Blog Posts - Dan Fiorella: Writer @ large

Dan Fiorella

Barely Home Companion - Prevention of Midrift Abuse (Nov. 2001)

12/16/2020

From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...

This one I knew never had a chance. It's just some silliness I wrote up and then grabbed it for PHC. They had a reoccurring character, a fashion model, Cynthia Maxwell, and I figured I'd adapt it for her, maybe actor Sue Scott would set in and fight for another role. Alas, no. I'm sure mispelling "midriff" throughout didn't help my chances either.

American Society for the Prevention of Midrift Abuse

Barely Home Companion - Being North Dakota (Dec. 2001)

12/15/2020

From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...

Here's one of those times it sucks to be a stringer. They were doing another road show. So I did some research and one of the news items for North Dakota back in 2001 was an effort to re-name the state. That sounded like a solid premise for a sketch. So I wrote it up and submitted it. And they used it. Or rather, re-purposed it. A truncated version of the bit winds up in that week's Guy Noir adventure, as the premise to kick off his latest case. Just mentioning the idea of renaming the state got a huge laugh. After that, they just run through the gag names without much commitment and then they go off on a lot bit about a finished basement and accents. But, the check cleared, and I picked up shared credit on the skit:

© Garrison Keillor, Dan Fiorella 2001

So, here's the original skit and an edited recording the broadcast version of my material below. The link to the full bit on the PHC site is here.

Being North Dakota

TMI: Daily-Week of Dec, 7, 2020

12/13/2020

I got skunked this week. Not a single joke. And it hurts because the monologue has been getting longer. I don't think there are more jokes, I just think the set-ups and punch lines are getting longer. It just now occurs to me that maybe criticizing the way the sausage is made may not be helping me in my pro bono comedy writing career. Something to ponder.

I'm doing my best, but I have the day job and for lunch I hit some places for headlines and try to write up some lines. I'm not sitting around waiting for inspiration to hit, I'm not being too precious about it (I don't think). But I'm only giving myself an hour to do it. And that's one of the reasons I've been mining my own Twitter feed for lines I post that are inspired by what I'm reading through the day. I spend too much time on Twitter, thinking I'll go virial. I never do, so might as well used the jokes for TMI. Some of them are pretty smart and clever, I feel.

The show's taking a break from the daily grind now, with one final year-end show scheduled for 12/16. They'll be doing the Daily Updates as stand-alones until 12/22, so I'll still be churning out material for them until then. Have a pleasant week, all and stay safe!

Barely Home Companion - A Charlie Brown Mid-Life Christmas (12/01)

12/13/2020

From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...

This was a strange run for me. They used some of my writing during the month of December, but never quite in the context I wrote it. I had this piece called A Charlie Brown Mid-Life Christmas which I adapted for radio and submitted. Granted, it faced the hurdle of being too TV, but, it's Peanuts, for heaven's sake and a classic Christmas special. Anyway, they lifted one line from my piece and used it in one of his Barry Minot sketches, a running bit he did that sounded like many of the other running bits he did. I got an "Additional material" credit for my efforts:

© Garrison Keillor 2001, additional material by Dan Fiorella

I posted my version of the sketch a couple of Christmases ago (the link is above) as a "Skit Happens" entry. The broadcast version is below, with the PHC page here. They saved my line for the big ending.

TMI: Daily-Week of Nov. 30, 2020

12/7/2020

Got a nice run of jokes this week, not without some hitches. Like the Dept. of State joke. I actually read a headline that used the phrase "diplomatic immunity" about their parties, so I decided to change it to "confusing diplomatic immunity with herd immunity." But it got changed back to just "diplomatic immunity." I'm proud of the 'boot' joke. I got good reaction from that elsewhere, that they adjusted the wording a bit and it did work better. Other punchlines were extended to better explain the set up. The presidential vaccine bit got re-worked. The "caroling" joke got re-written by someone that doesn't know there is a Carol on TWD. I'm taking the credit for all of them anyway.

Now to remind you, TMI: Daily is on the TMI: Hollywood Facebook Page weeknights at 6pm on (Hollywood time). And here's my contributions for last week:

Barely Home Companion - Smith, Smith & Smith (Nov. 2001)

11/30/2020

From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...

What do you get when you combine a silly specialty store skit with an old joke? You get Smith, Smith & Smith! This is a short, flakey bit that's redundant as all get-out but I was compelled to write it up. I thought I had a decent shot and made it sound as Keillor-esque as possible. PHC passed, as did other radio markets. In fact, one turned it down because he did a quick search and found there were law firms called Smith, Smith & Smith and he didn't want any legal hassles from a bunch of lawyers named Smith, Smith & Smith.

Smith, Smith & Smith

TMI: Daily-Week of Nov. 23, 2020

11/27/2020

Only two shows this week because of the Thanksgiving break. But I got a joke in each, so I'm happy. I try to mix it up between sharp, biting truth-to-power jokes and goofy, silly jokes. We skew goofy, silly this week. Which is fine. In fact, when I come up with a good goofy punchline or pun and sometimes get the vibe it's right up the producer's alley and I'm often correct.

Not much to add, except to remind you, TMI: Daily is on the TMI: Hollywood Facebook Page weeknights at 6pm on (Hollywood time). And here's my contributions for last week:

Barely Home Companion - House of Stuffing (Nov. 2001)

11/26/2020

From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...

It's the holiday season, and I posted this sketch during a string of posts leading up to Thanksgiving. For continuity's sake, I'm posting a link to it here. It's one of those bits I thought up, in my theme of goofy specialty shops that existed back in the time we were allowed to go out and shop in person. I've hustled elsewhere, but never got a bite. I like it. Here's the link to House of Stuffing

Barely Home Companion - Sound Effects Benefit (Nov. 2001)

11/24/2020

From 1999 to 2004-ish, I was one of the contributing writers for Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show "A Prairie Home Companion." I learned a lot of things there, mostly how to spell 'prairie." It was a solid gig and I'm proud of my work there. But, like any other job, there were...things...

I had forgotten about this one. It was such a PHC-centric/9-11 bit I couldn't have peddled it elsewhere. As I've stated elsewhere, I always figured a-can't-miss-way to get a skit on was to play the radio sound effects card. Weirdly, it always missed for me. Obviously, PHC enjoyed doing them. They were silly and fun to right, but I tried to wait until I had a decent premise to hang the bit on. And the rash of post 9/11 benefits seemed as good a premise as any. Reading it again as I prepped it for the blog, I like it. But GK didn't, I suppose.

Sound Effects Benefit

TMI: Daily-Week of Nov. 16, 2020

11/23/2020

Not an outstanding week for me. I got a solid joke in about the medal of Freedom, but I got aced out of a couple days' videos. Zip, zilch, nada. Then the next day, I'd get two in, so I guess it evens out. Not much to add, except to remind you, TMI: Daily is on the TMI: Hollywood Facebook Page weeknights at 6pm on (Hollywood time). And here's my contributions for last week:

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