#15 How NOT to Produce a Television Series: The Disaster of "Ohara"

Suzanne begins by creating some mystery and reveals secrets as she talks about her new bathing suit, today’s generation of pampered Hollywood pets, why The Wizard of Oz’s “Toto” was envied by the “munchkins”, and then refers to the new book she and Bob are working on...but won’t reveal the title!   The conversation turns to Bob’s experiences as Supervising Producer on Ohara, a Warner Bros. TV series that starred Pat Morita of The Karate Kid fame. Bob reveals the difficulties in writing and producing a cop show for the former “Mr. Miyagi” with a vague, constantly-changing franchise...a challenge made all the more difficult by a phalanx of bickering producers, studio chiefs, and network executives ranging from future Oscar-winner Brian Grazer to a Keith Richards look-and-act-alike.   Even with all the behind-the-scenes drama, Bob remembers the fun of writing great cop action scripts alongside L.A.P.D. Homicide Detective (and future Assistant L.A. Mayor) Joe Gunn, while casting future superstars like Brandon Lee, Benicio del Toro, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. in routine “day player” roles.   Those casting stories lead Bob to recall his friendship with Bruce Lee long before Enter The Dragon turned him into an international action superstar.   Bob even details his eyewitness account of Bruce Lee’s on-the-set humility and a display physical power that provides plenty of contrast to his experience on Ohara   It may have been a case of “too many chefs in the kitchen” on Ohara, but Bob admits that working on the Warner Bros. studio lot—and bumping into people like Clint Eastwood—made producing the show a true Hollywood Experience.