Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412030012
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KEN PARISH PERKINS CHICAGO TRIBUNE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That was a Thursday, Harvey says. By Friday, he was meeting with the ABC representatives in his hotel suite. By Saturday, he had a development deal, which legally links a signee to a network for a series to be created later.
That series, ``Me and the Boys,'' airs at 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays (on WSET-Channel 13) in the plum time slot between the popular kiddie sitcom ``Full House'' and television's most watched program, ``Home Improvement.'' The sitcom ``Boys,'' about a widowed dad raising three sons, has been ABC's most successful new show, ranking among America's top 20 programs.
Harvey still is shaking his head over the speed of it all. ``It feels like everything is moving so fast,'' he says, ``particularly since I don't consider myself an actor at all. I'm a comedian.''
Being a comic certainly helps in landing starring roles in sitcoms. On network TV, fewer sitcoms increasingly are based on original premises.
The five highest-rated comedies this season are fronted by performers who for at least 12 years made their livings as touring standups: ``Seinfeld'' (Jerry Seinfeld), ``Grace Under Fire'' (Brett Butler), ``Roseanne'' (Roseanne), ``Ellen'' (Ellen DeGeneres) and ``Home Improvement'' (Tim Allen).
Like those comics, Harvey has paid his dues. He's been on the road for more than 10 years, starting in Cleveland, his hometown, before making his way to Dallas, where he opened a comedy club while keeping his rising-star status intact.
In ``Me and the Boys,'' the star plays the firm but fair Steve Tower, a video store owner. While directing his boys, he's able to move from seriousness to silliness with ease.
Harvey's character often gets his boys (Chaz Lamar Shepherd, 16, Wayne Collins, 15, and Benjamin LeVert, 8) out of the usual scrapes - bullies, girls, etc. - while teaching them lessons in honesty, forgiveness and responsibility. Supplying additional support is Tower's mother-in-law, played by the classy Madge Sinclair.
Hits like ``Home Improvement'' and ``Roseanne'' illustrate how standup comics have been able to bring their alter egos to sitcoms.
As in ``Home Improvement,'' ``Me and the Boys'' is built around a recognizable character that a segment of the audience already has learned to like.
``But there still must be an invisible line between the standup and the sitcom,'' says executive producer Bob Myer, a former writer and producer of ``Roseanne.'' ``The general idea is that what made them successful as standups will make them successful as sitcom characters.''
Comedic personas don't always make the transition successfully - Jonathan Winters (``Davis Rules'') and Jackie Mason (``Chicken Soup'') are good examples.
Comics who become successful sitcom stars are able to overcome the awkwardness of playing out their routines. But others have difficulty giving up control, particularly writing.
Harvey says he understood that before signing with ABC. ``On stage, you improvise,'' he says. ``Here, that's minimal. You have writers. This is like doing a short play - other people have lines. It can't all be about you.''
Actually, the sitcoms are all about the comics, who often are isolated to deliver lines from their stage acts. The challenge is creating a strong ensemble around them.
Those who followed Harvey's standup career know most of his comedy is generated from headlines. In ``Me and the Boys'' his character hasn't made it through an episode without reading the newspaper and firing off some kind of funny line.
``Me and the Boys'' has proven to have wide appeal - Nielsen demographics show that adults and kids are watching it. Which is why Harvey has been annoyed whenever the show is labeled ``a time-slot hit.''
``I think we stand on our own,'' Harvey says. ``The basic principles - discipline, responsibility, raising kids - are universal. It's not a black thing or white thing. It's a respect thing. And plus, it's damn funny.''
by CNB