Actor Lorre, Prady, Molaro New, Tidbits, Gossip

[stardustmelody]

Chuck Lorre, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach combining for Broadway musical 'Painted from Memory' headed to the Great White Way

By AP Staff Tuesday, May 7, 2013 6:11 PM

 

 

NEW YORK (AP) — One of television's most successful sitcom writers is joining with Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello to create a musical based on the artists' 1998 album "Painted From Memory."

Bacharach said Tuesday that Chuck Lorre, creator of "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," contacted him and said he wanted to write a story to go with the music.

The dark and lush album was an unusual collaboration between a pop classicist and an Englishman who usually traffics in rock 'n' roll. They earned a Grammy for one of its songs, "I Still Have That Other Girl."

Costello said he and Bacharach are writing additional music for the play.

 

Edited May 8, 2013 by stardustmelody

[Tensor]

Chuck Lorre getting a Producers Guild of America award.

[vonmar]

I love Chuck's Vanity Cards:

 

'Big Bang Theory' bigwig Chuck Lorre slams 405 workers as goof-offs"

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-chuck-lorre-big-bang-theory-bigwig-slams-405-workers-as-goofoffs-20131108,0,1706399.story#axzz2kDK6hCNe

Regarding the Vanity Cards, this is one of my favorites from November 4, 2010:

 

CHUCK LORRE PRODUCTIONS, #309

Following Kaley Cuoco's horseback riding injury, I've instituted new rules governing acceptable leisure activities for the cast of The Big Bang Theory.

1. No friggin' horses. This includes those found on merry-go-rounds and in front of supermarkets.

2. The only motorcycle you can get on is the one you're accidentally crushing in your big-ass, air-bagged SUV.

3. All cast member motor vehicles must adhere to U.S. Army guidelines for attacking Kandahar. (Galecki's Tesla is a terrifically fuel efficient vehicle but is essentially a hundred thousand dollar go-cart. From now on it is only to be used for backing down his driveway and retrieving mail.)

4. The only permissible boating activity at Comic-Con is in your hotel room bathtub.

5. Alcohol should only be ingested at home, and while seated in a big comfy chair. Wild and carefree dancing that celebrates your incredible and well-deserved success is only allowed on New Year's Eve, and only with a sober celebrity parasitic flunky to lean on.

6. And finally, sexual acts must be performed while horizontal. Certain high-risk Kama Sutra positions might be allowed, but only after consultation with Chuck Lorre. Like with dancing, a spotter might be required.

 

A link to this one and others: http://chucklorre.com/index-bbt.php?p=309

[Tensor]

The Producers Guild of America has Nominated The Big Bang Theory for the Danny Thomas Award for outstanding Producer, Episodic Television, Comedy, for the 2014 Awards showProducers Chuck Lorre, Bill Prady, Steve Molaro, and Faye Oshima Belyeu. The show will competing with, 30 Rock, Modern Family, and Veep.

[SRAM]

TBBT has better ratings and viewership than those three shows combined, doesn't it?

[Tensor]

TBBT has better ratings and viewership than those three shows combined, doesn't it?

 

Well, 30 Rock isn't on this year and I don't have access to the numbers for Veep, since it's on HBO.  So Modern Family is the only show I can verify the ratings for.  It is the only broadcast show that consistently beats the Live + Same day of TBBT with it's Live + 7 (for instance, this weeks Live + 7 for Modern Family was 5.8 and the Live + Same Day for TBBT was 5.2 (MF had a 3.8 for Live + Same Day), and there wasn't any other show that beat the 5.2 of TBBT.  

[djsurrey]

I guess you might have seen this before but it was new to me....

From http://www.ctv.ca/TheBigBangTheory/article/From-e28098Soft-Kittye28099-to-e28098Bazingae28099-Things-You-Didne28099t-Know-About-The-Big-Bang-Theory

 

 

‘Bazinga’ actually came from writer Stephen Engel, who would set up practical jokes around the writers room and then once the joke was revealed he would use the term as a way of saying ‘gotcha.’

Executive producer Bill Prady revealed that “Soft Kitty,” a song Penny sings to Sheldon when he’s not feeling well, came from Prady’s daughter’s pre-school in Sherman Oaks.

[stardustmelody]

DRATS!   The Big Bang Theory was snubbed by the WGA this year.   They were not nominated for an award this year.   Drats!

 

COMEDY SERIES

30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Robert Carlock, Tom Ceraulo, Luke Del Tredici, Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, Matt Hubbard, Colleen McGuinness, Sam Means, Dylan Morgan, Nina Pedrad, Josh Siegal, Tracey Wigfield; NBC

Modern Family, Written by Paul Corrigan, Bianca Douglas, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Audra Sielaff, Emily Spivey, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker; ABC

Parks and Recreation, Written by Megan Amram, Donick Cary, Greg Daniels, Nate DiMeo, Emma Fletcher, Rachna Fruchbom, Daniel J. Goor, Norm Hiscock, Matt Hubbard, Dave King, Greg Levine, Joe Mande, Sam Means, Aisha Muharrar, Matt Murray, Amy Poehler, Alexandra Rushfield, Michael Schur, Jen Statsky, Harris Wittels, Alan Yang; NBC

Orange Is the New Black, Written by Liz Friedman, Sian Heder, Tara Herrmann, Sara Hess, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Lauren Morelli, Marco Ramirez; Netflix

Veep, Written by Simon Blackwell, Roger Drew, Sean Gray, Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, Georgia Pritchett, David Quantick, Tony Roche, Will Smith; HBO

[rachelshamyfan]

What's wga?

[Tensor]

That doesn't bode well for best comedy at the Emmys. Not impossible, just not a good precursor.

[Martin Pollard]

What's wga?

 

The Writer's Guild of America.

[stardustmelody]

That doesn't bode well for best comedy at the Emmys. Not impossible, just not a good precursor.

I agree.  Definitely does not bode well for awards season.   Plus with the non-release of the press conference information held in October is disconcerting.  

Edited December 5, 2013 by stardustmelody

[phantagrae]

The WGA seems to look down their noses at TBBT, judging by some comments I read following last year's snub.  I think people were posting in the comments section on their page or something, asking why TBBT hadn't been nominated and the responses were saying things like that the writers depended too much on Jim Parsons' acting to make the show funny, and blahblahblah.  Now, I don't remember who it was that was responding--if they were just other readers or someone actually from the WGA, but I got the impression that it was some kind of WGA opinion.

 

But it's not as if Jim or any of the others are making up their lines or just doing wacky physical comedy or whatever.  They always start with the script, and the audience laughs at the lines, not just this or that actor mugging for the camera.

 

I wonder if it has to do with the fact that TBBT is such a big mainstream hit, rather than some kind of cult comedy, where people feel like they are onto something great, like people who prefer obscure musicians rather than popular ones because it makes them feel cool.

 

I've watched some Modern Family now that it's in syndication, and while it's funny, to me it's kind of a little more absurdist than TBBT, even though TBBT can get into the absurd, in its own way.

But on Modern Family, you have more outrageous situations and truly goofy characters, etc., while on TBBT, the situations are different, somehow.

 

I dunno.  I think that the TBBT writers are every bit as good as the writers for Modern Family.  They're just thinking of different kinds of stories.

 

But who knows what criteria the WGA uses. Dunno.

[stardustmelody]

I have tried watching Modern Family and have caught probably about 10 episodes and have yet to find it interesting or funny.  I don't get the attraction to it. I find it completely a waste of time.

[Martin Pollard]

I have tried watching Modern Family and have caught probably about 10 episodes and have yet to find it interesting or funny.  I don't get the attraction to it. I find it completely a waste of time.

 

This. I tried to like it, I really did, especially since my girlfriend really likes it, but then, she also liked Seinfeld, so what does she know? I watched maybe a dozen episodes, and I probably laughed only a handful of times. I thought that Ed O'Neill's character was okay (and thankfully not a clone of Al Bundy), but Sofia Vergara's character was just plain annoying, and the charm of the flamboyantly gay couple wore off very quickly (and I found myself not giving a single rat's a** about the other family). I honestly do not understand what others think is so all-fired wonderful about this show. I dunno, maybe it's just me.

[Tensor]

Now that it's in syndication, I'm watching it( it's on from 6-7pm on our local channel(TBBT is on from 7-8pm)) and I'm finding myself enjoying it. I wouldn't drop everything or make sure I'm free to see it(like I do with TBBT)but I do enjoy it, if I happen to catch it. I loved 30 Rock, as absurdist as that could be( I worship Tina Fey). The Office I just didn't get into, which could be due to my indifference to Steve Carrel.

[phantagrae]

I like MF well enough, but as Tensor puts it, I ain't running home to watch it.  I only watch it because oftentimes there's nothing else on that's remotely tolerable.  (And by the way, I LOVED Seinfeld!)

 

I think the individual characters are funny enough, but it's kind of the style of humor, I guess.  It's funny, but I don't find it all that compelling.  I can watch any bit here or there and not really care about what came before it or after it or what's going to happen next.  I don't find myself drawn to any of the characters in particular and don't really care about who they are.  They're kind of cartoonish, to me.

 

Big Bang, as silly as it can be, has characters that I've cared about since I first started watching.  I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who feel the opposite--they care about the MF characters and could give a rat's patootie about the TBBT folks, but judging by the ratings...

 

Too bad that won't get the BBT writers a WGA nom.

[SRAM]

Now that it's in syndication, I'm watching it( it's on from 6-7pm on our local channel(TBBT is on from 7-8pm)) and I'm finding myself enjoying it. I wouldn't drop everything or make sure I'm free to see it(like I do with TBBT)but I do enjoy it, if I happen to catch it. I loved 30 Rock, as absurdist as that could be( I worship Tina Fey). The Office I just didn't get into, which could be due to my indifference to Steve Carrel.

I'm the opposite, I hate Tina Fey, I don't think she is funny and I despise Alex Baldwin.

Also I feel 30 Rock keeps getting nominated for the political ideals of the actors, not their acting ability or the shows popularity.

[stardustmelody]

Honestly, I didn't like MF or 30 Rock. Neither did I find funny or interesting or worthy of watching.  I really don't care for Alec Baldwin at all and Tina can be funny, just not on that show.  Her role wasn't that funny.   I didn't care for the stories or the show.   Too much Alec.   Also I didn't care for MF because of what MJ Pollard said above.  Things wear on you quickly with that show and Sofia is so annoying on it that she isn't charming or funny. I just wanted her cut out of all the scene because she annoyed me so.    So neither show has the charm, fun or entertainment value that TBBT has to me.   I don't think they compete with some of the others as well.   I miss some of the older sitcoms that were really fun to watch and had smart writers (like Frasier, the Nanny, etc.). 

[notchinc]

Bill's geeking out on Twitter. Cause the new flash show on the cw made shout out to BBT by way of wardrobe.

LiZard/spock t shirt and a Bazinga t shirt.

[MTBigBangTheoryFan]

I use to like Modern Family in it First Few Seasons but anymore, It just not that funny to me anymore and continues to get worse and worse. I tried watching the season premiere the first Episode I watch in a while and There was maybe one or two chuckles but bot there was not a big haha laugh out moment for me like earlier Seasons. It has became really cartoonish and they have really hyped up the Gay Relationship (More Stereotypical) and Sofia Voice Grate on my nerves more then ever. The only characters i like are Phil, Alex, Grandpa and Luke. The rest have became caricature and show has became a victim of it own success.

I like 30 Rock, That is a Good Show, Had Good Writing and Solid Acting. It had a Good Ensemble built around Liz Lemon. Tina Fey was smart to end the show after it 7th Season. It Producers knew when it was time to go and not overstay it Welcome. I never grew tired of it like MF.

I enjoy Multi Camera Sitcoms much more then Single Camera. 30 Rock is truly the only Singe Camera Sitcom I have like but other then I can't get into them much

Edited October 8, 2014 by MTBigBangTheoryFan

[phantagrae]

I'm stil liking Modern Family, but as I said earlier, it's simply a different animal than TBBT.

 

For me, it has a very different tone and because it's about "family", they kind of always have a little "the moral to the story is..." kind of moment.  It's still funny, because they usually have a funny tag at the end, but I think that because they have that little "sweet moment" thing at the end, people respond to it.

 

None of the characters grate on my nerves--Sofia Vergara cracks me up (maybe because I'm hispanic and some of what she says reverbrates with me).

I just think TBBT and MF are kind of apples and oranges.

 

The thing about the MF characters is that none of them is any kind of a mystery to the audience, the way Sheldon can be, for example.  We sometimes kind of have to psychoanalyze Sheldon to figure out what the truth is behind something he might say or do.

On MF, the characters will sit and face the camera and tell you everything they're thinking, or they'll look directly at the audience (breaking the "fourth wall") to underscore something they just pointed out in the "interview" moment.

It's that "mockumentary" style that's so popular now, where the characters speak to the camera and explain what's going on or talk about what a person is really like, or what they're really thinking, etc..

TBBT is simply a straightforward little mini-play every week and the audience has to infer for themselves what may or may not be going on, if it isn't straightforward in the moment.

[luke]

Bill's geeking out on Twitter. Cause the new flash show on the cw made shout out to BBT by way of wardrobe.

LiZard/spock t shirt and a Bazinga t shirt.

 

I was looking for a BBT reference in the Flash premier, but I didn't notice the t-shirts, now I will have to watch it again, the first episode was very good -

I think Sheldon would approve

Edited October 8, 2014 by luke

[stardustmelody]

Chuck and Steve are on THR's Top 50 Powerful Showrunners List

[Tensor]

I wasn't aware we'd ever seen Penny's Mum.

 

No reason.

 

Just thought it was an interesting choice.

 

BTW. didn't the actress who plays her, also play Sybil Shepherd's best friend, in the Sit-Com Sybil?

 

Yes, Christine Baranski played Cybill's best friend (and an alcoholic) in Cybill.  Which was also created a produced by Chuck Lorre.   Cybill Sheppard, became upset when Christine got an Emmy award for her performance.  Enough that she got Lorre, the creator, fired as Executive Producer.