Category: News

WGAW’s Strongest Statement Yet Against the Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger

Found on the Interwebs
Found on the Interwebs

In a statement the other day, Writers Guild of America, West president Chris Keyser got on the FCC’s case in a demand to “put a stop to this spate of merger madness,” speaking for the WGAW as the Guild submitted its formal opposition to the Comcast-Time Warner Cable, um, “madness” indeed.

The whole document is 71 pages of legalese, a language totally alien to writers and other creatives. But here’s the official gist:

wga-comcast1Capturewga-comcast2Capturewga-comcast3Capturewga-comcast4Capture read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 9/1/14

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

  • Jordan Belfort (the “inspiration” for THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) is developing a series described as “a MAN MEN-style TV show about the excess of WALL STREET in the 1980s for Brett Ratner’s company. (Cuz if there’s one thing TV needs in the 21st Century teens it’s a show projecting the values of an infamous drug consumer and convicted con artist. Nice to have such a bright light to help us get through these difficult times, eh?)
  • Justin Halpern & Patrick Schumacker (SURVIVING JACK) have sold a comedy based on a memoir by Col. Chris Hadfield, the well-known astronaut/internet video sensation. (Yeppers, it’s all about how much harder normal life on the ground is than being an outer space celeb. My enthusiasm is, um, well, how’s “nil” sound?)
  • Amy Holden Jones (BLACK BOX) is writing the drama pilot 10 BEACON HILL for ABC, described as “a medical procedural…about a brilliant team of doctors who take on the most difficult cases. (How does this differ from HOUSE? Dig it – the head of the team is an ultra-caring medical genius instead of a dick. Hmm, munchikins thinks that could be a welcome change.)
  • Andy Stern (newbie?>) is writing a pilot for ABC about a female police psychologist who used to be a “real” cop herself. (And if that makes you wonder why your slightly more original ideas – whatever they are – keep getting turned down to the networks, keep this in mind: The producer of this series, and, I’m thinking, its intended star, is Ellen Pompeo, the star of GREY’S ANATOMY. Why aren’t I best buds with somebody who can get such a great vanity deal?)

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

FIREFLY crew gets its coolest toys yet

Knowing that Funko Toys has these sweet babies coming at the end of September has made this a very shiny Sunday over at TVWriter™:

fireflyfunkobfireflyfunko

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 8/28/14

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

  • Dana Goodman & Julia Wolov (FAKING IT) are developing an untitled comedy project for MTV. (According to the P.R., said comedy project is “autobiographical.” The same press release also emphasizes how young Dana and Julia are. So of course the munchie one is just all a’tingle at the prospect of learning all about their undoubtedly riveting and meaningful lives.)
  • Pamela Gray (CONVICTION) is adapting Liane Moriarty‘s novel The Husband’s Secret for CBS. (Personally, I’d rather not have this dangerous precedent of nosing around the secrets of married men hanging over my head as I draw closer to – OMG! – potential matrimony meself.)
  • Noah Oppenheim (THE MAZE RUNNER) & Chris Bremner (newbie) are developing an Amazon Studio series called PROMISED LAND, about Moses doing his thing while getting his fellow runaway slaves hopelessly lost in the desert. (Yeppers, I admit it. I’m praying for this to be a comedy cuz…how do you take Moses seriously? And the Golden Calf business? C’mon! That’s Louis C.K. material for sure.)
  • Speaking of OMG!, Barry Eisler‘s book series, Rain, is being developed into a TV series for international production, produced by and, coincidentally starring some dude name of Keanu Reeves. (El munchero is tempted to riff on what this tells us about the state of po’ l’il Keanu’s film career, but instead I’d like to point out that no writer has yet been named for the show. So this is your chance to get in on the ground floor of the plummetting Keanu Reeves’ elevator and make yourself a few $$$. Call yer agent and get this great gig!)

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

More People Subscribe to Broadband than to Cable TV

The future is now. Or to put it another way, cable TV is officially dying. We’re getting our entertainment via broadband now, kids, making TV in general sooo obsolete:

cable-installby David Lieberman

The trend lines have been headed toward each other for years and finally crossed in Q2: Cable companies had 49.915M broadband subs and 49.910M video ones at the end of June, Leichtman Research Group President Bruce Leichtman reports this morning. “With the addition of more than 30M broadband subscribers over the past decade, cable providers have clearly expanded well beyond their roots in cable TV service,” he says. The latest tally reflects cable’s loss of 509,954 video subs in the quarter that ended in June.

Cord cutting? read article