Russell (David Spade) listens as Jeff (Patrick Warburton) makes a point on Rules of Engagement.
The late Canadian-born TV scriptwriter Kim Wells worked hard on shows I'd kid her about - like Diagnosis Murder, Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, and the last seasons of Beverly Hills: 90210.
No one I knew was watching them, but they chugged on.
TV is like that. There are "hot" shows you read about constantly, and then there are shows that endure below the radar.
To this day, I don't think I've met anybody who faithfully watched Walker: Texas Ranger (although Chuck Norris kicking ass is undeniably entertaining). Other shows were hot once, but endure like a red star, consuming helium. Admit it, how long did you watch ER after George Clooney and Julianna Margulies left? And yet it survived from one century to the next.
Which brings us to the couples sitcom Rules Of Engagement, now in Season 7. Produced by Adam Sandler (which explains the presence of David Spade, who I believe is legally considered a Sandler dependent for tax purposes), it also has Patrick Warburton, who'll always be Seinfeld's Puddy to us.
Once Mel Brooks began to "make a noise," thankfully he never shut up There’s an apt evaluation in the first minute of the documentary Mel Brooks: Make a Noise. "Mel was not interested in the little laugh," observes writer/director Barry Levinson. "He literally wanted you to collapse and fall on the ground and can’t ... Read more
'SNL' season finale full of goodbyes As Stefon would say: This Saturday Night Live had everything. Kanye West, Jennifer Garner, Anderson Cooper, a musical super group, a surprise guest appearance from Amy Poehler and what looks like the departure of not one, but three cast members. Bill ... Read more
Reporter congratulates Matthew Perry on sitcom axe In what could be one of the biggest live celebrity interview fails of all time, a Fox sports reporter congratulated Matthew Perry on the cancellation of his show “Go On” (which lasted one season) during an NHL game. The impromptu interview ... Read more
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