Category: By Larry Brody

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

We’re in the mood for a little game play today. Today’s game is “Should They or Shouldn’t They?” What? You don’t think you know that one? Ah, sure you do:

• Jaime Paglia (EUREKA), is developing POMONA KINGS, a drama about two rival families in the world of drag racing whose children fall in love with each other, for Fox. (OMG! Romeo and Juliet with drag racing. In Pomona California? Sorry, Fox D-execs, this is a plain and clear “You Shouldn’t.”)
• A.D. Miles (LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON) will be head writer on THE TONIGHT SHOW when Jimmy takes over from that guy with the chin. (This is a no-brainer. A.D. Miles really knows his stuff, as Fallon’s show has demonstrated consistently. Way to go, NBC execs, cuz you bet “You Should.”)
• Ben York Jones (BREATHE IN, whatever that is) & Michal Mohan (SAVE THE DATE, huh?) are developing HEARTBEATS, a half-hour dramedy for Starz about star-crossed lovers. (Definitely a “Shouldn’t.” But then, everything on Starz is as far as we’re concerned. The Starz D-execs seem dedicated to one thing: Breaking viewers hearts while calling it entertainment.)
• Soo Hugh (UNDER THE DOME) is writing the pilot for an ABC drama about a group of aliens “out to destroy the Earth.” (Info on this one is sketchy. To us, if it’s literally about the aliens – as in they’re the protagonists – this would be an awesome “Should.” But if it’s just another version of V, meh.)
• Ayelet Waldman (APPLEBAUM, a 2012 CBS pilot) is writing the pilot for the CBS pilot THE ADVOCATE, about a former doctor who now works as a medical advocate, whatever the hell that is. (We thought all doctors were supposed to be their patients’ “medical advocates.” So the question becomes is this really just another medical show not-so-cleverly disguised, or is it genuinely something new? If the former, we’d vote “Shouldn’t.” If the latter, this could be a “Should.”)
• The History Channel is searching for a writer to reboot the classic TV mini-series, ROOTS, re-adapting it from Alex Haley’s hugely successful novel. (Normally we’d be encouraging everybody to go for the gig, but this ROOTS, which won 9  1977 Emmys and is considered a classic. The head writer back then was the glorious William Blinn, our boss, Larry Brody’s, first real mentor in the biz. We honestly don’t see how History could hope to do better. In other words, there’s no “maybe” in our vote on this one: The most definite of “Shouldn’t”x.)