NaNoWriMo - Update!

The month is up!  How did you do?  I’ve gotta brag that I made it although I don’t have a finished novel (in order to succeed you technically only need 50k words which, unless you’re writing a novella or a middle grade book, is probably closer to halfway or two thirds of the way to a completed manuscript).  But hey, 50k words in one month!  And, I don’t think they’re all terrible.  I think I’ll definitely try to keep it up and take advantage of the upcoming holiday off time to finish a first draft of this thing.  I mean, I did just dedicated most of my spare time this last month to it, I really should finish it.

I'm a typing machine!

So yeah, I’m glad I tried this NaNoWriMo thing.  It was fun and it forced me to just write and not think about the consequences.  I don't know about you but I know I can personally get super perfectionistic and discouraged by my writing sometimes.  I’ll want to tweak stuff forever or not even start a project if I don’t think what I’m doing is going to be perfect the moment I put words on paper (which it never is!).  But when my expectations were just about getting words down or fleshing out my outline, I found it easier to plug ahead and be proud of the words I racked up and not look back or over think what I was writing (at least not too too much).

All in all, if I have the time I think I’ll definitely do this again next year.  And hey, it feels pretty good to be halfway to the first draft of a novel I've wanted to write (and after only one month).  Even if I eventually end up hating the whole thing and even if it just winds up in my junk pile, at least NaNoWriMo got me off my butt to write it in the first place.

What will you write for NaNoWriMo?

Happy November!  Today marks the day I have to remember to pay my rent as well as the start of NaNoWriMo (say that 3 times fast).  NaNoWriMo actually stands for National Novel Writing Month and it's a grand yearly event designed to get all writers (though mostly baby writers such as myself) off our butts so we can write the next Harry Potter already (or, at least the first 50,000 words of some other new fabulous book).  I believe I first heard about NaNoWriMo when Sara Gruen mentioned in an interview that her bestseller, Water For Elephants, was written during NaNoWriMo (or, I read that just now on the Water For Elephants Wikipedia page).  However I found out, now you know too, so there you have it, NaNoWriMo has some serious street cred!

NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo, NaNoWriMo!

Anyway, for more info you should probably go to the official NaNoWriMo website where you can actually sign up and get tools to help you plan your novel, police your word count, interact with other baby authors, and just encourage one another.  Or, you know, you can be a hermit like me and secretly participate in NaNoWriMo without signing up for anything.  Just remember, we’ve only got until November 30th to TCB on NaNoWriMo.  So, do like me...DVR the X Factor, stop watching TMZ, and get going on NaNoWriMo...ASAP.

"Playboy" Plays No More

Yesterday, The Playboy Club was the first new show of the 2011-2012 season to get the ax (one of the two new network Mad Men-lite shows).

The show's problem?  Not enough BUNNIES!!!

Not to say “I told you so” (and all other show issues aside) just thought I’d say "I told you so" and re-direct back to this post I did not too long ago about the perception of cable shows like Mad Men’s popularity vs. the reality of their low ratings (or at least, ratings that wouldn't fly on broadcast network TV).  Just like last season’s cable-esque Lone Star, Playboy couldn’t get enough viewers to stay afloat.  On the flip side, Pan Am, ABC’s Mad Men-lite show, has had better ratings so far (though that show suffered a big drop from week 1 to week 2…which is typical, but it does put them in the danger zone...I also imagine the show isn't cheap to make).

Overall, I’m not sure I totally have a point.  While it didn't really grab me, I thought Playboy was fairly enjoyable though it did have issues (like the target audience...men or women?) and even though it flopped, I suppose I'd rather see a network take a chance on a show like that than rehash a tired but more network friendly property like Charlie’s Angels (which by the way, hasn't fared much better in the ratings game).

But still, I don't want the demise of shows like Playboy to hurt the chances of other risk taking shows that might have more ratings appeal so all we have left are crime procedurals.  Nothing against crime procedurals, but I'd prefer that every show on TV not be a cop show.  And don't forget, not all crime procedurals succeed.  Prime Suspect, a crime procedural (and another new NBC show) is floundering big time...and that's despite a movie star in the lead role and good buzz from critics.

Is your film industry internship illegal? – UPDATE

You’ve probably read about the two interns on the movie Black Swan who are now suing for $$$ they say is due to them for the work they performed (and if not, here's the NY Times article about it).  As I wrote a while back, most industry internships are probably illegal under current laws, and while the internship system is pretty set in its ways, it has been mostly unchallenged until now.

Overall, this is a tough issue, but in case I didn’t make it clear in my previous post on the subject, I think interns are already paying to go to college and an internship if made available to a student should provide an educational experience in exchange for class credit.  It should NOT be a source of unpaid labor or a way for a production, studio, or company to save money.  Interns are college students, they are already paying tuition.  This notion of paying to work someplace is simply ridiculous.  If a production or company or studio wants (or probably NEEDS) to hire PAs to make coffee and get lunch and things of that nature, they should open their wallet and pay some folks and stop exploiting desperate students.  Otherwise, you know, change the law, hire interns, go nuts.

Now, on the flip side, I get that cracking down on internships, well, it cuts both ways.  What’s worse for students...paying (tuition) to basically work someplace for free in exchange for the hope of connections and future employment…or, having fewer opportunities for networking before graduation?  Let’s face it, there aren’t that many legal internships for a reason…who really wants to play teacher or mentor to someone when they’re busy working a job?  On the other hand, doesn’t the practice of replacing paid entry level employees with interns end up hurting students in the long run?  Think about it this way, you work hard interning and once you graduate you can’t find a job because productions, like Black Swan, are only hiring interns for the work you're most qualified for.  Like I said, it’s a tough issue.

I can only speak from my own experience, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I worked a couple internships and while I did get a job offer through one of those, I couldn’t take that job and in the end, after I graduated, I got my first job from a college friend whose show needed additional PAs. That friend got their job a month earlier because they answered an ad on Craigslist…yeah, Craigslist.  So yes, it’s possible for a person without a ton of great connections to “break in” to the industry without an internship to pave the way.  But hey, I do know unconnected friends that got excellent (even amazing) jobs via their internships, so they’d probably disagree with me big time about this matter.

So anyway, all that debate aside, what a lot of people are wondering now is, what exactly will happen with this lawsuit?  Will these two guys make serious waves?  Will they “never work in this town again?”  Will anyone care much either way?  As far as the outcome of the lawsuit, I’m gonna guess these two fellows get a little class action thing going on and that the end result is that everyone involved gets a small settlement (hush hush and out of court) and as a result maybe a few more interns who worked for other shows/studios come forward with their own illegal internship lawsuits (the economy being the way it is, needing to pay rent might trump fears of “career suicide” in the minds of former interns).  Beyond that, I think the only thing that is absolutely certain about this whole issue is that students will continue to get the short end of the internship stick.

You must watch..."Awkward."

For someone who claims not to follow comedy, here comes another half hour show I’m pushing to the masses.

While MTV is more known lately for shows of the Jersey Shore variety, they do have original scripted programming, and I think they’ve really scored with Awkward.

I love this show!  I watched all of season 1 in 2 days (granted, each episode besides the finale is only a half hour long and there are only 10 of them).  But yeah, clearly I really enjoyed it!  The dialogue has a fast talking Gilmore Girlsy vibe…which I like, mixed with a wacky Diablo Codyish teen slang thing (think Juno…which I’m not quite as into).  Overall, I think too much of either of these things might be irritating, but the writing never feels forced or strained.  Likewise, the actors are really exceptional and always do a great job.

Major props to Ashley Rickards who plays the lead, Jenna.  This young woman is really a star.  She’s one part snarky Ellen Page/Juno and one part wise beyond her years Claire Danes/Angela Chase.   I expect to see her in tons of things beyond this show in the future.

From a writing standpoint, I think the most important thing a writer can take away from this show is to craft three dimensional characters.  This is key on every show, but especially one with familiar character constructs (the awkward teen girl, the bitchy popular cheerleader, the popular hot jock, etc.).  I think this show just goes to show that no matter how high or low concept your show idea may be, excellent writing can shine no matter what and admittedly, Awkward. isn't really covering any new ground and yet, it always feels fresh.

Speaking of the characters, one character that stands out in particular for me is the main antagonist, Sadie Saxton, the bitchy rich popular cheerleader.  On paper she sounds pretty generic, but Sadie isn’t just some cardboard mean girl you've seen a million times before.  Sadie has issues of her own...she struggles with her weight, her mother, she likes a guy who doesn’t reciprocate her advances.  Sadie is also very smart, conniving, and does some pretty bad stuff.  Sadie always keeps me on my toes...I never know whether a scene is going to show her being horrible, or flip the script and put her in a situation that actually makes me feel bad for her...she's really fun to watch.

Anyway, the show is like this with pretty much every character and when you get to see the good and bad in everyone, it's hard to get bored.  Plus, there’s the whole fast/wacky dialogue thing which if you’re into, makes the show even more fun.

Speaking of good and bad (or pros and cons) the show also has a solid love triangle that’s really well done.  I’ve mentioned the importance of love triangles on teen shows before.  This show has one and neither guy is clearly better than the other...both have their pros and cons, which is great, interesting, and really keeps you guessing.

In a word, Awkward. is awesome…and if you missed it over the summer (like me) you can catch up on MTV.com where full episodes for the whole season are currently available.

Emmys Wrap Up - Broadcast Networks Rising

Did you watch the Emmys last night?  Overall, I thought it was a pretty good show.  A little fashion, a few funny sketches, some awkward Charlie Sheen time, and Jane Lynch doing a nice job hosting and performing in some funny pre-recorded bits.  While the show played it pretty safe and by the book  (i.e. it ran on time and Ricky Gervais didn’t host) there were a few upsets/surprises that kept me interested till the end.

I was especially happy with all the top acting wins -- Jim Parsons and Melissa McCarthy who are personal favorites of mine, along with Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife (which I love), and Kyle Chandler for FNL (which I also love).  Also, very pleased with Peter Dinklage's win for Game of Thrones (which I predicted even before he was nominated…okay not a stretch if you'd seen the show).

I was also really thrilled that Jason Katims won the big writing award for FNL.  As an aspiring writer of TV drama, this is an award whose winners and nominees I really take note of (sometimes even more so than the best show nominees and winners) and considering I've loved the writing on FNL, and the fact that the show has been severely under appreciated (awards wise), and the fact that I really like Katims' other show, Parenthood, it’s so nice to see him get the recognition he deserves.  To me, that win was probably the best surprise of the night.

On that note, I think I was surprised all night by how much the cable networks seemed to falter compared to the amount of nominations they got.  I mean sure, HBO can’t win them all, but the broadcast networks really seemed to hold their own.  First, there was the big loss by nominations juggernaut Mildred Pierce.  While Kate Winslet still won for playing the title role (and looked lovely doing it) the show lost out to a PBS show.

On the comedy side, Modern Family clearly dominated, winning acting awards in both categories it was heavily nominated as well as winning for directing, writing, and the show itself.  As I mentioned before, the other acting awards in comedy both went to shows on CBS.  If you’re a comedy writer who really wants to write a cable style dramedy right now…I’d say, that's cool and maybe you're going to have the next big thing, but maybe also make sure you have a good network friendly comedy in your portfolio because that’s clearly what’s hot (both critically and ratings wise) right now.

On the drama side, broadcast network (and former network) shows also made strong showings, with my personal favorite FNL getting two big awards for acting and writing, and Julianna Margulies nabbing the well deserved best actress award.

Now, maybe these couple of wins don’t seem like a lot when you consider the supporting actor nods, directing, and best show all went to non-broadcast network shows, but when you also consider how many nominations a network like HBO or a show like Mad Men gets every year, I’d say the broadcast networks did a pretty darn good job not letting any one cable show run away with it (hey, even Matt Weiner seemed surprised Mad Men won...I was right there with him, I thought for a second that FNL was going to pull off the big upset and take it).

Overall, despite the Mad Men win, I still felt like the Academy's choices really made the point that a show doesn’t have to be on basic or even pay cable to have the best writing and the best leading roles for actors (two things I think a lot of viewers and critics have not felt the past few years).

I guess a win by Mad Men must still feel good for some networks (cough, ABC and NBC, cough) who doubled down on 1960s shows this upcoming season (Pan Am and Playboy Club).  I guess we'll see if the solid Emmy performance of broadcast network shows (and somewhat faltering Emmy performance of cable shows) affects the ongoing TV development season but...I'm just saying...I’d love to see every network go after the next FNL or Good Wife just as hard as they went after the next Mad Men.  Make it happen broadcast networks.  Make it happen.

EDIT: Just saw this article from Deadline which talks about broadcast networks great Emmy performance this year... check it out!

What’s the deal with Kickstarter and IndieGoGo?

I think I mentioned a couple months back (when I took a blogging hiatus) that I was super busy not only because I was fine tuning my new spec for TV contest season, but also because I was helping some buddies out on their webseries.

Like many people out there, my friends financed their webseries (successfully!) through IndieGoGo (a site similar to the relatively more well known Kickstarter).   Now, I thought everyone knew about these sites, but apparently not, because whenever I mention my friends using them, I get all sorts of questions.  Below are some of the most common ones I've gotten and my best answers.

Money, money, money...

What is IndieGoGo? ...or... What is Kickstarter?

You can go to either of their sites to read more (IndieGoGo, Kickstarter), but quickly, I can say that these are both online crowdfunding sites, AKA socially acceptable ways to beg your friends (Facebook and otherwise) for money to fund your creative projects (webseries, indie film, music album, small business, event, etc).  While you could probably just open a Paypal account and make yourself a nice webpage, these sites have a whole interface already set up for you to promote your project and get donations, and hey, they also provide exposure for your project on their site so maybe some random people you’ve never met will donate money (not likely unless Taylor Lautner or Justin Bieber has signed on to star in your project, but you never know).

What’s the difference between Kickstarter and IndieGoGo? ...or… Which is better, Kickstarter or IndieGoGo?

A quick Google search of Kickstarter vs. IndieGoGo yields a ton of pages and articles that I’m sure can detail all of these sites subtle and not so subtle differences, but from my own experience, the biggest difference I have seen has to do with money.  As of now, you only get the money pledged to you on Kickstarter if you raise it ALL (AKA you must meet your goal to get the moolah…this is insurance I guess for anyone pledging to donate that you won’t just take their money and never do your project).  IndieGoGo, however, allows you to take away whatever you can raise even if you don’t meet your goal (with IndieGoGo taking a bigger cut if that happens).

So…does that make IndieGoGo better?  Hard to say.  I think it depends on your specific goals and needs.  You might think IndieGoGo is a great deal, but since both sites require people to register to donate and since I think Kickstarter is more ubiquitous (at least in the US) choosing it might make it easier to get donations when you Facebook spam all your friends to donate.

MONEY!

How do I make a successful Kickstarter or IndieGoGo?

John August already has a post about this, direct from the source, but I think I have a few tips to share (some similar some different) from the experiences of my friends who have used both sites:

1. Have an awesome promo video – Really put time and whatever money you can spare into making a great promo for your project.  This is what you’re selling to your friends.  Something dinky isn’t going to inspire anyone besides your mom to open their wallet.

2. Have decent incentives – While most people are donating because they like you and not because they want a free DVD, I think it’s wise to remember the little people giving you their money…so don't be stingy with those copies of your CD/DVD at the low contribution level and maybe think of offering executive producer/equivalent credit at the high ends.  And hey, if your incentives...er...products are really great (like this guy) you might be surprised how fast you meet or even exceed your goal.

3. Have reasonable expectations – These sites are great ways to raise a lot of money in a relatively short amount of time but remember, it’s mostly coming from your close friends/family and a lot of them probably don’t have $1000 bucks to give up (and if you have a ton of friends like that, what the heck are you crowdfunding for?).  In other words, yes, people can raise lots of money on these sites, but setting something like a 50k goal is extremely ambitious…the most I’ve ever seen a friend raise was about 8k and a large portion of that came from parents/close family who had already agreed to donate...so just know what you're getting yourself into.

4. Don’t lose hope - Keep plugging your project’s site.  I think the going always seems to be slow early on, but the money tends to really start rolling in at the end if you’re promoting hard and the project looks good.  All of my friends who have used Kickstarter/IndieGoGo have met their (reasonable) goals with the majority of the money coming in the last 48 hrs.

You must watch..."Louie"

If you read this blog at all, you know I love TV, but that I focus on drama more than comedy.  Nevertheless, I still likes me a good TV comedy and so I wanted to write this post plugging one of my latest addictions, Louis C.K.’s brilliant FX show, Louie.

Why is Louie such a great show?  Honestly, the reasons are kind of inexplicable (sort of like the show itself).  While Louie stars a stand up comedian playing a version of himself, just like Seinfeld, and usually opens with Louis C.K. doing his standup routine, the similarities between the two shows end there (not that there's anything wrong with Seinfeld).  Louie is far from a sitcom, in fact, the episodes are essentially 1 or 2 indie looking short films about all manner of things.  While comedic moments abound, some episodes are actually very dramatic.  In recent episodes, Louis dealt with a down and out friend from his early standup days, creepy NYC thugs scaring his daughters on Halloween, and a USO trip to Afghanistan (a truly amazing episode of TV).  Don't get me wrong though, when the show is being funny, I think it's absolutely hysterical.

This video's kinda not safe for work...or for babies.

Just as Curb Your Enthusiasm takes a viewer into Larry David’s insane and twisted world of faux pas and people (usually Larry) behaving badly, Louie takes its audience into the funny, cynical, and sometimes mundane world of Louis C.K.  It can be extremely funny one moment and bittersweet (even sad) the next.  It’s really not like any other half hour comedy on TV.

I’m not sure what big lessons a writer can take from it, except that like Curb, Louie has a strong voice and Louie's point of view/way he sees the world really shines through in every episode.  Besides the distinct voice, the show is also full of surprises and can be incredibly disarming, so I always keep watching to see what happens next.  I’ve read on the internets that some people hate this show because it's so unusual for a comedy or they don’t like the Woody Allenish short film format, but I say...give it a chance!  Let it grow on you!  I think this is one of those show that once you like it, you’ll really really like it.

Speaking of liking the show, Louie is nominated for 2 Emmys this year (for lead actor in a comedy and for writing).  The show airs Thursday nights on FX...there are only 2 new episodes left this season, but if you like what you see a few others are up on Hulu (and feel free to watch the episodes out of order, with the format the way it is, continuity isn't really an issue).

Novel new "chick flicks"

Read this interesting article yesterday about how the success of movies like The Help shows a new trend in “chick flicks” aka movies about women who don't blow things up.  The article says the chick flicks that are doing well nowadays aren’t rom coms but movies with substance…movies about female empowerment, friendship, and not just girl meets boy, girl loses boy.  While I think there are plenty of rom coms with substance, I agree that movies like The Help are certainly part of a popular (and positive) new trend.  The article points to an LA Times article that notes the success of other recent chick flicks of past years that fit this female empowerment/friendship mold: Eat, Pray, Love, Julie & Julie, The Devil Wears Prada…The Blind Side is also mentioned.

Is "The Help" helping to change chick flicks?

While the article touches on the themes and ideas these movies have in common and why they’re doing better as of late than Kate Hudson/Katherine Heigl-type vehicles…I think the article misses a chance to examine one other important thing that all these movies also have in common.

They’re all based on popular books.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s the marketing machine at work and not the subject matter that’s drawing audiences to these movies.  In fact I think it’s something else entirely.

A novel/book gives a writer a lot more space to explore and introduce a rich cast of characters (or just one great character) than a 100 page screenplay.  That’s not to say a screenplay, even a rom com, can’t have amazing characters or be an awesome character study, but I think sometimes rom coms get bogged down in their hook.  Not that hooky rom coms haven't made some awesome movies with characters that I love…Sleepless in Seattle…woman falls in love with a man she’s never met when she hears him on a radio show…You’ve Got Mail…a pair of rivals who loathe each other are unknowingly each others romantic online pen pals (this is actually based on a play).  I think the problem is that there’s probably only so many good original hooks out there and because of that, rom coms are starting to feel a little tired and derivative of one another (see No Strings Attached and Friends with Benefits...both did well by the way...but not Devil Wears Prada well).

I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you still want to write the type of hooky rom com that would star Kate Hudson while also taking something away from this new trend in chick flicks, maybe a good idea is to first imagine your screenplay not as a movie but as a novel.  Heck, maybe outline/write some of it first as a novel.  If nothing else, maybe that will help you think outside the rom com box, and give your characters more depth.  Or not.  I could be wrong.  Maybe rom coms in general are just "out" right now.  Something Borrowed (which yes, co-starred Kate Hudson) was based on a popular chick lit novel and domestically, The Help has already earned more than what that movie made in its entire run.

Perception vs Reality...cable shows on network TV

I read an interesting blog post this week about perception vs. reality.  Go ahead, read it!  It tells the story of a store owner being asked what their best selling item is and the store owner guessing incorrectly based on a couple recent sales.  In reality, their bestseller was a totally different item and if they’d filled their stock room with the wrong item, they would have paid the price…literally…they would have over bought the wrong item.

This reminded me of a conversation I was having the other day with some fellow baby and aspiring writers about networks wanting cable shows/buying up scripts for cable-like pilots.  While I know many people are excited about this trend, I think it is fueling its own perception vs. reality problem.  The perception is that cable shows are extremely popular.  I mean…aren’t they?  All your friends do is talk about Mad Men and have Mad Men parties and change their Facebook profile pics to their Mad Men-ify yourself equivalents.  And Mad Men wins all the awards every year.  So, Mad Men is super hot…right?

Wait...what was that question, again?

Reality check.

These are the ratings for the 2010-2011 season.

So…write the next American Idol and you’re all set!  Kidding.  The point is that among scripted shows, the most popular in terms of total viewers were show like NCIS, NCIS: LA, The Mentalist, Criminal Minds, and CSI.  In other words, crime procedurals. And what about cable shows? Well, take a look at what was on top this past week.

This link changes every week but on top are gonna be reality shows like Jersey Shore and Pawn Stars, sports if it's sports season, and...more procedurals like The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, Burn Notice and reruns of NCIS.  Also, the scripted shows aren’t nearly as watched as the network procedurals (they tend to top out around 6 million viewers).

And…once again, back to the ubiquitous Mad Men.  Their most watched episode of the past season had 2.47 million viewers, and their highest rating ever was their season 3 premier back in 2009 which was 2.76 million viewers (numbers courtesy of the sometimes inaccurate Wikipedia).  Does this mean Mad Men isn’t popular?  No way.  It's certainly popular enough for AMC, though it's not their most watched show (that would be The Walking Dead).  And hey, don’t underestimate the power of network advertising.  Not everyone has basic cable, and maybe if Mad Men was on Fox, way more people would watch.  Also, plenty of shows succeed with limited appeal.  Heck, the CW dedicates itself to shows that only cater to a very specific demographic, like Gossip Girl, and that show often has fewer viewers than Mad Men...but I digress…

My point is, I guess I think there is currently a false perception that cable/cable-like shows are really popular/hot (not just critically) and that false perception might manifest itself next season.  A few networks seem to be going for shows that are more cable...and even a couple Mad Men-like period shows (Pan Am and The Playboy Club).  But, remember Lone Star last season?  I believe I read an article where Kyle Killen said Fox wanted a “cable show” for network and that’s where Lone Star came in…and well…Lone Star was critically acclaimed but only brought in around 3-4 million viewers in their first 2 episodes.  Those would be record breaking numbers for Mad Men, but clearly, no good for Fox.

Anyway, I’m not saying it’s dumb to write cable-y shows (I’m writing one myself) or that I don't want to see more shows like Mad Men and maybe a few less procedurals…just that maybe there’s gonna be a backlash if a lot of these cable-y shows for networks don’t draw big enough audiences to stick around next season.

You must watch..."Switched at Birth"

Sooo...I’ve been enjoying the new ABC Family summer drama Switched at Birth.  Like…really enjoying.  This is a concept that could have gone SO wrong and SO bad/cheesy.  But honestly, when the show is at its best it reminds me of Gilmore Girls (an old favorite of mine).  Especially Bay, one of the main characters (the actress actually WAS on Gilmore Girls).  She is full of witty little one liners/references like “You’re not a plot twist in a Mark Twain novel.”  Ah, so Gilmore Girls…it’s not for everyone, but I think it’s funny and I love it.

On that note, I think one of the best things the show does is use humor heavily.  Let’s face it, the show is dealing with some heavy issues – having your child switched at birth, your child going deaf, alcohol/gambling addictions, and (of course) typical teen/dating/sex stuff.  Without humor to even out all these things, I would probably be gagging every other scene.  Instead, this show legitimately makes me laugh out loud (and yes, get a little misty eyed at some points).  Something to remember if you’re writing your own family drama with some serious stuff in it…don’t skimp on the humor!

I also think, the show avoids the melodrama by pulling back and trying to show instead of tell or skipping conversations that would likely be long winded and overly dramatic.  Sure, there are still some big emotional scenes and monologues, but not every scene is like that which is such a relief.  I think the fact that many of the characters are signing while talking (or sometimes only signing) helps to add a little distance between the characters and the drama.  If one character only signs and the other doesn’t understand the signs, that buries the super serious moments a little by adding another layer to the scene.  Instead of just: two characters fight, the scene might be...two characters try to fight, but they can’t completely understand each other.  This definitely makes for more interesting viewing.

Another thing I love is the way teens are portrayed.  This is a show where teens are intelligent…in a realistic way.  Sure, they sometimes fight/care about dumb high school issues/boyfriends/petty things, but they’re smart, they do homework, they like art and music and have well thought out things to say.  It’s just so nice and refreshing to see a show that focuses on a couple high school girls that isn’t all catty fights and dumb boy problems.

I think a lot of the credit goes to the writers and especially to Vanessa Marano who plays Bay and Katie Leclerc who plays Daphne.  All I can say is…WOW, these ladies are both outstanding…seriously, two stars in the making.

I think my only criticism of the show would be that the glossy ABC Family look kinda negates the economic clash that’s supposed to be going on.  It’s hard to see one family as poor and the other as incredibly rich when everyone dresses nicely and even the “bad” neighborhood doesn’t look so “bad.”  Also, I don’t think I’ve seen any show that really nails teasing/bullying by teens in a totally believable way that doesn’t make me roll my eyes/doesn’t feel super on the nose.  But, whatevs, I can tell the show tries hard to make the point but also pull back a little.

Overall, Switched at Birth is really doing something right, and I’d love to see more family dramas written like it on TV.  You can catch the latest episode tonight (Monday) on ABC Family, or catch up on Hulu.

Dead Man Walking

Happy Friday!  Just popping in to talk some recent Hollywood news.  I’d talk about my own writing but honestly, with every new script I finish, I’m settling more into my “process” and to me it’s become kinda routine so it seems more boring to talk about.  I guess that’s a good thing because having a more set way of doing things means I’m completing projects a lot faster than I have before…which has been a major goal of mine (although I still bog myself down with procrastination…mostly by watching awesome reality TV like SYTYCD…oh, and writing this blog).

So, what’s new in the world besides my latest pilot?  Well, you probably heard about Frank Darabont stepping down as showrunner on The Walking Dead.  Oh?  You didn’t?  Well, either way, just to recap, Frank Darabont, man of not much TV but lots of great movies such as Everyone Loves Shawshank and That Other Prison Movie That Isn’t Shawshank, has been running the show over on AMC zombie hit The Walking Dead.  As I’ve mentioned before, I watched Season 1, and while I liked things about it, I was critical of other things (hopefully those issues I had will be addressed in Season 2…or not, hey, I’m not the decider).

Braaaaaaaains!

Darabont/the show had made the news most recently for axing the entire writing staff from Season 1 and apparantly considering going it alone with no staff and only freelancers.  Of course, the way Darabont tells the story, it didn’t really go down like that.  I’m inclined to believe something in the middle.  I'm sure the people who were fired didn't feel so hot about that decision.  On the other hand, it’s important to understand the schedule these cable shows keep are not the same as a 20ish+ episode network show.  In other words, this is not a job a writer would keep almost year round, anyway.  Also important to remember, the writing staffs are indeed smaller.  That being said, if your staff is small to begin with, even firing two people is a lot.  So, was Darabont a big meanie for doing this?  I dunno, I wasn't there.  Side note: thinking about this makes me wonder more and more how the hell Glee managed with only 3 writers for 2 full seasons.  That’s 3 guys writing 40 some hour long episodes of TV.  That’s a lot!  Although, I guess that explains all the weaker episodes this past season.

Anyway, back to Darabont…so, after all this drama seemed done with, he suddenly steps down as showrunner this week (AFTER appearing at Comic Con to promote the show).  Needless to say, this turn of events surprised people and many think something fishy was going on.  So, what do I think?  Am I terribly surprised?  I guess.  Darabont is a big name, and his presence was used to promote the show.  Also, despite those bits of behind the scenes drama, the show was still really popular, people liked it, and Darabont seemed like a big part of that.  What do I think really happened?  Honestly, it’s impossible to say, but Glen Mazzara, who will be running the show now, is much more experienced in TV and some darn good TV at that (The Shield...ahem).  Maybe the network wanted someone with more experience meeting deadlines in TV?   Maybe Darabont just got burned out?  Maybe, all/none of the above?

I would certainly understand the whole burned out thing.  The writing schedule on any show is demanding…even a cable show with short seasons.  The Walking Dead only had 6 episodes in its first season and one was two hours long.  They are set to have 13 eps for Season 2.  Doesn't sound like much?  Well, when was the last time you wrote 6-7 specs/pilots in a few months time?  Or even half that many?  Writing that much material that fast, and having it be good...freaking hard.  Also, don’t forget, even if you relinquish control and only write a couple episodes of a show each season, if you’re the showrunner you’ll probably be rewriting/doing a pass on every episode anyway, or having your hands in multiple episodes at a time.  Not to mention your involvement in things like pre production/casting, production, and post.  Ahh!  Let’s just say, the time pressures/demands of potentially working on a TV show someday are the biggest reasons I push myself to be a faster writer and complete more projects.

2011 Emmy Noms: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubly

Primetime Emmy noms came out this morning!  Huzzah!  While I know some people just roll their eyes at awards shows and insist they are a joke/all fixed/just another chance for Hollywood peeps to pretend they’re more important than they are, I think the Emmys are a pretty solid way to judge what new shows are hot and what old shows still attract attention.  This can be useful information when say, deciding to write your next spec (hmmm maybe a Justified?) or when deciding to write a pilot (the fact that Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire are both nominated for best drama makes me feel solid about tackling a “period piece” for my next pilot).

She's got the whole world, in her hands!

So, how did the Emmys do?  I present (in my opinion…and probably my opinion only): The Good, The Bad, and The Snubly:

THE GOOD

Overall, I thought most of the nominations looked pretty good…much more to like than not to like.

Best Drama - So excited to see three shows I’ve pushed and profiled on this blog get three of the six drama nomination spots: Friday Night Lights, The Good Wife, and Game of Thrones.  All the shows are awesome (or were awesome…as FNL is now finito).  Not that these shows are huge surprise noms, but I'm still glad.

FNL - FNL’s writing and acting nominations are much deserved as well...Kyle Chandler, Connie Britton, and Jason Katims…I heart you all for this show.

Michael J. Fox – Heck yeah!  Michael J. Fox always knocks it out of the park when he’s on The Good Wife…well deserved guest actor nomination.

Peter Dinklage - Not surprised at all to see Peter Dinklage nominated for GOT, as I said earlier this week, I think he is awesome and will/should win.

Mireille Enos – I haven’t watch The Killing (it looks scary!) but Mireille Enos was one of my favorite actors on Big Love…so happy to see her having so much success.

Melissa McCarthy - I’m not a huge comedy nut, and I don’t even watch Mike & Molly (though I’ve read the pilot and thought it was a solid and funny sitcom) but Melissa McCarthy’s nomination makes me happy.  I think she’s a star and she’s hilarious (she steals every scene she’s in, in Bridesmaids).

Jim Parsons – I know TBBT isn’t for everyone and some people find it tired, but I freakin’ love Jim Parsons, so there.

Louis C.K. - Happy for the Louie related noms…every ep of the show that I've seen has cracked me up.

Matt LeBlanc - I haven't seen any of this show because I don't have Showtime, but as a huge fan of Friends from back in the day, I'm happy to see Matt move past Joey.

No Walking Dead - I don't have a grudge against this show, I swear (hey, I watched the whole first season) but as I wrote earlier this year, I thought the show was lacking in some areas.

South Park – Not that Trey Parker and Matt Stone need more awards considering the success of Book of Mormon, but I thought "Crack Baby Athletic Association" was one of the best episodes of TV I’ve watched in the past year…period...and I’m admittedly not a big comedy show watcher.  Glad to see them get nominated for this episode, hope they win.

THE BAD

Mariska – Ah, the obligatory Mariska Hargitay nomination…seems a bit silly at this point, no?  No issue with Ms. Hargitay’s acting and all, but on a procedural the plot is always gonna take center stage, not the characters (or actors playing them).  Ms. Hargitay might be a star and a great actress, but I think her Emmy nomination usually comes at the expense of snubbing another worthy actress.  Also, if you’re gonna nominate her, what about Christopher Meloni (who is btw an AMAZING actor, both comedy and drama).

Modern Family Cast - I’ve only seen a few episodes of Modern Family and I like it, I really do, but seriously, EVERY SINGLE principle cast member nominated for an Emmy?  Maybe if I was a hardcore fan I’d feel differently.

Glee – I watch Glee every week and I really enjoy it, I do, but I felt Glee was pretty mediocre at times this season and not all that funny when it was at its best.   I dunno, best comedy seems a bit much.   I’m down with acting nominations for the talented cast and guest actors, but the show as a whole was lacking in some ways this season or the plots just came out of nowhere/went nowhere at times.

Jon Cryer – I love you Duckie, but I feel like this nomination has a heck of a lot more to do with snubbing Charlie Sheen than the quality of Two and a Half Men as of late.

THE SNUBLY

Justified - I don’t watch Justified, but all my friends tell me it’s the best darn show on TV.  The show got several acting nominations but was itself not nominated for best drama in favor of longer running favorites like Dexter and Mad Men.  Snubbed or not snubbed?

Breaking Bad - Where was Breaking Bad in the nominations?  This is the other “best show on TV” that I’m embarrassed to say I’ve only watched a few episodes of.  Is the lack of nominations due to some schedule thing…like the show not airing a season during the nominations period?  EDIT: Took 5 seconds to look this up because it was bugging me and yeah, duh, the show has been on a hiatus...guess if I watched it more than once a year I would have known.

Parenthood - No nominations for Parenthood.  I know some people find the show hard to connect with because it’s a serial without an obvious and clear driving goal (similar to my issue with The Walking Dead).  Unlike Walking Dead, however, I always feel like I can relate to the sometimes mundane sometimes more serious family issues on the show…and yeah I like it a lot, especially the performances of Peter Krause, Dax Shephard (who is very surprising), and the wonderful Max Burkholder.  Plus Lauren Graham…always good.  Maybe like FNL, this show will pick up awards steam in time (if it continues to stick around).

Community and Raising Hope - Even though I’m admittedly not a huge comedy person, I’ve seen several eps of both of these shows and thought they were both great and very very funny.  I think either probably deserves that Glee spot in the best comedy category.


And that's that...we'll see who wins, who cries, and who dresses like a hot mess when the show airs on 9/18.  I'll also, no doubt, be rooting for some of my reality favorites that night like...Top Chef, SYTYCD (Cat Deeley!), and yeah...Idol...I guess...is it possible to simultaneously love and hate a show you watch every episode of?

You must watch..."Game of Thrones"

Hello all.  Wish I could say I’ve been busy doing something new and awesome and that’s the reason I haven’t been posting, but the real reason is just the usual stuff.  I’ve been plugging away on my writing and using the wasteland of summer TV repeats time to catch up on everything I missed the rest of the year…and well, I just finished watching the best new show I’ve seen in…a long time.

I prefer a less "pokey" chair myself.

If you don’t have HBO or if you do have HBO and you’ve just been living under a rock (like I was) you might have missed Game of Thrones when it originally aired this spring.  Not to fear, if you have HBO it’s still on, “on demand” for just under a week (till the 18th).  This might not seem like much time but trust me, if you like the show, you will finish all 10 episodes very quickly.  Also, I'm sure there will be cool legal ways for non HBOers to watch it soon/when it becomes available on DVD (like Netflix).

So, what makes Game of Thrones so great?  Is it all the naked ladies (and men), the occasional fighting/bloody violence, the excellent production values, or simply the Lord of the Ringsness of it all?  To tell the truth, I’m not a huge fan of fantasy or worlds where vaguely medieval knights gallop around on horses and live in realms where there are dungeons and dragons and those sorts of things.  I appreciate the detail in the world building, but I tend to be drawn more to family dramas and shows about the world I live in, even if they’re still totally unrealistic (like Desperate Housewives) or way outside the scope of my ordinary life (like The Good Wife).  I just feel like I can relate more to the familiar character dynamics of those types of shows (modern day parent/child, sibling, and couple relationships) which helps me in turn care about the shows' characters and their stories.  To me, fantasy or stories that happen in pseudo fantasy worlds are more about that world and therefore usually feel a little alienating to me, even if the worlds are cool.

But that’s the beauty of Game of Thrones.  The shows gets to have it both ways.  Even though the show definitely has a fantasylike world, at its core, this show is a family drama (or several family dramas as it were) and the show's focus on family relationships is just one reason I got hooked.

Another big reason has to do with the complexity of characters.  Fantasy to me usually means pretty clear GOOD and EVIL characters/creatures/giant burning eyes.  Game of Thrones is a lot more ambiguous.  Characters will surprise you, or you will find yourself loving them one moment and being angry at them for the way they act the next.  You might also find yourself rooting for two separate families or characters whose goals you know will ultimately be at odds with one another.  This complexity is great and with stakes so high (life and death) the show is exciting to watch and will hook you and keep you guessing where the story is going to go.

The show, based on a series of popular books (the newest of which is being released today, I guess) also does some craaaaazy stuff that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show do before in season one (no spoilers here, you’ll just have to watch to see what I mean, and if you have watched, then you already know).  Also, keep your eye on the oh so talented Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister.  Seriously, he steals every scene he's in and yeah, I’ll call it right now…Emmy nominations are announced later this week (7/14) and I think Dinklage will not only get a nom, but will win this year.

So yeah, even if you’re like me and fantasy isn’t your cup of tea, put that aside and watch Game of Thrones already.  It’s just that good.

The Halloween Costume Test

I know I should save this post for Halloween, but since I’ve started work on my new pilot, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I create characters.  So, what is this “Halloween Costume Test” you ask, and what does Halloween have to do with creating characters?

Nothing!  Muahaha!  Oh wait, just kidding...I had a point...

I went to a talk a while back for some screenwriting workshop/class thingy where the speaker stressed the importance of creating “character conceits."  But, what's a "character conceit?"  If you break down those words the term makes no sense, but from what I could gather, it was just a fancy way the speaker used to describe extremely memorable characters (Latka on Taxi, Kramer on Seinfeld, Urkel on Family Matters, and Sue Sylvester on Glee just to name a few).   Basically, the speaker was emphasizing the idea that writers should strive to create these types of characters since they stand out and can make hit shows.

Uh…duh, right?  Make an amazing character people latch onto, have a hit show.  I’ll get right on that.

And yet, I shouldn’t roll my eyes too much.  After all, who wouldn’t want to write a hit show?  So, I decided I’d go ahead and try to write a “character conceit” but how would I know if I was actually, you know…doing it?  Well, I think I’ve found one way and that is…you guessed it, the Halloween Costume Test.

What do all those characters I mentioned have in common?  I think their uniqueness and instant recognizability makes them all pretty good Halloween costumes.  Ergo, if I want to know if I’ve really created a memorable character (or “character conceit” as it were) I’ll just ask myself if people could easily dress up as my character for Halloween.  If the answer is yes, I just might have something good…or er…popular (Jersey Shore…huge hit, and the cast members were the most popular costumes from last year).  Heck, just look at some of the biggest music stars in the world at various points in time (Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga)…all are Halloween costume worthy.

Now, I don’t think this means a script would suck without one of these "character conceits" and I’m sure some people will say this idea puts too much emphasis on creating a bizarre look for a character for no reason, or promotes the writing of catch phrases rather than meaningful content.

But, I don’t think it has to be that at all.  I think keeping this idea in mind could help writers hone characters and force them to get really specific and create a person a reader has never seen before rather than "pretty doctor #1" or "handsome lawyer #3."  And hey, I think Don Draper, Joan Harris, Dr. House, and Dexter, would all make totally sweet Halloween costumes, and all are from shows with a lot of critical acclaim.

Now obviously, I understand that iconic looks for characters are brought to life by talented costume, hair, and makeup departments, and that the right actor can also take a role to a whole other level. Would Sue Sylvester be as easy to imitate without her Adidas tracksuits, megaphones, and Jane Lynch’s deadpan delivery? Maybe not. But she wouldn’t be Sue at all without her snarky comments and absurd one liners.

Time Flies - 100th Post!

This is my 100th post, yay!  I know I haven’t been blogging every day, I guess I’ve just been trying to focus on writing that new pilot right now.

Speaking of…writing this pilot has been a new and interesting experience.  For starters, the show is a lot more “cable” than what I usually write, which is cool with me…I like to watch cable shows and I'm trying to stretch myself after all.  It’s also my first time tackling a “period piece.”  That is to say, the pilot isn’t set in 2011.  The experience has been fun, but before I can really get into the writing of the actual script, I’m having to do a lot of research…library here I come!

Google Classic: For researching your retro TV show

Like I said a few posts back, I wanted to do something more out of the box for this pilot since the last one I wrote was much more mainstream.  As it happens, I had this seed of an idea I’d kicked around a while back, but I thought the premise was too “out there” or rather there was just something about it that did not work.  I came back to it recently and realized that the real problem I had with the idea was that it wasn't convincing as a modern story.  By setting it in a different time period, it suddenly became plausible to me.

So yeah, I guess you can say I’m getting on the Mad Men/Boardwalk Empire train.   And why not?  Period piece type shows are very hot right now.  Both of those shows (Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire) are magnets for awards, and more importantly, even though both are cable shows, they seem to be the type of shows that networks want.  There were several “Mad Men effect" shows as I called them this pilot season and 2 of them, Pan Am and The Playboy Club, got picked up.

I do worry that my sample will look stale if both those new network shows fail and people cool to the idea of retro set shows, but I’m trying not to think about that right now.  After all, even if this trend does briefly end next year, I don’t think period pieces will stay gone for long.  Before we could time travel with Mad Men there was Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, The Wonder Years, Homefront, I'll Fly Away, American Dreams, Swingtown, and That 70s Show just to name a few. I think there will always be a place for shows that either feed our love of nostalgia or that take us back to a different time we didn't get the chance to experience.

You must listen to...Jen Grisanti's interviews with writers!

So, I'm plugging away on the next big thing I'm up to (and yeah, maybe doing a little internet surfing procrastination) when I ran across something cool...

Half off blankets and pacifiers...kidding.

I’ve heard of Jen Grisanti and think I’ve even mentioned her somewhere on this blog before...but somehow I only just checked out her awesome blog and all the sweet podcast interviews she has posted with various writers.  Anyway, now I’m addicted and I’d highly recommend listening to them.  I’ve added the blog to my links on the right (under YOU MUST READ).

I especially recommend listening to her latest interview…it’s with FNL and Parenthood writer David Hudgins (Hudgins also created/ran the show Past Life…which he talks about).  The whole interview was really cool, but one of the best parts was when Hudgins (and Grisanti) recommended writing specs.  While I just finished a spec and am working on a pilot right now (because I want to and yeah, because pilots are supposedly hotter to have than specs) it was great to hear a couple pros advocate for specs.  After putting so much darn time into them for contest season, it’s nice to know that a former (and likely future) showrunner like Hudgins would like to read them.

I think Hudgins makes the excellent point that while reading original work is great and can show how amazing and creative you are (like a script about a man with pork chop hands) a spec can show your ability to capture the voice of a character…something pretty much impossible to judge in a pilot since...you know...you don't know these characters the way you know the characters on a show you like and watch.

So yeah, huge recommend…what are you waiting for?  Check out the site/interviews, already!

Entitled

No, this isn’t a post on nepotism…it’s a post on…titles!

Since I’m working on a new pilot I’ve been thinking a bit about titles lately and what the heck I want to call my new pilot.

Titles are fun…but tough.  Sometimes you have an awesome title that inspires you to write something and other times you have a great concept and can write the whole thing but when you're done, you're still stuck with just Untitled.

What the heck do I call this thing?

This is clearly something writers struggle with at every level (baby and up).  Just looking at the recent pilots, several changed their titles (Rookies became The 2-2, The Rememberer became Unforgettable, Damage Control became Scandal, etc.).  Now, the reason for title changes for pros aren’t always creative…there are sometimes bigger (read: legal) reasons for networks and studios to change a title…but other times it’s just about trying to find that one perfect title.

Here are some thoughts I’m trying to keep in mind so I pick the best title:

Get specific!

I remember Blake Snyder mentioning this in one of his Save The Cat books.  He talked about the movie Four Christmases.  Sure, they could have called the movie Yuletide or Noel or some other generic word that evokes the idea of Christmas, but Four Christmases is specific.  He also mentions a fake title...something like Love or Money, as an example of the sort of title that presents a concept that is SO generic dozens of movies could have it.  You don't want that.

I agree that vague concepts make pretty mediocre titles.  I know someone who recently revealed a project they had been writing and the title they picked was SO generic it could have been for pretty much every other piece of writing in that genre.  My Significant Other also mentioned seeing a driving billboard the other day (one of those billboards on a truck) and it was advertising some YA book called Dangerous Children.  I couldn’t help but think this was a sub par title.  While I like the contrast of dangerous and children (you don’t usually think of children as dangerous) this was SO generic it could have been the title for a bunch of other books like Lord of the Flies, The Hunger Games, or ANY book where there are children who do something dangerous.  All in all this title tells me ZIP about what the book is actually about.

So yeah, get specific and pick a title that could only be for that movie/show/book…I like to use the “no other” test for this.  Imagine the title Humans Vs. Robots…could have been used for several existing sci fi works, but there is no other Battlestar Galactica and no other Terminator.  Likewise, there is no other Harry Potter…no other Hunger Games…no other Jurassic Park...no other Bridge to Terabithia…no other Great Gatsby…no other Ugly Betty…no other Gossip Girl…no other Gilmore Girls…no other Shawshank Redemption…no other Jerry Maguire.   Find that thing, character, element, that makes your script/book/idea/whatever special and unique…and if you can’t find one…maybe you need a new idea?

A little something extra

Another Blake Snyder tip I recall is that a great title will have irony, an unusual contrast, or a double meaning.  His prime example was Legally Blonde which is great because it’s not only a riff/play on words of the term "legally blind" but it also refers specifically to the story of a “dumb blonde” going to Harvard Law.

I think Mad Men is a great title for similar reasons.  Think of all the meanings you can get out of it…(Mad Men as in Madison Avenue men, as a play on the phrase “Ad Men,” and of course "mad" as in crazy).  Also, there are no other Mad Men…another reason it’s an awesome title.

Anyway, just something I’m thinking about…but I think it’s also wise to keep in mind that what you write is more important than the title.  There might be no other Gigli but that doesn’t make Gigli a good movie.  Likewise, plenty of acclaimed books, movies, and TV shows have done just fine with fairly generic titles:

The Killing (couldn’t any crime show be called this/or some form of this?)
Friends (could be the title for pretty much any sitcom)
Election (could be used for any movie with an election)
Pride and Prejudice (pretty much good for any romance/rom com)
War and Peace (that pretty much covers everything…right?)

But then again, for every Pride and Prejudice there’s also a Love Happens.

The Man with the Pork Chop Hands

In exploring the internets a little while back, I ran across an old interview on Televisionary with showrunner Bryan Fuller where he talks about staffing Pushing Daisies (ah, too short lived).  The part of the interview that struck me the most was where Fuller mentions hiring writer Kath Lingenfelter because of a script she wrote about…wait for it…a man with pork chops for hands!  Now, this sort of script may not be for everybody/the best sample for every show, but I’ve gotta tell you…if I was a showrunner looking to staff my show, I’d sure like to read the script about the man with pork chop hands….and I bet you would, too!

There you are, righty and lefty!  I thought I lost you guys!

At any rate, this little anecdote really blew me away and was a wake up call of sorts.  I always strive to have my writing be top notch and to come up with unique and compelling ideas, but this just showed me how some pros are on a whole other level (pork chops...for hands...okay clearly I'm obsessed).

I’ve gotta say, the last pilot I wrote was…well…let’s just say, I wouldn’t have written it if I didn’t think it was an interesting and unique idea, but it’s also fairly “network” and “mainstream”…and yeah, it’s no man with freakin' pork chops for hands!

Anyway, I’ve been stuck on this whole pork chop thing ever since I finished my last spec and decided the next thing I wanted to write was another pilot.  Now, I was going to write another idea I’ve had for a while, a show that I thought was pretty cool and has a crime procedural element and yeah...it's also very “network” and “mainstream” in certain ways.  Buuuuut...I’ve put it on the back burner for a while, while I brainstorm coming up with something new that will hopefully be more...outside the box…we’ll see how I do.

So thanks, man with pork chop hands, for inspiring me to try something different…I hope reading about this inspires other baby writers to try writing something really different, too.  Oh, and if anyone knows where I can find or read that pork chop hands script…let me know!

When does the UTA Job List come out?

Okay, an easy question today while I ease back into posting, but one I still see asked occasionally online.

And, drum roll please...the answer is...

The Job List is updated with new listings (if any exist) every Tuesday and Friday.  Sometimes, it’s updated on Thursday instead of Friday when there is a holiday weekend.

So, keep that in mind...whether you're trying to post a job you need filled asap or if you're job hunting/want to apply for one of their listings.

Z's Pilot Preview: The Final Frontier

Alright, my final “Pilot Preview” post...finally.

Not really a “preview” now that shows have been decided and whatnot, just a chance to look at how things all shaped up by network (oh, and don’t think this is my last post about the upcoming TV season, I’m sure I’ll be dissecting trends and making other random comments about what got picked up and what didn’t before next fall).

Yeah, okay, so maybe I have no life...

ABC

I said they’d pick up: 7-8 new dramas

They actually picked up: 8...
Charlie’s Angels
Good Christian Belles (not Bitches)
Missing (the big Ashley Judd show that was kinda off my radar bc it hasn’t filmed yet)
Once Upon A Time
Pan Am
Revenge
Scandal (liked the title Damage Control better, but whatevs)
The River

How do I feel?: Meh, okay, 4/8 were shows I said I liked best, though the trailer for Once Upon A Time...wasn't what I thought it would be.

How did I do?: I was iffyier on this, but of the 3 shows I thought they’d pick up for sure, I got 2 right (Charlie’s Angels and The River).  So, you could say I picked 6/8 right, but that’s pushing it.

Most excited for: GCB I guess…I thought ABC’s pilots sounded the best going into this but the trailers didn’t impress me much…Once Upon A Time specifically looks...not how I expected…and Revenge still looks like it’s on the wrong network while Scandal falls short of my expectations and Pan Am looks glossy…but what’s it really about?

Biggest Disappointment: I thought Once Upon A Time sounded really cool…and the buzz was good…I liked it while not being into NBC’s Grimm but now both aren’t doing much for me.  Also, I’d heard great things about Georgetown…sorry to see it just fade away.

Biggest Surprise: Probably the shows that didn’t go…ABC turned their back on a show by Marc Cherry (Hallelujah) and a dancing show by Grey’s writer Krista Vernoff (Grace) as well as Georgetown all of which had a ton of early buzz.

Overall: Actually, kinda disappointed considering that ABC’s pilots sounded the best going into this…the trailers just didn’t deliver for me.  Something tells me next year might be another big regrouping year for the network.

CBS

I said they’d pick up: 4 new dramas

They actually picked up: 4...
A Gifted Man (fka Untitled Susannah Grant)
Person of Interest
The 2-2 (fka Rookies)
Unforgettable (fka The Rememberer)

How do I feel?: Very good, 3/4 that I wanted.

How did I do?: I was a little iffy on this…I was right about Person of Interest being a lock but Hail Mary didn’t actually go (although I guess it’s still kicking around…potentially in cableland).

Most excited for: Meh, I probably won’t watch any of these…not that they’re bad, just none are my cup of tea, but all look pretty spot on for CBS, which is great.

Biggest Disappointment: I guess that I was so wrong about The Doctor…the Rina Mimoun, David Nutter directed Christine Lahti pilot just faded away, and CBS took the other medical pilot A Gifted Man (which looks kinda silly to me…but who knows, I liked the show Providence and that had a similar premise, so maybe it will be okay).

Biggest Surprise: The Doctor just dying…and actually that I enjoyed the preview for Person Of Interest…like quite a bit.  Blame it on Michael Emerson for being so freaking amazing in everything he does.

FOX

I said they’d pick up: 4-5 new dramas including Terra Nova

The actually picked up: 4 including Terra Nova...
Alcatraz
Terra Nova
The Finder
Touch

How do I feel?: Very Good, they picked 3/4 of the shows I wanted to see most.

How did I do?: 3/4 right…pretty darn good, not that there were too many pilots in contention on Fox.  Still wondering if they’ll make room for Exit Strategy down the line…I was sure that show was a lock.

Most excited for: Terra Nova I guess…not really my cup of tea, but I’ll probably at least watch the first episode…same for Alcatraz…and then there’s Touch but only because it’s the in depth review I did based off nada and it got picked up so I really want to see if it will actually be good or not.

Biggest Disappointment: Weekends at Bellevue…wanted this to go, but I guess Fox is only big enough for one doctor (House)...maybe...next year?

Biggest Surprise: Exit Strategy not going (not disappointed by this, just a tad surprised).  I hear rumors this might still happen at some point.  Can’t say I’d cry if it never materializes, like I said, I’d love to see less CIA type stuff only because it hasn’t been doing all that well.

Overall: Except for Exit Strategy, everything seems pretty normal here, happy that Terra Nova is FINALLY getting off the ground…and hoping that Fox has some big/long lasting shows on the horizon.

NBC

I said they’d pick up: 5ish new dramas

They actually picked up : 5 (6 if you include that new redo of The Firm)...
Awake (this Inceptiony show was high profile but off my radar)
Grimm
Prime Suspect
Smash (!!!!!!!!!!)
The Playboy Club

How do I feel?: Pretty good…got 3/5 that I would have wanted.

How did I do?: The same…3/5…damn you Wonder Woman for being even WORSE than I thought you would be.

Most excited for: Smash!!!! This looks like the #1 new drama I want to see next season based on all the previews I’ve seen…well done NBC!  From the ashes!

Biggest Disappointment: I figured Wonder Woman would be the "genre" show NBC would pick up…not Grimm.  I was not into Grimm based off the logline and the trailer looks kinda silly (okay, really silly).  I stick by my original assessment.

Biggest Surprise: There are 2, first is that they didn’t roll the dice on Wonder Woman…can’t say I’m upset about this but I might have liked that better than Grimm.  The second is non-pilot related and that’s that Chuck is coming back…good for Chuck!

Overall: While Grimm still looks silly to me, Smash totally saves this for me.  Way to go NBC!  Totally exceeding expectations…Prime Suspect looks pretty good too.

THE CW

I said they’d pick up: 2-4 dramas depending on possible cancellations…probably only 2.

They actually picked up: 3 (cancelling Hellcats)...
Hart of Dixie
Ringer (was originally for CBS)
The Secret Circle

How do I feel?: Great…in my opinion the 2 best shows they developed got picked up.

How did I do?: Nailed it, 2/2, and while I didn’t predict Ringer going to the CW I did say that the show was not a good fit for CBS (I said maybe more for Fox but I think the CW is certainly a welcome home).  I can’t be too proud since odds were good I’d pick right for this network/there were only a couple pilots/it was no secret which shows were being pushed harder, but I’ll take it.

Biggest Disappointment: None…although I would have liked Georgetown to get a home somewhere and the CW having no interest while picking up Ringer bummed me out a little (as much as I could be bummed by a pilot I didn't actually see).

Biggest Surprise: I guess that Ringer went here, I didn’t see it coming, I just thought it would go nowhere.

Overall: The CW did as good as they could…I had some doubts about The Secret Circle I mentioned in my in depth preview, but I thought the trailer looked pretty darn good and put some of those questions to rest (it looks like there will be 2 guys on the show, not just one…which I think is essential).

And that’s that. To conclude, it’s all about Smash for me next season…I’ll probably try to catch everything new that interests me, but this is the one show I’m looking most forward to…too bad I have to wait til midseason.

I'm baaaaaaaack!

Hey everyone, finished all my scripts up and sent them off to contest land (well, all the ones that had June 1st deadlines).  I’ll be back to regular/mostly regular blog posts soon.  Look forward to reviews of summer movies, dissecting of this year’s upfronts/upcoming TV schedule, and more random musings about my own writing (or lack thereof).

Oh, Randy Quaid...America misses you.

Z's Pilot Preview: This is it!

So, I wrote this post weeks ago and was all set to post next Monday when upfronts began, but Fox started announcing pickups tonight so I figured I better post now before this whole thing becomes obsolete.

So yeah, the upfronts are upon us …and this Pilot Preview business was much harder than I thought it would be.  For my final predictions, I wanted to say what I’d pick, and also do a little Oscar Ballot type action.

Some networks have bigger holes to fill than others depending on how many shows they expect to cancel/have already canceled this last year (The CW not so many, ABC, almost all).

We’ll see what happens, and when I’m less busy I’ll take time to look over what actually got picked up and see where I went right and where I went wrong.

Finally! Shut up about pilots already!

ABC

Will pick up: a lot…at least 7 maybe 8 new dramas.

What I’d LIKE to see picked up:

• Georgetown
• The show fka Good Christian Bitches
• Grace
• Hallelujah
• Once Upon A Time
• Pan Am
• Poe
• Scandal (AKA new Shonda Rimes fka Damage Control)

What I think WILL get picked up:
All but three of those and replace with…

• Charlie’s Angels
• Identity
• The River

Bottom Line:
ABC seems to have the strongest lineup of scripts, good thing because they seem to have the most spots to fill.  I’m happy that I think they’ll pick up most (maybe even all) of the shows I like but my selections lean pretty girly and I think The River is pretty much a lock, despite my issues with that type of show.  I also think Charlie’s Angels, unfortunately, has a leg up, and I think they'll also want something serious and more procedural like Identity.  I’d usually say look to an expensive “period” show like Poe or Pan Am to get the axe first, but I hear they’re very well liked.  On the other hand, Grace and Scandal 2 shows I was excited about and thought were iron clad to go might be a tad more on the bubble than I thought due to some mediocre buzz.  Tough call...too many good sounding shows!

CBS

Will pick up: about 4 new dramas

What I’d LIKE to see picked up:

• Rookies
• The Doctor
• The Rememberer
• Untitled Susannah Grant

What I think WILL get picked up:
Rookies and one other will stay but they’ll scrap the other two and instead take…

• Hail Mary
• Person of Interest

Bottom Line:
While I’d rather see CBS move away from the CIA stuff and funny crime stuff and take a chance on two medical procedurals, I think they’d rather have a JJ Abrams show and a Minnie Driver show.  In the end, I was so confident about The Doctor a month ago, but with so few spots, maybe I jumped to conclusions too soon and maybe the Susannah Grant doctor show will get the spot instead...or neither will go.

NBC

Will pick up: around 5 new dramas

What I’d LIKE to see picked up:

• 17th Precinct OR A Mann’s World
• Playboy
• Prime Suspect
• Smash
• Metro (fka SILA)

What I think WILL get picked up:
All of those except 17th Precinct/A Mann’s World… swap for…

• Wonder Woman

Bottom Line:
I think things are actually looking up for NBC.  While their pilots seemed a little all over the place, I think they have a couple shows I’m really into (Smash sounds really fun).  I’d like to see them steer clear of Wonder Woman and do something original…but I doubt they’ll want to take that gamble...nor should they.  I mean, why not try Wonder Woman?  If it flops, whatever, they tried.  If it’s a hit, then they've got a hit Wonder Woman show, which would likely be a big hit.

FOX

Will pick up: 4-5 new dramas including Terra Nova which has already got the go ahead.

What I’d LIKE to see picked up:

• Alcatraz
• The Finder
• Touch
• Weekends at Bellevue

What I think WILL get picked up:
Like I said, they already picked up Alcatraz and The Finder but announced Weekends at Bellevue was dead.  Not too surprising.  I think Touch will get picked up for midseason and I figured they’d ditch Weekends at Bellevue for…

• Exit Strategy

Buuut…since Touch would only be for midseason (maybe even next year) maybe they’ll pick up 5 new dramas in addition to Terra Nova so that makes room for Locke & Key…but I see Locke & Key running last.

Bottom Line: I see Exit Strategy in that last open slot and Locke & Key getting the shaft unless they pick up one additional show/do something different like air it as a movie.  I'd like to see fewer CIA shows (I think they're kinda out) but I think Exit Strategy will end up on the air one way or another.

THE CW

Will pick up: as few as 2 new shows (to replace LUX and Smallville) and as many as 4 or 5 depending on One Tree Hill (I think WILL come back) and Nikita/Hellcats. For now though, let’s just assume only 2 new shows.

What I’d LIKE to see picked up:

• Hart of Dixie
• The Secret Circle

What I think WILL get picked up:
I actually think these are the two that will go. If there is one more spot I’d expect Nikita to be cancelled before Hellcats and replaced with…

• Awakening

But yeah, I'd lean towards only the 2 new shows.

Bottom Line: Looks pretty good for The CW.  Only a couple spots to fill and I think they’ve got two solid and obvious shows for both spots.