Category: News

Sorkin to Newsroom Staff: “Buh-bye, Baby”

Deer in the headlights! Whoa!

Sorkin Cleaning the “Newsroom”
by Soo Youn

Aaron Sorkin has been doing press all week defending his critically-panned HBO show, “The Newsroom,” but behind the scenes he’s cleaning house.

Most of the writers on the cable drama about a Keith Olbermann-type television news demagogue have been fired, sources with knowledge of the show told The Daily. “They’re not coming back, except for Sorkin’s ex-girlfriend [Corinne Kinsbury],” one source said.

The show was renewed early for a second season and it’s unclear how many writers will replace the departing staff. read article

RUBY SPARKS Writer/Star Speaks

We like to think of her as the Anti-Zooey (Deschanel). But it turns out there’s much, much more going on here:

Zoe Kazan, ‘Ruby Sparks’ Writer & Star: ‘Quirky’ Means Nothing
by Christopher Rosen

For her screenwriting debut, actress Zoe Kazan wrote what she knew: A story about the writing process. read article

‘Saturday Night Live’ Writer Tom Davis Dies at 59

Saluting our own:

Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian Tom Davis passed away today from throat and neck cancer in his home in Hudson, NY
by Alison Willmore

One of the original writers for “Saturday Night Live” when it premiered in 1975, Davis formed the comedy team “Franken & Davis” with Al Franken when the two were still in high school in Minneapolis. When the pair were first hired at SNL, Lorne Michaels negotiated for them to split a single writer’s salary of $350 per week. In addition to their years of writing and creating famous characters on the comedy institution, they also sometimes performed together on air in sketches like “The Brain Tumor Comedian.” Off air, they cowrote the 1986 film “One More Saturday Night.” read article

Brit Shows We Can All Enjoy

..And you want to know why? Do you? Huh?

Good, ‘cuz we’re gonna tell you. The following UK series are written so much better than 90% of those made in the U.S. that they make us want to leap onto the next transatlantic jet and do whatever it takes to pay those British income taxes.

read article

More Writing Wisdom from Joss

Someone’s right on the cusp of major over-exposure. But, till the fall:

Geeking Out About Storytelling with Joss Whedon
by Charlie Jane Anders

Joss Whedon is in the unique position of being both a cult icon and a huge mainstream creator, thanks to projects like Firefly and The Avengers. But both halves of his success spring from his ability to create addictive stories, that leave you desperate to know what happens next. read article