Behind The Scenes: Trivia And Other Gossip

[Trini]

There is a CW topic in the Networks subforum, BTW:

https://forums.primetimer.com/topic/22944-the-cw-paramount-and-warner-bros-walk-into-a-bar/

[Fool to cry]

[Blergh]

The original Electric Company (1971-1977) during the latter part of its production featured segments of Spider Man- which would have the distinction of being the first live-action depiction of the iconic comic book character. Spidey would speak no words but would communicate solely via written 'spoken' and thought comic book balloons. The segments were somewhat tame compared to the mainstream comic (and nothing about his true ID as Peter Parker) but would feature the EC's regulars hamming it up as villains and victims that  Spidey would have contend  with the action  often narrated by Short Circus member June Angela who'd address the viewers as 'true believers'. Anyway, this had been personally sanctioned by Stan Lee himself  who wanted to help the kid viewers watching get encouraged to read by Spidey. .. for the not entirely benign intention of wanting to  read (among other things) Spider Man and Marvel comic books! Oh, and for a time, the Children's Television Workshop even published  their own Marvel-sanctioned  'junior' version of the comic book!

[Blergh]

H R Pufnstuff (1969)- The brothers Sid and Marty Krofft had envisioned a show about a long- running conflict between a friendly dragon and a kooky, old witch that caught a young boy in the crossfire. From the start they never considered anyone to play the boy besides Jack Wild (1952-2006) the Oscar nominated Artful Dodger of Oliver! (1968).

However, they were weren't as sure as to the witch before stage veteran Billie Hayes (1924-2021) (who'd played Mammy  Pansy Yokum on Broadway as well as the 1959 film adaptation of Li'l Abner) leapt on their desk and let out a cackle and they knew they had their Witchiepoo! She was only the second performer to audition, the first having been the then completely-unknown Penny Marshall (1943-2018). It's hard to imagine how Miss Marshall might have interpreted the role  but possibly might have been with a more sarcastic bent but definitely nothing close to the manic, kooky level that Miss Hayes gave her.

BTW, it should be noted that despite playing adversaries, young Mr. Wild and Miss Hayes became friends on the set and STAYED friends long after Mr. Wild's star had fallen and fortune (& health) had waned. Mr. Wild and his widow would even insist that Miss Hayes write the introduction to his posthumously published autobio.

 

[Blergh]

In her Emmy TV Legends Interview Doris Roberts (1925-2016) said that she was offered the part of Maude's bestie Viv and got along great with Bea Arthur (an old  acting pal from New York) and started rehearsing the show and was ready to accept the offer to be a supporting player on a sitcom when. ..the producers  fired her!

Why? Because they happened to witness Miss Robert and Miss Arthur having done a little impromptu comedy routine backstage comparing each other's outfits - and they concluded Miss Roberts wouldn't have worked because they concluded that she'd have been a 'little Maude' therefore a redundant character! Yeah, not because she blew the audition or clashed with anyone but  because she happened to do something offstage with Miss Arthur that got them to dump her and then give the role to  Rue McClanahan.

Thankfully, Miss Roberts got offered a slew of one-shot roles that eventually led to regular parts on TV before she finally hit it out of the ballpark as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond!

[andromeda331]

8 hours ago, Blergh said:

In her Emmy TV Legends Interview Doris Roberts (1925-2016) said that she was offered the part of Maude's bestie Viv and got along great with Bea Arthur (an old  acting pal from New York) and started rehearsing the show and was ready to accept the offer to be a supporting player on a sitcom when. ..the producers  fired her!

Why? Because they happened to witness Miss Robert and Miss Arthur having done a little impromptu comedy routine backstage comparing each other's outfits - and they concluded Miss Roberts wouldn't have worked because they concluded that she'd have been a 'little Maude' therefore a redundant character! Yeah, not because she blew the audition or clashed with anyone but  because she happened to do something offstage with Miss Arthur that got them to dump her and then give the role to  Rue McClanahan.

Thankfully, Miss Roberts got offered a slew of one-shot roles that eventually led to regular parts on TV before she finally hit it out of the ballpark as Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond!

What assholes!

[Blergh]

8 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

What assholes!

 I don't disagree (and I also agree with Miss Roberts that she had the acting skill to NOT perform the character as 'a little Maude').

However, in retrospect, it must be said that Miss McClanahan played Viv as somewhat of a twittery airhead and mainly as comic relief to the overwhelming Maude. While a look at Miss Roberts's work proved that she COULD play broader characters in comedies than her offstage persona, I have to say that I can't imagine her being able to genuinely pull off playing Viv as a twittery airhead - yet I also can't help but think that she would have brought more layers to the role.

I also think that Miss Roberts was able to use that abrupt firing to her advantage re grabbing onto to one shots to hone her comedic skill as a sitcom performer which ultimately paid off for her - to own her credit!  Interestingly, a few years later the producers themselves DID [somewhat] change their minds about Miss Roberts bringing her in as a one-shot on a late episode of All in the Family as a bar regular who encouraged Edith to stand up for herself against Archie (that it turned out the regular had already known and been unable to forget because  he was ' so DUMB')

P.S. All the above said, as infuriating a chain of events that led to them bringing on Miss McClanahan, I'm glad they brought Miss McClanahan to play the role- and it's hard to imagine that  without having played Viv that she'd have had the opportunity to have played HER iconic role of Blanche Devoreaux alongside the Miss Arthur about a dozen years later.

[Blergh]

Since today, March 17,2024, is St. Patrick's Day, I thought it would be as good a time as any to recount the following encounter that Carol Burnett (born 1933) recounted in her book In Such Good Company (2016):

Miss Burnett was at her [IIRC] dentist's office waiting room in the early 1980's when another of his famous patients walked in- none other than Miss Barbara Stanwyck (1909-1990).

During this time, Miss Burnett was in the process of suing The National Enquirer for having published a story which implied she'd been publicly intoxicated which Miss Burnett believed was false and defamatory!

Anyway, Miss Stanwyck came up to Miss Burnett and told her 'You are going to WIN against The National Enquirer!'

Miss Burnett replied by politely thanking her but Miss Stanwyck was not to be brushed off so easily, then Miss Burnett said 'from your lips to God's ear!'

This got Miss Stanwyck to go for the big guns telling Miss Burnett that she wasn't just blindly cheering on but that she KNEW that Miss Burnett would win. At which point Miss Stanwyck whispered to Miss Burnett," My leprechaun told me!'

At seeing Miss Burnett's somewhat shocked and puzzled expression, Miss Stanwyck quickly added, 'Oh, they're REAL alright- and mine has been with me since I started my career and has NEVER been wrong!'

The two patients  soon parted ways.

In 1983, Miss Burnett DID have the satisfaction of winning her lawsuit against The National Enquirer. However,  I'll leave it to every individual reader's imagination as to whether or not Miss Stanwyck's claimed leprechaun might have had any insight, knowledge or clout  in the outcome. . .

[Affogato]

On 11/10/2021 at 1:29 PM, Fool to cry said:

I meant the crew and everyone behind the scenes who had families to support who would be out of work when the show got cancelled. If bringing Spike on board and paying him what he wanted would keep the show on another season then that's what they had to do.

My feeling is Joss was an asshole but not in the way people think. I don't think he fired Charisma out of revenge of dislike. Like he didn't have Black Widow and Bruce be in a relationship and have her reveal she couldnt have kids because he didn't like the actors. It's what he wanted to write. I think he wanted to take the show somewhere in season 5 and Cordelia just didn't fit those plans. "Sorry but I now have a new vision and they don't include you anymore. What? You need to support a child now? Well them's the breaks". He just strikes me as "my art is more important than people's feelings" types like Kubrick haranguing Shelly Duvall not because of animosity but so she'd give the performance he wanted.

In general I agree, Whedon was a toxic and entitled Jerk and people rode his coattails and didn’t call him on it often enough. Maybe, if they had, he would have changed. Maybe not. He was often right, or had valid points—less cyborg, for example—but handled people poorly and didn’t include them in the conversation. Imo,and it is hard to tell. Most of the complaints sbout him seem to come down to toxic boss. 

Edited March 22 by Affogato
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