The Rules
by bkajlich
Many of you who visit this blog most likely found it because you are fans of my tv sitcom Rules Of Engagement. If so, you probably know by now that we had our season order reduced to 13 episodes this year, and last night marked the final taping of season 6. Whether there will be a season 7 remains to be seen. We will find out in May when the networks make their picks for the fall season. I am optimistic, as I always try to be… but I know only all too well that this is a business and at the end of the day, it is out of our hands. Last night could have very well been our final farewell. Such is life in this industry. If it indeed was, I doubt there could have been a more suitable goodbye for the cast and crew of Rules. At a bar down the street from our beloved stage 28 at Sony studios, we karaoke’d well into the night. It’s a tiny place we hit up after most tape nights… affectionally referred to as “Sticky Bar”; for reasons that I will leave up to your own imaginations…
Below is the last song of the night; everyone together, sweaty and hoarse, in only my new most favorite group sing-along of all time…and there have been some sing-alongs in this life o’ mine…
This show has been my home for the last 6 years. A home that held me through some pretty intense life moments… the crumbling of my marriage, the death of my father, the swirling whirlwind of loss and change, the space in between where all was surrendered and the old skin shed… the hike back up the mountain resumed.
I could not have done it without this cast and crew.
I want you all to know, that the people who have kept you laughing on Monday nights at 9:30, and then Mondays at 8:30 and then Thursdays at 8:30 and then Saturdays, wait no back to Thursdays at 8:30 (let us not forget midseason, full season/WHOOPS writers strike!!! then midseason again, and another midseason, OH HEY FULL SEASON, and back to half season…) are incredible, funny, GOOD, caring, and genuine people who I love so very very much. Our crew works their asses off and comes back year after year even when they haven’t been guaranteed an entire season of work. I have never, not one day in 6 years, not wanted to come to work. (well maybe just once or twice, when lingerie was involved, and I hadn’t laid off the cake and cookies :p). I am so very honored to have worked with everyone on our set, from the camera operators, Grip & Electric, to Rhonda in Craft Services. Shelley, Bri, MAD PROPS Prop Masters!! Our awesome stand-ins, the incredible Ron who keeps our audiences laughing in between takes, The incomparable Ted Wass… OUR A.D. TEAM!!! To my besties in Wardrobe, daily therapy in hair & makeup, and the entire production team, writing staff and producers… THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
I don’t think that until last night, I really understood, nor appropriately appreciated, what Rules has meant to me. It really is so hard to see what a gift something is, especially when we are so focused on what comes next. In a world where the emphasis is put on moving up the ladder, it’s easy to treat wherever you’re at like a waiting room. Never investing much time or thought into the happenings within… only worrying about what’s on the other side of the door you plan to walk through.
It’s good to have dreams, great to set goals, exciting to think about hitting new heights… but let’s not forget about the lessons we learn along way. The freeway sure does feel fast and furious, adrenaline pumping.. but how awful would it have been if that’s where we learned to drive? YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU NEED TO BE TO LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO LEARN AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT. TRUST THIS. I know that there are still many amazing memories to be made in this career of mine. I hope I get to travel to distant places and make many new amazing friends. But I can’t imagine a world in which I won’t smile gratefully at the memory of the world’s best cast & crew; celebrating and singing their bloody hearts out, in a small, dark, and awesomely sticky bar.
I love you guys.
xxb
I have tears. I will admit me and my husband just recently discovered Rules, but after one episode we were hooked. I ordered all the seasons and we laughed for hours! We will continue throughout the years to travel back to this amazing show when we need a good laugh or a happy heart. I will remain positive and hope this is not yet the end, but if it is remember you’ve touched many and somewhere, always someone will be watching Rules with a smile. Thank you.
Twitter: @KaylaSTaylor
Bianca, Loved every minute of the season!! I was in the audience every Tuesday. Just ask Patrick, I’m the t-shirt guy. Let me say of all the shows that I have been to, the Rules cast seems to be like a family, fun, stressed, comfortable. I tweet with the hashtag #saverules and posted info on my blog how to contact CBS / Sony to let them know we need the show to continue. Make no mistake, just as much as the show effected you, that you have echoed that same effect on the audience each Tuesday.
Love Ya! Thomas
We love Rules of Engagement so much over here in Australia that we are watching re-runs again!
x
if you guys don’t come back I will cancel my subscription to the internets.
I just love watching that show from day one till now I hope you an rest of them can get pick up next season or maybe go to another network where Rules can be on like CW network or USA Network but I love that video of you everybody singing that song
Great words. It’s the network’s loss if it’s not renewed. The constant shifting was ridiculous.
I hope they renew you guys next year. I love it when your show shows up on my DVR. The cast is brilliant. Maybe they will move you back to Monday where you should be.
Sad…..what a great group of people to be around!!!
I have watched the show since its pilot episode. One of my favorites. Today, as of this writing, I have been saddened to hear that yesterday (12/08/11) was the final wrap for “Chuck” on NBC….now, I hear this.
All I can say is hopefully (crossing fingers), Rules will be back, and with a bang, next season….and, do I think it will be back? To quote Russell Dunbar (in the voice only Spade can do), ” I kinda do”.
Love this message Bianca… thanks for the reminder:-)
Wow that was beautifully written. I love this show. CBS has done this show dirty so many times & yet you guys always come back funnier than ever. Hope ROE comes back next year. If not much success to you & the great cast in whatever they do in the future. Sending love from the DMV (DC,MD Va)
“YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU NEED TO BE TO LEARN WHAT YOU NEED TO LEARN AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT”
I’ve been going through a lot of crap in my life lately. Relationship problems, trying to find a job, dad having a stroke and losing basically all of his movement, being the only one in my family that seems to give a shit. Those are just the major highlights but you catch my drift. Most of the time it’s hard to not feel sorry for myself. Well, I am going to try and stop that and just learn what I need to learn and deal with everything the best that I can. I have always known that feeling sorry for myself was getting me nowhere but never really thought that I might be learning some valuable things about life, people or just anything. Thanks for writing that and giving me a little kick in my ass to keep moving in a positive direction. Beauty and wisdom! Who would have thought.
Thanks
Mike
Hang in there Mike. I know it’s tough, and there are moments when you just want to throw your hands in the air and scream “Screw this!!!” It takes a lot of courage to look and see if we can find the lesson. Sometimes it won’t be found until after the fact. Just breathe, have faith that this too shall pass, and remember: all that you need is already within you. You are perfect, just as you are… promise. Big hugs and love. xxb
Thanks for the words of enouragement. I sincerely appreciate you taking time out of what I assume is a busy life to give me a little pick me up. I have to tell you that it just makes my day to have corresponded with you. You put a smile on my face that will be there for at least a few hours if not all day.
p.s. I love the show also. It makes me laugh. You all have such a wonderful chemistry. I really hope this isn’t the end. I’ll write my congressman and hopefully they can do something to make sure you guys are back. Whatever happens I am sure you will all move on to good things. Good luck.
Amazing way of looking at things Bianca, I LOVE ‘RULES’ and have watched it since day 1 and never missed an episode. It became one of my fave sitcoms of all time. If this is indeed the shows end, I want to thank you and the rest of the cast and crew for making such a great show and making sure that for at least a half hour, no matter what is going on in my life I would be garunteed some much needed laughs. You all rock, and as a hardcore fan, I say thank you and good luck with what awaits you and everyone else in the future. Rules, RULES!!!
Regardless of what happens with your show Bianca, you’re one hell of a great writer and I hope to read a novel or two from you in the future…
Keep smiling,
Adam
I’m not really the type of person to comment on these boards, but after reading your “letter”, I just felt that I needed to thank you. Your part about shedding your skin and climbing back up the mountain really hit home. I recently lost my mother to cancer and it’s been very tough emotionally. However, reading what you wrote about your father and everything you’ve been through, gave me inspiration in my own life. Inspiration to start climbing that mountain again. Thank you for those words and thank you for 6 years of making me laugh. Hopefully the network will come to their senses, but if not, no worries. You will find something even better. Good things happen to good people! Without knowing you, I can tell you are a good person & full of life. Those around you are very fortunate.
Thank You,
Mike
Big hugs to you. Hang in there, and know that you are most certainly not alone. In times of deep despair, I like to remind myself how little we truly know about the great forces that surround us. Your mother and my father are no doubt winking from beyond, deliciously a part of the great adventure that begins when this life ends. sending you love, xxbianca
You guys will be back next year….you haven’t jumped the shark yet….although Russell getting married might have fit the bill…Hmmmm?
I hope this is not the end of Rules. We LOVE your show and will really miss seeing you and the gang every week (we always watch no matter how often you’re moved around). Hopefully another show will fail and you guys won’t have to worry anymore
Rules of Engagement has been a comedy staple for me and hubby ever since it first aired here in Australia. It has to be an all time favourite. We dread the thought that there may not be a next season.
Thank you for giving us a half hour of laughs away from our normal every day lives. We hope we will see you in 2012, if not, bring on the re-runs!
Well my wife and I have been watching Rules for 6 years, and it’s our favorite show. We have a lot of friends that hangout in Los Gatos Ca and do pretty much the same thing the show would focus on. It would show that normal people could have the same kind of interactions as we would do on a daily basis. My friends and I would bag on each other, complain about relationships and just watch other friends fail at one night stands. We are now in our early 40′s and this show just hits home for us like no other has ever done. It will be a shame that the show was never really given a home for a prolonged period of time. The number show it’s a winner, the cast is perfect. I don’t go on boards and talk about shows or much else really, to focused on work and fun, but it would be a shame if this show gets axed. It’s just too fun not to have on TV. It’s a great time for us. Thanks for doing the show, and thanks for making us laugh every week.
Amazing show. Thank you for all the laughs! Here is a song I thought you might like considering this moment in your life.
http://vimeo.com/27616639
I’m a little late to the party as I just discovered your blog, but I too just discovered Rules of Engagement as it comes on after another one of my favorites, “The Big Bang Thoery”, and I immediately got hooked. I’m saddened to see it may not be back for another season, but you and your fellow castmates are made for one another and have shown the resilency in being mainly a mid season show. In one way or another I hope that you and the show return, but I still have about four and a half season to catch up on through the dvds that are available now. Congratulations on every thing that you’ve accomplished and I’m sure I’ll see you on TV somewhere next season.
I came all the way across the pond and vacationed in LA last October and THE best highlight of the trip was watching you guys taping the show that week.
After being a ‘Rules’ fan since the beginning I can’t even tell you how amazing it was to see the show being made right in front of me. To see the chemistry you all have with each other, and how much fun cast and crew clearly have whilst working just made me love the show even more.
I also have to say huge thanks to you, Oliver and Patrick who took time to sign a cast photo for me after the taping, was an awesome memory of the night.
Would be very sad to see it not renewed……
Angela
Hi Bianca, I am a few months behind. So please forgive me!
Last April my brother, his wife, and I took a CA trip (from Texas). During the trip we were lucky enough to see you guys tape an episode (The Scavenger Hunt was the title I think, but don’t think it aired). We were so impressed at the process. From the crew, to the cast. It will be a memory I cherish for a very long time. I hope Rules comes back! If it does not, I’ll be keeping an eye out for whatever any of you do next. In the mean time, I’ll keep coming back here. I really enjoy your writing.
Hey Bianca!
Love the video you posted too 
I look forward to reading more of your blog!
Iv’e literally only just discovered your blog! My fiance and I absolutely love Rules of Engagement, funniest show by far we have ever watched! We have been watching the seasons non stop over the last few weeks, WE ARE HOOKED! Hanging out for season 6
xo
With the me me me world of Hollywood it is very rare to find an actor truly thank the crew – the cast, always, but rarely the crew. You always have an air about you that shows your true, genuine spirit but this post just proved it. I am sincerely impressed by you, not only, thanking the crew but naming them individually in a personal blog. You aren’t thanking them in a public forum where the cameras are rolling and the fake smile could be plastered on, you are thanking them on a more personal level and that, to me, shows true emotion.
The rarity in which this happens in hollywood is dumbfounding but it shows someones true character to do this when the cameras aren’t rolling.
You truly are a classy individual and I am honored that you share your true thoughts with us nobody’s in a world that doesn’t much care for nobody’s
Angela aka @busterwhyte via Twitter