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Confessions of a Rogue TV Comedy Writer: Forty Years of Fame, Fun and Combat Inside The Writers Room.
A funny, uncensored, brutally honest book about my forty years of writing jokes for television. It is a fun, but often raucous ride. So, hang on. It will get bumpy. We’re about to get up close with the likes of Tommy Smothers, Jonathan Winters, Steve Martin, Redd Fox, Garry Shandling, Don Rickles...Plus a few that are at the top of my F-list. Writing on staff for Full House was a nightmare. And, that’s sugar coating it. Now there should be no doubt what the “F” stands for. I’m also going to get squeamishly personal. You’ll be there when I meet Goldie Hawn’s stunt double and wind up in a marriage about as peaceful as the Middle East. On the sunny side, you’ll hang with us as we buy a beachfront villa in the Bahamas, play with and offend some of the richest people in the world. Ah, and then there’s Redd Foxx giving me a present which keeps me out of prison only because a cop happens to look the wrong way I wrote my first television script, The Munsters, while still in college, yet girls continued to ignore me. A short time later I became the youngest staff writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, earning an Emmy nomination which I’ve never quite lived up to. After The Jonathan Winters Show and two seasons as head writer for Sanford and Son, I was perceived as a comedy writing genius that everybody wanted to throw money at. They were wrong, but I took the money anyway. So, why “Rogue” Comedy Writer? Way back when I knew everything about everything, it was my naïve belief that as a writer I could avoid the bullshit obligatory in other professions and just speak my mind. I was wrong. But, I took the money anyway. But, there’s this other thing gets me into the most trouble. I have an almost incurable problem with Mean People. You know who they Jerks, Jerk Offs, Pricks, Assholes, Dickheads and Shit Heads. I’ve never been able to ignore these people. Conversely, I confront them. Many say they admire me for this trait. But, just as many tell me to look for a new job. I hope this book will dazzle you with my talent. No doubt it will sometimes astound you with my impulsiveness and lack of good decisions. My father was fond of are three kinds of people.One percent learn from other peoples mistakes. Two percent learn from their own mistakes. Ninety-seven percent never learn. Maybe you’ll be the one percent that learns from mine. I’m going to try to make this an insightful book about my life; How I got to write jokes for a living, what’s inside my bent brain, the things I care about, the stuff I rant over and the incurable propensity I have for getting in other peoples’ face. However, all that being said, this is a book about a comedy writer who loves to make people laugh. Buy this book. You will laugh. If you don’t, I’ll take the money anyway.
533 pages, Paperback
Published December 22, 2019
About the author
Ted Bergman
12 books1 followerI sold my first television script, The Munsters, while still in college, yet girls continued to ignore me. A short time later I became the youngest staff writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, earning an Emmy nomination which I’ve never quite lived up to. My producing and writing credits range from The Hollywood Squares to All in the Family, Sanford and Son, What's Happening, Gimme a Break, The Garry Shandling Show and way too many unsold pilots like, Who Needs Friends?! and The al-Qaida Comedy Hour. I am now retired and writing books from an island in the Caribbean. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help it. All book profits go to support aspiring North Korean comedy writers, Blind Ping Pong Players and for a new typewriter.
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April 18, 2021
Finished reading today “Confessions of a Rogue TV Comedy Writer: Forty Years of Fame, Fear and Combat Inside the Writers Room” by Ted Bergman (2019).
Bergman’s book is a fun read. As much (or more) an autobiography/memoir of his life (his various personal adventures, travails, and relationships) during the time that he was a Hollywood television sitcom writer as much as it is about his experiences working on those shows but he does commit chapters to telling those stories as well.
From his first television script he ever sold and saw produced (an episode of “The Munsters” (1964-1966), to writing set up lines for “Hollywood Squares” (1966-1980), Bergman’s big break came when he was hired as a staff writer on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” (1967-1969).
From there, he next worked on “The Jonathan Winters Show” (1967-1969), “The Trouble With Tracy” (Canadian, 1970-1971), “Sanford and Son” (1972-1977), “What’s Happening!!” (1976-1979), “Sanford” (1980-1981), “Gimme a Break!” (1981-1987), “Rocky Road” (syndicated, 1985-1987), and (very briefly early on) “Full House” (1987-1995). Bergman also takes us through the various projects that never saw the light of day for various reasons (unsold pilots, stage plays, movie pitches, etc.).
In between tv writing jobs, his life with wife and fellow writer Kathy takes them around the world including buying a tropical island home that they end up living in for only a short time.
As I said, I enjoyed this book. A couple things I should mention. Bergman himself points out that there was another Ted Bergmann working in Hollywood (and sometimes at the very same production company) which oftentimes led to people confusing the two of them for each other. This other Ted Bergmann (1920-2014) was the head producer on “Three’s Company” (1977-1984). The Ted Bergman who wrote this book is not *that* Ted Bergmann.
The other thing is that this paperback edition (which has the look of a print-on-demand book) has to be one of the worst copy edited books that I’ve ever read. Words misspelled on just about every other page. Proper names misspelled. (On one page Pat Morita’s name is spelled “Pat Moria” several times.) “Newhart” is “Newheart”. And many, many instances of words missing apostrophes, such as “we’re talking about” being instead “were talking about”.
Also, there are no page numbers. So, to keep track of how far I was progressing each day I’d have to go by the table of contents. Except I soon realized that they missed a chapter in the table of contents so that wasn’t correct either.
All of that said, I still recommend this book for anyone interested in the writing of television sitcoms during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Those of my age and older will probably remember watching several of these series and enjoy reading about what things were like behind the scenes. Others will probably find Bergman writing style to be funny and his life outside of the writers room to be just as interesting.
Bergman’s book is a fun read. As much (or more) an autobiography/memoir of his life (his various personal adventures, travails, and relationships) during the time that he was a Hollywood television sitcom writer as much as it is about his experiences working on those shows but he does commit chapters to telling those stories as well.
From his first television script he ever sold and saw produced (an episode of “The Munsters” (1964-1966), to writing set up lines for “Hollywood Squares” (1966-1980), Bergman’s big break came when he was hired as a staff writer on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” (1967-1969).
From there, he next worked on “The Jonathan Winters Show” (1967-1969), “The Trouble With Tracy” (Canadian, 1970-1971), “Sanford and Son” (1972-1977), “What’s Happening!!” (1976-1979), “Sanford” (1980-1981), “Gimme a Break!” (1981-1987), “Rocky Road” (syndicated, 1985-1987), and (very briefly early on) “Full House” (1987-1995). Bergman also takes us through the various projects that never saw the light of day for various reasons (unsold pilots, stage plays, movie pitches, etc.).
In between tv writing jobs, his life with wife and fellow writer Kathy takes them around the world including buying a tropical island home that they end up living in for only a short time.
As I said, I enjoyed this book. A couple things I should mention. Bergman himself points out that there was another Ted Bergmann working in Hollywood (and sometimes at the very same production company) which oftentimes led to people confusing the two of them for each other. This other Ted Bergmann (1920-2014) was the head producer on “Three’s Company” (1977-1984). The Ted Bergman who wrote this book is not *that* Ted Bergmann.
The other thing is that this paperback edition (which has the look of a print-on-demand book) has to be one of the worst copy edited books that I’ve ever read. Words misspelled on just about every other page. Proper names misspelled. (On one page Pat Morita’s name is spelled “Pat Moria” several times.) “Newhart” is “Newheart”. And many, many instances of words missing apostrophes, such as “we’re talking about” being instead “were talking about”.
Also, there are no page numbers. So, to keep track of how far I was progressing each day I’d have to go by the table of contents. Except I soon realized that they missed a chapter in the table of contents so that wasn’t correct either.
All of that said, I still recommend this book for anyone interested in the writing of television sitcoms during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Those of my age and older will probably remember watching several of these series and enjoy reading about what things were like behind the scenes. Others will probably find Bergman writing style to be funny and his life outside of the writers room to be just as interesting.
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