Who is my favorite writer?

First off, thanks to all of you for the lovely comments on yesterday’s post. I shall continue to defend Patty Heaton even at the risk of Anonymous calling me names.

Also, today’s the last day you can sign up for my 90 minute teleseminar (which happens on Saturday). It’s free and here’s where you go to register.

Now for some Friday questions.

Vermonter17032 (as opposed to the 17031 other Vermonters) writes:

QUESTION: I'm wondering how show-changing decisions get made. For example, during the fourth season of Cheers, Lilith was introduced in one episode as a date for Fraiser. In season five, she was back in a larger roll one episode, and then a few shows later Fraiser and Lilith are cohabitating and she became a regular character. How does that process work? Did someone decide that Fraser needed a steady girlfriend/wife, or was Bebe just so good you couldn't keep her out of the show?

These are the happy accidents producers hope just fall into their laps. A guest actor happens to really score. So you bring them back and give them a little more to do. They hit it out of the park and eventually they wind up regulars. Lilith is a perfect example. As you mentioned, she originally was just slated to be in one three page teaser. Another example is Reverend Jim on TAXI. He was introduced in one episode as a guy hired to perform a marriage ceremony. And then there’s Klinger on MASH (who knew a guy in a dress would be funny?) These are gifts from God. Our reward for having to take stupid notes.

Sonia asks:

One of the best ideas I've seen in all these years was making Daphne getting fat because of her love for Niles. How did you think about this? How did you think it could work?

I wasn’t on staff of FRASIER at the time but I think this story turn was necessitated because Jane Leeves got pregnant. Quite a few producers have been faced with this writing challenge but I agree on FRASIER they handled it deftly and inventively. But with the FRASIER staff, would you expect anything less?

And Scott Siegel has two questions. Actually, three now that I think about it.

Who is your favorite writer, or what scene in a movie/tv do you wish you wrote?

Larry Gelbart is my all-time favorite. I assume you mean comedy. There are others I greatly admire but I don’t want to list them because I know I'll leave someone out. And then Woody Allen is calling me pissed. I don’t need the headache.

If I had to choose one single comedy scene I would say the “Putting of the Ritz” scene from Mel Brooks’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. I laugh just as hard now as I did when I first saw it.

My next question is about those artists/writers that have given you praise for something you wrote (or said they wished they had written that). Are there any that really stick out in your mind and say, "Wow, that was special praise".

Alan Alda in an interview said that “Point of View” was one of his all-time favorite MASH episodes. I cherish that.

Director James Burrows surprised the heck out of me by telling a reporter that an episode we wrote of CHEERS, “The Big Kiss-Off” was one of his faves.

But the greatest praise, and I’m still stunned to this day, is that Kurt Vonnegut said on Charlie Rose that he wished he were good enough to write a CHEERS. Holy shit! I am still utterly blown away.

What’s your question?