What I appreciate even more about the interviews, however, is their interest in discussing the craft of writing for the medium, and some of the best, most insightful material here comes when folks like Reiner, Stern, and Lear are challenged to talk about their process. There are also lengthy boxouts featuring musings from Bill Persky on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Phil Doran on All In The Family, Charlie Hauck and Elliot Shoenman on Maude, Elliot Shoenman on The Cosby Show, Elliot Shoenman on Home Improvement, David Isaacs and Phoef Sutton on Cheers, Steve Skrovan, Bill Masters, and Peter Mehlman on Seinfeld, and Steve Skrovan on Everybody Loves Raymond.įor fans of the shows in parentheses and italics (in particular), this is a must-get, as Finn is able to provoke pointed discussions and recollections about these classics. Brooks ( The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Simpsons), Treva Silverman (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Ken Estin ( Taxi), Matt Williams ( Roseanne, Home Improvement), Dava Savel ( Ellen), Larry Charles ( Seinfeld), David Lee ( Frasier), Phil Rosenthal ( Everybody Loves Raymond), Mike Reiss ( The Simpsons), Al Jean ( The Simpsons), and Jay Kogen ( The Simpsons). They are: Carl Reiner ( The Dick Van Dyke Show), Leonard Stern ( The Honeymooners), Norman Lear ( All In The Family, Maude), Austin & Irma Kalish (My Three Sons, All In The Family), James L. This 232-page book is Finn’s loving tribute to her father and contains reminisces from 41(!) American television comedy writers - 16 of which get full chapter interviews. It’s called Sitcom Writers Talk Shop: Behind The Scenes with Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, and Other Geniuses of TV Comedy, and it was written by Paula Finn, a friend of this blog and the daughter of Herbert Finn, who wrote some of your favorite episodes of - among other things - The Honeymooners (and The Jackie Gleason Show), Dennis The Menace, The Flintstones, and Gilligan’s Island.

Welcome to a new Wildcard Wednesday! This week, I got the opportunity to read an advance copy of a book that I know will appeal to a good many of you here.

Sitcom Writers Talk Shop by Paula Finn