On Tuesday, CHML’s AM900 morning host Bill Kelly suggested to me that Steven Bochco was to television what Steven Spielberg was to movies. Both moved their medium forward. Bochco certainly was an innovator as a writer and story editor, combining serial elements into police procedurals. Bochco also encouraged Hill Street Blues pilot director Robert Butler to literally
Way back when I was a young Turk at TV Guide Canada I was asked to get Steven Bochco on the phone. I thought the request was pure madness. At that time and for many years afterwards, Bochco was TV’s top showrunner, the much-admired writer/producer behind such groundbreaking hits as Hill Street Blues and L.A.
Back when I was a wee lad, Cleveland Amory would review shows for TV Guide magazine. He was on the back page, in a pencil sketch, wearing the typical white shirt and black tie reporter uniform of the ’60s. He was clutching a pipe, which is how you knew he was a critic. Reading his stuff
Famed during the Ed Sullivan Show years of the ’60s as one half of the comedy team of Allen & Rossi, Marty Allen died Monday in Las Vegas. He was 95. Allen & Rossi appeared 44 times on Sullivan, scoring their biggest audience on Sunday, Feb. 16, 1964 on a showcase that also featured The Beatles.
There should be a rule against re-booting sitcoms that already lasted seven years after they stopped being funny. Murphy Brown ran for 10 seasons on CBS. The 1988 – 98 sitcom had a talented cast, led by Candice Bergen, and featuring strong supporting players, including Faith Ford, Charles Kimbrough, Robert Pastorelli, Joe Regalbuto and Grant Shaud. Buffalo,
One of my favourite interviews ever was with Hugh Wilson. The Florida native just sounded like fun on the phone, and generously shared his memories of creating and working on a show I adored in my college days, WKRP in Cincinnati. Sad to report, that Wilson passed away last Sunday at his home in Charlottesville, Va. He was 74.
Now and then, a bit of what matters most — business-wise — is dropped off in the mail box. Today this unexpected package arrived: Carl Reiner’s latest book, “Too Busy to Die.” The title came to Reiner after he complained to his pal Mel Brooks that he was at loose ends after finishing his latest project.
Who didn’t like Jerry Van Dyke? Dick’s banjo-playing younger brother never failed to warm up any TV show or movie. He passed away Friday at his ranch in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was 86. I was fortunate to interview Van Dyke on a few occasions, once on the phone. At the end of that conversation, he kindly volunteered