Tag: Frank Darabont

“Television used to suck.”—Frank Darabont

A reminder of things past…and how much like the present they really are…courtesy of Screenwriting from Iowa:

  

“I was reminded of how badly television used to suck. And you will be reminded if you go buy like a DVD set of any show that was popular prior to, I don’t know 1990-something. And you take your favorite show from the 80s—I promise you it sucks. They’re simpleminded, they’re stupid, television used to be a wasteland. It started to change in some measure with Hill Street Blues, and then suddenly television started getting smarter and movies started getting dumber. And suddenly there were these men who drive Maseratis, and wear Gucci loafers to their offices who realized they could spend 200 million dollars making one movie that has not one thought in it, and nothing for an actor to do, but lots of special effects, and they can make a billion dollars. Interesting thing that’s happened in our business is that the middle class has disappeared. It’s like the middle class in society has disappeared. The middle-class of movies have disappeared. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/23/12

“Anyway you wa-ah-ah-ah-ant me, that’s how I will be-e-e-e…” (Aaron Schroeder & Cliff Owens w/some interpretation by a kid named Elvis)
  •  Dean Koontz’s series of Frankenstein novels (Prodigal Son, City of Night, Dead and Alive, Lost Souls, Dead town) are being made into a series for TNT. (No writer is set so, you know, jump on this…now!)
  • Frank Darabont (THE WALKING DEAD) has sold an as yet untitled series based on John Buntin’s book to TL.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City to TNT. (And we think any series called SEDUCTIVE CITY would have to be a hit.)
  • Manny Coto (DEXTER) is writing the pilot for an ABC cop series, THE DEFECTIVES, about a female internal affairs investigator who won’t be played by Mary McDonnell. (Um, that means there’s not much reason to watch it, but maybe that’s just because we have this thing about Mary M.)
  • Jennifer Love Hewitt’s  book, THE DAY I SHOT CUPID, is being developed as a series called FINDING LOVE for Lifetime by Matt Hastings (ALPHAS). (Just between us, THE DAY I SHOT CUPID is a much more inviting title although definitely not in the Lifetime style – which is yet another plus but we won’t go there right now.)
  • Speaking of stars, Andie McDowell is starring in Hallmark Channel’s first scripted series, CEDAR COVE, based on the book by Debbie Macomber. Bruce Graham (ANASTASIA, ROSEANNE) wrote the TV movie that served as the pilot. (How many TVWriter™ ers will be watching for this one? Sorry, can’t see your hands…oh…right…)