Ew, gross!
And then there’s:
OTOH:
LB Sees THE VENTURE BROTHERS VERY HALLOWEEN SPECIAL
…And, as a huge VENTURE BROTHERS fan, I have only one word to describe this, um, “very Halloween” event:
Boring.
AXE COP is coming to TV
For those who are so damn out of it you inspire nothing but contempt – not any of our TVWriter™ regulars, we’re sure, but those, erm, other guys who sometimes come around – AXE COP is a wild, woolly, fun, in, hip, and trendy online comic strip series, possibly the best one there is, “written,” as the site says, “by a 5 year old and illustrated by his 29 year old brother.” Family dynamics aside, it’s awesome.
AXE COP is also a new cartoon series scheduled to appear on Fox next summer. Which is why we’re so happy about presenting this first clip we just found. (See, we’re smiling cuz there’s gonna be more. So much MORE!!!)
Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/31/12
“Every hugely successful writer I know simply writes what he or she loves…and has been lucky enough to love the same things the audience does.” (LB)
- Zach Braff (yeah, that Zach Braff) is writing the pilot for the ABC sitcom GARAGE BAR, about a group of friends dealing with the celebrity of one of them, who has become a pop star. (Zach will also direct and serve as E.P. for the series because, hell, he is a pop star of sorts thanks to SCRUBS and GARDEN STATE.))
- Gideon Yago (THE NEWSROOM) is writing CITY HALL, an ABC drama about a city’s youthful mayor and her staff. (Gideon will also be an E.P. because he may not be a pop star but nevertheless his credentials are impressive: He wrote for CBA and MTV News and was fired from THE NEWSROOM by pop star Aaron Sorkin.)
- Steve Agee (THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM) & Rob Schrab (CHILDEN’S HOSPITAL) are writing an “untitled coming-of-age comedy for FX based on Agee’s military school experiences. (No, we don’t usually think of military schools as funny, but the pitch calls this “tonally similar to FREAKS & GEEKS, and a good pitch trumps reality every time.)
- David Marshall Grant (BROTHERS & SISTERS) & Michael Lannan (REMEMBER ME) are writing an HBO comedy pilot about being gay in San Francisco. (Sorry, folks, no high concept or pop stars here. Move along, move along.)
- Marco Pennette (ANIMAL PRACTICE) has written the TV Land Pilot GIANT BABY. (Kirstie Alley and Rhea Perlman supply the pop power in this baby. Yeah.)
How To Become (Even) More Creative
We know you don’t need these, but just on the off-chance you’re feeling unjustifiably insecure:
101 Tips on How to Become More Creative – by Michael Michalko
1. Take a walk and look for something interesting.
2. Make metaphorical-analogical connections between that something interesting and your problem.
3. Open a dictionary and find a new word. Use it in a sentence.
4. Make a connection between the word and your problem.
5. How is an iceberg like an idea that might help you solve your problem?
6. Create the dumbest idea you can.
7. Ask a child.
8. Create a prayer asking for help with your problem.
9. What does the sky taste like?
10. Create an idea that will get you fired.
11. Read a different newspaper. If you read the Wall Street Journal, read the Washington Post.
12. What else is like the problem? What other ideas does it suggest?
13. What or who can you copy?
14. What is your most bizarre idea?
15. List all the things that bug you.
16. Take a different route to work.
17. Make up and sing a song about the problem while taking a shower.
18. Listen to a different radio station each day.
19. Ask the most creative person you know.
20. Ask the least creative person you know.
21. Make up new words that describe the problem. E.g., “Warm hugs” to describe a motivation problem and “Painted rain” to describe changing customer perceptions.
22. Doodle
23. What is the essence of the problem? Can you find parallel examples of the essence in other worlds?
24. Go for a drive with the windows open. Listen and smell as you drive.
25. Combine your ideas?