If I were asked to name the five nicest celebrities I've ever encountered and/or worked with, Leonard would be at the top of that list.
When I was head-writing with my partner the Captain & Tennille show, he was booked as a guest and was eager to do a segment my partner and I had created called "Masterjoke Theater," which spoofed the then somewhat new and wildly popular, "Masterpiece Theater."
Other guest stars had played the main character and he wanted to be one of the ones to do it. There's a link below of his performance.
He had also written a few books of poems and wanted to read one or two in his solo spot. Fred Silverman, the head of the network and who championed the show, went nuts. It's a variety show. You don't read poems on a variety show. We told Leonard of Fred's response and while Leonard didn't threaten to leave the show, we saw how disappointed he was.
I have to brag and say I had a idea that made both Leonard and Fred happy. Let's have Tennille begin an appropriate ballad singing at the piano, then have her continue playing the song while Leonard recites one of his favorite poems. At the end, have Tennille sing the last line of the song and we're out.
Leonard was very, very grateful and happy and we had a little bonding thing going on, which we later continued when our kids went to the same elementary school. Lots of school meetings, school shows, bake sales, etc., followed by coffee or something afterwards at a local restaurant.
My wife and I were talking about those times together and, being a cryer, began crying. I'm also a cryer -- must be the Italian in me -- and we both had some moments of regret and fond recollections.
R.I.P. Leonard. You were talented and a mensche.
Leonard Nimoy - Masterjoke Theater - (
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Glad you picked up on that, Moondawg. The first one we wrote we used in an early episode with Bob Hope & Red Foxx. I remember our producer reading it for the first time and he said, "if somebody doesn't want to do this sketch, he doesn't want to be in show business."
We offered it to Bob Hope. He read it and and turned it down. Didn't like getting pied, Soupy Sales, silent films, etc. I said, "Mr. Hope, you'll be pieing yourself. It'll be a first. No one else has pied himself." He still said no. We said, okay, we'll give it to Redd.
The next day, Hope said he'd do it, but we'd have to pay to have the suit cleaned. A friggin' billionaire. Anyway, he did it and was the first.
He played Spock great and formed one of the better TV duo's of all time.
RIP
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a real rarity in comedy.
Glad you picked up on that, Moondawg. The first one we wrote we used in an early episode with Bob Hope & Red Foxx. I remember our producer reading it for the first time and he said, "if somebody doesn't want to do this sketch, he doesn't want to be in show business."
We offered it to Bob Hope. He read it and and turned it down. Didn't like getting pied, Soupy Sales, silent films, etc. I said, "Mr. Hope, you'll be pieing yourself. It'll be a first. No one else has pied himself." He still said no. We said, okay, we'll give it to Redd.
The next day, Hope said he'd do it, but we'd have to pay to have the suit cleaned. A friggin' billionaire. Anyway, he did it and was the first.
haha!