Word: boyette
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...masterminds behind these syrupy confections bristle at the critical drubbing their shows usually get. Miller, 46, a Milwaukee native, started out as an assistant to director Billy Wilder, then wrote episodes for The Odd Couple and The Brady Bunch. Boyett, also 46, grew up in Atlanta, moved to New York City to become a playwright and wound up as a program executive at ABC. They met when Miller was co-producing one of ABC's big hits of the '70s, Happy Days. Boyett later joined Miller (and his then partner Edward Milkis) to produce such shows as Laverne & Shirley, Mork...
Clearly, we are not in Twin Peaks territory. Miller-Boyett's shows are what used to be described as lowest-common-denominator programming: cuddly, heartwarming, undemanding. They usually focus on wholesome families with incurably cute tots and problems that are solved in a few swift strokes just before the closing credits. Their interchangeable theme songs reinforce the upbeat message. "Standin' tall on the wings of my dream," goes the ditty for Perfect Strangers, while Going Places celebrates the "wide open spaces for my dreams," and Family Matters opens jauntily: "All I see is a tower of dreams/ Real love bursting...
...Miller-Boyett comedy stylebook, no joke is too broad, no character too outlandish, no plot twist too cloying. When a four-year-old in Full House is told she can be a batboy on the Little League team, you can bet she'll come downstairs wearing a Batman costume (and get a big laugh for it). On the morning of his wedding day, one of the three dads sneaks off to go skydiving (why not?). He gets stuck in a tree, falls into a truckload of tomatoes and arrives hours late for the awww-inspiring ceremony. A better response...
...skilled at tinkering with shows and playing up the elements that work. Their legendary success was boosting the role of Fonzie, the greaser with a heart of gold, in Happy Days. "Basically, the concept of a show is merely a vehicle to get it launched," says Boyett. "What keeps it going is the ability to present characters people want to follow...
With his deft timing and vaudeville hamminess, White brings such extravagant high spirits to the role that he is hard not to like. Moreover, his presence has helped turn Family Matters into Miller-Boyett's most watchable comedy. His constant grating presence -- the eager beaver who sets everybody's teeth on edge -- has added a dash of vinegar to the cotton-candy formula. Maybe every TV family needs a nerd in the neighborhood...