Category: Opinion

Inside the Writers Room with ‘The Mindy Project’

This is one of the most helpful articles on what we would call “The TV Writing Life” that we’ve ever found on the interwebs. Dig in:

mindy-project-writers-guildby Amanda

“Big, relatable things that happen in our dating lives” – that’s what the writers ofThe Mindy Project think about when they pitch stories for the show, which just finished its first season on Fox.

Last night’s Writers Guild Foundation “Inside the Writers Room” event at the Landmark Theater kicked off with a screening of the episode “Frat Party,”followed by some insight into the writing process from creator/star Mindy Kaling and the show’s writing staff. read article

LB: Stop Asking Me How To Get an Agent, Dammit!

Glad You Asked Department 6/3/13

question_ditkoToday’s question is one I’ve answered a million and a half times before, in three million different places. I used to say it was the second most-asked question I got, right behind, “How did you get started?” Over the past few months, though, it’s bounded over its rival to become Number One.

In other words, our topic for today, as proposed by Dennis and Emily and Katrina and Rob and Tyrese and Jason and Sarah and two or three entire generations of talented and intelligent new writers is:

“How do I get an agent?” read article

Amazon Invests Millions In Original TV Shows To Get You To Buy More Diapers

Speaking of corporate plots (ah, paranoia! how we love you!), here’s a commonsense look at the thinking behind Amazon.Com’s move into TV/video production.

buy-buyby Timothy Stenovec

Netflix. Hulu Plus. And now, Amazon.

The world’s largest online retailer is joining its streaming video peers and betting millions of dollars on creating original content. read article

Amazon Studios Gives Us Something to Flush

turdburger

Unfortunately for people with any kind of taste or love for the television medium, Amazon Studios (AKA The Least Talented Executives in Town) has announced that it’s picked up not one, not two, not even three, but a veritable slew of 5 turdburgers to turn into steaming streaming series for Amazon Prime Instant Video.

(Don’t believe our assessment? Check out LB’s review of all the Amazon Studios pilots.) read article

Mike Gold: Oh, Time-Lord! Abuse Me! Abuse Me!

Evil forces well-meaning meddlers people who just don’t get how the entertainment business works Some well-intentioned but probably all-too-naive folks have been accusing DOCTOR WHO of racial discrimination, and this has really upset a lot of, um, other folks. Here’s a good introduction to the current firestorm:

by Mike Gold

Gold Art 130529 Mike Gold: Oh, Time Lord! Abuse Me! Abuse Me!Yeah, I’m gonna get political on your ass. Pop culture and politics; gasoline and fire.

I do not know which is worse: the self-victimization that we call being “politically correct” or the rampant naval-snorting of the cloistered elite. I do know there’s a book coming out this August calledDoctor Who And Race, and it couldn’t be more full of shit if it had been printed on toilet paper. read article