Why Writers Should Try Improv
This article is a tie in with the review of Sundance’s Writers’ Room.
As an aspiring TV writer, I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills. It’s easy to look at the obvious choices to help with this: write something everyday, read EVERYTHING, take a writing class, these are all things a lot of us have already done. However, there is one thing that I feel has really affected my work for the better and is something most writers seem to not talk about for some reason: improv class.
I know it’s terrifying for us book worms with a relationship with Netflix so strong it threatens our significant others. Us writers who like to work from the comfort of our own bed with a bottle of Sriracha and a bag of Sun Chips close by in case something doesn’t go quite the way we expected, but, believe me, improv classes can be helpful, especially so for those of us looking specifically to go into TV for several reasons:
Shows That Should Be Forgotten: ‘Pink Lady and Jeff’
Pink Lady, better known as Pink Lady and Jeff, is a notoriously bad show. It regularly makes it onto Worst TV Shows Ever lists. There is no good excuse NBC can come up with for having produced this train wreck of a show, which put the final nail in the coffin of the already dying variety show genre.
In 1980, NBC President Fred Silverman decided to create the show Pink Lady featuring the Japanese singing group Pink Lady, which had two members: Mie and Kei. He called in Sid and Marty Kroft, who are were known for their surrealist children’s show like H.R. Pufnstuf, to produce the show. Everyone quickly realized Mie and Kie didn’t speak a word of English, so NBC brought in comedian Jeff Altman. This should have been about the time NBC cancelled production of the show, but production went ahead anyway, leaving Mie and Kei to learn their lines and the English-language pop hits performed on the show phonetically with predictably terrible results.
‘Spell-Mageddon’ Tries To Make Torture Fun
Did you ever wonder what would happen if Nickelodeon threw up all over a spelling bee? No. Well, too bad because ABC Family answered that question with Spell-Mageddon. The Alfonso Ribero hosted show would be at home on 90s Nick. The only problem is some of the situations are straight up torture, so the show is more terrorist’s nightmare than messy kid-friendly entertainment.
The show doesn’t start off too bad, but quickly gets boring. The first round has contestants maneuver over a blow-up obstacle course. The first person to reach the end and buzz in gets to spell a word. If the contestant gets it correct, they get to move on to the next round and the process is repeated over and over again. In total, viewers see the same thing six times in a row. While the obstacle course undoubtedly gets harder, the final round has the contestants wearing vision impairment goggles, no one cares because they are still watching basically the same thing and just wasted time that could have been better spent doing anything else like being unproductive on Facebook.
Hanging Out In the ‘Writers’ Room’
Community‘s Jim Rash hosts Sundance’s Writers’ Room, which reveals what it’s like inside the writers’ rooms of televisions most popular shows. The show is not for everyone. Two types of people will like it: fans of the show being featured on that week’s episode and aspiring television writers, who will tune in for every episode. The former group will only watch an episode or two. They will agree with Zap2it‘s assessment of the show feeling like “a glorified DVD box set extra.” Aspiring television writers will disagree because the show provides important insight into how a writers’ room operates, such as some people stressing over how the story progresses and others taking the role of cheerleader.
‘Food Court Wars’: Chip N Wich vs Oasis
Chip-n-Wich’s Jonathan and Craig pose with Oasis’s Melania and Diana
If Food Court Wars taught viewers one thing, it’s that previous experience owning a restaurant does not guarantee an easy win. Like Taco Spot, Oasis’s Melania Paser and Diana Hadad, who owns World Cafe, faced stiff competition from newcomers Craig Jones and Jonathan Neely, who both have experience as line chefs and would like to get Chip-n-Wich off the ground.
Chip-n-Wich is the “sandwich with a crunch.” In layman’s terms, Craig and Jonathan place homemade potato chips on their sandwiches. It’s a good idea, but Team Chip-n-Wich need to stop passing it off as original because Bobby Flay and probably a million other people have done it first.
Oasis started off as food from every Mediterranean country, which was way too broad. With the help of Tyler Florence, Melania and Diana were able to narrow their menu down to solely Lebanese food.
Time for Steven Moffat to Bow Out
As a die hard Doctor Who fan I find the upcoming changes in the show to be both thrilling and absolutely terrifying. Between the new companion Clara joining the cast, the 50th anniversary special slated for the fall, and parting with the 11th doctor, Matt Smith, I’ve admittedly had several panic attacks comforted only by the fact that I have such faith in the creators of the show and how they handle change. After all, one of the most magnificent things about this particular show is that every couple seasons it reinvents itself. Without this very fact, the show arguably would have never reached the level of success it has.
So, with that said, I find myself saying I am ready for the new doctor. I am ready for the next brilliant artist (as they all have been brilliant haven’t they?) to take over and put their spin on this whacky character who I love so dearly. I’m even going to go as far to say that I’m downright excited! But this excitement and anticipation for changes leaves me wanting something else to change.
Steven Moffat needs to move on and Doctor Who needs a new show runner.
NBC Wants Jay Leno To Stay
NBC Entertainment President Bob Greenblatt doesn’t know the definition of insanity. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Greenblatt told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour that he hopes Jay Leno stays with NBC, after his run at The Tonight Show is over and Jimmy Fallon takes over as host. Clearly, the Peacock Network is conveniently ignoring the lessons it should have learned from situations with Conan O’Brien and, his Late Night predecessor, David Letterman. The golden rule at NBC should be: “Until Jay Leno no longer works here, don’t give The Tonight Show to the host of Late Night.”
Who’s the Problem on ‘Wedding Island?’
Sandy Malone
In last week’s review of Wedding Island, I called Sandy Malone, head of Weddings in Vieques, not a very nice person. This post will attempt to be fairer to her.
Wedding Island subscribes to the philosophy that anything that can go wrong will. Sandy always has to deal with other people’s major mistakes, such as a restaurant called Lazy Jack’s booking two wedding parties on the same night. She claims that the owner decided to book the another group over her’s because they were paying more money. The owner made it sound like it was a genuine mistake and someone misplaced their reservation, but Sandy’s attitude made him not want to make the situation right. Instead, he told her to get lost and that he doesn’t need her business. On the show, scenarios like this happen all the time. This time it worked out because anther restaurant down the street was able to accommodate the 20 guests, but Sandy stressed everyone out and made a scene by arguing with Lazy Jack’s owner in the middle of the street. Do people on Vieques not respect her because she doesn’t respect them?
‘Saturday Night Live’ Loses Another Castmember
Jason Sudeikis leaves Saturday Night Live. Last night, Jason Sudeikis announced on the Late Show with David Letterman that Saturday Night Live‘s 38th season was his last with the long running sketch comedy show. At the end of the past season, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen also left the show.
‘Perfect Score’ Doesn’t Deserve One
After the new Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The CW airs Perfect Score. It is an extremely odd pairing. While Whose Line? appeals equally to both men and women, Perfect Score goes directly for The CW’s female demographic.
Perfect Score, hosted by Arielle Kebbel, is a slightly classier version of GSN’s Baggage, which is appropriately hosted by Jerry Springer. Baggage has people reveal unsettling secrets, such as collecting an ex-lovers toenail clippings in an urn, whereas Perfect Score settles for using cheesy pickup lines and other gimmicks, such as having men dress up as superheroes and sharing their superpower. Unlike Baggage, contestants can win money on Perfect Score, but they have to compete for a date against their best friend.
Wait! What's A Dial? 