By Sally
Carpenter
Marilyn asked me to discuss about
how I came about writing my current book, “The Sinister Sitcom Caper,” the
second book in the Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol mystery series.
I’ve always been fascinated with
television. Growing up in a small rural Midwest town, the three network
channels were our principal form of entertainment. Even before the days of
cable TV one could usually find something decent to watch. Sure, many of the
shows of the 60s and 70s were silly, corny (anyone remember “Mr. Terrific”?) or
brainless, but the programs were family-friendly and wildly entertaining, full
of loveable characters and great personalities.
As a kid my career ambition was to
star in my very own TV show—without having to pay any dues first or wait
tables, of course.
My dream was fueled in my high
school, which had a working TV studio. The senior TV production class produced
short programs that aired to the local elementary schools. “Sesame Street” had
just started at this time, so our studio had a puppet stage to use in the
shows. I loved that class. We took turns acting with the puppets and running
the camera.
In fact, this class was where I
wrote my first published piece. The company where the school bought its puppets
mailed out a newsletter that published puppet plays. The newsletter accepted a
short play I had written. My “payment” from the company was a free puppet (I
chose a rabbit) that I gave to the school to use in the programs.
Several decades later I finally
realized my dream by landing a job as a page at Paramount Pictures in
Hollywood. The pages gave the studio tours in the daytime and ushered the
audiences for the sitcoms shoots in the evenings. Some of the shows were filmed
on other lots, so I also worked at Sony (formerly MGM), CBS Radford, Fox and
smaller studios. I met some fun people, worked hard, saw a few celebrities, and
had a great time.
I was never a TV actor but I could
write a character who was—former teen idol Sandy Fairfax, star of the hit ‘70s
show, Buddy Brave, Boy Sleuth. Like
many actors whose star burned out after cancellation, when Buddy ended after four years, Sandy’s career faded and he fell into
the bottle.
Now it’s 1993. Sandy quits
drinking and attempts to make a comeback—but dead bodies keep getting in his
way. He manages to juggle sleuthing among his rehearsals and family issues.
With this character, I can use my
knowledge of the TV industry and live out my dream of being a star—without
getting up early for a 5 a.m. call at the studio or going to auditions.
In “The Sinister Sitcom Caper,”
Sandy’s the guest star on “Off-Kelter,” a corny family situation comedy, and
the lowest rated TV show of the 1993 fall season. Before rehearsals barely
begin one of the actors drops dead at Sandy’s feet. He investigates, enlisting
the aid of two of his new cast mates: a dwarf and an animal actor.
During his snooping, we meet
Sandy’s ex, his parents and his teenage son, all with their own “situations”
going on. During rehearsals Sandy also encounters a beautiful choreographer—could
this be love?
Will Sandy solve the murder before
the Friday night taping of “Off-Kelter” or will the elusive killer cancel our
hero before the final credits?
Sally
Carpenter is native Hoosier now living in Moorpark, Calif
She has a
master’s degree in theater from Indiana State University. While in school her
plays “Star Collector” and “Common Ground” were finalists in the American
College Theater Festival One-Act Playwrighting Competition. “Common Ground”
also earned a college creative writing award and “Star Collector” was produced
in New York City.
Carpenter
also has a master’s degree in theology and a black belt in tae kwon do.
She’s
worked as an actress, freelance writer, college writing instructor, theater
critic, jail chaplain, and tour guide/page for a major movie studio. She’s now
employed at a community newspaper.
Her
initial book in the Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol series, “The Baffled Beatlemaniac
Caper,” was a 2012 Eureka! Award finalist for best first mystery novel.
Her short
story, “Dark Nights at the Deluxe Drive-in,” appears in the 2013 anthology
“Last Exit to Murder.”
“Faster
Than a Speeding Bullet” was published in the “Plan B: Vol. 2” e-book anthology.
Her short
story “The Pie-eyed Spy” appeared in the Nov. 23, 2013, issue of Kings River
Life ezine.
Thanks for being my guest today, Sally. That was a fun post. I grew up in the L.A. area and went to all the live radio shows (no TV back then.) My dad worked for Paramount, so I was definitely a movie fan. I never had a desire to be an actor, though I wrote plays for my neighborhood friends to perform during the summer when I was a kid. And I must confess, I still watch General Hospital.
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