Al Franken

Yeah, you know, people think we really don't like the censors, that they're our enemies. And the fact is I spend more time with the censors at NBC than with, you know, anybody else other than our staff. So I know these guys real well. It's adversarial, but it's friendly, and we don't really pull anything off over on them. We just make our argument.

Yeah, you know, people think we really don't like the censors, that they're our enemies. And the fact is I spend more time with the censors at NBC than with, you know, anybody else other than our staff. So I know these guys real well. It's adversarial, but it's friendly, and we don't really pull anything off over on them. We just make our argument.

Yeah, you know, people think we really don't like the censors, that they're our enemies. And the fact is I spend more time with the censors at NBC than with, you know, anybody else other than our staff. So I know these guys real well. It's adversarial, but it's friendly, and we don't really pull anything off over on them. We just make our argument.

I lost a piece last year that I really cared about. It was called What's My Addiction? And it was a game show in which, you know, the celebrity panelists were Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, and David Crosby, and the host was Betty Ford. And all the... You know, guests would come on, the panelists would ask them questions like, on what's my line, and try to guess what their chemical dependency was.

I lost a piece last year that I really cared about. It was called What's My Addiction? And it was a game show in which, you know, the celebrity panelists were Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, and David Crosby, and the host was Betty Ford. And all the... You know, guests would come on, the panelists would ask them questions like, on what's my line, and try to guess what their chemical dependency was.

I lost a piece last year that I really cared about. It was called What's My Addiction? And it was a game show in which, you know, the celebrity panelists were Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, and David Crosby, and the host was Betty Ford. And all the... You know, guests would come on, the panelists would ask them questions like, on what's my line, and try to guess what their chemical dependency was.

And the point of the show was that all chemical dependency is the same thing, whether it's barbiturates or speed or alcohol, you know, street drugs or prescription drugs. It's all the same thing, and it all has very, very similar tragic consequences. And I was more proud of this piece than of any I had written that year, and they showed it on the air.

And the point of the show was that all chemical dependency is the same thing, whether it's barbiturates or speed or alcohol, you know, street drugs or prescription drugs. It's all the same thing, and it all has very, very similar tragic consequences. And I was more proud of this piece than of any I had written that year, and they showed it on the air.

And the point of the show was that all chemical dependency is the same thing, whether it's barbiturates or speed or alcohol, you know, street drugs or prescription drugs. It's all the same thing, and it all has very, very similar tragic consequences. And I was more proud of this piece than of any I had written that year, and they showed it on the air.

It went on the air once, and it went over great, and they decided not to run it in the repeat.

It went on the air once, and it went over great, and they decided not to run it in the repeat.

It went on the air once, and it went over great, and they decided not to run it in the repeat.

Because it dealt with drugs and it got laughs. And there is this prejudice against comedy, which is if you do comedy, therefore it isn't serious. You know, they're just two separate things.

Because it dealt with drugs and it got laughs. And there is this prejudice against comedy, which is if you do comedy, therefore it isn't serious. You know, they're just two separate things.

Because it dealt with drugs and it got laughs. And there is this prejudice against comedy, which is if you do comedy, therefore it isn't serious. You know, they're just two separate things.

Yeah, that was unusual.

Yeah, that was unusual.

Yeah, that was unusual.

Well, we're beginning to try to make an argument higher up. We're thinking maybe this is something General Electric will understand, that we're in competition with cable and Saturday Night Live's on at 11.30 and at least at one time had a reputation of being on the cutting edge. And some of the censorship that we've had this year and in the last couple of years has really been silly. Yeah.

Well, we're beginning to try to make an argument higher up. We're thinking maybe this is something General Electric will understand, that we're in competition with cable and Saturday Night Live's on at 11.30 and at least at one time had a reputation of being on the cutting edge. And some of the censorship that we've had this year and in the last couple of years has really been silly. Yeah.