beats Per Minute) — The Orchard (WINNER)
A Fantastic Woman - Sony Pictures Classics
First They Killed My Father - Netflix
The Square – Magnolia Pictures
Thelma – The Orchard

SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR (ORIGINAL OR ADAPTED)
James Ivory, Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics
Jordan Peele, Get Out - Universal (WINNER)
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird - A24
Guillermo del Toro, Vanessa Taylor, The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Fox Searchlight

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
(theatrical release, TV airing or DVD release)
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story – Zeitgeist/Kino Lorber
The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - Netflix
Faces Places – Cohen Media Group (WINNER)
Jane – National Geographic/Abramorama
Kedi - Oscilloscope

VISUALLY STRIKING FILM OF THE YEAR
(honoring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)
Blade Runner 2049 – Warner Bros.
Call Me By Your Name - Sony Pictures Classics
Dunkirk – Warner Bros.
The Shape of Water – Fox Searchlight (WINNER)
Wonderstruck - Amazon

UNSUNG FILM OF THE YEAR
BPM (Beats Per Minute) - The Orchard
Beach Rats - Neon
God's Own Country – Samuel Goldwyn Films (WINNER)
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women - Annapurna
Wonderstruck - Amazon

CAMPY FLICK OF THE YEAR
Baywatch - Paramount
The Disaster Artist – A24
The Greatest Showman – 20th Century Fox
I, Tonya - Neon
mother! - Paramount (WINNER)

TV DRAMA OF THE YEAR
Big Little Lies - HBO - HBO (WINNER)
The Crown - Netflix
Feud: Bette and Joan - FX
The Handmaid's Tale - Hulu
Twin Peaks: The Return - Showtime

TV COMEDY OF THE YEAR
Better Things - FX
GLOW - Netflix
The Good Place - NBC
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Amazon (WINNER)
Will & Grace - NBC

TV PEFORMANCE OF THE YEAR – ACTRESS
Clare Foy, The Crown - Netflix
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies - HBO (WINNER)
Jessica Lange, Feud: Bette and Joan - FX
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale - Hulu
Reese Witherspoon, Big Little Lies - HBO

TV PEFORMANCE OF THE YEAR -- ACTOR
Aziz Ansari, Master of None – Netflix
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us - NBC
Jonathan Groff, Mindhunter - Netflix
Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks: The Return - Showtime (WINNER)
Alexander Skaarsgård, Big Little Lies - HBO

TV CURRENT AFFAIRS SHOW OF THE YEAR
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee – TBS (WINNER)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - HBO
Late Night with Seth Meyers - NBC
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert - CBS
The Rachel Maddow Show - MSNBC

TV MUSICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Lady Gaga, “God Bless America,” “Born This Way,” etc., Super Bowl LI - Fox
Kate McKinnon, “(Kellyanne) Conway!” Saturday Night Live - NBC (WINNER)
Brendan McCreary, John Mulaney, “I’m Gay,” Big Mouth – Netflix
Pink, “Beautiful Trauma,” American Music Awards - ABC
Sasha Velour, “So Emotional,” RuPaul's Drag Race – VH1

LGBTQ SHOW OF THE YEAR
Difficult People - Hulu
RuPaul's Drag Race – VH1 (WINNER)
Sense8 - Netflix
Transparent – Amazon
Will & Grace - NBC

UNSUNG TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
American Gods - Starz (WINNER)
Dear White People - Netflix
Difficult People - Hulu
At Home with Amy Sedaris - TruTV
The Leftovers - HBO

CAMPY TV SHOW OF THE YEAR
Dynasty
Feud: Betty and Joan (WINNER)
Riverdale
RuPaul's Drag Race
Will & Grace

‘WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!’ RISING STAR AWARD
Timothée Chalamet (WINNER)
Harris Dickinson
Tiffany Haddish
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniela Vega

WILDE WIT OF THE YEAR AWARD
(honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
Samantha Bee
Stephen Colbert
Kate McKinnon (WINNER - TIE)
John Oliver
Jordan Peele (WINNER - TIE)

WILDE ARTIST OF THE YEAR
(honoring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theater and/or television)
Guillermo del Toro
Greta Gerwig
Patty Jenkins
David Lynch
Jordan Peele (WINNER)

TIMELESS STAR (to a living actor or performer whose exemplary career is marked by character, wisdom and wit)
Meryl Streep (WINNER)

GALECA’S MISSIONHome of the Dorian Awards for the best in film and TV, GALECA aims to generate camaraderie in an unsettling media environment, and elevate professional entertainment criticism and journalism, all while bolstering art and humanity. Via panels, screenings, events and its occasional “Ten Best" lists, this 501 c-6 organization also strives to remind the everyone from at-risk youth to bullies that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people have a rich history of putting great movies and TV on the radar. How would the world fare without knowing what's campy?

CONTACT

Diane Anderson-Minshall, GALECA Presidentdiane@retrogradecommunications.com

John Griffiths, GALECA Executive Directorjdgriffiths@earthlink.net

A Tribute to WKRP in Cincinnati creator Hugh Wilson (1943-2018), Part 2

2018-01-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last week, the world lost another creator of classic TV when the writer behind the beloved WKRP in Cincinnati, Hugh Wilson, died at age 74 in Virginia, where he had lived for over a decade. Best known for executive producing WKRP’s 90 episodes, which gained popularity in syndication after its initial 1978-82 run, Wilson segued later into film, directing The First Wives Club and the first of the Police Academy movies.

Ten years ago, in the spring of 2008, I had the pleasure of conducting a long interview with Wilson for a WKRP story Watch! magazine. Below is part 2, talking about the writing process and cancellation of WKRP and his follow-up, Frank's Place.

Must-Hear TV: Once WKRP was on the air, I remember as a viewer having a hard time finding it, through many different time slots. Did you feel that CBS supported the show?

Hugh Wilson: That’s where the story changes. I think everybody liked the show, but it went on the air and didn’t do well. They took it off the air for “fine tuning.” Frankly, I don’t know what fine tuning means. Then or now. There were some meetings – I don’t think any changes came out of it. And then they put it back on the air. They hung in with it, I think, because it got very good reviews. The problem that for some reason we couldn’t get a stable time slot, and got moved all over the place. When your own mother is calling you wanting to know when the show’s on, there’s something wrong.

But on the other hand, there’s an odd dividend to that. When we went into syndication, a lot of people found the show for the first time. WKRP was bigger in syndication success than any of the MTM shows. And it certainly wasn’t in its first run on CBS. I had a feeling that they liked the show but also didn’t love it, and didn’t hate it. People are surprised that we were only on for four seasons. We stayed on the air, but never really in a stable time slot. So there were some hard feelings about that.

MHTV: How did you find out that the show was cancelled?

HW: I could kind of see it coming, but we weren’t allowed to write any kind of wrap up. We were told it had to be a regular episode, because it was still under debate whether the show was going to get cancelled or not. And then Grant [Tinker] got a call from Harvey Shepard who was running CBS at the time. It became a choice whether they were going to keep us, or Alice. So we were pretty confident it would be us, but it wasn’t – it was Alice.

MHTV: What makes the show resonate this many years later?

HW: I think the cast was the real deal. Hell, I wrote or rewrote most of the scripts, but I would have to say myself that it was the cast. I do think there was a tradition at MTM at that time to really try to write good characters. Who not only get the laughs, but get a little deeper than that.

I knew of Howard Hesseman from going way back. He was a member of The Committee, which was like a Second City in San Francisco. I had been watching him, had my eye on him. He did a lot of guest shots on other shows. Gordon Jump I saw on Soap. He had kind of a recurring character, but he wasn’t a regular contractually. Loni [Anderson] I just met – she hadn’t really been in town long from Minnesota. Jan Smithers just came in to audition. I was aware of Tim [Reid] because of the comedy routine he and a partner used to do on variety shows. Frank Bonner and Gary Sandy were CBS favorites. Gary had been on a Norman Lear show called All That Glitters. And they liked him in that, so they were really pushing hard, and I was delighted to have him. Richard Sanders I had never seen before. After I met him, I looked at a tape of him – Richard had I think mainly been in dramas, a pretty serious actor, which surprised me, because I thought he was funnier than hell.

What happens is the writer creates the characters on paper and the actors come in and inhabit those. So for a while, they’re following the script. And then as the show moves on, pretty soon the writers are chasing the actors and taking their cues from them instead of them taking their cues from the script. That’s a nice way of working, and we were lucky to have it that way.

One more actor I should mention: Carol Bruce. She wasn’t in the pilot. A woman who used to be a famous actress was -- Sylvia Sidney. And I think Sylvia kind of thought it was beneath her, so it was fun to switch it. Carol was great. You know at one point she was on the cover of Life magazine. She was a wonderful song and dance woman. I didn’t know that until I got to know her.

MHTV: Were there any specific bits of business the actors brought to the characters?

HW: It wasn’t specific lines or pieces of business. Like Frank Bonner, playing Herb Tarlek. Just the way he would stand, and the way he looked at Loni. You know Loni doesn’t get credit for being as funny as she is – she’s a wonderful comic actress. But one of the things that’s funny about her is she’s so strikingly good looking. She made the IQ go down of every male character who walked into the room. She made all the guys funny because they pretty much lost their cool the moment they saw her. But Bonner lost it in the most wonderful way. You realize at some point that when you start talking about Herb instead of Frank, like he’s in Cincinnati and he’s a real guy, that’s when you feel you’re writing well, that you’ve sort of bought the act yourself.

MHTV: The WKRP ensemble included an African-American character – was that considered groundbreaking in 1978?

HW: I hadn’t thought of that. Frankly I hadn’t thought of the show as groundbreaking except I knew the music was a whole new deal. Another thing I thought was setting us apart is something I wanted from the beginning, to really be a true ensemble. Mary [Tyler Moore Show] was a wonderful ensemble, but they came in levels. There was Mary and Lou Grant, and then the next level. I was trying to keep it really egalitarian. I didn’t always pull that off. We were always saying, “Let’s do a show this week about this character.” And the actors, if they were pretty light one week, they wouldn’t get their noses out of joint because they knew we’d be getting around to them, to one where their character would be really heavy.

There have been some shows where the behind-the-scenes ambience was just gruesome. We’d tape on Friday, and we’d be walking out by 9PM. But we would hear stories of other shows, with everybody yelling and screaming and fighting. That is really not my style, and hopefully I had an impact on the people I hired. I think you’ve got to be careful. If you have a show and area so blessed that it’s successful, you could be with these people for years.

MHTV: Were you involved in the 1990s WKRP reboot?

HW: No. I was honored that the show was being redone, but at the same time I didn’t much like the idea. I thought what’s done is done. By then I had moved to Virginia. Whereas I could get involved in a movie, in order to do television you have to live [in Los Angeles]. I just never thought it was a good idea, but bless their hearts.

MHTV: The show and its characters had such a distinctive look, too.

HW: From the start, Tim said, “Look, I just don’t want to be the typical black guy,” and Loni said, “I don’t want to be the typical bimbo.” Thank God Tim got involved in his wardrobe a little bit, because I needed help there. I knew how Herb would dress, because at the time all I’d have to do is go through the Atlanta airport, and it would be wall-to-wall polyester leisure suits. But just within our four years, his clothes got so out of fashion that the costume people finally had to go to golf course pro shops to find that crap. So much changed in those four years, when there was a lot going on. Dr. Johnny Fever, he’s got a serious problem with disco. And I think disco was kind of over by the time we finished.

MHTV: You gave Venus Flytrap a back story – real name Gordon Simms, and being a former teacher – that was a lot like Sting’s in real life. Was that intentional?

HW: I’d like to tell you I was. The name “Venus Flytrap” just got into my head, and a lot of people said, “That’s a woman’s name.” But then Tim Reid said, “I think that’s a good name,” and I don’t think anyone ever complained.

MHTV: Do you still hear from fans about WKRP?

HW: It’s amazing to me today how people will come up and start quoting lines to me. Around here [in Virginia] people will ask, “What do you do?” and I say, “Nothing.” Then they’ll say, “What did you do?” I’ll start telling them, and they think I’m lying. And then they say, “My God, WKRP!” and they start telling me about the show – I don’t have to say a word.

MHTV: Who are the fans, most often?

HW: It’s men and women, and they’re late 30s and older. I teach a television writing course at the University of Virginia. And the kids say to me – this happens every damn time – after class: “Hey, Mr. Wilson, my parents wanted me to tell you how much they loved WKRP.”

MHTV: Does the show have a legacy? What did it change in television?

HW: I don’t think it changed anything. You know, Barney Miller was a show I admired, and I loved the idea of the workplace rather than the home. The formula usually was office/home/office/home. If you look at any of the MTM shows that’s how it would go. I liked the idea of making the family the office. I don’t know thought that that was new ground. I thought we broke good ground, but I don’t know if we broke new ground.

I went on to do Frank’s Place, and was breaking all kinds of ground there. I had directed a movie or two by then, and when I went back to television, I shot it one-camera. I didn’t have much of a budget but tried to make it look like a feature. I dumped the laugh track. I got an Emmy out of it. It all got hung on the same washline as a dramedy, because another show came out that was just like it. But in fact I had no idea anybody was doing what I was doing.

The way Frank’s Place came about was, Cajun food was the rage, and everyone at the Ivy was eating blackened something or other. They said, “You’re a Southerner… Cajun food….” I went down to New Orleans a couple of times with Tim Reid. We really researched that pretty thoroughly and came back with something that was not what [Hollywood] had in mind. I was more over in the black part of town, not on Bourbon St., and was talking more about a Creole cuisine than Cajun. I made it almost entirely black. I thought it would be funny to have the white guy as the 6^th man. There were two white people in the regular cast. That was amazing. I hired one of the regulars, just a guy I met on an airplane, because I couldn’t find any actors who could do the specific New Orleans accent, to please my Southern ear. It’s called a Ninth Ward or Eighth Ward accent. So I hired this guy and bless CBS’ heart, they said, “Wait a minute, one of the regulars you’re sending over for us to read, he’s never acted before in his life?” His name is Don Yesso. And the story was so amazing, Johnny Carson scooped him up immediately, so it worked well for us.

MHTV: It sounds like by the time of Frank’s Place, you had some leeway. But was there anything the network wouldn’t let you do on WKRP?

HW: You won’t believe this based on what’s on today, but they were very, very careful about “hell”s and “damn”s. And there could be no suggestion of drugs. There could be something in the playing, not in any overt dialogue. [Howard Hesseman] would always kind of play it like some kind of drug flashback, and he did talk about having flashbacks. But we had written a scene once where he stepped out of the janitor’s closet fanning the air, right into the arms of the big guy, and that went right out. That wasn’t even going to be discussed. Clearly he must have had a joint in there. I knew that wasn’t going to get in. I sometimes think I put that in so I could get something else. You do that – you kind of collect the chips – I caved on this and caved on that, so please let me have such and such. It was such a different time in terms of that.

A Tribute to WKRP in Cincinnati creator Hugh Wilson (1943-2018), Part 1

2018-01-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago, in the spring of 2008, I had the pleasure of conducting a long interview with Wilson for a WKRP story Watch! magazine. Below is part 1, talking about Wilson’s transition into television, and the birth of his classic hit.

Must-Hear TV: I’ve heard you mention in interviews that you didn’t initially set out to be in television. How did a Southern boy like you end up in Hollywood?

Hugh Wilson: I’m from Florida, and went to the University of Florida. After that, I went to New York and worked up north for a little bit, and then to Atlanta. In New York, there weren’t many Southerners. I think it kind of helped me, because it was like, “What’s this guy doing here?” You get a little bit of a brand. That was good.

I had been since college in the advertising business. I was in Atlanta at an agency that no longer exists called Burton Campbell, which not big, but a very good creative agency. I was the creative director there. Then I left and got a job at MTM Productions, where I was able to sell some scripts to the Bob Newhart Show. That was my first credit. It was a great honor and was also a thrill. I liked the show so much, and it was a big national icon of a hit. And also Suzanne Pleshette, rest her lovely soul, and Bob Newhart were just such wonderful nice people.

MHTV: What was it like, landing that first TV job?

HW: Back then, MTM and Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin’s company [Tandem Productions] were sort of the Harvard and Yale of the independent producers. Both of them had so many comedies on the air. So it was a great break for me to get a job at MTM. Two wonderful writers, Tom Patchett and Jay Tarses, allowed me to write on the Newhart show and then for the next two seasons, I was a staff writer on the short-lived Tony Randall Show, which was also CBS. And then I created WKRP. So I was very lucky, because I had only been in Hollywood for two and a half years before I suddenly found myself with a national show on network television.

I had no idea at the time what a lovely situation I was in. It was only later in my career, when I saw how much pushing and shoving can go on, that I realized that Grant Tinker had created the most pleasant environment a writer could ever ask for. I think what had something to do with that was that Jim Brooks was such an exceptional talent. He and Allan Burns had created the Mary Tyler Moore Show, and of course Jim went on to become an Academy Award-winning director. But I think Grant came to really rely on writers thanks to Jim and Allan.

MHTV: What inspired WKRP? Did you have a background in radio or in music?

HW: No, but when I was in the advertising business in Atlanta, there was a bar there called Harrison’s that for some reason was kind of a media bar. All the radio sales reps and disc jockeys and advertising people hung out there, and I knew a lot of people in radio, and I thought they were an interesting group. When I had the idea, when I was asked by Grant, “Do you have any pilot ideas?”, I thought of a rock and roll station that was down on its luck. And when CBS said, “Yeah, let’s look into that,” I went back to Atlanta, and my friends at the Top 40 rock station there let me come in and hang out for a couple of weeks.

I’m a big music fan, but I myself have no musical talent at all. If I sing, people say, “You shouldn’t really do that.” But that was part of the great fun of it. When we were starting out, they said, “You know, it’s too expensive to pay for all the rights to al this music.” Let’s do like they do on Happy Days, some soundalikes. But I was pretty adamant that it had to be the real music. So it was interesting – all the MTM shows had been shot on film, but we found that if we shot it on videotape, we could get a different kind of [music licensing] deal, like a variety show deal for the music.

At the time, film and videotape were pretty segregated: “That’s a film lot” or “That’s a tape lot.” So we became the first MTM show to leave the CBS Radford lot, and we went over to KTLA and were a videotape show just so we could afford the music. We eventually moved back to the Radford lot in Studio City – that’s where MTM had most of their stuff.

MHTV: Music was so important to WKRP. Who chose the music for each episode?

HW: I was picking the music, but then Howard Hesseman and Tim Reid, who were playing the DJs, asked if they could pick their own music. I said yes, because they had excellent taste. So unless I absolutely need a song for the story, they picked most of the music. But it was very interesting because record labels started treating us almost like a radio station. They would send me all this free stuff – it was wonderful. I’d get standup posters, which I’d put in the set. Once they saw I’d put posters on national television, I was just inundated with PR.

MHTV: And why Cincinnati, of all places? Why not Atlanta, if that’s what you knew?

HW: I thought the show should be set in kind of not a big market. That’s one reason; plus, I kind of wanted it somewhere in flyover country. But I mainly chose the name by saying, “WKRP in Buffalo,” “WKRP in…” “Cincinnati” seemed to just roll off the tongue. I had never been there in my life. I’d like to tell you there was more thought in choosing it. And then we came to really love Cincinnati, because when we went there with the cast, they treated us as if we were one of them. They particularly liked Loni [Anderson].

MHTV: Why CBS? And what was the network’s initial reaction to the show?

HW: MTM had a very special relationship with CBS, and so they pretty much took their shows there. Later, Grant Tinker ended up taking the job as CEO at NBC. But Rhoda, Mary and Bob were all CBS shows. Also, CBS was, at least in my opinion, the “Tiffany Network.” I think that was in everybody’s mind in those days. CBS was first class, so people tried for that.

And at CBS, one of the reasons I thought I caught a break on WKRP is that, I came to discover, a lot of the people in the development department and those who had a say in new shows, had a background in radio, and so they had a proprietary love for it. Immediately they would say, “When I was in radio…” and they’d start pitching me bits and pieces and funny things that happened to them.

In fact, the most famous show we did was a Thanksgiving show, “Turkeys Away,” where we threw turkeys out of a helicopter. And I had gotten that from a station manager in Dallas. He was fired and couldn’t get a job for a year after that. I had asked him, “Can you think of any remarkable things?” And in five minutes, he told me the whole thing. I thought “Oh my God, this is going to be so much fun,” and realized he had just given me my Emmy. And that episode all pretty much all came from this fellow’s lips.

Coming soon: part 2: the four-season life and death of WKRP in Cincinnati

Fox Renews New Hit Drama 9-1-1

2018-01-16T17:28:00.000-05:00

With all the news coming out of the TV Critics convention in Pasadena, this one comes over a week after the Fox network made its presentations. But it's no shocker that Fox has renewed its midseason entry 9-1-1 for a second season; not only did it debut to good ratings, but it has a star-studded cast and comes from creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear.

Below more details on the renewal.

From Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear,
Series Debut Delivers more than 15 Million Viewers and is Week’s No. 1 Drama,
Ranking it as Highest-Rated Wednesday Series Premiere
on Broadcast and Cable in Over a Year

Week Two of Hit Series Draws 11.6 Million Three-Day Multi-Platform Viewers and
Posts a 2.5/9 L3 Rating among Adults 18-49, Ranking as Night’s No. 1 Program

All-New Episode Airs Tomorrow on FOX

FOX has renewed the critically acclaimed hit drama 9-1-1, from creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, for a second season, it was announced today by Gary Newman and Dana Walden, Chairmen & CEOs, Fox Television Group.

“With a bold concept, award-winning stars and a flawless execution, Ryan, Brad and Tim have done it again,” said Walden and Newman. “They have tapped into the cultural zeitgeist and reimagined the procedural as only they could, bringing it to life with a dream team of actors led by Angela, Peter and Connie. This is storytelling at its best and we’re so pleased that it’s resonated with our audience. We’d like to thank everyone involved with this production for their stellar work, and we look forward to another thrilling season of 9-1-1.”

The series premiere of 9-1-1 has grown to more than 15 million viewers in seven-day multi-platform viewing, including its encore, delivering FOX’s largest debut since EMPIRE in 2015, excluding post-Super Bowl premieres. In Nielsen Live + 7 Day, the show delivered 10.7 million viewers, a lift of 57% from Live+Same Day. 9-1-1 ranks as the highest-rated debut since “The Good Doctor” and the week’s No. 1 drama among all key demos, averaging a 3.0/11 L7 in Adults 18-49, up +67% from L+SD, according to Nielsen. It also ranks as the highest-rated Wednesday series premiere on television in more than a year. The first hit series of 2018, 9-1-1 improved its fall time period average by 36% in the demo and +47% among Total Viewers. On social media, 9-1-1 is this season’s No. 1 new broadcast drama series and the most engaging new broadcast program on YouTube, with more than nine million views.

In week two, 9-1-1 delivered a three-day multi-platform audience of 11.6 million viewers, including its encore. Among Adults 18-49, it posted a 2.5/9 L3 rating, up +67% vs. L+SD, tying “Modern Family” as the night’s No. 1 program for the second consecutive week, while also winning the 9:00-10:00 PM hour.

9-1-1 explores the high-pressure experiences of police officers, firefighters and emergency operators who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These first responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives. The procedural drama stars Academy and Emmy Award nominee Angela Bassett (“American Horror Story,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It”), Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Peter Krause (“The Catch,” “Six Feet Under”) and Emmy Award nominee Connie Britton (“Nashville,” “Friday Night Lights,” “American Horror Story”). The series also stars Oliver Stark (“Into The Badlands”), Aisha Hinds (“Shots Fired,” “Underground”), Kenneth Choi (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) and Rockmond Dunbar (“Prison Break,” “The Path”).
In the all-new “Next Of Kin” episode of 9-1-1 airing tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 17 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), on FOX, Bobby (Krause) and his team respond to an emergency at a children’s birthday party that leaves lives hanging in the balance. The crew jumps into action after one of their own is involved in a devastating accident. Athena (Bassett) tries to cope with a tragedy that hits way too close to home, and Abby (Britton) is confronted with a life-changing decision for her mother and makes a connection with Buck (Stark).

9-1-1 is produced by 20^th Century Fox Television in association with Ryan Murphy Television and Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear are creators, executive producers and writers on the series. Bradley Buecker is an executive producer and directed the series premiere. Alexis Martin Woodall and Angela Bassett serve as executive producers. “Like” 9-1-1 on Facebook at 911onFOX/. Follow the series on Twitter 911onFOX and join the discussion using #911onFOX. See photos and videos on Instagram by following 911onfox/.

FOX RENEWS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED HIT DRAMA “9-1-1” FOR A SECOND SEASON