[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference ljsrv1::tv_chatter

Title:The TV Chatter Notes Conference
Notice:Welcome to TV Chatter :-)
Moderator:PASTA::PIERCE
Created:Wed Dec 16 1992
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:498
Total number of notes:5416

356.0. "Dumb characters" by BUSY::BUSY::SLABOUNTY (Trouble with a capital 'T') Tue Apr 04 1995 01:15

    
    	Most sit-coms have them ... those characters that are so dumb
    	as to appear unrealistic:
    
    	"Friends" - Lisa Kudrow
    	"Three's Company" - Suzanne Somers, etc.
    	"Cheers" - Woody Harrelson [and his on-air wife]
    	"Wings" - Lowell [forgot his real name]
    
    	My father used to say he thought that the actors/actresses who
    	played these characters were probably brilliant, because it's
    	not easy to be that dumb and be able to make it look real.
    
    	Is that true, or are these actors/actresses really as dumb as
    	the characters they portray?
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
356.1... triple the size of the listHELIX::MAIEWSKITue Apr 04 1995 02:525
  Murphy Brown

    Everybody but Murphy.

  George
356.2USCTR1::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketTue Apr 04 1995 03:194
    .0, I agree with your father.  Some other good ones: the late Nicholas 
    Colasanto (sp?) on "Cheers", and Jerry Van Dyke on "Coach".
    
    Leslie
356.3MROA::DUPUISTue Apr 04 1995 03:273
    Ron Pallio (sp) -- Horshack on Welcome Back Kotter...
356.4OOTOOL::CHELSEAMostly harmless.Tue Apr 04 1995 04:263
    You can't be stupid and do good comedy.  If it's going to be funny (and
    not just stupid), you have to be stupid at the right time and in the
    right way.
356.5and from Taxi...FSCORE::HOGANbetter than ice creamTue Apr 04 1995 05:411
    What about Christopher Lloyd?
356.6USCTR1::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketTue Apr 04 1995 05:554
    .3-.5 Absolutely.  Though I think of Jim (Iggy) as almost an
    idiot-savant (not like Rain Man, maybe a dimwit-savant? :-}
    
    Leslie
356.7TPSYS::FEELEYGrowing older but not up...Tue Apr 04 1995 06:015
    
    Bill Dailey on both the Bob Newhart Show and I Dream of Jeannie.
    
    --Jay
356.8BUSY::BUSY::SLABOUNTYTrouble with a capital 'T'Tue Apr 04 1995 06:0613
    
    	RE: "Taxi"
    
    	You know Jim's story, right?
    
    
    
    	He was a minister until someone slipped him a batch of marijuana
    	brownies, and he ended up eating them all and getting hooked.
    
    	So rather than a "dimwit-savant", I believe I'd call him, basic-
    	ally, a burn-out.  8^)
356.9student dazeABACUS::SCHULTZTue Apr 04 1995 06:114
    He was a Harvard student at the time.
    
    Linda
356.10JethroPCBUOA::LPIERCEDo the watermelon crawlTue Apr 04 1995 06:249
    
    I give credit to the actors who play dumb on screen.  Alot of times
    these actors get stero-typed big time and they never do anything again.
    
    Another Dumbie on tv - Jethro Bodine/Max Bear on the Beverly
    Hillbillies.  I read in real life he was very smart and creative - but
    due to his Jethro days - he was never taken seriously.
    
    Lou
356.11BUSY::BUSY::SLABOUNTYTrouble with a capital 'T'Tue Apr 04 1995 07:495
    
    	RE: Jim the minister, or Harvard student
    
    	Oops!!  This is my brain on caffeine.  8^)
356.12USCTR1::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketWed Apr 05 1995 03:313
    .8 No, I didn't know Jim's story (makes a lot of sense now)!  Thanks.
    
    Leslie
356.13AYRPLN::VENTURAIn their eyes, the magic resides.Wed Apr 05 1995 09:304
    another "dumb" one... Christina (?) Applegate/Kelly Bundy on Married
    with Children.  I've heard that she actually is quite brillient.
    
    H
356.14Agarn, I don't know why everyone says you're dumb!SWAM1::STERN_TOTom Stern -- Have TK, will travel!Thu Sep 14 1995 18:537
    Bob Denver (Maynard G Krebs on Dobie Gillis, and Gilligan) was an
    English teacher at the time.
    
    And Stan Laurel was a pure genius.
    
    tom