Not debatable. This is, simply, Da Truth:
by Ken Levine
Here’s one of those Friday Questions that became an entire post.
It’s from reader Joseph Scarbrough:
Tag: People’s Pilot Contest
5 ways to get through writer’s block or content marketing fatigue
Time now for a brilliant analysis of What’s Ailing You. (Us? Them?) Several of us here at TVWriter™ found this to be wonderfully helpful. For reals.
by Belle Beth Cooper
When you’re facing a blank page with no idea what to write, it’s hard to imagine how you’ll ever get to the other side of a finished piece. I’ve gone through this a few times, so I thought it might be helpful to share the methods that have worked for me.
1. Be honest & work your struggles into your content
This is actually the method that inspired this post. I was working on a post about Google Analytics recently and I was struggling to get started. After a few false starts, I finally decided to just write my concerns into the post. It turned out well, and made me think that sharing this method, and others I use, could be helpful to others.
TVWriter™ Top Posts for the Week Ending 1/17/14
Troy DeVolld: How to be a Great Exec
by Troy DeVolld
Before we get started, let me share that I’m well aware that your job is not easy. You’re only as good as your last hit in the execuverse, and there’s a load of pressure on you to deliver the goods. I feel you. I understand. This isn’t one of those “smartass producer bashes the network execs” kind of things, because man oh man, do I get what you’re up against. Plus, I’ve worked with some pretty damn sharp execs in my day.
But you other folks…some of you don’t know what the f*ck you’re doing.
Many among you are brilliant and magical and when you exercise your authority or make a suggestion, and I marvel at how you so often provide insight, perspective, and practical solutions. Long may you reign, you lovers of the medium who know what works and what doesn’t and what makes it go. But for every one of you, there’s two young sprites fresh from the desks who run roughshod over experienced producers, spouting demands like “This show has to be a hit, you guys” and meaningless non-directions like “This needs to be better.” If the head of your network knew how far over budget you’re gonna put your project with your lack of understanding, you could be cruising for a professional bruising.
Would Anyone Hire Ricardo Montalban Today?
by Herbie J Pilato
I recently caught an episode of the classic TV show, The Name of the Game, which originally aired on NBC from 1968 to 1971. It was one of the more unique programs of its time. The series was like an anthology show, but it wasn’t. There were three different main stars: Robert Stack, Gene Barry and Tony Franciosa, each of whom had their own storyline, but yet all were connected by a Los Angeles publishing company.
The segment that I viewed featured Robert Stack as the editor of this one particular publication that was linked with the main organization. The same episode also featured the multi-talented Ricardo Montalban in a guest-starring role.
As I’m watching the segment, I’m thinking, “Mmmm…there’s the great Ricardo Montalban, years before he found fame on TV as the mysterious Mr. Roark on ABC’s 70s/80s Saturday night hitFantasy Island; and right around the time he was also guest-starring in his original incarnation as Kahn on the first Star Trek TV episode, ‘Space Seed – decades before he reprised the role for the hit 1982 feature film, Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn.”