Page 154 - Sitcoms News Today

Completely clear the piece. >> whats taken so long? >> but i am analyzing my options unlike your wink and approach i like to plan a strategy, like a general leading his troops into battle. >> checkmate, schwarzkopf. >> i think "frasier" stands as the single most successful spinoff, at least in the history of sitcoms. >> and the emmy goes to "frasier". >> "frasier". >> "frasier". >> we were lightning hot and it was critical for us to be leading the way, not just following. ♪ >> "friends" is abo...

>> at the height of must-see tv, thursday nights on nbc, 75 million americans watched thursday night. that was at the time one-third of the country. >> ooh! what is this stuff? >> the sweater is angora. >> well, its wonderful. >> the machine that was nbc in the 90s for comedy was untouchable. >> youre not from around here, are you? >> it generated so much viewership and money and awards. >> you do not need this. >> its the top of our wedding cake. >> were not -- its not a scrapbook, its a freeze...

Thursday nights on nbc, 75 million americans watched thursday night. that was at the time one-third of the country. >> oh. what is this stuff? >> the sweater is angora. >> well, its wonderful. >> the machine that was nbc in the 90s for comedy was untouchable. >> youre not from around here, are you? >> it generated so much viewership and money and awards. >> you do not need this. >> its the top of our wedding cake. >> its not a scrapbook. its a freezer. >> we were all kind of part of this chapter...

>> oh, ill get it. >> it is gary shandling show. >> people were taking the old principles of comedy and turn them into something new. we spent years watching sitcoms and dramas and talk shows and we knew them by heart, if somebody played on that and parodied it, we got it instantly. >> i appreciate you coming in under these conditions. you want to hold the credits. we were going to roll the credits but you screwed that up because you were late. >> gary shandling was aware of the cliches and it w...

>> but i am analyzing my options unlike your winged approach, i like to plan a strategy, like a general leading his troops into battle. >> checkmate, schwarzkopf. >> i think "frasier" stands as the single most successful spinoff, at least in the history of sitcoms. >> and the emmy goes to "frasier". >> "frasier". >> "frasier". >> we were lightning hot and it was critical for us to be leading the way not just following. ♪ >> "friends" is about that time in your life when your friends are your f...

Shes mine. this is shirley feeney. shes yours. as you can see. >> nice to meet you, ritchie. >> my pleasure. >> when "laverne & shirley" made a guest appearance, one of the cameramen said, look at this two shot. thats a series. >> shamele, shamozle -- hossenfere incorporated. >> tuesday night between 8:00 and 9:00 is called the death spot, death to any program that dares to go head-on between abcs "happy days" and "laverne & shirley." >> "laverne & shirley" was one of the few sitcoms that debute...

>> how rude. >> hes quick, ill give him that. >> all television and, oh, maybe sitcoms are alive again. and thats all that it took. it took one success. >> a few years from now, something new may tempt the people that pick what we see. but its a safe guess that whatever gets hot for a season or two those who create good television comedy will be laughing all the way to the bank.

>> we had the luck to be able to rotate cast and every time we put somebody in, they were explosions. >> there was something very special about that setting, those characters that i never got tired of writing that show. >> sophisticated surveys, telephonic samplings, test audiences. all of those things help to separate winners from loosers and make mid course corrections. you cant cut all comedies from the same cookie cutters. all you can hope is every night turns out like thursday. >> yo, angel...

Thursday nights on nbc, 75 million americans watched thursday night. that was at the time one-third of the country. >> oh. what is this stuff? >> the sweater is angora. >> well, its wonderful. >> the machine that was nbc in the 90s for comedy was untouchable. >> youre not from around here, are you? >> it generated so much viewership and money and awards. >> you do not need this. >> its the top of our wedding cake. >> its not a scrapbook. its a freezer. >> we were all kind of part of this chapter...

>> let me just sum up, on track, stay the course. a thousand points of light. stay the course. >> governor dukakis, rebuttal? >> i cant believe im losing to this guy. >> ill get it. >> its "gary shandling show." >> people were taking the old principles of comedy and turn them into something new. we spent years watching sitcoms and dramas and talk shows and we knew them by heart, if somebody played on that and parodied that, we got it. >> i appreciate you coming in under these conditions. i reall...