Category: News

Inside Amazon’s Super-Weird, American Idol-Style TV Series Development Process

TVWriter™ is still trying to figure out whether Amazon.Com’s “Hey, kids, wanna create your own TV show for us?” is real, P.R., or both. And we aren’t the only ones:

amazonby Stephanie Carrie

Amazon’s new production arm, Amazon Studios, is right now breaking new ground by premiering 14 scripted pilots and having the public help decide who will get series orders. But its avant-garde development process goes deeper than that.

Amazon’s original programming execs, Sarah Babineau and Joe Lewis, bought some finished scripts that had made the rounds at other networks in previous years but gone unpurchased. Others they bought from unknowns who submitted their full scripts through Amazon’s call for submissions on its website. From first-time TV writers to Academy Award-nominated veterans, Amazon gave many of its creators unprecedented freedom in casting, crew, content and production. read article

John McCain Wants to Save Us from Our Cable Providers

Now? Now that Zero TV households are increasing and cablecos are starting to panic? Whazzup, John? What do you really have in mind?

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Pay No Heed to John McCain’s TV Unbundling Bill
by Year2

AArizona senator John McCain made some headlines yesterday when he announced that he will introduce a bill that, among other things, would force pay television providers to offer channels a la carte. This announcement qualifies as news around here now that the SEC is a major partner in a TV network. read article

Netflix Sends ‘Arrested Development’ Banana Stand on the Road

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Looks like Netflix genuinely believes in this show. They’re taking ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT’s most recognizable icons out on the road.

Yeppers, “Bluth’s Original Frozen Banana” stand is touring the world. Well, the civilized part of the world. That is, the part of the world that’s most likely to have viewers who’ll go to Netflix.Com to see the show. read article

Extra! Latest News About What’s Coming to TV Next Season

We were going to go down the line with all the info from each network about what’s being picked up, what’s being cancelled, what’s coming in that’s new, but wouldn’t you know it – the pros have beaten us to it.

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The Hollywood Reporter has everything on this subject, so why screw around? Go there. Read. Learn. read article

Making Films by the Numbers

Literally.

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Solving Equation of a Hit Film Script, With Data
by Brooks Barnes

Forget zombies. The data crunchers are invading Hollywood. read article