Karl Marx, who knew a thing or two about show business, once said that “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce.” That’s what happens in the entertainment industry with material. If something works as a drama – and when I use the word “works,” what I mean is, “makes a lot of money” -- people spend a lot of time trying to figure out if there’s a way to adjust it slightly and turn it into a comedy. It’s sort of like when you make soup out of the leftovers of a great meal: you get another meal for the same price. Maybe it’s not as good as the first one, maybe it’s mostly water, but it’s incredibly cheap...
KCRW
