Cue the Bunny on the Rainbow : Tales from TV's Most Prolific Sitcom Director

by RAFKIN ALAN

• ISBN13: 9780815605423
• ISBN10: 0815605420
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-10-01
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr

Summary

For director Alan Rafkin, television is probably the silliest and most volatile business in the world. Yet whether he was catching a pie in the face or working with an array of eccentric and talented stars, Rafkin was addicted to television from day one. In this autobiography, Rafkin recounts his behind the-scenes experiences working in over eighty different television series. Some of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, M*A*S*H, Murphy Brown, and Coach adorn his directorial resume and illuminate Rafkin's ability to change with the times and persevere in the young world of show business. He recounts how directing strung-out actors and dodging their blows made life on the set a world unto itself. Rafkin further describes how having a good sense of humor helped him survive three divorces and three open-heart surgeries. Rafkin's career spans most of the history of the medium, making him the most prolific and valued television director of four generations, while serving as producer and executive producer for a number of programs wielding a significant amount of creative control over several others.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	ix	(2)
Acknowledgments	xi
1. Upon Facing an Unexpected Retirement	1	(15)
2. From Gofer to Director in Five Years	16	(16)
3. Tales of Mayberry and Jeannie in a Bottle	32	(21)
4. When Love Was American Style and a Chimpanzee Had His Own Sitcom	53	(19)
5. Mending My Heart while Directing M*A*S*H and Bob Newhart	72	(15)
6. Sailing with the Love Boat and Some of Sitcom's Funniest Women	87	(14)
7. Committing to More Than One Day at a Time	101	(18)
8. Another Marriage, Another Heart Surgery, and Some Bad Chicken Soup	119	(17)
9. Breaking Up with Murphy Brown, Coach, and My Third Wife	136	(16)
10. Coming Out of My So-Called Retirement	152	(19)
Appendix	171	(2)
Index	173