Category: Misc.

‘Women Directing Mentorship’ Offered by Shondaland & SeriesFest

by TVWriter™ Press Service
(in other words, we believe this is a press release worth reading)

SeriesFest and Shondaland are proud to partner to launch the Women Directing Mentorship — a competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with a unique voice and provide a launchpad for their career. The Women Directing Mentorship initiative is anchored with the prestigious opportunity to shadow a director for an episode of a Shondaland original series and a $5,000 stipend to use during the duration of their mentorship. Submissions are open now through March 4, 2019. Winner will be announced in June 2019 at SeriesFest: Season 5

Interested participants should submit a 3-5 minute introduction video introducing yourself, your unique voice and style, and why you think you’re the right fit for the Women Directing Mentorship (be creative!), a reel under 15-minutes or short film showcasing your directing work, and a CV/Resume. Visit the Women Directing Mentorship submission page for more information on guidelines, entry materials, entry fees and key dates. read article

WGAW December 2018 Calendar

Knowing what’s going on in the Writers Guild of America can be helpful to TV and film writers in many ways, even if you aren’t a member. So, for your edification:

Events listed are current at time of publication. Dates and details are subject to change during the month. To see the live calendar, click here. (Member Login required for that, sorry.)

55 THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT DOCTOR WHO

Dunno about you guys, but the Whoniverse is this TVWriter™ minion’s go-to safe place. This blog entry from Siskoid’s Blog of Geekery gives just a relative few of the reasons why:

Ah, the fifth Doctor. No, you aren’t seeing double.

by Siskoid

Happy Whoniversary! 55 years ago today, the first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast. And so, a (necessarily incomplete) celebratory list!

1. Every actor who has ever played the Doctor (not gonna play favorites). Yes, even the Curse of the Fatal Death ones.
2. The opening theme.
3. The .wav file I used to have that replaced the computer shutdown sound with “That’s the trouble with computers… no imagination.”
4. That it got a university friend who went to Morocco to bring me back a fez.
5. How vast the extracanon is, and how much of it counts.
6. The pun implicit in the term “UNIT dating”.
7. That it was the brainchild of a Canadian, who handed it to that rare female producer who put it in the hands of an Asian director.
8. Timey-wimey-ness.
9. The TARDIS exterior.
10. Elisabeth Sladen.
11. The old historicals.
12. The layered writing of Marc Platt (Ghost Light, Auld Mortality, Spare Parts…).
13. The partnerships and friendships I’ve developed over the Unofficial CCG, Expanded Universe Sourcebooks, and Who-related podcasts.
14. “Sleep is for tortoises.” (My most quoted line.)
15. “Brave heart, [Tegan].” (My second most quoted line.)… read article

Time Now for a Sneak Peak at Herbie J Pilato’s New Book About Mary Tyler Moore

See what we did there? We got both four important points in one headline. Pretty good, huh? So is the newspaper interview with our favorite Contributing Editor below. (Oh, and here’s another sneaky factoid: Herbie J’s book is even better:)

Mary Tyler Moore & the rest of the beloved Petrie family

Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story sheds new light on iconic actress
by Anthony C. Hayes

For fans of the late, great Mary Tyler Moore, the phrase “Love is all around” transcends the theme to her stereotype-shattering TV show. In the annals of television history, one would be hard pressed to think of an actress more adored by legions for a longer period of time than Mary Tyler Moore. Mary’s successes were legendary, but her struggles off-camera were often far from the happy endings of her award-winning TV shows.

In the soon to be released book Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Story (Jacobs Brown Press 2019) Herbie J Pilato offers the first full-scale, objective, and detailed biography of the actress best known from The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Moore’s life was shaped not only by these two benchmark series but also by the ravages of diabetes, as well as various physical, psychological, and professional challenges. More uplifting experiences came from her involvement with numerous charitable works, such as animal rights and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. read article

Speaking of the Classic TV Preservation Society…

The latest update about what’s happening at the CTVPS:

=&0=&, the star of countless TV, film and stage productions, has joined our distinguished Board of Directors, which includes:  producer/director =&1=& (of The Ed Asner Family Center), marketing executive =&2=&, writer/producer/director =&3=&(of the Emmy-nominated documentary, “If You’re Not In the Obit, Eat Breakfast”), =&4=& (of Hofstra University), writer =&5=&(co-author of “My Days, Happy and Otherwise” by Marion Ross), creative designer =&6=&, entertainment historian =&7=&, author and humanitarian =&8=&, =&9=&(“The Brady Bunch”/”Gilligan’s Island”), =&10=& (“Legion”/”Dark Shadows”),=&11=&(creator of “Kung Fu”), disability advocate =&12=&, performance artist =&13=& (nephew of William Warfield), and theatrical producer/actor =&14=&. Gotta say it, kids – That’s one hell of a Board of Directors, even if it doesn’t include Elon Musk. read article