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Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman
- Gary Lennon (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK) is developing a drama series for Showtime about a rehab community in Venice Beach during the ’80s. (Think Synanon but don’t say it cuz…lawsuits. Yer munch addic definitely would check this out, btw cuz…my dad, you know?)
- Nick Kocher & Brian McElhaney (TV noobs) are bringing their web series about their adventures as friends, BRITANICK, to Comedy Central. (Cuz the only way they could feel comfortable in TV was to continue working for peanuts and bitching about being underpaid. Well, that’s the gist of what they said to yers truly, but, hey….)
- Margaret Atwood‘s book trilogy, Oryx and Crake, Year of the Flood, and MaddAddam are being developed as a TV series at HBO. (So time to get in touch with Brandi-Ann Milbradt, who’s the producer over there and, I hear, leading the search for a writer or maybe even writers. Hmm, I’ve always liked the name Brandi-Ann. Do you suppose…?)
- Lee Shipman & Brian McGreevy (HEMLOCK GROVE)are writing an adaptation of Philipp Meyer’s novel The Son for AMC, a drama about the “bloody rise and fall of one Texas oil empire. (One, y’hear? Not two or three. Just one and don’t you forget it.)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman
- Katja Blichfeld & Ben Sinclair (newbies!) have deal to move their web series HIGH MAINTENANCE to Vimeo’s new on-demand service. (In other words, the New Age of Television is upon us. Real TV on the web. This is huger than a mega-blunt. Really. Yer Friendly Neighborhood Munchie Guy congratulates Katja, Ben, and the rest of the gang at Janky Clown Prods. Oh, and Vimeo too, for doing this…for us, the viewers.)
- Dan Harmon (COMMUNITY) is in talks with Hulu about bringing that very series to Hulu Plus for a sixth season. Dude wants “six seasons and a movie” and just ain’t gonna give up till he gets ’em. (So that means, what? That munchman still has to make nice to Dan cuz the Harmonizer may continue to be a force in the industry in spite of COMMUNITY being cancelled – again – by NBC? Damn, you have no idea how much energy this takes out of me….)
- Matthew Cole Weis (STANDING STILL) has sold his spec comedy pilot, THIS IS ME to Fox. (Looks like another version of THREE MEN AND A BABY since it’s about: “a twentysomething who gets custody of his 11-year-old brother and decides to raise him with the help of his motley crew of roommates.” But, hell, my mother liked THREE MEN AND A BABY, so who knows?)/li>
- If you know anybody at Dreamworks, or Netflix, now’s the time to kiss up cuz Netflix is committed to “several” (So…more than 1?) new seasons of DREAMWORKS DRAGONS, a spinoff of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON that’s been airing on Comedy Central till now. (Tip: Don’t say you’re Steven Spielberg’s buddy to get the gig. Another tip: Do say you’re his son or daughter, and if that works let me know so I can give it a try!)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman
- Bill Hader (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) has a development deal with HBO and will create and star in a new comedy series there. (Cuz dude’s fucking funny, man. Yeah, I know Lorne Michaels messed with him. But you know how it is with guys like Lorne. Just can’t understand true genius – like HBO can.)
- Glen Mazzara (THE WALKING DEAD) is developing DAMIEN, described as “the antichrist in…a new TV series” over at Lifetime. (OMG! Just think how many women Damien could endanger! All the abuse he can heap on ’em! All the power he can take away! This is perfect for Lifetime, just perfect. Kudos to whatever genius executive came up with this concept…cuz God knows no self-respecting writer ever would.)
- Speaking of horror shows, WE TV has hired Matt Lambert (can’t find any info on the right Matt Lambert) to write the pilot for SOUTH OF HELL, a show about a demon hunter, bringing James Manos Jr. (DEXTER) aboard as showrunner when the series goes on the air in 2015. (Guess Lambert and the WEe development geniuses aren’t getting along. Too bad Glen Mazzara didn’t step into this one though. Man knows how to write about chasing evil like nobody else.
- Here’s a cool switch: Loren Bouchard (BOB’S BURGERS) and the rest of the staff of that selfsame cult hit series are turning it into a comic book series instead of the usual other way around. (As a lifelong – well, actually I started reading ’em in the womb – comic book fan, Yer Friendly Neighborhood Muncher thinks that’s awesome. I always wanted to write comics, and now I know how to get in. Just strike it lucky on TV!)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman
- Jonathan Ames (BORED TO DEATH) is adapting the Icelandic sorta serious/sorta not series WORLD’S END for Showtime. (And we think that’s perfect casing cuz if anybody was ever a sorta kinda guy – in the best sorta way – it’s Jonathan, who has been one of Yer Friendly Neighborhood Muncher’s idols, like, forevah.)
- Robert Orci (You name it and if it’s on TV he’s probably written and produced it) is making the switch to feature film director and will be sitting in the control chair for STAR TREK 3. (Considering how much regard this munchy one has for Orci’s writing, I’d call this pretty damn bad news for TREK lovers. OTOH, there’s one – small – bright spot. Now that Ocri’s a director I’ll never have to put his name in boldface again. Cuz that’s how we roll here at TVWriter™.)
- In keeping with this site’s luv for peer production, I was going to announce the creators of a new web series based on Mary Shelley‘s immortal icon Frankenstein. But although the info I got names the producers, it simply refers to the writers as “a new team of writers,” so the hell with that. If anybody out there knows whose creativity is jamming on the keys, let us know in the Comments, please.)
- Speaking of newbies, it looks like the folks at the Lancashire Telegraph newspaper website (who proudly proclaim that they were finalists for something called “Online Media Awards 2013 Best Local/Regional News Website”) are far from ready for primetime. Recently they announced that Chris Lunt, creator-writer of the hit UK series PREY has gotten the gig remaking “’60s spy show The Saint.” Normally I’d think this was a wonderful thing for a local/regional news outlet to be doing,) but I do have a teeny prob with the wording of the headline: “East Lancashire TV drama writer asked to fly to Hollywood.” Really? That’s what the the Telegraphs visitors/readers need to know? I’m thinking these bozos have managed to insult both Chris and his neighbors in one very ill-advised line of type. “Carumba!” as people in Lancashire probably don’t say.)
Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are
by munchman
- Andrew Chambliss (ONCE UPON A TIME) has a new overall deal with ABC studios, where he’ll continue writing-producing ONCE and develop new projects as well. (Congrats, Andrew. Although just between you and the munchy one, your talent is horribly wasted on that show. Hope you get to develop shows with style and substance soon!)
- Spike Lee (Remember him?) is writing the pilot for a Showtime adaptation of his 1986 feature film classic, SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT. (And this one really intrigues me cuz, well, the Spiker doesn’t seem to at all be the same writer-director now that he was then. A whole different attitude, y’know? So will he recapture the magic? Or continue coming off as kinda dickish? I’m looking forward to finding out.)
- Rich Blumquist (THE DAILY SHOW) has a new overall deal with 20th Century Fox TV, where he’ll do the usual new project development thing. (Which I think is a shame cuz this guy is so damn funny we should be seeing the results of his crazed brainstem activity every day on a show that’s already on the air, like we used to. C’mon, Rich, entertain us before the powers that be decide you’re no longer hot.)