Chuck Lorre Gives Up Penning His Production Company Vanity Cards for ‘Bookie’: ‘Max Actively Dissuades Viewers from Reading End Credits’

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As a long-time follower and admirer of Chuck Lorre’s work, I must admit that his decision to only write one vanity card for “Bookie” Season 2 has left me feeling a bit like an old-timer at a trendy tech conference. The charm and wit of those brief, insightful musings have been a constant companion throughout the years, a comforting reminder that there was still room for creativity in the world of television.

Streaming has not been kind to Chuck Lorre‘s vanity cards. The mega producer has been using his production company logo (which is flashed for a second at the end of each episode) for decades to share essays, make jokes and write diatribes about the world around him. But for his Max series “Bookie,” Lorre has decided to just write one card for the show’s entire Season 2 run.

As a devoted film enthusiast, I can’t help but share this insight: My loved ones and closest companions rarely delve into the end credits. This isn’t shocking at all, as it mirrors a common trend.

Lorre is discussing a common practice among streamers where they redirect viewers towards the next episode or another series as soon as the closing credits begin, reducing the video window to a small picture-in-picture box while a timer counts down to the next content. If viewers wish to watch the episodic credits, they need to quickly find the remote and press it to enlarge the miniature box back to full screen.

Could this mark the end of an era? Despite Lorre continuing to write his personal messages at the end of each episode for “Georgie and Mandy’s First Wedding” on CBS, it’s not quite over yet. However, he acknowledges that traditional broadcast TV isn’t where most people are tuning in live anymore: “If you’re craving a glimpse into my deviously clever thoughts, I still have a show with convenient vanity cards on CBS,” Lorre stated in his Season 2 “Bookie” card. “Ask your grandma what that is and where it can be found.

When asked about only having one vanity card on “Bookie” this season, Lorre expressed some wistfulness: “You’ve probably noticed TV shows don’t have credits anymore,” he said to EbMaster. “A vanity card? That’s a thing of the past. But I’m trying to keep it going.

Max hasn’t shared his thoughts explicitly on the ‘Bookie’ card, but it’s not something we typically discuss. Therefore, I can’t tell if it’s a positive or negative aspect.

Here’s his one and only “Bookie” Season 2 vanity card, as seen on the show’s Dec. 12 return:

“Heads up. I’m only writing this one card for season two of BOOKIE. The reason is no one, not even my family and friends, bothers to read them. It’s not surprising. MAX actively dissuades viewers from reading end credits, let alone sticking around to read the mischievous word salad that is a classic Chuck Lorre vanity card. They want you, for their own selfish reasons, to immediately leap into the next episode or, failing that, MILF Manor. So, once again, do not bother looking for a new card at the end of the remaining seven episodes of BOOKIE. There won’t be one. Will the world be a poorer place? I like to think so. If you’re hungry for a peek inside my fiendishly clever mind, I still have a show with easily accessible vanity cards on CBS. Ask your grandma what that is, and where it can be found.”

Regarding “Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage,” Lorre’s latest card carries a lighthearted, self-mocking holiday wish instead.

On previous occasions, Lorre has deviated from his usual practice of including vanity cards; he did not include them in his Netflix single-camera series “The Kominsky Method”, for the same reasons related to streaming services.

In 1997, Lorre initiated the practice of displaying his personal musings at the end of each episode of “Dharma and Greg.” Instead of just showing his production company’s logo (vanity card), he decided to utilize this space for amusement by jotting down his thoughts. Initially, viewers would discover these messages by pausing their VCRs or DVRs. As Lorre’s comedy empire expanded, he found himself writing multiple ones per week, particularly as he gained control over CBS’ primetime programming.

Over the years, multiple cards were blocked by the network, among them an open letter to Viacom’s former executive chairman Sumner Redstone, a reference to a legal dispute between CBS and Warner Bros. TV, and one that humorously mentioned the issues Chuck Lorre faced with a “Two and a Half Men” actor in 2011. One of his most well-known cards jokingly stated, “If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I’ll be pretty mad.

In 2012, Chuck Lorre compiled his preferred vanity cards, even some prohibited ones, into a coffee table book titled “What Doesn’t Kill Us, Makes Us Bitter.” The sales of this book supported various health care charities and educational projects, such as the Venice Family Clinic. You can find the entire collection of Chuck Lorre’s vanity cards on his website chucklorre.com.

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2024-12-16 21:46