Frasier
The Ultimate TV Network
July 21, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
If I created the ultimate television network, the prime time program lineup would probably look like this:
On Sunday, I would start with the legends. I Love Lucy at 8:00pm followed by The Jack Benny Program at 8:30pm.
The pairing makes sense since Lucille Ball and Jack Benny were not only show business icons, but also neighbors in real life. They lived next door to each other on North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
Then, we turn to the rural heavyweights. The Andy Griffith Show at 9:00pm and The Beverly Hillbillies at 9:30pm.
Sunday nights should be nice and easy, after all. And what's nicer and easier than our friends in Mayberry and the hillbilly transplants to the land of Rodeo Drive?
At 10:00pm, The Sopranos.
On Monday nights, I would pair The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore in the 8 o'clock hour, followed by M*A*S*H and Murphy Brown in the 9 o'clock hour.
At 10:00pm, St. Elsewhere.
Tuesday nights would start with family comedy. The Cosby Show and Family Ties 8:00pm and 8:30pm respectively.
Everybody Loves Raymond at 9:00pm and Two and a Half Men at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Law & Order.
Wednesday nights would start with sophistication.
Frasier at 8:00pm and The Odd Couple at 8:30pm. I'm sure Felix Unger would have enjoyed talking wine, opera, and art with the Crane brothers.
The 9 o'clock hour would consist of You'll Never Get Rich starring Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and The Twilight Zone.
At 10:00pm, Hill Street Blues.
Of course, Thursday nights would truly be Must See TV with Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld, and Friends followed by ER at 10:00pm.
Friday night would be another family-friendly night, starting with The Brady Bunch at 8:00pm and The Wonder Years at 8:30pm.
At 9:00pm, Friday Night Lights, a depiction of a west Texas town obsessed with high school football.
At 10:00pm, The Wire.
Saturday night begins with cartoons.
The Simpsons at 8:00pm and King of the Hill at 8:30pm.
The Honeymooners at 9:00pm and Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Homicide: Life on the Street, an undervalued, underrated, and underwatched program during its tenure on NBC in the 1990's.
Reasonable minds can differ.
Should Happy Days be in the lineup instead of The Brady Bunch?
What about L.A. Law, thirtysomething, Scrubs, or All in the Family?
What's the standard for making the linuep?
All good questions.
For now, it's merely instinctive.
Programs can be replaced.
Or I can start another network.
david@davidkrell.com
If I created the ultimate television network, the prime time program lineup would probably look like this:
On Sunday, I would start with the legends. I Love Lucy at 8:00pm followed by The Jack Benny Program at 8:30pm.
The pairing makes sense since Lucille Ball and Jack Benny were not only show business icons, but also neighbors in real life. They lived next door to each other on North Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills.
Then, we turn to the rural heavyweights. The Andy Griffith Show at 9:00pm and The Beverly Hillbillies at 9:30pm.
Sunday nights should be nice and easy, after all. And what's nicer and easier than our friends in Mayberry and the hillbilly transplants to the land of Rodeo Drive?
At 10:00pm, The Sopranos.
On Monday nights, I would pair The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Tyler Moore in the 8 o'clock hour, followed by M*A*S*H and Murphy Brown in the 9 o'clock hour.
At 10:00pm, St. Elsewhere.
Tuesday nights would start with family comedy. The Cosby Show and Family Ties 8:00pm and 8:30pm respectively.
Everybody Loves Raymond at 9:00pm and Two and a Half Men at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Law & Order.
Wednesday nights would start with sophistication.
Frasier at 8:00pm and The Odd Couple at 8:30pm. I'm sure Felix Unger would have enjoyed talking wine, opera, and art with the Crane brothers.
The 9 o'clock hour would consist of You'll Never Get Rich starring Phil Silvers as Sergeant Bilko and The Twilight Zone.
At 10:00pm, Hill Street Blues.
Of course, Thursday nights would truly be Must See TV with Cheers, Taxi, Seinfeld, and Friends followed by ER at 10:00pm.
Friday night would be another family-friendly night, starting with The Brady Bunch at 8:00pm and The Wonder Years at 8:30pm.
At 9:00pm, Friday Night Lights, a depiction of a west Texas town obsessed with high school football.
At 10:00pm, The Wire.
Saturday night begins with cartoons.
The Simpsons at 8:00pm and King of the Hill at 8:30pm.
The Honeymooners at 9:00pm and Curb Your Enthusiasm at 9:30pm.
At 10:00pm, Homicide: Life on the Street, an undervalued, underrated, and underwatched program during its tenure on NBC in the 1990's.
Reasonable minds can differ.
Should Happy Days be in the lineup instead of The Brady Bunch?
What about L.A. Law, thirtysomething, Scrubs, or All in the Family?
What's the standard for making the linuep?
All good questions.
For now, it's merely instinctive.
Programs can be replaced.
Or I can start another network.
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye
June 19, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Some television spinoffs do very well.
Frasier.
Laverne & Shirley.
The Jeffersons.
And not so well.
Joey.
Models Inc.
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye.
This show was a spinoff of the popular 1970's show The Rockford Files. Richie Brockelman, Private Eye starred Dennis Dugan in the title role, an eager private investigator in his early 20's.
Well, maybe it wasn't technically a spinoff.
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye aired in 1978 with a half-dozen episodes. The character first appeared, however, in a 1976 tv-movie pilot entitled Richie Brockelman: Missing 24 Hours.
Richie appeared in a guest spot in the 2-hour Rockford Files episode The House on Willis Avenue in 1978 that led to the series.
Although Richie Brockelman, Private Eye only lasted five episodes with the pilot being a sixth, the guest star roster is impressive because of the guest stars' contributions to long-running television shows.
Norman Fell -- Three's Company.
Sharon Gless -- Cagney & Lacey.
Suzanne Pleshette -- The Bob Newhart Show.
Charles Siebert -- Trapper John, M.D.
Caroline McWilliams -- Benson.
Barbara Bosson played Sharon, Richie's secretary. She also played Fay Furillo, ex-wife of Captain Frank Furillo, on Hill Street Blues.
Paired back-to-back with The Rockford Files on Friday nights, Richie Brockelman, Private Eye was a fun show to watch.
Where Jim Rockford had a hard-boiled, weathered, and experienced air about him, Richie Brockelman relied on book smarts, enthusiasm, and persistence to solve cases.
But they did share one highly significant factor in their respective quivers of private eye arrows -- the police contact.
Where Rockford had Becker, Brockelman had Coopersmith. Robert Hogan, one of television's ubiquitous character actors, played Coopersmith.
After the shows cancellation, Richie Brockelman returned to The Rockford Files in the 1979 episode Never Send A Boy King To Do A Man's Job.
Dennis Dugan did terrific work on the short-lived show as the eager, youthful, and optimistic private investigator. He may not be the most remembered actor who played a private eye on television, but his resume is outstanding, particularly as a director of comedy films.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.
Happy Gilmore.
Saving Silverman.
National Security.
Big Daddy.
You Don't Mess With the Zohan.
As for Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, it's long since gone but not forgotten.
david@davidkrell.com
Some television spinoffs do very well.
Frasier.
Laverne & Shirley.
The Jeffersons.
And not so well.
Joey.
Models Inc.
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye.
This show was a spinoff of the popular 1970's show The Rockford Files. Richie Brockelman, Private Eye starred Dennis Dugan in the title role, an eager private investigator in his early 20's.
Well, maybe it wasn't technically a spinoff.
Richie Brockelman, Private Eye aired in 1978 with a half-dozen episodes. The character first appeared, however, in a 1976 tv-movie pilot entitled Richie Brockelman: Missing 24 Hours.
Richie appeared in a guest spot in the 2-hour Rockford Files episode The House on Willis Avenue in 1978 that led to the series.
Although Richie Brockelman, Private Eye only lasted five episodes with the pilot being a sixth, the guest star roster is impressive because of the guest stars' contributions to long-running television shows.
Norman Fell -- Three's Company.
Sharon Gless -- Cagney & Lacey.
Suzanne Pleshette -- The Bob Newhart Show.
Charles Siebert -- Trapper John, M.D.
Caroline McWilliams -- Benson.
Barbara Bosson played Sharon, Richie's secretary. She also played Fay Furillo, ex-wife of Captain Frank Furillo, on Hill Street Blues.
Paired back-to-back with The Rockford Files on Friday nights, Richie Brockelman, Private Eye was a fun show to watch.
Where Jim Rockford had a hard-boiled, weathered, and experienced air about him, Richie Brockelman relied on book smarts, enthusiasm, and persistence to solve cases.
But they did share one highly significant factor in their respective quivers of private eye arrows -- the police contact.
Where Rockford had Becker, Brockelman had Coopersmith. Robert Hogan, one of television's ubiquitous character actors, played Coopersmith.
After the shows cancellation, Richie Brockelman returned to The Rockford Files in the 1979 episode Never Send A Boy King To Do A Man's Job.
Dennis Dugan did terrific work on the short-lived show as the eager, youthful, and optimistic private investigator. He may not be the most remembered actor who played a private eye on television, but his resume is outstanding, particularly as a director of comedy films.
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry.
Happy Gilmore.
Saving Silverman.
National Security.
Big Daddy.
You Don't Mess With the Zohan.
As for Richie Brockelman, Private Eye, it's long since gone but not forgotten.
Have No Fear, Hulu Is Here!
May 18, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
Greetings from Seattle! Home of Dr. Frasier Crane, Seattle Grace Hospital, and the 1992 film Singles that inspired the Generation X-themed powerhouse sitcom Friends.
Seattle is also home to the 2009 International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting. Approximately 8,000 trademark owners, attorneys, and branding executives come to the Annual Meeting to discuss their challenges, experiences, and solutions in being the guardians of their respective brands.
Besides providing unparalleled education, INTA's Annual Meeting has networking around the clock. And you never know who you're going to meet.
At the opening reception last night, I met the attorney from Loeb & Loeb who handles the Green Hornet character. A movie featuring the Green Hornet is in pre-production. Seth Rogen is set to star.
After months of telephone conference calls, I met the leader of our workshop group for INTA's 2010 Annual Meeting in Boston where I will have the privilege of being a faculty member. I will tailor my Write This Way 2.0 workshop for an INTA writing workshop featuring panelists from the Jackson Walker law firm and General Electric.
I chatted with Alan Drewsen, Executive Director of INTA. A couple of weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to pre-tape an interview with Mr. Drewsen for TV Confidential. The interview will air on a future program.
And I also had a brush with celebrity when I met supermodel turned brand owner Elle Macpherson at the Loeb & Loeb dessert reception. Read today's blog entry at Write This Way 2.0 for more about Ms. Macpherson's Keynote Speech at last night's opening ceremony.
The networking continues tonight. I put together a group of eight people to go to the Mariners vs. Angels game.
Baseball and INTA is a tradition for me. Luckily, I've been able to combine my passion for baseball with my passion for intellectual property.
In 2005, INTA held its Annual Meeting in San Diego. A fellow INTA attendee and I had a steak dinner and went to a Padres game with her mom.
In 2006, we repeated the cycle at INTA's Annual Meeting in Toronto. We went to two Blue Jays games at the Skydome -- one with the roof retracted, one with the roof in service.
In 2007, INTA's Annual Meeting took place in Chicago. The White Sox were in town. The tradition continued.
2008 can be classified as N/A because the Annual Meeting occurred in Berlin, Germany.
And the tradition continues tonight.
Only this time we've extended the group.
Next year, the Annual Meeting is in Boston. My friend, a devoted citizen of Red Sox Nation, hopes the Red Sox will play at home during the 2010 Annual Meeting and allow us to keep pace with our tradition.
While I'm looking forward to the game, I'm also going to miss tonight's Season Finale of 24. Will Kim Bauer escape from the creepy couple at the airport? Will Tony Almeida break under interrogation techniques that he knows about and maybe even helped invent? Will the president's daughter get arrested for her participation in Jonas Hodges' murder?
After four months of not missing an episode this season, I may have to read about the Season Finale on the Internet. Not exactly the same as watching it.
At least that's what I thought until I discovered hulu.com puts episodes of 24 on its site the day after the episodes air. So, I'll be a few hours behind the rest of the world in seeing how Jack Bauer solves his latest crisis. But I'll see it.
The convergence of television and the Internet takes a massive step forward in hulu.com. The site provides television programming with limited commercial interruption. Full-scaled programs, not the clips of ten minutes or less that you see on YouTube.
By the way, hulu.com doesn't just post episodes from current series -- Lost, House, 24. There's also a nice offering of shows from decades past -- Charlie's Angels, The White Shadow.
Will appointment television be a thing of the past because of hulu.com and potential similar sites and business models yet to be created?
Stay tuned.
david@davidkrell.com
Greetings from Seattle! Home of Dr. Frasier Crane, Seattle Grace Hospital, and the 1992 film Singles that inspired the Generation X-themed powerhouse sitcom Friends.
Seattle is also home to the 2009 International Trademark Association's Annual Meeting. Approximately 8,000 trademark owners, attorneys, and branding executives come to the Annual Meeting to discuss their challenges, experiences, and solutions in being the guardians of their respective brands.
Besides providing unparalleled education, INTA's Annual Meeting has networking around the clock. And you never know who you're going to meet.
At the opening reception last night, I met the attorney from Loeb & Loeb who handles the Green Hornet character. A movie featuring the Green Hornet is in pre-production. Seth Rogen is set to star.
After months of telephone conference calls, I met the leader of our workshop group for INTA's 2010 Annual Meeting in Boston where I will have the privilege of being a faculty member. I will tailor my Write This Way 2.0 workshop for an INTA writing workshop featuring panelists from the Jackson Walker law firm and General Electric.
I chatted with Alan Drewsen, Executive Director of INTA. A couple of weeks ago, I had the unique opportunity to pre-tape an interview with Mr. Drewsen for TV Confidential. The interview will air on a future program.
And I also had a brush with celebrity when I met supermodel turned brand owner Elle Macpherson at the Loeb & Loeb dessert reception. Read today's blog entry at Write This Way 2.0 for more about Ms. Macpherson's Keynote Speech at last night's opening ceremony.
The networking continues tonight. I put together a group of eight people to go to the Mariners vs. Angels game.
Baseball and INTA is a tradition for me. Luckily, I've been able to combine my passion for baseball with my passion for intellectual property.
In 2005, INTA held its Annual Meeting in San Diego. A fellow INTA attendee and I had a steak dinner and went to a Padres game with her mom.
In 2006, we repeated the cycle at INTA's Annual Meeting in Toronto. We went to two Blue Jays games at the Skydome -- one with the roof retracted, one with the roof in service.
In 2007, INTA's Annual Meeting took place in Chicago. The White Sox were in town. The tradition continued.
2008 can be classified as N/A because the Annual Meeting occurred in Berlin, Germany.
And the tradition continues tonight.
Only this time we've extended the group.
Next year, the Annual Meeting is in Boston. My friend, a devoted citizen of Red Sox Nation, hopes the Red Sox will play at home during the 2010 Annual Meeting and allow us to keep pace with our tradition.
While I'm looking forward to the game, I'm also going to miss tonight's Season Finale of 24. Will Kim Bauer escape from the creepy couple at the airport? Will Tony Almeida break under interrogation techniques that he knows about and maybe even helped invent? Will the president's daughter get arrested for her participation in Jonas Hodges' murder?
After four months of not missing an episode this season, I may have to read about the Season Finale on the Internet. Not exactly the same as watching it.
At least that's what I thought until I discovered hulu.com puts episodes of 24 on its site the day after the episodes air. So, I'll be a few hours behind the rest of the world in seeing how Jack Bauer solves his latest crisis. But I'll see it.
The convergence of television and the Internet takes a massive step forward in hulu.com. The site provides television programming with limited commercial interruption. Full-scaled programs, not the clips of ten minutes or less that you see on YouTube.
By the way, hulu.com doesn't just post episodes from current series -- Lost, House, 24. There's also a nice offering of shows from decades past -- Charlie's Angels, The White Shadow.
Will appointment television be a thing of the past because of hulu.com and potential similar sites and business models yet to be created?
Stay tuned.