... and directed a couple episodes of Columbo - the one with John Cassavetes as a conductor and... the one with Johnny Cash!
― The Corbynite Maneuver (Tom D.), Saturday, 18 April 2020 00:30 (four years ago) link
there's a nice bit in one of the articles listed above where, when woody showed up, all the dudes pushing 40 were like 'let's kick his ass!' and instead got repeatedly owned
― mookieproof, Saturday, 18 April 2020 01:26 (four years ago) link
lol yesI think they also tried keeping up with his drinking/casual drug use and got destroyed maybe not Kelsey, he was always kind of an ongoing experiment in self-destruction
― mh, Saturday, 18 April 2020 01:36 (four years ago) link
With the exception of Danson they all look older than mid-30s.
― Matt DC, Saturday, 18 April 2020 12:32 (four years ago) link
They probably were. Actors always lie about their ages.
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 18 April 2020 12:40 (four years ago) link
i feel woody harrelson owns everyone just by his character being called woody tbh
― mark s, Saturday, 18 April 2020 12:56 (four years ago) link
in his early eps you can tell he's doing material scripted for coach but he just makes it his own (imo by vaulting the bar)
also: "woody arrived at cheers expecting to meet his 'pen pal' coach, with whom he exchanged pens instead of letters"
― mark s, Saturday, 18 April 2020 12:58 (four years ago) link
Been watching some s06 lately, the Sam and Rebecca stuff is more repellently "sexual harrassment in the workplace" than I remember but she's great from the off
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Saturday, 18 April 2020 13:55 (four years ago) link
I like how the series kind of undid the mystique of Sam's machismo in later seasons, with the sexual addiction sessions and the revelation that he's wearing a wig
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Saturday, 18 April 2020 13:56 (four years ago) link
also an episode where he realises he hasn't chased empty casual sex for a year or so and has a crisis of identity
Colasanto left the show nearly a year before Woody debuted - Coach spent a while still "appearing" via letters that Diane would read out, and after Colasanto's death they recycled a dropped scene for the cold open - and Woody's dumbness is always written as naivety rather than brain trauma, but the writers get a better handle on that once they see how joyously guileless Harrelson can play.
― donald failson (sic), Saturday, 18 April 2020 20:17 (four years ago) link
watched a couple of mid-to-later 3rd season(I think?) eps and Colasanto seemed off his game and looking weak :-/
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Saturday, 18 April 2020 21:02 (four years ago) link
Yes, he was so unwell in that season that at times they had to trim his lines down as short as possible, and arrange his blocking so that he could have cue cards out of camera-sight.
― donald failson (sic), Saturday, 18 April 2020 23:35 (four years ago) link
I've been very slowing watching the entire series over the past, maybe, 3 years? I'll just pick a day and watch 7 or 8 episodes and then hit it again two weeks later. Anyway, I'm well into the Woody/Kelly stage now and there's absolute NOTHING charming about their relationship or her character. Too bad, I remember it fondly from when I was a kid.
― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 19 April 2020 00:47 (four years ago) link
Yeah after being really delighted by these first three seasons I’m kind of worried that the later ones aren’t going to be as good as I remember from when I was a pre-adolescent & young teen watching in real time
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Sunday, 19 April 2020 00:50 (four years ago) link
Don't worry, it stays pretty funny thanks to the introduction of Lilith and with Norm and Cliff assuming more spotlight. The humor gets more broad than it ever was in the Diane years, though.
― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 19 April 2020 00:53 (four years ago) link
watched a couple of mid-to-later 3rd season(I think?) eps and Colasanto seemed off his game and looking weak :-/― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:02 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglinkYes, he was so unwell in that season that at times they had to trim his lines down as short as possible, and arrange his blocking so that he could have cue cards out of camera-sight.― donald failson (sic), Sunday, April 19, 2020 12:35 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Chooglin (will), Saturday, April 18, 2020 10:02 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink
― donald failson (sic), Sunday, April 19, 2020 12:35 AM (six hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
there's a great thing in the oral history about how colasanto was writing his lines down on parts of the set, and after his death the rest of the cast became attached to these graffitoed lines, and when the studio hands cleaned them off there was a mutiny
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Sunday, 19 April 2020 05:55 (four years ago) link
Started a rewatch from the beginning due to insomnia. Perfect show for comfort viewing, the theme is like an old blanket. I forget how great Coach is. Last night I saw the episode where his daughter is engaged to a jerk because she doesn’t think she can do better. The exchange between father and daughter about her looking like her mother made me blink back tears. So good.
― He is married to Brogmus, Linda. (bizarro gazzara), Sunday, 19 April 2020 06:16 (four years ago) link
Yeah, that scene is the bomb, and then it cuts to a really great joke (I forget what the joke is, and then Coach & daughter come rushing out of the precious scene to deliver the coup de grace, just a 1-2-3 punch of greasy writing, acting, directing and editing.
― The little engine that choogled (hardcore dilettante), Sunday, 19 April 2020 06:18 (four years ago) link
PREVIOUS scene and GREAT writing etc, god damn my thumbs
― The little engine that choogled (hardcore dilettante), Sunday, 19 April 2020 06:19 (four years ago) link
I know it's been mentioned upthread already, but the oral history at GQ is terrific.
https://www.gq.com/story/cheers-oral-history-extended
― Cow_Art, Sunday, 19 April 2020 06:30 (four years ago) link
it cuts to a really great joke (I forget what the joke is
― He is married to Brogmus, Linda. (bizarro gazzara), Sunday, 19 April 2020 07:43 (four years ago) link
Colasanto left the show nearly a year before Woody debuted - Coach spent a while still "appearing" via letters that Diane would read out, and after Colasanto's death they recycled a dropped scene for the cold open
I get the sense that S3 was filmed in a weird order - Coach is in 80% of it but comes and goes. They had Shelley Long's pregnancy to deal with as well, which was another major factor.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 19 April 2020 11:12 (four years ago) link
it’s norm holding a lighter under the sleeve of one of coach’s daughter’s fiancé’s suits trying and failing to set it on fire, and it made lol irl― He is married to Brogmus, Linda. (bizarro gazzara)
― The little engine that choogled (hardcore dilettante), Monday, 20 April 2020 05:13 (four years ago) link
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), 2020年4月18日 星期六 下午 11:55 (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink
yeah, we’re on s06 now, and rebecca (kudos to alley’s performance) only just saves it by putting up exactly the right level of blocking to cut off sam’s harassment without killing the comedy. there is no way a dynamic like this would fly now.
― karmic blowback for dissing pip and jane baker (Autumn Almanac), Monday, 20 April 2020 10:09 (four years ago) link
just struck me that cheers episodes are half-hours that are 24 minutes long and new half-hours made today are at least a couple of minutes shorter thanks, capitalism
― He is married to Brogmus, Linda. (bizarro gazzara), Sunday, 26 April 2020 19:08 (four years ago) link
yeah on the Simpsons DVDs the writers talk about how it's actually a lot harder to write episodes now with fewer minutes to work with
― Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Sunday, 26 April 2020 19:24 (four years ago) link
On jeopardy the other night there was a question that was something like “the depth of this part of the Pacific Ocean is greater than any other place on earth” and one of the contestants non-jokingly answered “what is the deepest part?” Amazingly close to cliffs famous “who are three people who have never been in my kitchen” answer from the jeopardy episode, almost fell off the couch laughing
― turn the jawhatthefuckever on (One Eye Open), Sunday, 26 April 2020 19:26 (four years ago) link
Season 5 is a real imperial phase.
― Matt DC, Sunday, 26 April 2020 19:50 (four years ago) link
yeah. the rebecca episodes are great, but i think season 5 is the peak. or maybe it just becomes a different show, as the romcom element fades away forever.
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Sunday, 26 April 2020 22:33 (four years ago) link
The episode where Sam and Diane go to Frasier and Lilith's for dinner is an absolute masterpiece, and the scene where Sam and Diane submit poems to the same magazine is probably the high point of their onscreen relationship.
― Matt DC, Monday, 27 April 2020 12:44 (four years ago) link
i really love the one where Sam borrows Diane's first edition of the Hemingway novel. Is that s05?
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Monday, 27 April 2020 13:24 (four years ago) link
not a rejection note, a "soon and inevitably to be published" note
― mark s, Monday, 27 April 2020 13:29 (four years ago) link
thanks, capitalism
Tbf to capitalism, Cheers theme song intro and end credits over still image took up a good share of that time difference.
― punning display, Monday, 27 April 2020 18:52 (four years ago) link
you have cause and effect the wrong way around there
― donald failson (sic), Monday, 27 April 2020 18:55 (four years ago) link
Huh it's only the 6th episode into Rebecca Howe era where her mask falls, eg Norm sees her crying. In my memory that was kept up for a couple seasons.
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Monday, 27 April 2020 19:50 (four years ago) link
weeks lasted longer when we were kids
― donald failson (sic), Monday, 27 April 2020 20:54 (four years ago) link
i blame capitalism
― mark s, Monday, 27 April 2020 21:04 (four years ago) link
Thatcher surely?
― The Corbynite Maneuver (Tom D.), Monday, 27 April 2020 21:10 (four years ago) link
roger rees also amazingly bad and annoying in law and order
― mark s, Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:06 (four years ago) link
he is not just an employee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
― j., Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:09 (four years ago) link
The first quarter or so of Season 6 is a real dip, you can feel them struggling to nail the new dynamic and Diane is a gigantic absence. Can't help but feel that if the internet was watching it in real time it would be declared over.
Once they realise that Rebecca is funny because she's dorky not because she's an impenetrable hard businesswoman it starts to work, but Frasier and Lilith are absolutely killing it this season.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:12 (four years ago) link
Also you can always tell who the writers are most interested in by who they allow the camera to follow out of the bar. They're going big on Cliff this season as well as Frasier.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:14 (four years ago) link
The episode where Cliff's house is about to be demolished is pretty strong. Also loved the one where Lilith buys Sam in the batchelor auction (the scary woman who purchases Woody resurfaces a few seasons later as a scary IRS official who blackmails Norm into an affair). But yeah, I feel Season Six is a fallow season - in fact, I don't really think the show hits true form again until the Sam/Rebecca/Robin Colcort triangle kicks in (sorry not sorry Mark S).
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:30 (four years ago) link
I disagree actually, I think it hits its stride straight after the episode with Cliff's house - from the charity auction onwards its really strong. Admittedly I'm only as far as the Christmas one but the sense of the tone being off has gone and the one-liners are still as sharp as ever.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:37 (four years ago) link
Vera appeared, except with her face covered in pie or something like that.
I woke up early the other day and turned on the TV and this episode was just finishing. They were having Thanksgiving's at Carla's(?) house and there's a massive food fight but then they're all friends again and Norm wants to introduce them to Vera but a giddy Diane says, "Who's for dessert?" and picks up a chocolate cake or something and throws it, hitting Vera full in the face just as she's walking through the door.
― Angry Question Time Man's Flute Club Band (Tom D.), Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:41 (four years ago) link
coldcord is unwatchable which is a pity bcz the writing was good at this point and the idea of the triangle unimpeachable
sadly they hired the useless and terrible roger rees who punches unfunny holes in the otherwise good stuff
― mark s, Wednesday, 6 May 2020 16:53 (four years ago) link
I've reached S11 (that's the final season, iirc?). Carla deciding to leave Cheers for more money at the neon-laden chain bar was genuisly reversed by meeting her new trainee.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 7 May 2020 05:00 (four years ago) link
I love that episode so much. Mr Pubs!
― Pinche Cumbion Bien Loco (stevie), Thursday, 7 May 2020 06:57 (four years ago) link
cliff’s veggie garden gag making a glorious comeback in s07e19 via the beet-a-baga fajita-in-a-pita, “that little taste of cairo,” is supreme.
― budo jeru, Thursday, 7 May 2020 08:21 (four years ago) link
I love the vegetables running gag so much.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 7 May 2020 08:46 (four years ago) link