Month: September 2014

Cara Winter: The Anglo Files 5

sherlock meme (1)
Martin Freeman as Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock.

On Sherlock Holmes
by Cara Winter

As we all know, since 2010 two shows (CBS’ Elementary, and the BBC’s Sherlock, which has also been picked up by PBS Masterpiece) have reimagined Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective Sherlock Holmes within a modern setting.   As a writer trying to modernize a Victorian piece myself, I have been wondering  why, exactly, one of these modernizations has set the world on fire… while the other is just on?

It all starts with the fact that the BBC’s version came first.  In 2012, when CBS (as has been reported here and here) approached creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss about remaking Sherlock in America, Moffat & Gatiss politely declined.  Smartly, CBS chose not to embroil themselves in a legal battle by ripping off Sherlock whole-hog… and instead did everything they could to make their take on a “modern Sherlock Holmes” really, really different from Sherlock.

I get it, I do. CBS wanted to move forward; Sherlock Holmes was sexy, all of a sudden.  Who wouldn’t want to capitalize on that?  But, as all Moffat and Gatiss really did was move the characters and stories they loved into our century, creator Robert Doherty would have to change more than just the ol’ anno domini.  (By the way, his show Medium?  Genius.  So, I know he’s likely not the problem…) read article

Anne Rice Talks to Writers

…Cuz there’s no such thing as too much info for us newbies, right? Right?

(Unless you’re as sick of everybody claiming to know everything about writing you don’t as I am, that is. Let’s see if I can slip that in here.)

Vampire – and Jesus – popularizer Anne Rice gives us the advice that back in the day our mothers would’ve clipped from a magazine and mailed to us when we were struggling through college. Except Anne’s is kind of interesting cuz…vampires! And big, big $$$! And video to boot: read article

Diana Vaccarelli Sees the VERONICA MARS Movie

veronica mars.mov

by Diana Vaccarelli

I have never watched the television show VERONICA MARS, but the premise of the film intrigued me.

After a very successful Kickstarter campaign, Rob Thomas, the creator and showrunner of the series, has brought us this feature-length sequel. In the film, Veronica, now living in New York and interviewing for prestigious jobs at law firms, is pulled back into the life of a private eye when her ex-boyfriend, Logan Echolls, becomes embroiled in a murder mystery involving old high school friend Carrie Bishop.

Kirsten Bell stars as the super private eye just as she did in the series. She’s good, but as a fan who loved her in FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL, I expected better. She she does have good chemistry with Jason Dohring, who reprises his role as Logan, and they play off each other well. But overall, the acting in the film is subpar. Every major cast member I’ve seen before has been better before than they were here. read article

2014 Nicholl Fellowship Finalists Announced

The Motion Picture Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship may not be for TV writing per se, but it’s absolutely the most important contest aspiring screen and television writers can win in terms of future prospects. Which means that these finalists definitely are worth learning about:

academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciencesby the Deadline Team

About half of the finalists for the 2014 Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwritingare from the Los Angeles area, but the rest span four states and three continents. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today released its list of 10 screenplays whose writers are on the shortlist for as many as five $35,000 fellowships.

The winners, judged by the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Committee, will be announced during a November 13 ceremony and live read at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 9/21/14

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman

  • Kevin Nealon (WEEDS) & Susan Yeagley (PARKS & RECREATION) have sold a to be titled comedy to NBC about “a recently divorced couple still tied to…each other…through their jointly owned business.” (To which munchadillio can say only, “Congrats to one of the coolest couples in Hollywood!” I’d be trying to hook them up with each other personally as well as professionally, but the good news is that I don’t have to. They’re already married – to each other. Lookin’ forward to this show, kids!)
  • Brad Copeland (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT) is writing the pilot ABC’s new comedy set to star Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo. (Who aren’t a married couple and about whom I’m not all that excited cuz let’s face it, Chevy’s onstage antics are legend, and not in the most positive way. And Mz D’Angelo? Well, hasn’t she basically been a kind of a cipher in every role she’s ever played? Good luck, Brad!)
  • Angela Kinsey (THE OFFICE) has joined forces with Rachel Spector & Audrey Wauchope (COUGAR TOWN) to create another untitled series, this one a “female buddy comedy” for ABC. (Sorry, gang, but munchero isn’t much interested in this one. Best female buddy comedy of all time has already been on the air for over 60 years – I LOVE LUCY, yessir. What? You thought that show was about Lucy and Ricky? Watch it again – it’s a Lucy-Ethel vehicle all the way. And the only show in the world that’s ever even come close to it is BBC’s miraculous MIRANDA, which only lasted 3 series. Sigh.)
    • Jeff Astrof (GROUND FLOOR) is writing the pilot for our last untitled comedy series of this post, a “restaurant comedy” for CBS based on some guys who own the Meatball Shop restaurants in New York City. (My suggestion is that you simply insert your own snark here cuz when it comes to meatball jokes, hey, everybody knows they write themselves.

That’s it for now. Write in and tell munchilito what you’ve sold today. TVWriter™ can’t wait to brag to all your friends. (And, more importantly, enemies. Hehehe….)