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A former basketball scout and wanna-be politician (in 1998, Lewis ran against New York's incumbent Gov. George Pataki, and got 52,000 votes), Lewis is best known as an actor. His first big break was on the classic 1961-1963 sitcom Car 54, Where Are You?, but he truly shot to fame on the even more memorable 1964-1966 The Munsters, where he played Grandpa, usually upstaging the rest of the actors with his campy Dracula outfit and attitude. He died at home in New York on February 3. Some sources reported he was 95, but his son says he was 82. From This is True for 29 January 2006 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Evan S. Smith List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: With guidance from top sitcom producers and examples straight from the screen, this book can help anyone write, revise--and sell--a script. With twenty years in the business--as a writer, programming executive, and university instructor--Evan Smith knows what it takes to get from spec script to sitcom success. Here he offers the first published description of Premise-Driven Comedy, the writing method he has developed and popularized; tips from writer-producers who have worked on series from "Frasier" to "The Cosby Show" to "Roseanne;" a complete story outline from the series "Home Improvement;" explicit advice on how the business works and how to get an agent; and script layout guidelines for all three sitcom formats. Clear, comprehensive, and cutting-edge, this is the true insider's guide to becoming a sitcom writer. Who knows--it might just be the book that inspires the world's next Seinfeld! * Includes examples from classic and contemporary sitcoms, tips from successful writer-producers, and a complete "Home Improvement" story outline * An author with twenty years of experience in the business * Advice on both the business and creative aspects of a sitcom-writing career, including a discussion of Premise-Driven Comedy, Smith's innovative new writing technique  By: Ken BloomFrank Vlastnik List Price: $29.95 Amazon Price: $19.77 Editorial Review: The most beloved, most groundbreaking, and most entertaining TV comedies of all time are celebrated in words and pictures—many of them rare—by the award-winning authors of Broadway Musicals. In 101 lively chapters and lots of special features, the authors of Broadway Musicals explore our favorite form of popular entertainment—the TV situation comedy. Of the many hundreds of shows that have debuted over TV's 60-year history, the authors have carefully selected the most influential, popular, and enduring ones, from Gilligan's Island to Seinfeld, I Love Lucy to Will and Grace, creating a history of the medium that goes beyond stats and trivia to reveal all that goes into the creation of classic television, from the writing and all-important casting to the directing and, of course, the acting. Each chapter of Sitcoms features numerous photos, many rare and behind-the-scenes, along with cast lists, artists' biographies, "off-set" tidbits, critical commentary, and all of the relevant statistics. Special features cover such topics as famous unseen characters, sitcom pets, spin-offs, sitcoms made from movies, and many more. It's a visual and informative feast for TV lovers, from nostalgia buffs to the TV Land generation.  By: John W. Shepard List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $13.46  By: Sheldon Bull List Price: $24.95 Amazon Price: $19.46 Editorial Review: Publisher Marketing: A comprehensive guide to writing a highly commerical and saleable spec sitcom script and launching your career as a TV sitcom writer. Includes detailed inside information on how to choose the right series to spec, how to pick the right story, and detailed, step by step instruction on how to write the scripts that will get you work.  By: Diana Friedman List Price: $29.95 Amazon Price: $21.56 Editorial Review: All the Style of Famous TV Homes, Now in Yours! From Archie Bunker’s Barcalounger to the framed peephole on Friends, sitcom decor sets the tone of our favorite shows—and defines the lives of its characters. Now Sitcom Style brings you a behind-the-scenes peek inside more than two dozen of the most recognizable homes in American pop culture: the sets of our favorite TV shows from the past half-century. The sets of situation comedies aren’t just a collection of random props that surround the actors; they’re statements of style. They’re designed to convey a particular mood, to both reflect and enhance the personalities of the people who live in them—just like anyone’s home. So Sitcom Style is more than a glimpse into a make-believe world; it’s also a fascinating exploration of how to bring personal style into your own living room. Set designers share their secrets and strategies for creating some of the most thought-out homes in America, and you can learn how to recreate these styles in your own home, complete with shopping resources! What’s more, Sitcom Style is also a nostalgic stroll through the most beloved locations in the American consciousness. From the early days of I Love Lucy, The Addams Family, and I Dream of Jeannie through seventies’ favorites like Three’s Company and Happy Days to the eighties’ The Cosby Show and Roseanne and recent megahits like Friends, Sex and the City, and Will & Grace, Sitcom Style is an at-a-glance look at how America has lived for the past fifty years. And for true TV buffs, each chapter includes information on the set designers, years of production, favorite quotes, and trivia. A completely unique combination of pop culture and interior design, Sitcom Style is a must whether you love the TV world or want to spice up your own decor at home. |
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