Friday, September 4, 2009

"Cheers" writer Rob Long's favorite TV books

In 2005 Cheers writer Rob Long named his five favorite TV books for the Wall Street Journal.

One tile on the list:
"Chuck Amuck" by Chuck Jones (Avon, 1989).

The reason that there is always something wonderful to watch on television is that Bugs Bunny cartoons are always running somewhere. He is still a great comic character, the original smart aleck, all ears and legs, bouncing around the screen like an electric charge. Watch a few of his classic cartoons and you'll see where recent funnymen get their comic chutzpah. When Jim Carrey twists his face into a mask of rage, or Will Ferrell bursts into shrieking hysterics, or Vince Vaughn and Bill Murray talk their way into (and out of) scrapes with hilarious cowardly charm, it's really Bugs they're channeling. In "Chuck Amuck," Bugs's creator, the late Chuck Jones, tells the story of his life and his work just the way it should be told: in words, pictures and products from the Acme corporation.
Read about all five books on Long's list.

--Marshal Zeringue