# The Diogenes Teleplay **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 13, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241 "2007-11-13T14:55:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/421 "2007-12-11T02:43:18Z")
Actually, if we’re mentioning similarities to other works, the “fainting at the podium” scene reminded me a lot of the very similar scene in the movie _Dave_. Haven’t seen the House episode **Liberal** is referring to, though. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/422 "2007-12-11T02:58:25Z")
I have a deep-rooted anxiety that some story or novel I publish will turn out to be exactly like one I read 25 years ago and completely forgot about, and I’ll be in a world of trouble and lose any professional credibility. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/423 "2007-12-11T03:02:51Z")
I have absolutely no memory of ever seeing the real episode. I do know that the character has derided suggestions of ideopathic symptoms in more than one episode, but everything else is pure coincidence. I’m kind of stunned. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/424 "2007-12-11T03:04:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Good lord, I thought the “is to/is not” debate was bad enough, but when it comes down to who is calling who an asshole, you know the thread has run its course and its time to take it out back and shoot it. Especially when none of the people involved are the players in the original challenge. I hate this push to close threads. What’s your problem if two people want to argue who’s being a bigger asshole? Do we really need the nanny mods to step in and give timeouts to everyone? Just stop posting like you said you would if it bothers you so much. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/425 "2007-12-11T03:22:17Z")
[QUOTE=Pedro] What’s your problem if two people want to argue who’s being a bigger asshole? [/QUOTE] Don’t worry. Nobody’s going to take the title away from you. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/426 "2007-12-11T03:30:32Z")
[QUOTE=cricetus] Don’t worry. Nobody’s going to take the title away from you. [/QUOTE] Good to see that you’ve gotten into the spirit of things. ---
**Author:** ![Pedro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@Pedro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pedro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/427 "2007-12-11T03:41:25Z")
[QUOTE=cricetus] Don’t worry. Nobody’s going to take the title away from you. [/QUOTE] Oh I’m not worried, but thanks! I owe it all to my fans. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/428 "2007-12-11T20:05:20Z")
> [@Me](#): > > Some of you say that his effort isn’t salvageable for a teleplay. Why not? Are you saying it would take longer to polish Dio’s draft screenplay, than to rewrite a new idea draft that is more workable/better characterization/flow/etc.? Considering Dio’s effort…how far has this teleplay progressed into becoming a polished ready to shoot script? 25%, 50%, 75%? [QUOTE=Liberal] It’s kind of a moot point, unless you mean a hypothetical script. [/QUOTE] Hypothetically and out of curiosity, for knowledge sakes, if **Dio** came to you (the editor, network exec, sponsor, etc.) with THIS “ORIGINAL” SCRIPT (again, pretend that it isn’t similar to any other House episodes), how far is the progress (percentage-wise) is this complete and ready to shoot? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/429 "2007-12-11T20:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=Yeticus Rex] Hypothetically and out of curiosity, for knowledge sakes, if **Dio** came to you (the editor, network exec, sponsor, etc.) with THIS “ORIGINAL” SCRIPT (again, pretend that it isn’t similar to any other House episodes), how far is the progress (percentage-wise) is this complete and ready to shoot? [/QUOTE] I have no idea. But I can make a recommendation. Post your question in Cafe Society. Someone there will almost certainly know the answer. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/430 "2007-12-11T21:15:03Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I have no idea. But I can make a recommendation. Post your question in Cafe Society. Someone there will almost certainly know the answer. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Sorry, I didn’t make it clear enough that I had addressed this question to anyone in this thread who has the capacity to answer it…and it’s still relevant to this thread, so I don’t want to start another thread when there are few posters here already that have the ability to answer it. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/431 "2007-12-11T22:12:54Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] And now, House is playing a video game. I don’t know, **Dio**. Ask Bricker or someone. It might be best from a legal standpoint if you don’t leave that script up too long. I know it was unintentional and it isn’t identical to the original by any means, but there’s enough similarity as to warrant some prudent caution perhaps. [/QUOTE] Hehe, what in the world are you talking about? He plays video games all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/432 "2007-12-11T22:48:30Z")
[QUOTE=Yeticus Rex] Sorry, I didn’t make it clear enough that I had addressed this question to anyone in this thread who has the capacity to answer it…and it’s still relevant to this thread, so I don’t want to start another thread when there are few posters here already that have the ability to answer it. [/QUOTE] They may still be around, but it’s starting to have the feel of a dying thread. But the experts that were here certainly participate in Cafe. That’s what that forum is for. Anyway, do as you wish. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/433 "2007-12-12T14:52:14Z")
Rubystreak writes: \> House does do self-referentiality. There was a whole ep that was documentary- \> style that had a lot of in-jokes. Also, the whole House/Holmes Watson/Wilson is \> a bit of an in-joke. The show is often very tongue-in-cheek and over the top. \> You might disagree, but I could dig up more evidence to back up my point. I didn’t say that it didn’t do in-jokes, just not that type of in-jokes. Your examples are not self-referentiality. Self-referentiality is _The Simpsons_ making jokes about how bad the programs on Fox are and making jokes about the cartoon elements of the program. The comparisons House/Holmes (both consultants called in when others can’t solve something and both drug addicts) Dr. Wilson/Dr. Watson (sidekicks) are literary allusions, not self-reference. The reference to lupus is closer to self-reference, but the fact is that within the show itself House is annoyed when other people constantly come up with a proposed diagnosis of lupus. That’s true to the character. On the other hand, if the character were not aware of the constant bringing up of lupus, then his exclamation about lupus finally being the true diagnosis would be an example of self-reference. The script isn’t fixable, and any staff writer would know that it isn’t fixable. He would know that it’s too similar to a previous program. He would know that House doesn’t make nasty political references. He wouldn’t care that the Senator is a Republican and a fundamentalist. House is an atheist, but he makes as many snide remarks to New-Agey near-death-experience types as he does to fundamentalists. The script is a good try by an amateur, but it can’t be produced, even if it were rewritten to fix the small problems. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/434 "2007-12-12T15:01:50Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] The script isn’t fixable, and any staff writer would know that it isn’t fixable. He would know that it’s too similar to a previous program. He would know that House doesn’t make nasty political references. He wouldn’t care that the Senator is a Republican and a fundamentalist. [/QUOTE] That’s true. In the original script, the Senator’s political affiliation is only subtly suggested by his asking whether _House_, being mean and grumpy, is a Republican. I think it’s easier to write without suppression of personal bias, and this venue is certainly amenable to bashing both Republicans and fundamentalists. Sad to say, but I think that’s why Dio, even if only subconsciously, might have written it that way. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/435 "2007-12-12T15:10:41Z")
I got a letter back from an agent telling my novel was too broken to fix and that they didn’t think they could sell it. Another agent thought it was eminently fixable and helped me fix it, then sold it to Random House in what Publisher’s Weekly calls “a nice deal.” One opinion is one opinion. Take it with salt. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/436 "2007-12-12T15:44:30Z")
[QUOTE=cricetus] I got a letter back from an agent telling my novel was too broken to fix and that they didn’t think they could sell it. Another agent thought it was eminently fixable and helped me fix it, then sold it to Random House in what Publisher’s Weekly calls “a nice deal.” [/QUOTE] I don’t think an isolated novel is a good comparison. There are all kinds of writing styles and composition elements among novelists (and publishers). But in TV scripting, a particular format is a must because it is a _tool_ being used by everyone from actors to directors who expect there to be certain recognizable standards. It is also extremely time-sensitive; this script was too late to air. And TV series are far more serialized than even the most serialized novels. There has to be a continuity of character, plot, and past detail. And you can’t write what basically amounts to a re-run with minor changes. Maybe if you’re writing a series of romance novels featuring the same distressed damsel or something, and doing it on a tight schedule from a demanding publisher, there might be some similarities. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/437 "2007-12-12T15:50:30Z")
Low sodium diet, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/438 "2007-12-12T16:09:02Z")
I have no idea what that means or is referencing. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/439 "2007-12-12T18:39:33Z")
Salt. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241/440 "2007-12-12T18:49:15Z")
As in a pillar of? What, did I turn around and glance at Sodom or something? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-diogenes-teleplay/426241.md?page=23)