Meet the Guy Who Refused to Let Sitcoms Die - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 04-26-2009, 08:36 PM

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Many observers declared the sitcom dead when "Everybody Loves Raymond" signed off the air in 2005 and creator Phil Rosenthal, who grew up in New City, joked that it was the end of laughter everywhere.

But somebody forgot to tell Chuck Lorre, whose "Two and a Half Men" eased into "Raymond's" spot as the No.1 comedy and has remained there since.

"I never bought into that," Lorre said." There's no reason to think the genre doesn't work."

Last month, CBS and Warner Bros. signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Lorre to produce three more seasons of "Men" and two more of "The Big Bang Theory," a solid hit in its sophomore season.

"I think Chuck has a great mind for stories and characters and a great sense of humor," said actor Johnny Galecki of "Big Bang." "It's got to be true to the characters and it's got to be very, very funny. And those sound like two simple rules but they're really not."

Not everything in Lorre Land has been jokes and laugh tracks. His career, like his life, has faced many challenges and disappointments, which he admits he didn't handle well at times, turning to alcohol and becoming depressed. His reputation as an angry man still dogs him, even though these days he seems softer and more satisfied.

Lorre, 56, grew up near Syracuse, and his first love was music. He was moved by Bob Dylan's "magical musical journeys" and, he said, the "little worlds with characters and viewpoints" created by Randy Newman.

"I also saw Jimi Hendrix light a guitar on fire when I was 17 and that kind of explosive power - what rock 'n' roll can do - it made a big impact," he said. "Music was everything back then. TV was nothing.

"TV was 'Bewitched' and 'My Mother the Car.' When you had the Stones, the Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Airplane, The Doors and The Who - television? Come on!"

He spent a decade touring as a guitarist-for-hire until he had children and needed a stable income and health insurance. He believed he could make it as a comedy writer, so he wrote scripts and begged for pitch meetings.

That Lorre began his TV career in 1987, when he was 35, speaks volumes about his work ethic. His list of credits is long and storied, having written, produced and/or created eight sitcoms in 22 years. Five were considered hits, including "Roseanne," on which he got his big break in 1990.

The product, he said, of a "childhood bereft of love," Lorre - whose birth name was Chuck Levine - has been divorced twice and doesn't like talking about those times publicly anymore, unless he's writing about them in his popular vanity cards shown at the end of each show.

It's a tradition he began on "Dharma & Greg," using the few seconds of air time that other producers use to display company titles as a journal. They're also on his Web site, ChuckLorre.com.

"With his vanity cards, I think Chuck has exposed his psyche pretty clearly," Bill Prady, co-creator of "Big Bang," said. "I would say that Chuck is a sweet curmudgeon. He has mellowed. ... there's a genuine sweetness to Chuck, which I think, at times, he works to conceal."

Then again, Prady, who was a writer-producer on "Dharma," has been around only for the professional good times. That comedy marked a sea change for Lorre, who had spent eight years working on emotionally explosive sets with Roseanne Barr, Cybill Shepherd and Brett Butler.

"I used to liken it to trying to produce a sitcom in Hitler's bunker in 1945," said Lee Aronsohn, who co-created "Men" and worked with Lorre on "Cybill" and "Grace Under Fire."

But Lorre, who was fired from "Roseanne" and "Cybill" and quit "Grace" over creative differences with Butler, doesn't cast all of the blame on the actresses.

"If you're in a really difficult environment over a sustained period of time, you become part of the problem," Lorre said. "You become an emotional wreck and you're hard to work with and you're anxious and you're angry. Insanity is contagious. But so is sanity."

Lorre has enjoyed professional and courteous relationships with the cast of "Men" since the beginning, and the same holds for "Big Bang."

"I am immensely grateful for how it is on these shows because I know how unhappy people can be in success," he said. "It's nice to be around people that are successful and grateful."

On May 17, his alma mater SUNY Potsdam, has invited him to give the commencement address. It should make for an interesting ceremony.

"Well, I think I'll point out that when I was there I was told I'd never make it as a writer," Lorre said. "That might be the kickoff point of the speech."

ekkostar · 04-26-2009, 09:10 PM

I wish that Lorre would respond to all the people that openly bash Two and a Half Men because a bulk of the humor is old school 80s sitcom-style sex jokes.

dakert · 04-26-2009, 10:27 PM

And that is one of the reasons I dont watch two and a half men

treky · 04-27-2009, 02:29 AM

I watch it, and think it's funny, but I DON'T like it when they do that.

Mr. Television · 04-27-2009, 02:39 AM

Chuck Lorre is the best sitcom producer on television today.

Adamantium · 04-27-2009, 06:44 AM

Chuck Lorre seems like a good guy with two shows on the air currently: the unfunny (yet highest rated sitcom) Two and a Half Men and the very funny (also high rated sitcom) The Big Bang Theory. Congrats to him for keeping the audience-style sitcoms as opposed to the single camera (no audience) style. That's always been my favorite and it always will be.

I'm very glad that "The Big Bang Theory" is a success and I hope it has a nice long life in television.

**The comments made here are the opinions of Adam "Adamantium" Hauck. Think what you want on these two shows... Adam does!**

catlover79 · 04-27-2009, 07:47 AM

Tubehead · 04-27-2009, 07:55 AM

I been watching everyone loves raymond.its really funny. i also liking king of queens and i liked worst week. i also stated liking gray unmarried. it funny too.

browneyes106 · 04-27-2009, 09:43 AM

Lorre is a great contributor to television.

comedyfreak · 04-27-2009, 02:04 PM

They really need to concentrate on well written funny sitcoms and not just rush them into production without carefully casting the right actors with perfect chemistry.

Barrybgb · 05-01-2009, 07:00 PM

Chuck Lorre is a very talented guy. Two And A Half Men is a great, laugh out loud, hysterically funny show. That's something you don't get to say too often nowadays. It's risque, pushes the envelope, and never fails to get a laugh, even if the humor is low brow most times. Men is painfully funny with a great cast who have great timing and delivery. They don't make them like this too often. An old fashioned sitcom (with an audience to boot!) that is actually funny!. Hey, maybe there's something in this....

04-26-2009, 08:36 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,422	Meet the Guy Who Refused to Let Sitcoms Die Link Many observers declared the sitcom dead when "Everybody Loves Raymond" signed off the air in 2005 and creator Phil Rosenthal, who grew up in New City, joked that it was the end of laughter everywhere. But somebody forgot to tell Chuck Lorre, whose "Two and a Half Men" eased into "Raymond's" spot as the No.1 comedy and has remained there since. "I never bought into that," Lorre said." There's no reason to think the genre doesn't work." Last month, CBS and Warner Bros. signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Lorre to produce three more seasons of "Men" and two more of "The Big Bang Theory," a solid hit in its sophomore season. "I think Chuck has a great mind for stories and characters and a great sense of humor," said actor Johnny Galecki of "Big Bang." "It's got to be true to the characters and it's got to be very, very funny. And those sound like two simple rules but they're really not." Not everything in Lorre Land has been jokes and laugh tracks. His career, like his life, has faced many challenges and disappointments, which he admits he didn't handle well at times, turning to alcohol and becoming depressed. His reputation as an angry man still dogs him, even though these days he seems softer and more satisfied. Lorre, 56, grew up near Syracuse, and his first love was music. He was moved by Bob Dylan's "magical musical journeys" and, he said, the "little worlds with characters and viewpoints" created by Randy Newman. "I also saw Jimi Hendrix light a guitar on fire when I was 17 and that kind of explosive power - what rock 'n' roll can do - it made a big impact," he said. "Music was everything back then. TV was nothing. "TV was 'Bewitched' and 'My Mother the Car.' When you had the Stones, the Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Airplane, The Doors and The Who - television? Come on!" He spent a decade touring as a guitarist-for-hire until he had children and needed a stable income and health insurance. He believed he could make it as a comedy writer, so he wrote scripts and begged for pitch meetings. That Lorre began his TV career in 1987, when he was 35, speaks volumes about his work ethic. His list of credits is long and storied, having written, produced and/or created eight sitcoms in 22 years. Five were considered hits, including "Roseanne," on which he got his big break in 1990. The product, he said, of a "childhood bereft of love," Lorre - whose birth name was Chuck Levine - has been divorced twice and doesn't like talking about those times publicly anymore, unless he's writing about them in his popular vanity cards shown at the end of each show. It's a tradition he began on "Dharma & Greg," using the few seconds of air time that other producers use to display company titles as a journal. They're also on his Web site, ChuckLorre.com. "With his vanity cards, I think Chuck has exposed his psyche pretty clearly," Bill Prady, co-creator of "Big Bang," said. "I would say that Chuck is a sweet curmudgeon. He has mellowed. ... there's a genuine sweetness to Chuck, which I think, at times, he works to conceal." Then again, Prady, who was a writer-producer on "Dharma," has been around only for the professional good times. That comedy marked a sea change for Lorre, who had spent eight years working on emotionally explosive sets with Roseanne Barr, Cybill Shepherd and Brett Butler. "I used to liken it to trying to produce a sitcom in Hitler's bunker in 1945," said Lee Aronsohn, who co-created "Men" and worked with Lorre on "Cybill" and "Grace Under Fire." But Lorre, who was fired from "Roseanne" and "Cybill" and quit "Grace" over creative differences with Butler, doesn't cast all of the blame on the actresses. "If you're in a really difficult environment over a sustained period of time, you become part of the problem," Lorre said. "You become an emotional wreck and you're hard to work with and you're anxious and you're angry. Insanity is contagious. But so is sanity." Lorre has enjoyed professional and courteous relationships with the cast of "Men" since the beginning, and the same holds for "Big Bang." "I am immensely grateful for how it is on these shows because I know how unhappy people can be in success," he said. "It's nice to be around people that are successful and grateful." On May 17, his alma mater SUNY Potsdam, has invited him to give the commencement address. It should make for an interesting ceremony. "Well, I think I'll point out that when I was there I was told I'd never make it as a writer," Lorre said. "That might be the kickoff point of the speech."
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

04-26-2009, 09:10 PM	#2
ekkostar Coffee, Tea & Larroquette! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 16, 2005 Posts: 1,077	I wish that Lorre would respond to all the people that openly bash Two and a Half Men because a bulk of the humor is old school 80s sitcom-style sex jokes.
	__________________ "All my sitcoms had an audience, with four or five cameras, so working this way has always been appealing to me." - John Larroquette A living legend, five Emmys and a Tony award! Your favorites could never...

04-27-2009, 02:29 AM	#4
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I watch it, and think it's funny, but I DON'T like it when they do that.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-27-2009, 02:39 AM	#5
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Chuck Lorre is the best sitcom producer on television today.
	__________________ Sonny

04-27-2009, 07:47 AM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

04-26-2009, 10:27 PM	#3
dakert Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: May 10, 2007 Location: Altoona PA Posts: 3,411	And that is one of the reasons I dont watch two and a half men

04-27-2009, 06:44 AM	#6
Adamantium TVAdam No More Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 11, 2002 Location: Springfield, Ohio Posts: 7,839	Chuck Lorre seems like a good guy with two shows on the air currently: the unfunny (yet highest rated sitcom) Two and a Half Men and the very funny (also high rated sitcom) The Big Bang Theory. Congrats to him for keeping the audience-style sitcoms as opposed to the single camera (no audience) style. That's always been my favorite and it always will be. I'm very glad that "The Big Bang Theory" is a success and I hope it has a nice long life in television. The comments made here are the opinions of Adam "Adamantium" Hauck. Think what you want on these two shows... Adam does!

04-27-2009, 07:55 AM	#8
Tubehead Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 12, 2007 Location: chattanooga.tn Posts: 5,139	comdeys I been watching everyone loves raymond.its really funny. i also liking king of queens and i liked worst week. i also stated liking gray unmarried. it funny too.

04-27-2009, 09:43 AM	#9
browneyes106 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 01, 2008 Posts: 6,094	Lorre is a great contributor to television.

04-27-2009, 02:04 PM	#10
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,061	They really need to concentrate on well written funny sitcoms and not just rush them into production without carefully casting the right actors with perfect chemistry.
	__________________ www.facebook.com/comedyfreak

05-01-2009, 07:00 PM	#11
Barrybgb Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 10, 2008 Location: Washington St. Posts: 11	Chuck Lorre is a very talented guy. Two And A Half Men is a great, laugh out loud, hysterically funny show. That's something you don't get to say too often nowadays. It's risque, pushes the envelope, and never fails to get a laugh, even if the humor is low brow most times. Men is painfully funny with a great cast who have great timing and delivery. They don't make them like this too often. An old fashioned sitcom (with an audience to boot!) that is actually funny!. Hey, maybe there's something in this....