What About Bob?

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Bill Murray, Comedy, Film, Funny, Richard Dreyfuss, What About Bob?

What About Bob? is comedy which came out in 1991 directed by Frank Oz, and starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. Murray plays Bob Wiley, a multiphobic psychiatric patient who follows his successful and (beyond) egotistical psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin (played by Dreyfuss) on vacation. When the unstable Bob befriends the other members of Marvin’s family, it pushes the doctor over the edge.

I loved this film when it came out and I still love it. I am not sure what comedy critics or people who know the ins and outs of comedy writing better than I do would/will say, but I think this film is just about perfect and here is why.

The situation is funny! Dr. Marvin wants nothing but a weekend alone with his family and a promo opp with Good Morning America to go well and Bob wants nothing but to be  with Dr. Marvin because he thinks he “needs” him. Both characters have very clear and conflicting wants in this film and the actors are so committed to the part that we believe it and it’s funny.

This film doesn’t rely on joke, joke, joke, but instead takes two people and shoves them together in a situation that is tragic and yet very funny. It’s funny that Dr. Marvin’s kids relate better to crazy Bob, it’s funny that Dr. Marvin’s wife likes him so much, it’s funny that everyone likes Bob and wants him around except Dr. Marvin who is completely put out by the situation at hand.

This is another example of a film that could have just as easily been a drama about a crazy patient who just won’t take no for an answer, but instead it’s funny. We, the audience love and cheer on Bob and we also cheer on Dr. Marvin. Two opposing sides and we like both of them.

It’s really a great film and if you haven’t seen it in a while, or never seen it, put it on your Netflix cue and watch it, you’ll like it.

Write What You Know and What You Are Good At

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Comedy, drama, Sitcoms, Spec scripts, TV writing, Writing

Fellowship season is upon us!

Having a spec and an original pilot are a must-

SPEC SCRIPTS FOR TV

This time of year when all the aspiring TV writers start on new spec scripts and or bring out last year’s-big mistake in my book-write a new one, you’re a writer, write a new one. And the added bonus of doing this-the more you write-the better you get.

The biggest mistakes that I see, and have done myself in the past are so simple and easy to fix. I don’t know why more people don’t see it.

You want to work in drama-what is your favorite drama? Write a spec of that one. Period. You love the show, you know the characters, that is what you should be writing. Don’t write what you think you should be writing, unless asked to as a possible job off.  Example, I was asked a couple years back to write an episode of 24. The studio/show I had submitted my Saving Grace and Grey’s Anatomy too liked me and my writing, but the job was for an event drama so they asked me to write a 24 to see if I could fit their style. I didn’t get the job. I love 24, but it just isn’t my style-so probably had I got that job it wouldn’t have been a good fit.

I have since switched back to my original love comedy. But this isn’t about me, it’s about you.

Write a show that YOU love.

COMEDY WRITERS-Why do you love that show? Is it all jokes like Chuck Lorre’s show? Or is it situational? Is it single cam? Is it multi-cam? Is it ironic like Californiacation-which is almost a drama, or is it slapstick and sketchy?

DRAMATIC WRITERS-Do you like Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Brothers & Sisters type shows? Or are you a procedural type of person. What shows are you excited to watch every week?

I read a lot of scripts, sometimes for friends and sometimes for money (see my website I have a consulting business) and the biggest number one thing I see people doing wrong-is NOT staying in character. If you have Monica from Friends being a free spirit and not caring about the table being messy-you do not know Monica and it tells the reader that you either don’t care or don’t know the show you are writing. Make sure you know those characters and how they will act. I recently read three comedy specs and they were all funny, and I could maybe see them on the air, but they would be the episodes that the audience wouldn’t love or just be confused at. The reason is the characters were all wrong. It’s the biggest mistake.

Sure I have made a lot of mistakes in my specs-as we all do. I wrote a Big Bang Theory and totally missed the mark because I wrote a situation comedy instead of a joke show and I placed it in a movie theater. Had I put it in the comic book store and told more jokes it would have worked. That was me not knowing the show, or not following it properly. I thought as long as I got the characters right and surrounded it about a comic book character-IRON MAN in this one-than it would work. I missed the mark.

I have learned the hard way about trying to write what you think people want to read and what I should have been writing.

So I offer this blog today before you start your spec for the fellowships-write what you love.

ORIGINAL PILOTS

Same thing, write the type of show you love. If you love cop shows, write a cop show. It’s pretty simple and want to tell that story and be excited about it. I see a lot of original scripts that are high concept and badly executed because the person has a great idea, but not the passion for that type of show and it stands out in the writing.

Draw from your own life. Draw from your friends. Draw from what makes you tick and don’t worry about what you think you will sell-because if you do that, you will fail.

Now get off the internet and start working on that script!

Modern Family Is Brilliant-Because It’s Real

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Comedy, Modern Family, Sitcoms

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! It’s so damn FUNNY!

When I first saw the pilot episode of Modern Family, created by Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, last summer at ABC’s event at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills. I laughed out loud. That doesn’t happen to me that often.

I am jaded. I have worked in the industry since I was small in one way or another. I studied acting for a million + years and so I always come from the angle of “character”. Even in animation and storyboards. I always think about the characters “intentions” (Intention is a huge word in the acting world-it means their why, their needs, their want).

It takes a lot to make me laugh, because I always see “it coming” and so I tend to watch from a different point of view than a lot of folks.

That said:

Modern Family relies on some very old, but true stereotypes and yet it is HILARIOUS!

From Jay the oldest and yet not so wise father of the group to his Gloria-the hot sexy younger woman, to the gay couple and the dorky husband and son in law. The show works.

If you live in Los Angels, you know all these people in real life. I was at a panel with Steve Levitan, creator, where he talked about Manny-the step son to Jay, son of Gloria and he made a comment about how Manny was so original, well I guess he hasn’t been to the valley much, because I am telling you, I know this kid-he is every where. That’s why it is funny.

Claire and Phil are so amazing. You know they love each other, but they are a real married couple. They don’t rely on joke joke joke to get laughs, they are just being true to themselves and it works. The situations they are in are hysterical.

For example: Did you see the Valentine’s Day episode? Phil and Claire did some role playing and she got her coat stuck in the escalator, and of course she was naked under that, and of course they ran into every person that they wouldn’t want to see, especially her father! It was predictable, and yet they crafted it so well that I was rolling on the floor with laughter!

Did you see the episode where Claire wanted the family pictures taken? The whole episode was laugh after laugh and no one was trying to be funny-it just was funny.

I miss real old school situation comedies. Yes they are all called “sitcoms” but I think people these days don’t know what that word means.

Modern Family has the perfect formula and the perfect cast. The writing is brilliant and I will tell you this, Steve Levitan has openly talked about how every character in that show is based on someone he knows and even some of the teenager’s behavior is his own kids. It isn’t trying to be funny, it is real so it is funny!

I would give my left nut-er well, I don’t have a nut to give-but you know the expression-to write on this show!

Watch it, you’ll love it!
(if you don’t, something is seriously wrong with you and I am not sure we can talk anymore-I am worried about you, seriously)

Modern Family ABC Television Wed night!
CAST

Ed O’Neill … Jay Pritchett

Sofía Vergara … Gloria Delgado-Pritchett

Julie Bowen … Claire Dunphy

Ty Burrell … Phil Dunphy

Jesse Tyler Ferguson … Mitchell Pritchett

Eric Stonestreet … Cameron Tucker

Rico Rodriguez … Manny Delgado

Nolan Gould … Luke Dunphy

Sarah Hyland … Haley Dunphy

Ariel Winter … Alex Dunphy