Category: News

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 11/13/13

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.)

Focus Features Reveals New Executive Line-Up

Okay, so this article isn’t about television. (Although if things keep going as they are, Universal’s highly respected “smart house” division may find itself in the TV biz as well as in features.) It is, however, very interesting to those of us who have to put up with pretend to listen to okay, okay! –  work hand-in-glove with our BLLB* everyday:

focus-features-logoby Mike Fleming Jr

Peter Schlessel, who took over Focus Features after Universal swallowed his Film District label, has begun assimilating the staffs of those two companies for January’s company relaunch. This happens a day after the company formalized the widely expected news that Focus Features International would shutter. More of this mixing and matching will happen over the next few weeks, and we’ll get a sense of the final layoff count soon. For now, here’s who is staying:

· FilmDistrict’s Beth Lemberger will be EVP Business Affairs, joining Howard Meyers who is currently EVP Business Affairs, Production at Focus Features. Both executives will report to Schlessel. FilmDistrict’s Kevin Monroe will also serve as SVP Business Affairs for Focus reporting to Lemberger. read article

Netflix’s CEO is Still Bugging the Old Garde

A couple of days ago, we posted an article about how movie theater owners want Ted Sarandos’ head because of some comments he made about how they run their business. Since then, the controversy has escalated, and all we at TVWriter™ can say is:

“Go, Teddy, go, Teddy, go, Teddy, go!”

Bwahh… read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 11/12/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Mike Barker (AMERICAN DAD), co-creator of said animated masterpiece, has left his gig as co-showrunner of that self same masterpiece. His partner, Matt Weitzman, remains on duty on the show. So if you know Matt and think you should replace Mike, now’s the time to get in touch. (No, we don’t know him, but we’re at least a couple of degrees in Matt’s direction. His late father, Lew Weitzman, was LB’s agent for a zillion years, and his twin brother, Paul Weitzman currently is one of H’wood’s Top Agent Dawgs and was a popular speaker at Brodystock back in the day. Hi, Paul!)
  • Diane English (MURPHY BROWN) is writing the pilot for an NBC series that has no name, no concept, and potential stars we’ve never heard of. (In other words, Diane’s the real star here. Wonder what they’ve given her to make her come back to work after making such a huge pile of $$$ from MURPH’s success. We’re all of us in the audience the better for it, that’s for sure.)
  • Mac Lethal (um, a rapper with a blog) has sold the rights to a TV adaptation to said blog AKA TEXTS FROM BENNETT to FX. Randall Einhorn (WILFRED) is writing the pilot. (So we know it’ll be totally unorthodox and funny if it ever hits the air. What we don’t know, of course, is whether Mac and Randall will be able to stand each other long enough for such an occurrence.)
  • Michael Caleo (IRONSIDE) is writing the pilot for a TV version of DC Comics’ HOURMAN. (For The CW, natch. So you know exactly what to expect. Wonder how they’ll handle the fact that they’ve already given the character’s traditional costume to their version of Green Arrow.)
  • Novelist Patricia Cornwall (the Kay Scarpetta book series) & Stephanie Sengupta (LAW & ORDER), are co-creating a crime drama for ABC about a “young, orphaned, highly skilled female cop who has an uncanny ability to solve crime. (To which all we can say is, “Whoa! Uncanny!” and resolve to make “uncanny” our Personal Word of the Day.)
  • In case you haven’t heard, the uncanny Neil Gaiman (um, a bunch a cult stuff) is writing a special DOCTOR WHO short story which will be published as part of the BBC’s uncanny series of ebooks about the Doc. (We’re really looking forward to this one cuz we know that at the very least it’ll be fucking…uncanny!)

Amazon Studios Announces Premiere Dates for ALPHA HOUSE and BETAS

alphahouse
Yeah, it’s ALPHA HOUSE, bitches.

…But will anybody care?

We have no use for either of these shows cuz…Amazon Studios, you know? All we want to see is the end of production on ALPHA HOUSE so Garry Trudeau can get back to what he does best: Doonesbury, the once great comic strip that has been giving us reruns and nothing but reruns for months.

Anyway: read article