Mark Reisman (writer / producer Frasier, Sydney to the Max, Summer Rental)

Mark Resiman joined me to discuss the brilliance of the Dick Van Dyke Show and working with Carl Reiner on "Summer Rental"; meeting Woody Allen as a teenager; Robert Klein and Rodney Dangerfield; seeing Don Rickles live as a teenager; going to Boston University; getting a job writing jokes for a birthday party comedy album and having it lead to writing for David Steinberg; getting hired for the last four episodes of season six of Saturday Night Live; becoming partners with Jeremy Stevens; writing a Bill Cosby "lite" beer ad for Eddie Murphy and hanging out with him backstage; going to Thicke of the Night; meeting guests Muhammad Ali and Frank Zappa; the comic regulars; the long hours; getting his first movie pitch, "Summer Rental" produced by Bernie Brillstein; working on Dear John with Bob Ellison and Rod Parker; writing the pilot for Puppetman for Brillstein and Jim Henson; writing on Rhythm and Blues; working of Flying Blind with Tea Leoni; consulting; Phil Rosenthal; getting hired on Wings; suggesting Amy Yasbeck; doing Encore! Encore! with Nathan Lane and Joan Plowright; joining Fraser is season seven; creating the Jean Smart character that won her an Emmy; highbrow dialogue added later; Niles and Daphne finally get together; creating the In-Laws starring Elon Gold, Jean Smart, and Dennis Farina; working on Big House with Kevin Hart; Quintuplets rushed into production with Andy Richter; Retired at 35 with George Segal and Jessica Walters; The Exes with Wayne Knight, Donald Faison, Kirsten Johnson; seeing Andi Mack and realizing their is a new kind of family sitcom; Sydney to the Max a parent in the 90's and his kid today; mentoring Danielle Fishel as a director; two sets of kids means hours are easier; strict Disney rules for child actors; multi camera vs. one camera sitcoms; losing weight; one camera sitcoms harder for the actor; Friends would be a nightmare with six equal leads; Angel-Casey-Lee the best people to learn from; how to write