Category: News

NBC’s New Unscripted Directing Initiative for Women and POC is Here.

In the grand scheme of things – much grander than showbiz – it doesn’t get much more important than this. Submissions close June 29, so this definitely is something to take advantage of ASAP:

by Rachel Montpelier

If you’re a woman or person of color trying to break into unscripted directing, take note: NBC has unveiled the new Alternative Directors Program, the entertainment industry’s first initiative for unscripted series. Designed for women and diverse helmers with at least one directing credit, the program’s goal is to “help feed the pipeline for new talent behind the camera on alternative series.” read article

The 100 Most-Watched TV Shows of 2017-2018

Admit it. This is something you really want to know, right? Even though you aren’t an advertiser. Well, Michael Schneider’s here to tell ya!

by Michael Schneider

If there was a recurring theme during the recent broadcast network upfronts, it was this: Ratings must die. “We are in a new era of media and it’s time to retire the Nielsen television metric,” Turner president David Levy said. “While it undoubtedly served its purpose, it no longer fully captures how to successfully measure an audience in today’s landscape.” read article

Money Changes Everything

In TV, the only thing more certain than the old saying “money changes everything” is “the bigger the bucks, the more painful the fall.” Today’s case in point:

Just a friendly argument…nothing to see here….

Fired ‘Snowpiercer’ Showrunner Calls Replacement an “Idiot” for Not Reaching Out
by Katie Kilkenny

The former showrunner for TNT’s upcoming series Snowpiercer has slammed the etiquette of his successor in a series of tweets that call out new boss Graeme Manson for not getting in touch before taking over.

“If you’re asked to rewrite someone or take over their show it seems like good sense and good karma to reach out to that person first and a) find out what the circumstances of their departure are and b) thank them for doing the work you’ll be profiting from,” Josh Friedman, previously attached to the TNT project and screenwriter of Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds and Brian De Palma’s The Black Dahlia, wrote Thursday on Twitter. read article

The Fall 2018 TV Schedule!

Get your time-shifters ready, kids. Here’s where things stand on U.S. TV as of today:

by Lesley Goldberg

While time slots in the DVR era may seem like a relic from another period, they’re still a vital part of the TV economy for the five broadcast networks that rely on ad dollars to survive.This past week, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and The CW presented their lineups for the 2018-19 season to Madison Avenue ad buyers with the hopes that their new comedies and dramas can cut through a schedule filled with big swings, returning favorites and, yes, a bunch of reboots.

NBC set an all Chicago night on Wednesdays, moving veteran Law & Order: SVU to the prestigious Thursdays at 10 p.m. slot formerly occupied by ER. read article

Have You Heard About the ‘Cocky’ Cock-Up? Part 2

Now that you know what we’re talking about (because you read the earlier post below), here’s another (but not so very different) perspective:

TRADEMARK SHENANIGANS: WEIGHING IN ON #COCKYGATE
by Victoria Strauss

If you’re a writer, and you hang out on Twitter and Facebook, you’ve probably heard about #cockygate.

If you haven’t….An author named Faleena Hopkins has registered two separate trademarks for the word “cocky”, which is used in all the titles of her multi-book romance series. One of the trademarks is a design mark (the word “cocky” in a stylized font, as seen above); the other is a word mark (just the word “cocky”). Both refer to “a series of downloadable e-books in the field of romance” and “a series of books in the field of romance.” read article