Month: August 2013

Ken Levine on Elmore Leonard

Hey, we were wondering when somebody would tell us why this Leonard dude was such a Big Deal. And if Mr. Levine is mourning him, well…

Elmore-Leonard-jpgR.I.P. Elmore Leonard
by Ken Levine

Like all writers, I was greatly saddened to learn of Elmore Leonard’s passing yesterday. He was 87. Until a recent stroke, he was writing until the end. His fiction was always so vivid, his stories clever, and most of all his characters jumped off the page. When people ask me for examples of good dialogue I say pick up any Elmore Leonard book.

His work was also filled with humor. He was Quentin Tarantino long before Quentin Tarantino. He was Carl Hiaasen long before Carl Hiaasen. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 8/27/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Paul Lovett & David Elliot (GI JOE) are writing a drama about a ‘young political “hactivist” who is coerced into working for the government following his arrest’ for Fox. (Cuz nothing could possibly go wrong with a premise that involves a guy sitting at a computer monitor all day being developed by guys whose big success has been, you know, action.)
  • Jenny Bicks (THE BIG C) is writing an NBC sitcom pilot about a mermaid who washes ashore and becomes a bartender. (Cuz NBC development executives are clearly morons who have no idea what high concepts really are.)
  • Peter Nowalk (GREY’S ANATOMY) is writing a legal thriller called HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER for ABC. (Cuz ABC’s development people do know exactly what the law-abiding audience craves.)
  • Rob Lieber (ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY) is writing a sitcom pilot called THE GREAT ZUCHINI for FX, about a self-destructive kids’ performer. (Cuz FX knows all about self-destruction?)
  • Gigi Levangie (the novel The Starter Wife) is co-adapting her new Seven Deadlies into a pilot for MTV. Her co-writers are Stacey Title & Jonathan Penner, who seem to have written (Stacey) and appeared in (Jonathan) a bunch of stuff we’ve never heard of.  (Cuz MTV lurves taking chances. Yeah!)

Proof If You Needed It That Peter Capaldi is the Perfect Choice to be DOCTOR WHO’s New Doctor

Lookit this note he sent to Doctor Who Magazine:

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Dood’s a fan. Maybe even the Biggest Fan Evah. Click on the pic to check it out:

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 8/26/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Nick Thiel (WHITE COLLAR) has been moved up to co-showrunner of WHITE COLLAR. That means he can hire, so if you know him, call him. (And don’t forget to say that LB sent you. Back in the Stone Age ’80s Nick worked for Our Beloved Leader as a story editor on the late, lamented THE FALL GUY.)
  • Jennie Snyder Urman (EMILY OWENS, MD) has sold a gender-bending drama called CROSS to The CW, as well as writing a U.S. version of Venezuelan telenovela  JANE THE VIRGIN. (Ah, two concepts that remind us once again of what’s made The CW the Big Success it is. Oh, wait….)
  • Ooh, wait, lookee here. The very same Ms. Urman is also teaming up with David Rosenthal (GILMORE GIRLS) to write a Fox sitcom pilot to be called SOBER COMPANION. (Wait, does this mean that TV execs now think that sobriety is as funny as drunkenness? Or, more to the point – would that be a positive development or a Thought Too Horrible to Even Consider?)
  • Barbara Hall (JOAN OF ARCADIA) is writing the pilot CBS’s MADAME SECRETARY drama. (Which isn’t really about Hillary Clinton cuz we know what happens to TV projects about Hillary, don’t we?)
  • Lauren Graham (the novel Someday, Someday, Maybe) is adapting her book as soft drama pilot for The CW. (Ms. Graham may be known to TVWriter™ visitors as one of the stars of GILMORE GIRLS on The CW’s predecessor, The WB. Congrats on stepping up to real stardom, Lauren, as a TV writer. Yeah!)

RAMBO Coming to TV?

Rambo2Word around L.A. is that Entertainment One is teaming with Nu Image Prods to bring a series based on Sly Stallone’s various Rambo films to TV.

Originally, the story was that Stallone would be involved in the project creatively as well as playing Rambo, but news over the weekend is that he’s no longer considering playing the part.

That, of course, leaves the possibility of the Slyman being creative very much in the mix. And, yeppers, we’d love to see it cuz let’s face it – ain’t nobody ever seen this dude be “creative” before. (ROCKY doesn’t count. It’s the most overrated film of the ’70s. Work out. Slur some words. Work out. Kiss. Work out. Talk. Punch. Punch. Punchpunchpunchpunch… If that’s creativity, then Michael Bay is a filmic genus.) read article