Ken Levine (TV personality)
Encyclopedia
Ken Levine is a writer, director and producer in the television and film industry. Levine has worked on a number of television series, including M*A*S*H, Cheers
, Frasier
, The Simpsons
, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond
, Becker
and Dharma and Greg. Along with his writing partner David Isaacs
, he created the series Almost Perfect
.
Levine was also the co-writer of the feature films Volunteers
and Mannequin Two: On the Move.
Levine has also been a radio and TV play-by-play commentator
for Major League Baseball
games, having worked with the Baltimore Orioles
(1991), Seattle Mariners
(1992-94), and San Diego Padres
(1995-96). From 2008 to 2010, he co-hosted the KABC
Dodger Talk radio call-in program after every Los Angeles Dodgers
game, as well as the station's weekly Sunday Night Sports Final program. In 2011, he announced he would be returning to the Mariners part-time to help fill in for the deceased Dave Niehaus
.
For several years in the 1970s, Levine was a disc jockey
using the air name "Beaver Cleaver" on several West Coast Top 40 radio stations including KYA San Francisco, and KTNQ
, KIQQ
and KHTZ Los Angeles.
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
, The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, Wings, Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
, Becker
Becker (TV series)
Becker is an American television sitcom that ran from 1998 to 2004 on CBS. Set in the New York City borough of The Bronx, the show starred Ted Danson as John Becker, a misanthropic doctor who operates a small practice and is constantly annoyed by his patients, co-workers, friends, and practically...
and Dharma and Greg. Along with his writing partner David Isaacs
David Isaacs (writer)
David Isaacs has been an American TV and Screen writer, and producer since 1975. He has written episodes of M*A*S*H, Cheers, its spin-off Frasier, and The Simpsons with Ken Levine....
, he created the series Almost Perfect
Almost Perfect
Almost Perfect is an American situation comedy that aired on the CBS television network from 1995 to 1996.-Synopsis:Almost Perfect starred Nancy Travis as Kim Cooper, a television writer on the hit show Blue Justice who had just been promoted to executive producer, and Kevin Kilner as her...
.
Levine was also the co-writer of the feature films Volunteers
Volunteers (film)
Volunteers is a 1985 comedy directed by Nicholas Meyer and starring Tom Hanks and John Candy.-Plot:Lawrence Bourne III is a spoiled rich kid with a large gambling debt in the 1960s. After his father, Lawrence Bourne Jr...
and Mannequin Two: On the Move.
Levine has also been a radio and TV play-by-play commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
games, having worked with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1991), Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
(1992-94), and San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(1995-96). From 2008 to 2010, he co-hosted the KABC
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
Dodger Talk radio call-in program after every Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
game, as well as the station's weekly Sunday Night Sports Final program. In 2011, he announced he would be returning to the Mariners part-time to help fill in for the deceased Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus
David Arnold Niehaus was an American sportscaster. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in until his death after the 2010 season. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with the Ford C. Frick Award, the...
.
For several years in the 1970s, Levine was a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
using the air name "Beaver Cleaver" on several West Coast Top 40 radio stations including KYA San Francisco, and KTNQ
KTNQ
KTNQ is a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, with a Spanish News/Talk format. It is owned by Univision. on June 13, 1925 until 1955 it was called . From August 1, 1955 until 1960 it was called KPOP. From June 29, 1960 until 1976, it was called KGBS...
, KIQQ
KIQQ-FM
KIQQ-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Newberry Springs, California, USA, it serves the Barstow area...
and KHTZ Los Angeles.
The Simpsons episodes
- "Dancin' HomerDancin' Homer"Dancin' Homer" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 8, 1990. In the episode, Homer fires up the crowd at a Springfield Isotopes baseball game and is chosen to be the team's new mascot. He immediately becomes a...
" (season two) - "Saturdays of ThunderSaturdays of Thunder"Saturdays of Thunder" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1991. In the episode, Homer takes a fatherhood quiz and realizes that he knows nothing about Bart. He strives to be a better father and learns that...
" (season three)