Inside story on the CHEERS "Jeopardy" episode

Sometimes a Friday question requires its own post. And someone other than me answering it. Dan O'Shannon and his partner Tom Anderson wrote the Jeopardy episode of CHEERS. When a blog reader asked about it I sought out Dan for the answer. Dan O'Shannon became a show runner on CHEERS, FRASIER, and currently is executive producing MODERN FAMILY. Many thanks to Dan for writing back and writing

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Rory Markas

Many of you never heard of him. But you would have liked him.He loved people but lived alone.He was a performer but very shy.He worked in Anaheim but lived 100 miles away in Palmdale.For years he was a Los Angeles TV news anchor and Milwaukee Brewers baseball announcer – at the same time.He was a remarkable person.Rory Markas, only 54, passed away this morning of an apparent heart attack. Those

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Random Rants

New Year's Day leftover rants.Do we say two-thousand-and-ten? Or twenty-ten? Or hell plus one?Shouldn’t we be living the life of the Jetsons by now? Where’s my flying car that folds up into a suitcase?CRAZY HEART is worth seeing for Jeff Bridges but it's THE WRESTLER with country music.What will last longer? My grow light plant or the Jay Leno Show?Hey Rush Limbaugh, just imagine if you didn’t

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Did Warren Beatty really sleep with 13,000 women?

Here are some thoughts on Warren Beatty’s claim in his new book that he slept with 13,000 women. I better not hear any of these on Leno and Letterman Monday night. (Conan I don’t care. Nobody watches.) For you gag writer hopefuls this is what we call the mother lode. Weigh in with some of your own.I find it hard to believe that he has actually slept with 13,000 women. Wilt Chamberlain said

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Product Placement 50s style

Product placement is hardly new. Back in the 50s sponsors were incorporating their products into shows on a regular basis. Here's an example from MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY starring Danny Thomas. Notice how artfully they work in the commercial. If you weren't paying strict attention, why, you'd never know.And speaking of shameless plugs, join me on 790KABC today from 5-8 Pacific.

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The Taco Bell Drano Ken Levine Blog

Madison Avenue has a big problem. People don’t watch commercials. They’ve had fifty years to solve this problem (and judging by the Progressive Insurance commercials they’ve learned nothing) but now with Tivo, DVR's, and DVD's audiences can eliminate them completely. Advertisers must find new ways to convey the vital message that Lamisil targets toenail fungus where it lives.Subliminal messages

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The Hippie REVOLT

In doing research for my book on the 60s I came across this absurd trailer for a 1967 movie called SOMETHING'S HAPPENING about the Hippie "revolt". Thank God we had movies like this to put things in perspective and show us the REAL way.

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