The brilliance of Paul Conrad

My favorite political cartoonist, Paul Conrad of the LA TIMES passed away Saturday. He was 86. In a career that spanned over 50 years he won three Pulitzer Prizes and more impressive, he was named on Nixon's Enemy List.Conrad was fearless, funny, a fabulous artist, wildly original, and his cartoons hit you like a stun gun.Here are just a few examples. If there is an afterlife, Nixon and Reagan

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My favorite pitch meeting EVER

In 1978 my partner, David Isaacs and I were head writers of MASH. That fall we also signed on to write a pilot for CBS. Our producer was Allan Carr (pictured above). He was this rather flamboyant character famous for throwing lavish parties in the “King Tut Disco” in his home, producing such films as SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER and GREASE, and winning a Tony for producing LA CAGE AUS

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Labor Day Weekend recommendation

All this weekend GREAT BIG RADIO is playing the music on that magical year, 1970. Relive that year in music where nothing new happened, where Led Zepplin records played back-to-back with the Carpenters. It’s the end of some musical trends and the holding place for others. Hear it here.But oh the memories….1970The Kent State Massacre.Ziploc bags are invented.Simon & Garfunkel win every

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The "Jumping the Shark" writer finally speaks out

There’s a nice article in Friday’s LA TIMES “Calendar” section by Fred Fox Jr. the writer who wrote the famous “Jump the Shark” episode of HAPPY DAYS.Very quickly, for those who don’t know, several guys were sitting around a bar one night discussing their favorite shows and wondering what was the precise moment that they went downhill? One suggested for HAPPY DAYS it was when Fonzie literally

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Debunking CHEERS myths

The official kick-off to the Labor Day Weekend is reading Friday Questions.Joey on the 8s has a couple of CHEERS questions.1. Our tour guide took us by "the tank" on Paramount's lot, and I found where you mentioned it in a previous post. This guide told a story about how it was used in Cheers in the "Sam proposes to Diane" scene where Diane is supposed to end up on "Boston harbor." His story went

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How NOT to give notes (part 1, even though part 2 was yesterday)

This was supposed to be part one of a two part article until I screwed up the timer. If you think I'm bad with programming a blog you should see me on heavy machinery. Anyway, the other part was yesterday and yesterday's is today. This is a post for executives, studios, networks, pod producers, critics, D-girls, professors, wives – anyone who gives script notes. How you present notes is

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How NOT to give notes

Here are some ways not to give notes. I screwed up and posted part 2 first. The first half of this helpful constructive rant will be posted tomorrow. The point is how not to give notes. Tomorrow will be centered more on network and studio executives. Think through the ramifications of your notes. Don’t just say, “let’s do this instead”. Your suggestion may solve one immediate problem but

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