Writer/producer Gary David Goldberg is ready for anything. The creator of Family Ties and Spin City is about to launch a new season of the latter show without star Michael J. Fox or actress Connie Britton.
Instead he's brought in fabled Hollywood tabloid star Charlie Sheen to bolster the cast.
However, Goldberg does not let things be to chance.
According to FOX online, Goldberg has secretly been working on a musical version of another one of his TV shows, Brooklyn Bridge.
That show, which ran for two seasons (1991-93), was a critical success, it was even nominated in 1992 for an Emmy for best comedy. And even though Irish-American Marion Ross, Mrs. Cunningham from Happy Days, made everyone believe she was a Jewish mameleh from the late 1940s, she herself got a best actress nomination in the 1993 Emmys; the show was yanked from the air for low ratings.
Now Goldberg is busy writing the "book," or script for the show. And he's not kidding around with this either, said FOX.
He's enlisted heavyweight songmeisters Alan and Marilyn Bergman, who've written about two zillion hits including The Way We Were, with Marvin Hamlisch, to put some rhythm into the bridge.
A spokesperson for Goldberg said, "It's much too early to talk about Brooklyn Bridge yet. Gary is committed to Spin City through March 2001 and nothing will happen before that."
Musicals like Brooklyn Bridge have met mostly with success on Broadway. Fiddler on the Roof, Ragtime and The Rothschilds are all examples. So Goldberg may be on to something. And there's nothing wrong with hedging your bets. But it's not like Goldberg has that much to worry about.
Actor Richard Kind, who's moved with Spin City from New York to Los Angeles, told me recently: "Charlie is a joy to work with. We didn't know what to expect, but on the third day Heather (Locklear) and I just looked at each other, and we knew. He's going to be fine"-Albawaba.com.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
