Skip to main content

For Find Out Friday - Is Chuck Lorre Behind Every Single Show on Television?


For quite a while now every time I see his name during a stream of credits I sit and wonder; who the hell is Chuck Lorre? And does he ever sleep?

The answer is no.

Not unlike my other TV hero Dick Wolf (more about him here https://bit.ly/2DhZqsn), Chuck Lorre has had a long, successful career and is behind many of the shows you love. 

Charles Michael Levine hails from Plainview, New York, a stopping ground I know well as a large portion of my family resides in Long Island.

Lorre changed his last name to disassociate himself from his father with whom his mother blamed his bad traits on.

This so-called “King of Sitcoms” has a rather tumultuous past including dropping out of college after only two years and abuse of alcohol and drugs.  

Lorre’s first love was music and after a decade trying to make it in the music business during the 1980s, Lorre moved towards the industry that made him famous. 

He wrote the theme song for “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and then became a freelance writer for shows such as “My Two Dads” and “Charles in Charge”. 

His big break came from one of the most popular shows of the 1990s; “Roseanne” where he worked from 1990-1992.

The next project he worked on that I am familiar with was “Grace Under Fire” staring Brett Butler as a recovering alcoholic and single mother of three. Lorre worked on that show for only one season.

From there he worked on “Cybill”, a huge booster for the career of Christine Baranski, but again he was with this show for only one season. 

He spend five years at “Dharma and Greg” (where I would fall in love with Thomas Gibson long before he joined the BAU on “Criminal Minds”) the longest before any of his breakout hits were created. 



That brings us to “Two and a Half Men”, “The Big Bang Theory”, “Mike and Molly”, "Mom", and of course “Young Sheldon”.  

His latest creations are both streaming on Netflix. “Disjointed” stars Kathy Bates as a hipster who also happens to be an attorney. “The Kominsky Method” features Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin and tells the story of an acting coach who had brief success in his earlier career.  

Andy Friedman of The New Yorker describes Chuck Lorre’s career best:

“Not since Norman Lear—who revolutionized the American sitcom in the seventies, with shows like “All in the Family,” and who, at one point, had seven hit shows on the air—has one man so dominated the genre”. 

The list of awards Chuck Lorre has received include:
  • A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame;
  • An honorary degree from the State University of New York at Potsdam (where he previous dropped out of);
  • Induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame;
  • A Golden Globe for Best Comedy Television Series (for “The Kominsky Method”); as well as
  • The Critic's Choice Award for Creative Achievement.
The reason you will notice his name on so many credits (once you start looking its impossible not to see his name) is because he is an executive producer, musical director, director, writer, creator, and/or co-creator at any given time. 

With the combination of a strong work ethic and talent Chuck Lorre undoubtedly has, we will be surely seeing much more from him.  

Chuck Lorre resides with his third wife Arielle Lorre in New York City. 

For More Information:






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

For My Madness During Migraine Awareness Month

Last weekend as I sat staring at the blank page in front of me, I was still surprised and elated that I had an entire day to myself and unlike past experiences it was filled with what I wanted when I wanted it. There were a few rough moments but when I consider the previous twelve hours (and the days to come) have been better than the last week. Especially this last week even though I had braced myself ahead of time, I just didn’t know I should have braced for a more serious episode. I am a chronic migraine sufferer for so many years I don’t quite remember when they started exactly which is ironic because I can remember every special event they have ruined. I remember plays or dinners I was at where I don’t remember what happened but I could tell you what I felt minute by minute. It amazing how the mind works, especially when it’s operated by a migraine brain. In the last few years, specifically the last few years since I have been going to the Montefiore Headac

For Find Out Friday - Why Do Emery Boards Make My Skin Crawl?

You know that sound a fingernail makes when it scratches against a chalkboard?  You know that feeling the sound of that action gives you? I, like most people, hate that sound.  I instantly feel like scrunching my shoulders up to my neck and closing my eyes.  I feel the exact same way when I am using an emery board to file my nails. This annoying sensation has a name: “grima” which is Spanish for disgust or uneasiness. This term basically describes any feeling of being displeased, annoyed, or dissatisfied someone or something.  It is a feeling that psychologists are starting to pay more attention to as it relates to our other emotions.  Emery boards are traditionally made with cardboard that has small grains of sand adhered to them. It is the sandpaper that I believe makes me filled with grima.  According to studies that are being done around the world, it is not just the feeling that we associate with certain things like nails on a chalkboard or by using emery boards

For a New Chain of Mexican Fast Food: “Dos Toros Taqueria”

When it comes to fast food there are the names we are familiar with: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Chipotle.  In you live in New York City, there is a new kid in town: Dos Toros.  Dos Toros is relatively new to this area but with any hope there might be one in your town soon.  Started by two brothers, Leo and Oliver Kremer, from Berkeley, California, the Mexican food you find here is inspired by food they loved growing up.  In California, the brothers grew up worshipping Gordo Taqueria, a favorite of Bay Area residents since 1977 (now promptly added to my San Francisco to eat list). Much of the recipes and even decor found at Dos Toros has been modeled on Gordo. Before moving to NYC in 2008, the brothers were living very different lives. Leo was the bassist for the band “Third Eye Blind”. Oliver fresh out of college, considered working in the technology or finance industry. Both disillusioned with their lives, they decided to pursue something they have l