Category: News

munchman: Ain’t No Such Thing as Job Security for Writers

The Evil Capitalist Villain who fired our Jay!
The Evil Capitalist Villain who fired our Jay! BOO!!!

Ye Munchie One has just confirmed that Jay Gibson, the head writer for the WWE (that’s a huge wrestling network in case you don’t know) has been axed due to “budget cuts.”

I can’t imagine that anybody reading this is surprised to learn that wrestling uses writers, but did you know that Jay is in fact an Emmy winning writer for his work as both a writer and producer on the daytime serial THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS? In other words, the dude’s the real deal when it comes to TV writing and he’s been discarded, at least twice, like a piece of used kleenex.

munchman appreciates this message from what clearly is The Hand of God and will heed its meaning. In other words, I’m saving my $$$ and am encouraging everybody I know who’s in the occasionally wonderful world we call the show biz to do the same. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 6/11/14

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

  • Gary Lennon (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK) is developing a drama series for Showtime about a rehab community in Venice Beach during the ’80s. (Think Synanon but don’t say it cuz…lawsuits. Yer munch addic definitely would check this out, btw cuz…my dad, you know?)
  • Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney (TV noobs) are bringing their web series about their adventures as friends, BRITANICK, to Comedy Central. (Cuz the only way they could feel comfortable in TV was to continue working for peanuts and bitching about being underpaid. Well, that’s the gist of what they said to yers truly, but, hey….)
  • Margaret Atwood‘s book trilogy, Oryx and Crake, Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam are being developed as a TV series at HBO. (So time to get in touch with Brandi-Ann Milbradt, who’s the producer over there and, I hear, leading the search for a writer or maybe even writers. Hmm, I’ve always liked the name Brandi-Ann. Do you suppose…?)
  • Lee Shipman & Brian McGreevy (HEMLOCK GROVE)are writing an adaptation of Philipp Meyer’s novel The Son for AMC, a drama about the “bloody rise and fall of one Texas oil empire. (One, y’hear? Not two or three. Just one and don’t you forget it.)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 6/4/14

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

  • Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair (newbies!) have deal to move their web series HIGH MAINTENANCE to Vimeo’s new on-demand service. (In other words, the New Age of Television is upon us. Real TV on the web. This is huger than a mega-blunt. Really. Yer Friendly Neighborhood Munchie Guy congratulates Katja, Ben, and the rest of the gang at Janky Clown Prods. Oh, and Vimeo too, for doing this…for us, the viewers.)
  • Dan Harmon (COMMUNITY) is in talks with Hulu about bringing that very series to Hulu Plus for a sixth season. Dude wants “six seasons and a movie” and just ain’t gonna give up till he gets ’em. (So that means, what? That munchman still has to make nice to Dan cuz the Harmonizer may continue to be a force in the industry in spite of COMMUNITY being cancelled – again – by NBC? Damn, you have no idea how much energy this takes out of me….)
  • Matthew Cole Weis (STANDING STILL) has sold his spec comedy pilot, THIS IS ME to Fox. (Looks like another version of THREE MEN AND A BABY since it’s about: “a twentysomething who gets custody of his 11-year-old brother and decides to raise him with the help of his motley crew of roommates.” But, hell, my mother liked THREE MEN AND A BABY, so who knows?)/li>
  • If you know anybody at Dreamworks, or Netflix, now’s the time to kiss up cuz Netflix is committed to “several” (So…more than 1?) new seasons of DREAMWORKS DRAGONS, a spinoff of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON that’s been airing on Comedy Central till now. (Tip: Don’t say you’re Steven Spielberg’s buddy to get the gig. Another tip: Do say you’re his son or daughter, and if that works let me know so I can give it a try!)

Killing Your Characters? Make Sure You Off ‘Em Right

George R.R. Martin and his GAME OF THRONES adaptors sure do. And now you too can learn the best ways of writing all those icky scenes of your characters croaking.

Death__Dying_Panel_Invitation

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 5/28/14

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

  • Bill Hader (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) has a development deal with HBO and will create and star in a new comedy series there. (Cuz dude’s fucking funny, man. Yeah, I know Lorne Michaels messed with him. But you know how it is with guys like Lorne. Just can’t understand true genius – like HBO can.)
  • Glen Mazzara (THE WALKING DEAD) is developing DAMIEN, described as “the antichrist in…a new TV series” over at Lifetime. (OMG! Just think how many women Damien could endanger! All the abuse he can heap on ’em! All the power he can take away! This is perfect for Lifetime, just perfect. Kudos to whatever genius executive came up with this concept…cuz God knows no self-respecting writer ever would.)
  • Speaking of horror shows, WE TV has hired Matt Lambert (can’t find any info on the right Matt Lambert) to write the pilot for SOUTH OF HELL, a show about a demon hunter, bringing James Manos Jr. (DEXTER) aboard as showrunner when the series goes on the air in 2015. (Guess Lambert and the WEe development geniuses aren’t getting along. Too bad Glen Mazzara didn’t step into this one though. Man knows how to write about chasing evil like nobody else.
  • Here’s a cool switch: Loren Bouchard (BOB’S BURGERS) and the rest of the staff of that selfsame cult hit series are turning it into a comic book series instead of the usual other way around.  (As a lifelong – well, actually I started reading ’em in the womb – comic book fan, Yer Friendly Neighborhood Muncher thinks that’s awesome. I always wanted to write comics, and now I know how to get in. Just strike it lucky on TV!)