I am reviewing Janet McCabe's book on The West Wing for my final paper, as well as finishing watching the final episodes of the series on Netflix. Even before Sorkin and others left the show, it has been remarkable to see who has appeared over the years in regular or guest appearances, beyond the ensemble cast of Bradley Whitford, Dule Hill, John Spencer, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Rob Lowe, Janel Moloney, Joshua Malina, and Martin Sheen.
Some of the Hollywood heavyweights and welterweights I have spotted:
Stockard Channing
Elisabeth Moss
Mary-Louise Parker
Gary Cole
Marlee Matlin
Lily Tomlin
John Goodman
James Cromwell
Adam Arkin
Alan Alda
Jimmy Smits
Kristen Chenoweth
Glenn Close
Matthew Perry
Christian Slater
Timothy Busfield
Milo O'Shea
William Fichtner
Teri Polo
Oliver Platt
Mary Kay Place
Clark Gregg
Mark Harmon
Connie Britton
Terry O'Quinn
Ed O'Neill
Ted McGinley
Hal Holbrook
James Brolin
Taye Diggs
Edward James Olmos
Jane Lynch
O.K., so maybe I had to consult IMDb to confirm/learn the names of "What's his face?". Playing "Name That Actor" can become maddening while watching the show itself. My point is that there is so much triangulation happening of really smart, savvy actors with other movies and television programs on The West Wing. This show must have been quite a draw for actors working a decade ago in Tinsel Town. A corollary can be found with Grey's Anatomy. When the curtain slides back on the patient du jour in the exam room, the audience never knows which famous or vaguely familiar face will appear (replete with makeup to look like they have a goiter protruding from their necks). Speaking of Grey's, Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens, Jr.), the chief of surgery, shows up on The West Wing as the mayor of Washington, D.C., arguing for school vouchers--as a Democrat.
Who said the variety show with the parade of famous faces is over in this era of television? Seeing multiple Oscar nominees and winners on the list, I have to think of Amy Poehler's joke as host of the Golden Globes Award Show (along with Tina Fey):
"Only at the Golden Globes do the beautiful people of film rub shoulders with the rat-faced people of television."
Apparently she is not a fan of The West Wing, where it happens weekly.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Best to Worst 'Trek' Films According to Fans
Fans polled at (I think?) the country's biggest Trek con vote Kahn #1, Into Darkness #13, and Galaxy Quest #7...
Can't argue much with the top 7, though I'd shuffle them around just a bit. IGN's full coverage here.
Who's laughing now?: The use of laugh tracks on broadcast television last season
Laugh tracks have their fair share of critics. They're often derided as outdated, obnoxious and even insulting to the audience's intelligence. Yet it's hard to argue that they're a relic of the past when the highest rated comedy this past season, The Big Bang Theory, heavily features one. Given these conflicting sentiments, I thought it would be interesting to examine the use of laugh tracks on television last season.
Before I get to the laugh track breakdown, I'd like to make a few clarifications about the data I used. First of all, I only examined live action comedies on the big five U.S. broadcast networks. Second, the shows used are from the past 2012-2013 TV season (including mid-season shows that aired at least one episode), not from the upcoming 2013-2014 season. Finally, by using the term "laugh track" I'm referring to both canned and audience laughter.
This is a representation of how the 11 shows with laugh tracks add up by network.
Finally, here's the list complete list of comedies used for data.
Before I get to the laugh track breakdown, I'd like to make a few clarifications about the data I used. First of all, I only examined live action comedies on the big five U.S. broadcast networks. Second, the shows used are from the past 2012-2013 TV season (including mid-season shows that aired at least one episode), not from the upcoming 2013-2014 season. Finally, by using the term "laugh track" I'm referring to both canned and audience laughter.
Here's a chart demonstrating the split between comedies with laugh tracks and those without them.
Here you can see the number of each type of comedy each network has.
This is a representation of how the 11 shows with laugh tracks add up by network.
Finally, here's the list complete list of comedies used for data.
Some Observations:
- With 11 laugh track shows and 23 non-laugh track shows, just under a third of the comedies had laugh tracks. If anything, I'd probably have expected a slightly higher number of laugh tracks. I'd just assumed that several of the shows I haven't watched, such as Animal Practice or The Family Tools, had them.
- CBS is known for its use of laugh tracks, but I hadn't realized that all of their comedies last season used them.
- In fact, both FOX and CBS are in the extremes when it comes to laugh tracks. CBS used a laugh track in all of its comedies, and FOX didn't use one in any of theirs. NBC and ABC are more mixed, leaning towards no laugh tracks.
- I was surprised to see that The CW had no comedies, either with or without a laugh track, on its line up.
Lost Jerry Lewis film resurfaces
Apparently rare footage of Jerry Lewis' unreleased film The Day the Clown Cried has surfaced on YouTube. Considering that Lewis has publicly stated his utter disdain for the film on numerous occasions and has vowed to never let it see the light of day, the clip will most likely be taken down, so you might want to check it out now while it's available! The footage and article can be viewed at http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/watch-long-lost-footage-jerry-lewis-infamous-day-170821965.html .
Zen Pencils on Roger Ebert
For those of you unaware, Zen Pencils is a website that takes famous quotes, poems, and blurbs and creates a story around them in the form of a comic. I recently came across this one and have been meaning to share it. Enjoy.
Zen Pencils on Ebert
Zen Pencils on Ebert
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