HarryCarter Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 GQ has great oral history of Cheers in their latest issue, where they interviewed the entire cast and creative team. This fascinating piece of information was included: Bill Steinkellner [(writer-executive producer)]: That was the aura of Cheers: It was special. It was more than TV; you could get people to guest on the show you couldn't normally get. Cheri Steinkellner[(writer-executive producer)]: Somebody would let us know they were a fan, and we'd say, "Let's put him on." [Ken] Levine [(writer-producer)]: We heard the first year that Lucille Ball loved Cheers, and we all thought she should play Diane's mom. We thought that would really boost the show. Somehow, the Charles brothers and Jimmy got a meeting with her. Glen Charles: That was really a treat. But she backed out. Les Charles: She said everybody tuning in would expect to see Lucy, and for her to play something so completely different—even a little bit different—would be disappointing to her fans. I wish Lucy would have taken more roles in sitcoms as a non-Lucy character. Glynis Johns ultimately played Diane's mother. Here is the complete oral history:My link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 I wish she would have too. If she had played more non-Lucy characters the public would've gotten used to it eventually, I think, and embraced her. She should've taken the Golden Girls part that was offered to her too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 GQ has great oral history of Cheers in their latest issue, where they interviewed the entire cast and creative team. This fascinating piece of information was included: I wish Lucy would have taken more roles in sitcoms as a non-Lucy character. Glynis Johns ultimately played Diane's mother. Here is the complete oral history:My link Isn't that funny, there were two roles i looked at the actress and thought to myself Lucy would have been great as this character, one was Mary Tyler Moore's aunt Flo, and the other was Glynis Johns whom i adored, playing Diane's mom on Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 Very interesting! It would have been neat to see her play opposite Shelley Long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 I always wished that she made an appearance on The Golden Girls. Could've been a sibling or an old friend. I wish she could've made new roles on TV besides just 'Lucy' But that's what people wanted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 28, 2012 Report Share Posted September 28, 2012 Very interesting! It would have been neat to see her play opposite Shelley Long. At The Variety Clubs All Star Salute to Lucille Ball, both Shelley Long and Ted Danson attended and Shelley said some nice things about Lucy and motherhood, now i know why they were there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 GQ has great oral history of Cheers in their latest issue, where they interviewed the entire cast and creative team. This fascinating piece of information was included: I wish Lucy would have taken more roles in sitcoms as a non-Lucy character. Glynis Johns ultimately played Diane's mother. Here is the complete oral history:My link Very fascinating! Thanks for sharing. Les Charles: She said everybody tuning in would expect to see Lucy, and for her to play something so completely different—even a little bit different—would be disappointing to her fans. This is, in all honesty, one of the most infuriating things about the later Lucy years. So many opportunities missed because she was reluctant to challenge the "fans". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 It would have been really neat if she'd guest starred during the Kirstie Alley years. Can you imagine scheming, clutzy Lucy collaborating with scheming, clutzy Rebecca? GOLD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upperco Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 That was a great article. CHEERS is my second favorite, right behind LUCY! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 And the moment where Lucy asks Rebecca, "Didn't I play Password with you once?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 Very fascinating! Thanks for sharing. This is, in all honesty, one of the most infuriating things about the later Lucy years. So many opportunities missed because she was reluctant to challenge the "fans". I think she proved with Stone Pillow that she was NOT afraid to challenge her fans. AND a lot of those missed opportunities never got to her, they stopped at her manager husband who needed to get HIS CUT to discuss ANY project with her it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 And the moment where Lucy asks Rebecca, "Didn't I play Password with you once?" And she hasn't stopped bitching about it since, LOL! No, she never would have acted with Kirstie as she would have been Diane's mom and Rebecca replaced Diane when she left the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 Very fascinating! Thanks for sharing. This is, in all honesty, one of the most infuriating things about the later Lucy years. So many opportunities missed because she was reluctant to challenge the "fans". Your last statement is so true. Imagine how much she couldve/would've done if she was willing to go outside the box. One thing I'm really surprised she did was Stone Pillow, so out of her element and she did great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 It wasn't HER choice, every time she gave the public a variation on the Lucy character, they never accepted her in those roles, Wildcat being a prime example, Mame being another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 I wish she did more stuff like Catherine Curtis in her later years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 It wasn't HER choice, every time she gave the public a variation on the Lucy character, they never accepted her in those roles, Wildcat being a prime example, Mame being another. Yes, it was her choice. IMO, she should have perservered and flexed her considerable muscle, "public" be damned, and sought out the roles that satisfied her, Stone Pillow notwithstanding. The "public" would have come around...and she probably would have picked up plenty of new "public" along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 Yes, it was her choice. IMO, she should have perservered and flexed her considerable muscle, "public" be damned, and sought out the roles that satisfied her, Stone Pillow notwithstanding. The "public" would have come around...and she probably would have picked up plenty of new "public" along the way. No, because she never succeeded when she gave her fans stuff like Catherine Curtis, and morty the goldapper was afraid to stand up to her and tell her she should try those other roles, she was very insecure and it would have been terrific had he introduced her to the top people in the industry and she could have really been BIG in the business, LOL! Look what happened the few times she did work with the best, the Danny Kaye special produced by the great Jess Oppenheimer, when she did something different was always great, Lucy in London as another example, because we were so used to her repeating the same stale storylines on her shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 No, because she never succeeded when she gave her fans stuff like Catherine Curtis, and morty the goldapper was afraid to stand up to her and tell her she should try those other roles, she was very insecure and it would have been terrific had he introduced her to the top people in the industry and she could have really been BIG in the business, LOL! Look what happened the few times she did work with the best, the Danny Kaye special produced by the great Jess Oppenheimer, when she did something different was always great, Lucy in London as another example, because we were so used to her repeating the same stale storylines on her shows. Exactly, she was insecure when it went outside of that Lucy zone so she listened to those around her. Her husband to Desi to writers to her fans. I always thought it was her decision to not go into other parts. She wanted them to be pleased by her performance and her role was Lucy. But in every special, guest appearance she was the Lucy persona. Except for talks shows, quiz shows, or musical tribute, which sometimes still were pure Lucy. I think that's why it hurt her so much that LWL wasn't a success. They all wanted Lucy back and when she did it, they rejected her. So it seemed she felt as if she lost it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 And she hasn't stopped bitching about it since, LOL! No, she never would have acted with Kirstie as she would have been Diane's mom and Rebecca replaced Diane when she left the show. Yes, I knew they played Password together. I know that never would've happened, it was just a "what if"... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 Yes, I knew they played Password together. I know that never would've happened, it was just a "what if"... But i get what you mean, Rebecca was such a no bullshit character compared to Diane who was so wishy washy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 But i get what you mean, Rebecca was such a no bullshit character compared to Diane who was so wishy washy. Rebecca's ideas and plans usually got her into hot water a la Lucy, so it would've been fun to see how they played off each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 1, 2012 Report Share Posted October 1, 2012 Rebecca's ideas and plans usually got her into hot water a la Lucy, so it would've been fun to see how they played off each other. Ok, NOW i get your comparison, haven't watched CHEERS in years although i have every season but the last i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryCarter Posted October 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2012 The Cheers episode with Glynis Johns as Diane's mother was on TV tonight and I watched. I wonder if the episode was written before or after Lucy declined the offer. The character in the episode would have been a very fun role for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C L A U D E Posted October 1, 2012 Report Share Posted October 1, 2012 The Cheers episode with Glynis Johns as Diane's mother was on TV tonight and I watched. I wonder if the episode was written before or after Lucy declined the offer. The character in the episode would have been a very fun role for her. Exactly what i thought every time i saw that show. Although i LOVE Glynis and was so happy to see her get work again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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