These guys [his TV characters] are about a half-step behind life's
parade. The ink on their instruction sheets is beginning to fade. But
they can function and cope, and don't realize they are driving people
up the walls. (in a 1983 interview)
In ways I don't like to admit, I'm a goof-up myself. It's an essential
part of my character. When these guys [his TV characters] screw up, it
reminds me of my own incompetence with the small frustrations of life.
(in a 1983 interview)