Favorite quote:

“Next!” (Barry Diller – what he says when a project gets cancelled).

You’ve got to keep looking forward and moving to the next thing. You make your own momentum so you need to keep working on things.

Unexpected lessons…

Ken and his writing partner experienced a tough time when creative differences cropped up while working with Mary Tyler Moore in the 80s. It is experiences like that that teach valuable lessons about yourself.

“The Me Generation… By Me”

Ken’s book on growing up in California in the 1960s. What was it like as a regular kid, rather than the stereotype of the “California myth”?

New play…

Ken has a new play coming out shortly at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. You can check out A or B? here...

Ken Levine is an Emmy award winning writer /director/producer/major league baseball announcer.   In a career that has spanned over 30 years Ken has been the head writer of MASH, producer of CHEERS, creative consultant of FRASIER and WINGS, and has co-created three of his own series including ALMOST PERFECT that starred Nancy Travis for CBS from 1995-1996.

Over the last twenty years he has also done radio/TV play-by-play for the Baltimore Oriolesm, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres and has contributed pieces for ESPN and Fox Sports.  He has also hosted Dodger Talk on the Los Angeles Dodgers Radio Network for eight years.

A book about his year in Baltimore was published by Villard in 1993 entitled IT’S GONE…NO, WAIT A MINUTE.   A second book, WHERE THE HELL AM I?  TRIPS I HAVE SURVIVED was published in March 1011.  His humorous memoir, THE ME GENERATION… BY ME (GROWING UP IN THE ‘60s) was released in June, 2012.   And in 2013 he released his comic novel, MUST KILL TV.

As a writer Ken and his partner David Isaacs have written over two hundred episodes of network television.  In addition to scripts for CHEERS (40), MASH (20), FRASIER, and WINGS, they have also written for the SIMPSONS, THE JEFFERSONS, and BECKER (among others).

Screenplays include VOLUNTEERS starring Tom Hanks and John Candy and non-credited rewrites for JEWEL OF THE NILE with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and MANNEQUIN.

Ken has written two stage plays.  His first, UPFRONTS & PERSONAL received several stage readings in Los Angeles and New York.   Cast members included Jason Alexander, Ed Asner, Ryan O’Neal, Kurtwood Smith, Wendie Malick, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Andrew Rannells, Matthew Letscher, David Shram, David Rasche, Paul Dooley, Patrick Breen, Malcolm Gets, and Jennifer Tilly.   And in 2006 a musical Ken co-wrote with Janet Brenner, THE 60’s PROJECT, was produced by the Goodspeed Theatre in Connecticut with Tony winner, Richard Maltby Jr. directing, starring Andrew Rannells.

A OR B?  is Ken’s second play.    It was produced in the Fall of 2014 by the Falcon Theatre in Los Angeles.

Ken has directed over forty episodes of television.  Among his credits: EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, FRASIER, BECKER, DHARMA & GREG, WINGS, IT’S ALL RELATIVE and JUST SHOOT ME.

He has won one Emmy, two Writers Guild Awards, and has had Peabody and Humanitas recognition.  He was voted the Virginia Sportscaster of the Year in 1989 (when he broadcast for the Tidewater Tides minor league team), and twice was named “Best Sports Talk Host†by the Southern California Sportscasters Association for his work on Dodger Talk.

His first career was a radio disc jockey.  In the 70’s Ken spun the hits on such stations as 10Q, K100, KMPC, KFI Los Angeles, KYA San Francisco, WDRQ Detroit, WXLO New York, KCBQ, B100 San Diego.   He has been the fill-in host for Stephanie Miller and Marilu Henner’s national radio shows.

Ken also writes a popular daily blog, “By Ken Levineâ€.   KenLevine.blogspot.com.   TIME MAGAZINE recently named it one of the 25 Best Blogs of 2011.

For more about Ken: Blog | Google+

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