CBS Cancels "The Crazy Ones"

[TMC]

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

The show was not funny, Williams needs to perform in front of a live audience. The funniest thing about the show were the outtakes. I did watch the full season and I'm glad it has ended.

Ken Levine on the "Like a Jokes" problem:

There’s an expression we have in the writers room — Like a Joke.

A “Like a joke” has the rhythms of a joke but is not funny. It’s just a straight sentence delivered as a joke line. “I’m so hungry I could eat a meal.”

It’s the equivalent of playing an air guitar.

Remember a few years ago there was a Robin Williams series, THE CRAZY ONES? It was near the end of his life. In his prime, Robin would just fire off hilarious jokes like a machine gun. His ad libs were amazing. I knew there was something wrong when in this show he delivered a steady stream of “Like a jokes.”

For some reason I hear “Like a jokes” on quite a few “dramadies.” Maybe they think that by delivering a line in a comic rhythm it will pass for comedy. But when I hear them I think either they’re not trying, or (more likely) they aren’t really funny. Real comedy writers are always trying to beat jokes. Is there something funnier? Is there a sharper way of phrasing this?

Now some may argue that they’re not going for a hard laugh. They’re going for irony. Okay, you can convince yourself of that. But you can’t fool the audience. If something is not funny, if something is on the nose, or tepid it will fall flat no matter how dazzling the rhythm is.

Just something to keep in mind when you’re writing a comedy script. When someone orders an In & Out Burger he knows if you’re trying to slip him tofu.

[paul.austin]

I had to watch dementia destroy my mother. There is no sugar coating the fact that Williams was deteriorating, and deteriorating *fast*. His widow and daughter have both said that at best he only had a few years left, very difficult years as well.

[cpmaz]

Originally Posted by JamesG

CBS Cancels "The Crazy Ones"
by NELLIE ANDREEVA
May 10, 2014


Robin Williams' return to television has been cut short as CBS has canceled "The Crazy Ones". The single-camera comedy never quite fit into CBS’ multi-camera-dominated Thursday comedy block.

Creator David E. Kelley pitched a second season, which he would’ve overseen, and CBS brass had been intrigued by the idea of keeping Williams on the air. But, after a very soft first season following a big premiere, a renewal was considered a long shot.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/05/craz...s-bad-teacher/

I wanted to like it, as I liked SMG's previous work and I thought Robin Williams was a brilliant stand up comic and an underrated actor, but the show just didn't work for me.

[paul.austin]

Robin left this world before his dementia stole his identity and self. Others who are told they are going to lose themself to dementia should be able to as well.