October 11, 09:16 PM

How did the show come about?

Well I cannot take credit for the initial seed cause it began with a very successful TV producer who had produced 3rd Rock from the Sun with John Lithgow named Tom Werner. He's had a lot of success in TV with shows like "Cosby" and "Roseanne" and "That 70s Show."

In any event, he kind of had the one sentence idea in his mind and he approached John and asked if he'd be interested. Now John had sort of let it be known that he was pretty much done with TV. He had made good money and had a wonderful experience. He was in New York doing theater and thought that if it would never be that good again why do it. But when he was approached by Tom with the idea he said it depended on who he would be paired with.

A writer named Michael Leeson did the original draft, but he had creative differences with Tom, and I replaced him, which is why the credits read created by Michael Leeson and Marsh McCall. We sound like a writing team, but I've never met him.

I base some of John and Jeffrey on my father, who is a professor at Stanford. He has some of John Lithgow's academic authority and at the same time many of Jeffrey Tambor's neuroses. And just to squeeze my five year old daughter into the conversation, she's named "Stella" and I named John's daughter in the show after her.

COMMENTS

Sounded like a "laugh-track" to us. We chose to change the channel after about 10 seconds!

I agree with all the previous comments: lose the fake sounding laughter; it is SO distracting. Like the guys walk out and the audience is rolling on the ground - get real!

The laughing (whether live audience or canned laughter) was very very very very distracting. It has my SO and I frowning through the whole show. Something about it seemed so fake and also insulting to us, the viewer. It sounds artificial. Please consider losing it.

Great show. Acting was terrific. The laugh track (or the live laughter) is terrible, distracting and cheapens a really great product. It is not working.

Loose the laugh track.

I don't care if the show has a "live" audience--the laughter sounds canned--forced--artificial and is insulting to the at home audience. Why do this? Do you have so little confidence in this show or the great actors that you feel you have to "cue" the audience as to what is funny. Drop the LAUGH TRACK!!!

I like the script for the first show. It has me interested to keep watching, but the "live" laughing is enough to make me want to change the channel.

Great writing and cast! The laughing real or not, prevented me from immersing myself in the show. Lose it and you got a HIT!

Enjoyed your new show VERY much. I think it has great potential. Love John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor in their roles - they are perfect together! Have been seeing them for years. Am looking forward to the next show!
I am not sixty years old but I am already relating to what these two characters are feeling and saying. These same thoughts have been on my mind alot lately so it was interesting to hear them voicing some of these same concerns that I have! I would imagine that with the aging of the baby boom generation you will hear alot of this.
It was great to see Judith. She looks good.
Whoever thought of this story line had an inspired idea.
All the best.

The laughing is DETRACTING, real or canned, it does not fit into the show. Why did NBC announce to STAY TUNED FOR MORE TWENTY GOOD YEARS only to return with the credits??

the writing and acting on this first show is great. however you really need to create something that will be the talk of the town. keep music in places and during scene changes, but no live or post laughing. everyone's right...it's just too good! take the chance

You say it's not canned laughter, but it certainly sounds "artificial".
Detracts from the script.

excellent you are tapping into somthing that has been ignored by the networks

wondeful kife starts at 60

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