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[Ron Pulliam]

I'll concur with Dan (the Man) about "Designing Women" up to the point where Delta Burke was forced to leave the show.

It never recovered.  Delta was, IMO, the heart and soul of the show because she was based on the show's creator, Linda Bloodworth Thomason.  And it's no suprise to me that it was Bloodworth Thomason who made it impossible for Burke to continue even though Burke had some of the finest moments network TV comedy has ever seen.

There have been several different stories told about what went on behind the scenes of that show.  Everything changed, apparently, when Burke began putting on weight.  Some of the best shows in that series had to do with how "Suzanne" -- a former beauty queen who was truly a beautiful woman -- dealt with reactions to her weight.  In many ways, the character was a caricature of a typical southern beauty, but Burke was the equal of Bloodworth Thomason's intent and revealed Suzanne to be a deeper soul than was apparent on the surface.  Other cast members have not supported Burke's more vivid accounts of what happened on the set, but they also have not been wholly open about it, either.  Whatever happened, I have to say I cannot for the life of me figure out what's holding up the release of all the seasons of the show on DVD.

[Ron Pulliam]

It's 8:42 a.m. and I'm the only one in this joint.

I feel so ALONE!

[bk]

Just got off the phone with paypal.  Normally, when one orders via Kritzerland, I get an invoice sent to my e-mail address.  Said invoice contains a transaction number at the top, all the shopping cart details (item, item number, and price) and below that the payment details (price and address).  That's how it's always been - until the last two invoices, both of which did not include the entire upper portion of the invoice - it went directly to payment details - hence, I had no idea what the orders were FOR and had to go into my paypal account and find out there.  So, I called them to see why this is happening (the last regular correctly formatted invoice I got was last Friday) - apparently it's a "known" issue and is happening to everyone who uses shopping cart with paypal.  They've now escalated the claim to a more important status and I was assured by a supervisor that it's being worked on and would be fixed shortly.

[Ron Pulliam]

For the past five or six days, I have been unable to see The Weather Channel, Turner Classic Movies and IFC (International Film Channel).  Just those three.  TCM and IFC are part of the same digital package.  The Weather Channel is part of the Basic package.

After losing three (count 'em 3) movies I had set to record on TCM, I called ComCast last night and got a message saying they are aware of "issues" in my area with reception of "certain" channels and that their technicians were working on a resolution. Rather than continue on to speak to someone live, I accepted the message as an indicator the problem will soon be resolved.   I'll give this till the end of the week before calling again to actually "speak" to someone about my problematic channels.

[Dan (the Man)]

I'll concur with Dan (the Man) about "Designing Women" up to the point where Delta Burke was forced to leave the show.

It never recovered.  Delta was, IMO, the heart and soul of the show because she was based on the show's creator, Linda Bloodworth Thomason.  And it's no suprise to me that it was Bloodworth Thomason who made it impossible for Burke to continue even though Burke had some of the finest moments network TV comedy has ever seen.

There have been several different stories told about what went on behind the scenes of that show.  Everything changed, apparently, when Burke began putting on weight.  Some of the best shows in that series had to do with how "Suzanne" -- a former beauty queen who was truly a beautiful woman -- dealt with reactions to her weight.  In many ways, the character was a caricature of a typical southern beauty, but Burke was the equal of Bloodworth Thomason's intent and revealed Suzanne to be a deeper soul than was apparent on the surface.  Other cast members have not supported Burke's more vivid accounts of what happened on the set, but they also have not been wholly open about it, either.  Whatever happened, I have to say I cannot for the life of me figure out what's holding up the release of all the seasons of the show on DVD.

Oh, definately only with Delta.  Losing Delta Burke and shoehorning in Julia Duffy was a HUGE mistake.  Another case of evaporating emsemblage.

Also agree with what you said about FRIENDS.  This is another show where I often found the scripts and laughs to be uneven, but I always believed that these people were friends.  No matter how they were mixed and matched though out the run, it always worked.

I hold back on listing THE GOLDEN GIRLS the same reason I hesitate with SEINFELD.  To me, four people don't equal an ensemble.  But otherwise, they all were perfect together.

And hey--let's not forget about TAXI and CHEERS and the first two or three seasons of THE COSBY SHOW.

[Dan (the Man)]

For the past five or six days, I have been unable to see The Weather Channel, Turner Classic Movies and IFC (International Film Channel).  Just those three.  TCM and IFC are part of the same digital package.  The Weather Channel is part of the Basic package.

After losing three (count 'em 3) movies I had set to record on TCM, I called ComCast last night and got a message saying they are aware of "issues" in my area with reception of "certain" channels and that their technicians were working on a resolution. Rather than continue on to speak to someone live, I accepted the message as an indicator the problem will soon be resolved.   I'll give this till the end of the week before calling again to actually "speak" to someone about my problematic channels.

DR Ron, I also had problems with blanks screens for TBS and The Weather Channel on Sunday.  I called customer service and,  after they "sent a strong signal" to my box and had me reboot it, I've been fine.

[Ron Pulliam]

For the past five or six days, I have been unable to see The Weather Channel, Turner Classic Movies and IFC (International Film Channel).  Just those three.  TCM and IFC are part of the same digital package.  The Weather Channel is part of the Basic package.

After losing three (count 'em 3) movies I had set to record on TCM, I called ComCast last night and got a message saying they are aware of "issues" in my area with reception of "certain" channels and that their technicians were working on a resolution. Rather than continue on to speak to someone live, I accepted the message as an indicator the problem will soon be resolved.   I'll give this till the end of the week before calling again to actually "speak" to someone about my problematic channels.

DR Ron, I also had problems with blanks screens for TBS and The Weather Channel on Sunday.  I called customer service and,  after they "sent a strong signal" to my box and had me reboot it, I've been fine.

Hmmmm....maybe I had better talk to someone this evening, then.

[Ron Pulliam]

Follow-up:  Thanks, Dan (the Man).  I just had an online chat with customer support and it was recommended I reboot when I get home.  If the channels don't come back on the reboot, he said to call tech support and request a "refresh signal".

Nothing like HainesHisWay for getting technical problems solved!! 

[Ann]

Good morning all.

I have many phone calls to make today, none of which I'm looking forward to.  I must call paypal and figure out what to do with an item I recently sold on ebay.  The payment went into an older paypal account I have, the password and security questions for which I have completely forgotten.  I'm not sure I ever knew them, since my ex-boyfriend helped me set up that account seven years ago.  I never use it anymore, but it was attached to the e-mail address I used on ebay, so therein sits the money.  I need to get it out of there, but I'm not sure how that will be accomplished.
Then I must call yet again and see if I can confirm that Toby has a spot at the childcare center for January.  They haven't responded to e-mails, and I need to make sure he's in, or else I need to start looking for someplace else posthaste. 
Then I must call the hospital about Toby's hospital bill, and mine for that matter.  We tried to resubmit his with the additional insurance from DH Jed, and it's becoming a bit nightmarish.

Did I mention that I loathe using the phone?  Loathe it with every fiber of my being?  Ugh. 

[Ann]

TOD-

I must disagree with the Manly Dan, respectfully of course.  I think four characters can make up an ensemble show, provided there is no obvious "main" character around which the show is based.  Therefore my list will include
Golden Girls
also
Frasier
M*A*S*H
West Wing
The first season of SportsNight
Northern Exposure (which was filmed in Roslyn, about 15 miles from my hometown of Ellensburg)
3rd Rock From The Sun

[Ginny]

In what felt kind of like an out-of-body experience, I just visited our business office and filled out my last timesheet, for the 2 weeks that I will be taking vacation/holiday time leading up to retirement.

[Ron Pulliam]

In what felt kind of like an out-of-body experience, I just visited our business office and filled out my last timesheet, for the 2 weeks that I will be taking vacation/holiday time leading up to retirement.

I did so many things on "automatic" for so many years in the Navy that I was amazed to discover, only months after retiring, that my memory apparently locked that door and hid the key.  I simply cannot remember things that seemed second nature to me.  Every now and again I'll get a flash and recall an event or a procedure.  But once you no longer "need" something that your mind has set up as an active file, somehow it also stamps files as "inactive."

[Ron Pulliam]

One exception to my last post:

I still, on occasion, have a dream about appearing onstage in a play and not knowing a single line or even what the play is.

And on rarer occasions, I dream about suddenly remembering a class I needed to complete in order to graduate and not being able to recall what the class was called or where it met...or whether I'd ever attended a single class.  And so, in my dream, I'd be going through empty hallways and peering into classrooms seeking something familiar.

[Dan (the Man)]

TOD-

I must disagree with the Manly Dan, respectfully of course.  I think four characters can make up an ensemble show, provided there is no obvious "main" character around which the show is based.  Therefore my list will include
Golden Girls
also
Frasier
M*A*S*H
West Wing
The first season of SportsNight
Northern Exposure (which was filmed in Roslyn, about 15 miles from my hometown of Ellensburg)
3rd Rock From The Sun

Well, I guess I disagree with myself, too, since I listed ALL IN THE FAMILY in my initial list. 

I guess I have this definition stuck in my mind that an ensemble is a group of actors of a large enough number that could very quickly and with little effort gang up on and kill a director.  Now granted, just four people could pull it off but in the end, it will be easily remembered who actually delivered the fatal blow.  When there's a group of five or more, with all the kicking and clubbing with whatever blunt rehearsal props are handy, the mob mentality takes over and no one really recalls who did what once the police arrive on the scene.

So in my mind, NO EXIT is not an ensemble cast, while YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU certainly is.

[ArnoldMBrockman]

And the word of the day is: PROLIX!

And The Song Of The Day Is: SHOW ME

[singdaw]

I know the TOD is TV shows, but since DR DtM brought up stage plays, I nominate the ever wonderful She Loves Me for its superb ensemble opportunities.

[bk]

Good morning all.

I have many phone calls to make today, none of which I'm looking forward to.  I must call paypal and figure out what to do with an item I recently sold on ebay.  The payment went into an older paypal account I have, the password and security questions for which I have completely forgotten.  I'm not sure I ever knew them, since my ex-boyfriend helped me set up that account seven years ago.  I never use it anymore, but it was attached to the e-mail address I used on ebay, so therein sits the money.  I need to get it out of there, but I'm not sure how that will be accomplished.
Then I must call yet again and see if I can confirm that Toby has a spot at the childcare center for January.  They haven't responded to e-mails, and I need to make sure he's in, or else I need to start looking for someplace else posthaste. 
Then I must call the hospital about Toby's hospital bill, and mine for that matter.  We tried to resubmit his with the additional insurance from DH Jed, and it's becoming a bit nightmarish.

Did I mention that I loathe using the phone?  Loathe it with every fiber of my being?  Ugh. 

The paypal customer service is great.  When you call, just keep saying Customer Service after the voice prompts - it's the fastest way to get them.  They'll either reset the password and username for that account or transfer the dough for you.

[bk]

Back from the long jog, which I did with little energy.  I've shaved and will shower in a moment and then be on my way to the lunch meeting.

[Ann]

TOD-

I must disagree with the Manly Dan, respectfully of course.  I think four characters can make up an ensemble show, provided there is no obvious "main" character around which the show is based.  Therefore my list will include
Golden Girls
also
Frasier
M*A*S*H
West Wing
The first season of SportsNight
Northern Exposure (which was filmed in Roslyn, about 15 miles from my hometown of Ellensburg)
3rd Rock From The Sun

Well, I guess I disagree with myself, too, since I listed ALL IN THE FAMILY in my initial list. 

I guess I have this definition stuck in my mind that an ensemble is a group of actors of a large enough number that could very quickly and with little effort gang up on and kill a director.  Now granted, just four people could pull it off but in the end, it will be easily remembered who actually delivered the fatal blow.  When there's a group of five or more, with all the kicking and clubbing with whatever blunt rehearsal props are handy, the mob mentality takes over and no one really recalls who did what once the police arrive on the scene.

So in my mind, NO EXIT is not an ensemble cast, while YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU certainly is.

I have no doubt that Bea Arthur alone could take on any director, with or without an ensemble to back her up. 

[Ann]

Good morning all.

I have many phone calls to make today, none of which I'm looking forward to.  I must call paypal and figure out what to do with an item I recently sold on ebay.  The payment went into an older paypal account I have, the password and security questions for which I have completely forgotten.  I'm not sure I ever knew them, since my ex-boyfriend helped me set up that account seven years ago.  I never use it anymore, but it was attached to the e-mail address I used on ebay, so therein sits the money.  I need to get it out of there, but I'm not sure how that will be accomplished.
Then I must call yet again and see if I can confirm that Toby has a spot at the childcare center for January.  They haven't responded to e-mails, and I need to make sure he's in, or else I need to start looking for someplace else posthaste. 
Then I must call the hospital about Toby's hospital bill, and mine for that matter.  We tried to resubmit his with the additional insurance from DH Jed, and it's becoming a bit nightmarish.

Did I mention that I loathe using the phone?  Loathe it with every fiber of my being?  Ugh. 

The paypal customer service is great.  When you call, just keep saying Customer Service after the voice prompts - it's the fastest way to get them.  They'll either reset the password and username for that account or transfer the dough for you.

Thanks, bk, that makes me feel much better about calling.  I shall post with the outcome shortly.

[Ron Pulliam]

Back from my walk along Lake Merritt's shoreline.  Beautiful, Gorgeous, Glorious day here in Oakland.

[Ron Pulliam]

I know the TOD is TV shows, but since DR DtM brought up stage plays, I nominate the ever wonderful She Loves Me for its superb ensemble opportunities.

Just to clarfiy today's TOD:

Today’s topic of discussion: What are your all-time favorite ensemble casts from TV shows – the shows where the cast chemistry is absolute perfection right down to the smallest regular?

So...not so much how many folks are in a cast or what potential exists but what TV shows we think had the best ensembles with the best chemistry and the ultra-plus perfect supporting actors/actresses.

[singdaw]

ultra-plus perfect

Now what does my bra size have to do with any of this?   

[Ron Pulliam]

ultra-plus perfect

Now what does my bra size have to do with any of this?  

Shouldn't that be your "bro"?

[Dan (the Man)]

And a lovely package was just delivered to my office containing Bernard Herrmann's A CHRISTMAS CAROL from the folks at KRITZERLAND.  I am uploading to my iPod even now...

One of the best darn things about Kritzerland CDs?  No sticky sealer labels to peel off!  That feature alone makes any purchase worthwhile!

Thank you, folks at Kritzerland!

[Tomovoz]

TOTD
Cheers
MASH
Frasier
Roseanne
Golden Girls

Gavin & Stacey (Current UK show)

[singdaw]

No sticky sealer labels to peel off!

Aren't they just THE WORST?    Grrrrrr.....       

[bk]

I hate those label things - hate 'em on CDs and hate 'em on DVDs.

[bk]

I'm fresh as a daisy prince and shall soon be on my way to lunch meeting.  Isn't that funny?  Typing daisy prince reminded me that I was once set up on a date with her - we went to Joe Allen's naturally.  She was very nice, although we never went out again.

[Tomovoz]

Visited our friend Allan yesterday. He is in rehab and still having some difficutlies eating but is certainly walking and communicating well.  It is hoped that he may be homw the first week in December.  He's lost too much weight of course - but I'm sure that will not be too much of a problem to rectify. 

Thank you all again for you support.

DP Colin is OK as well.

Me -- Oh well.   who knows

Special hugs to DR Vixmom (Vixmum).