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60's sitcom steps
60's sitcom steps
#1
Just a scene I've been thinking about for a while.
Quote:
Harpsichord music filled the air in the well-kept Victorian home as its owner sat reading a newspaper in the parlor. Obviously a successful businessman, he was immaculately groomed and dressed in an expensive pinstripe suit. He smiled in satisfaction at the business section. All of his stocks were on the rise.
He looked up when he heard a door open and saw his wife enter from the garden. She set down her gardening shears and dusted some dirt from her dress. Even besmirched as she was, her elegance shone through. They greeted each other in their usual manner, showing the love that still burned strong even after two children.
"Dear," she said in her cultured tones, "I just met our new neighbor. He's renting the old Crabtree place."
"That old eyesore?" he asked. "Well, maybe he can make some improvements while he's there." He grinned at the thought. *Some architectural styles shouldn't be inflicted on good neighborhoods.* "So, what's our new neighbor's name?"
"His name is Douglas Sangnoir," she replied, using the proper pronunciation.
The businessman's eyes lit up. "Tish!" he said, his passion evident. "You spoke French!" He caught his wife by the waist with one hand and drew her right arm out with the other. Starting at the wrist, he place numerous light kisses up her arm and shoulder. He looked into her eyes, savoring the love there. "Cara mia."
Lurch slowed his playing and groaned. Mr. and Mrs. Addams were at it again. He'd never get any composing done, now.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll
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Re: 60's sitcom steps
#2
(Renneseance Man Danny DeVito)
More sitcom step Foxboy! I like it, I love it! I want more of it!
(/RMDD)
- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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Re: 60's sitcom steps
#3
I like it.
I really, really like it.
And the thing is, Doug would like them. They're certainly no weirder than some of the folk on Warriors' World (or some of the other places he's been)... and they're never boring.


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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re:60's sitcom steps
#4
Yeah, you mentioned that if you were going to do any sitcom steps that it would be The Addams Family. The sad thing is, I can't seem to find any fanfic to set the conventions on their heads. Unless you count the two lemons I managed to find:
-- Thing and a UPS guy.
-- Lurch and a guest at the Addams compound.
Maybe I should look for generic sitcom fics, or even find some old spec scripts if possible...
There's a lot more I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched fanfic out there . . .
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll
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Re: re:60's sitcom steps
#5
That's right, I have, haven't I? I'd forgotten about that thread...


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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Re: 60's sitcom steps
#6
Well, I think that ultimately two things would get to Doug.
1) There's all this mysterious laughter coming out of nowhere
2) If it's the Addams Family, he'll think he's gone color blind. Of course, this leaves open the possibility of that gag from Ed Wood with the two dresses.
At any rate, I wonder if it might be more fun instead to have a full day's worth of awful 60's TV instead of just one program. Every hour or half hour he finds that the situation he's in has changed somehow, be it sitcoms, soaps, game shows, the news, etc. He could show up in the world in time for the early morning farm report, and leave by the national anthem.
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re:60's sitcom steps
#7
Um, Cap'n, that would be a Pleasantville step.
My portrayal of the family is a combination of the original TV show and the two theatrical films. My Gomez would combine the wacky Sean Astin portrayal with the suave Raul Julia.
In fact, I believe that the show remained in black and white due to a stylistic and (more importantly) budgetary decision. While I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched were able to go color, it was because they were ratings powerhouses, and thus had higher budgets.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll
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Re: 60's sitcom steps
#8
Ouch.
I'm sorry. I should have commented earlier, but the concept of an Addams family step sort of hits me in a sensitive spot.
Sorry, it's just that the first woman I ever loved, who loved me back, looked a LOT like Carolyn Jones.
Still, it's a good concept, and one that should be seriously considered.
Ed.
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Re: 60's sitcom steps
#9
Quote:
Um, Cap'n, that would be a Pleasantville step.
I wouldn't know, I never got around to seeing that. Was it any good? If so, I'll add it to my 'get around to seeing it' list.
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Re: re:60's sitcom steps
#10
Quote:
Um, Cap'n, that would be a Pleasantville step.
Which itself would be fun to write, because Doug would lack the key piece of information he needs to understand what the hell is going on...
Quote:
combine the wacky Sean Astin portrayal with the suave Raul Julia.
I think you mean John Astin, otherwise Gomez is going to Mordor with Mr. Frodo...
(No. Don't even think it.)

-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
Reply
Re: 60's sitcom steps
#11
Quote:
I never got around to seeing that. Was it any good?
Yes, very. Just be aware that it's not a comedy in the sense of a sitcom kind of thing.


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
Reply
Re: re:60's sitcom steps
#12
Quote:
I think you mean John Astin, otherwise Gomez is going to Mordor with Mr. Frodo...
Sounds like fun to *me,* but then, I think it sounds like fun to introduce the Dirty Pair to Dark Schneider, 1st-season Blackarachnia to Largo, and the Shirt Tales to Luke Skywalker.
- CD, who never understood what the big deal was about Lord Chaos's fanfics
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows
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Whoops.
#13
Yeah, John Astin instead of Sean. *blush*
Quote:
"Well, Mister Frodo, let's see what this Saruman fellow has to say. I like the cut of his jib..." Thing popped out of Frodo's jerkin, the One Ring's chain wrapped across its palm.
"Why thank you, Thing! Glad you could lend a hand!"
And that's all I'm doing of that.
My big problem with the Addams Family 'step' is that I can't seem to come up with a good plot... Good thing this is a sitcom, then, isn't it? Wink
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll
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Re: re:60's sitcom steps
#14
Quote:
I think you mean John Astin, otherwise Gomez is going to Mordor with Mr. Frodo...
Or steal One-Eyed Willie's gold while trying to save his hometown.---------------
I am sorry, but the only kind of math that much interests me is pure math. My interest drops off like a continental shelf as the math approaches practical utility. I have to pay people to do my taxes.
Ask me something about the zeta function.
-John Derbyshire
---
Jon
"And that must have caused my dad's brain to break in half, replaced by a purely mechanical engine of revenge!"
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Re: re:60's sitcom steps
#15
Quote:
Or steal One-Eyed Willie's gold while trying to save his hometown.
I should have remembered that one...


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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Re: Whoops.
#16
Quote:
My big problem with the Addams Family 'step' is that I can't seem to come up with a good plot... Good thing this is a sitcom, then, isn't it? Wink
Right! You don't need something to sustain a story the size of DW2 (and probably don't want one, either). You just need a good simple conflict that could get solved in 22 minutes, plus a reason why Doug is hanging with the Addamses (as opposed to, say, heading down the street to the more normal neighbors -- but we know that already now, right? ).


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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More 60's Sitcoms
#17
How about My Favorite Martian?
Doug shows up and rents a place next door to Mrs Brown.
Comedy of errors as Martin, Inspector Brennan, Tim O'Hara and Doug try to figure each other's identities
Watch Doug fight S.M.I.R.C.H
Doug finally helps Martin fixhis spaceship!
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell
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Re: Whoops.
#18
Bob said, "You don't need something to sustain a story the size of DW2 (and probably don't want one, either). You just need a good simple conflict that could get solved in 22 minutes, plus a reason why Doug is hanging with the Addamses "
I was thinking while driving home today but wouldn't the Adams Family members qualify as very minor metahumans. Just look at the abuse Fester takes at times. That could be one reason Doug hangs around them.

Shawn Earl
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Addams Family Step
#19
Tentative title for when it's finished is "Drunkard's Walk ?: A Family Affair."
I just need some goofy quotes, chapter titles, and music recommendations . . .
Although I do see Doug using Alice Cooper's "Feed My Frankenstein" to whip up some suitably macabre repasts . . . or would that be for a Munsters step?
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''

-- James Nicoll
Reply
Music suggestions
#20
"Hotel California" by the Eagles would do that.
I can see Gomez doing "Music of the Night" by Webber
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell
Reply
Re: Music suggestions
#21
Quote:
"Hotel California" by the Eagles would do that.
Um, context please?
On a side note, here's an idea for this song I gave Bob last weekend:
"Trap the Soul" from AD&D 1st edition, for the duration on the song. On a critical success it's permanent for the victim. OTOH, on a critical faliure, it's permanent for Doug...
Definitely a song to be careful with Smile
Offsides
Drunkard's Walk Forum Moderator and Prereader At Large
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Re: More 60's Sitcoms
#22
Quote:
How about My Favorite Martian?
You know, there's something delightfully twisted about that idea...


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
Reply
Re: Whoops.
#23
Quote:
I was thinking while driving home today but wouldn't the Adams Family members qualify as very minor metahumans. Just look at the abuse Fester takes at times. That could be one reason Doug hangs around them.
Oh yeah, easily. They're all metanormal in some way.
Hm. Some years ago on one of the GURPS mailing lists I frequent, someone suggested a really weird Addams idea -- that the only one "real" was Wednesday, who was an abused child now runaway and on her own, with truly monumental levels of the "ectoplasmic projection" power. The rest of the family -- and even the house! -- were all constructs made by her subconscious mind. Everyone except Pugsley were projections of her rather warped ideal of her "perfect family", while Pugsley was a younger version of the abuser father. This was the movie Addamses, so their mutual attempts to kill each other were there, and reflected the abusive relationship she escaped -- his attempts are her nightmares, her attempts are her tries at revenge.
Weird idea, but I liked it and saved it for future use somewhere.


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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Re: Addams Family Step
#24
Foxboy said:
Quote:
Tentative title for when it's finished is "Drunkard's Walk ?: A Family Affair."
Starring Brian Keith as Gomez Addams, Johnny Whitaker as Pugsley, and Sebastian Cabot as Uncle Fenster...

Quote:
I just need some goofy quotes, chapter titles, and music recommendations . . .
Hm. Let me see what I can do for you.
Quote:
Although I do see Doug using Alice Cooper's "Feed My Frankenstein" to whip up some suitably macabre repasts . . . or would that be for a Munsters step?
Hm. I don't remember ever seeing the TV Addamses dining. Good question. Cool idea, though...


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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Re: Music suggestions
#25
Offsides said:
Quote:
Definitely a song to be careful with Smile
Ohboyyes.


-- Bob
---------
There's no wrong way to eat a Rhesus.
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