Month: September 2013

LB: What I Learned From the 2013 People’s Pilot & Spec Scriptacular Competitions

ppsslogos

by Larry Brody

How About Some More General Remarks for a Start?

About 10 days ago, I wrote about what I thought all writer-entrants in the 2013 People’s Pilot and Spec Scriptacular Competitions could learn. Unsurprisingly, the lessons were mostly about writing. As in what worked and didn’t work in the entries. If you need me to wait while you refresh your memories, fine, I’m doing that right now.

Just not, you know, in real time.

Okay. With that out of the way, I’d like to move on in the direction I promised in that article and talk about: read article

Robin Reed: “A Good Storm”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Using her secret identity of “Robin Morris,” TVWriter™’s Robin Reed came in 2nd in the recent KillerCon 5 Flash Fiction Contest. Not that we’re biased or anything, but it should’ve been first.

Oh, yeah, it’s a horror story contest.

See for yourselves: read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 9/30/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Roberto Benabib (WEEDS) is writing a comedy pilot for HBO called THE BRINK, which reports call “Epic dark comedy focusing on a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three…men.” (Personally, we’d find it funnier if someone just had the balls to say it was a political satire and eschew the rest of the verbiage. Let’s hope that logline – which is much longer than what’s here – was the network’s and not the writer’s.)
  • Ben Queen (CARS 2) has an NBC pilot deal for A TO Z, a comedy about a relationship from meeting to breakup. (It ends on a breakup? And this is comedy? Oh, NBC, NBC, how far hast thou fallen?)
  • John Cabrera (H+ the web series) is writing a monster movie for Syfy, which may be a backdoor pilot. (Syfy-monster movie, who’d a thunk? Of course it’ll be a pilot!)
  • John Hamburg (MEET THE PARENTS & Matt Miller (CHUCK) are developing a CBS comedy called GOOD SESSION about a couple’s first meeting through the rough days of the “present” as told through counseling sessions. (So which came first, gang? This or A TO Z? Interesting, ain’t it, how crap ideas always come in pairs?)
  • Sheri Elwood (Canada’s CALL ME FITZ) is developing BAGEL NATION for ABC. (Like with a name like BAGEL NATION we woulda thought it was a police procedural, right? Still, how bad can a show about a Jewish deli now owned by goyem be? Yeah, right. That bad.)
  • Paul Scheer (some kind of comedian turned writer) is writing an ABC comedy about a couple trying to keep their relationship together while going through the hoops set up by multiple sets of parents, spouses, and children. (Yes, they’re calling this one a “family comedy,” presumably cuz it’s about, you know, a family. Sigh…)

Pitchfests – Yea or Nay?

Yeah, we're using this pic again. Got a problem with that?
Yeah, we’re using this pic again. Got a problem with that?

As everybody who comes to TVWriter™ knows, we’re heavily into peer produced videos. One of our favorite peer producers is the man of mystery who calls himself The Bitter Script Reader. Cuz not only is ole BSR entertaining, his videos are also informative as hell. For example:

EDITOR’S NOTE: For the record, we’re anti-pitchfest. LB has turned down dozens of appearances at them, dating from way back when. If you want practice pitching, talk to your mirror. It’s considerably cheaper and the result will be the same as what you’d get 999 times out of a 1000 from a pitchfest: no sale. read article

Herbie J Pilato is Smiling Today

by Herbie J Pilato

kung-fu-tvwriter.comEvery once in a while I receive a very nice “out of the box” review of one of my books; reviews that not only help the book reach a wider audience beyond the classic TV genre; but reviews that also confirm my belief that classic TV, when done properly (with respect for the family household) contributes to a positive influence in society.

One such review was posited on Amazon.com from someone named “Shihan,” who offered the following thoughts on my THE KUNG FU BOOK OF WISDOM: SAGE ADVICE FROM THE ORIGINAL TV SERIES. “Man’s guide to living in society,” and it reads as follows:

“This book gives its readers a set of principles which when put to use can be the key to learning how to enjoy life in society in a civilized way. Definitely a must for every parent trying to raise a child in these must difficult times. This book gives you words that transcend race, religion and/or socioeconomic boundaries. If you are looking for a book that will leave you a better person than when you started reading it, then, THIS IS IT!” read article