Tag: Oprah Winfrey

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 12/22/12

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • John Leguizamo (Mr. Stand-Up, sorta) & Chris Sheridan (THE FAMILY GUY) are writing the pilot for an untitled ABC comedy based on Leguizamo’s life as a Bronx Latino now living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. (Because Leguizamo’s last pilot script got shitcanned, but ABC and he still have this deal, so…)
  • Rene Balcer (LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT) is writing DARKNET, a kind of X-FILES meets the MATRIX thing as a pilot for USA. (Because USA, Rene, and we all want to see if the dood can deliver without Dick Wolf on his back. We’re rootin’ for ya, Rene.)
  • Oren Moverman & Anthony Swofford (THE MESSENGER and JARHEAD, respectively) are developing LAUGHS UNLIMITED, a drama about U.S. servicemen who return from duty in the MIddle East with PTSD, for HBO. (Because human time bombs are dramatic gold…and don’t think for one minute that the servicemen won’t be portrayed just that way. Yes, we’ll be happy to put our money where our mouth is.)
  • Tyler Perry (we figure you know what he’s done) is developing 2 shows for OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network he financially bailed out just a couple of months ago. THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS is a drama, and LOVE THY NEIGHBOR is a comedy. (Because if there’s anything Tyler knows about it’s having and not having and loving too. What? You don’t believe us? Hey, just ask him.)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 10/28/12

“Write to tell a story, not to sell a story” (Gerald Sanford of BARNABY JONES, KNIGHTRIDER, etc. writing fame)
  • Margaret Nagle (SENSE & SENSIBILITY) is writing the pilot for the Fox sitcom PARADISE FALLS, about a documentary maker investigating a “Memphis Three” type story. (Everyplace else on the web talks about the producer of this project like he’s kind of a big deal. So we’ll leave him nameless here.)
  • David Hubbard (something called NOEL) is writing THE RETURN OF DANIEL SHEPHERD for HBO. (Everyplace else on the web neglects to tell what this project actually is – a pilot or a TV movie or what. We aren’t telling either. Not our fault, honest – the inept press release doesn’t say.)
  • Terry George (HOTEL RWANDA) is writing THE CLAN for ABC. (Um, nope we don’t have info on whether this is a pilot because the same inept P.R. team as above hasn’t said. But to atone for that, this time around we’ll tell you who the featured player in this deal talked about on all the other sites is: Charlize Theron, who’s producing. No comment on her value in that, erm, position.)
  • Thomas Bradshaw (playwright whose work includes THE BEREAVED) is writing a drama pilot for HBO about a black college president. (The Big Gun here is Oprah Winfrey, who’s company is producing. Ask not why her own network isn’t presenting this. The answer, we’re sure, would be, “$$$$,” as in “too much.”)