Posted on 01/12/2008 3:12:36 AM PST by abb
ABC Studios on Friday afternoon became the first TV studio to terminate overall deals under the force majeure provision in its producers' deals.
In a major house-cleaning sweep, close to 30 writing and nonwriting producers -- most of them well-known -- who don't have active projects have been axed. The list includes the writing duos of Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia, as well as Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah, director Larry Charles, producer Sean Bailey, the producing team of Nina Wass and Gene Stein, writers Jack Kenney and Bill Callahan and actor-producer Taye Diggs, who landed a producing deal a year ago when he signed on to star on the ABC/ABC Studios drama "Private Practice."
"The ongoing strike has had a significant detrimental impact on development and production so we are forced to make the difficult decision to release a number of talented, respected individuals from their development deals," an ABC Studios spokeswoman said late Friday.
While force majeure action by TV studios had been inevitable as the writers strike entered its third month, few expected that many deals to be axed at a single studio.
Rumors are that Warner Bros. TV will terminate about 5-6 overall pacts next week, with other TV studios expected to follow.
Burn Hollywood Burn!
http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=8add473a-ba54-44a5-bd40-e3cef324d12d
ABC Studios Axes Writer-Producers by Natalie Finn
The writers’ strike continues to take its toll on the ones who haven’t yet made millions of dollars for their employers.
On Friday, ABC Studios exercised its force majeure privilege and terminated the contracts of more than two dozen writing and non-writing producers who had development deals with the Walt Disney Co.-owned outfit, becoming the first major player to move out of the just-suspended stage and cut ties completely.
“The ongoing strike has had a significant detrimental impact on development and production so we are forced to make the difficult decision to release a number of talented, respected individuals from their development deals,” ABC Studios said in a statement late Friday.
Among the ABC casualties were Curb Your Enthusiasm executive producer and Borat director Larry Charles, Scrubs’ Bill Callahan, That 70s Show’s Joshua Sternin and Jeffrey Ventimilia, Gone Baby Gone’s Sean Bailey and Private Practice star Taye Diggs, who’s still on the show but saw his production deal get axed.
The force majeure clause in contracts with actors, writers, producers, etc. allowed the studios to suspend deals for a certain number of weeks and pay only a portion of their salaries almost immediately after the writers’ strike took effect Nov. 5.
Under the same provision, the studios are also supposed to rehire the fired scribes under the terms of their original deal once production recommences on their respective projects.
According to trade reports, Warner Bros. Television is expected to follow ABC’s lead and scrap five or six deals next week, sure to be followed by other studios.
NBC parent Universal Media Studios and Sony Pictures TV suspended a number of Screen Actors Guild members’ contracts in November, less than two weeks after the strike began, with Universal opting to halve salaries and Sony choosing to quit paying altogether.
The Writers Guild of America has yet to comment on the latest cost-cutting maneuver.
The reality hit home on the same day the Directors Guild of America announced that contract negotiations between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will kick off Saturday, with hopes to avoid the vitriol that characterized the alliance’s sit-downs with the WGA and arrive at a mutually beneficial new deal.
The DGA’s current agreement expires June 30, as does SAG’s, which has thrown its support behind the striking scribes.
“We wish the DGA well and hope that they achieve a fair deal that incorporates principles that will benefit all creative artists,” read a joint statement from the WGA and SAG. “The DGA has to do what is best for its membership, but it is important to remember that they do not represent actors and writers.”
Both the DGA and the AMPTP have agreed not to talk to the press during negotiations, according to a statement released by the alliance.
ping
Last week we were a Nielson Family. The only times we listed any of the alphabet networks as being watched was for local news, football and one son watched wrestling. That’s all they got from us.
If a studio chops down a bunch of TV shows that nobody would watch anyway, do they make a sound?
If a bunch of no-talent Hollywood scribblers write a script that no one reads, was it worth the tree dying to make the paper?
There are no good shows on TV anymore. Still don’t know if “24” will return. We do like that show but it isn’t even on right now. We loved Cheers, Just Shoot Me, I Love Lucy, Red Skelton Show, Johnathan Winters Show, Working, Third Rock, Raymond, All in the Family, Donna Reed, Leave it to Beaver. That is pretty much IT. The new shows we tune in once or twice and then tune out. We do like Scrubs a little bit. We have caught it about three times.
LOL. Guess I’m slow, but I haven’t seen that one before. It’s series.
Unlike many here, I like TV, and want to see good television return, not vanish. Unfortunately, I think many of the shows that were "on the bubble" as it was their (probably) last season, including "24" and "The Shield," may never come back.
My grandchildren have all of the ‘I Love Lucy’ DVDs, most of the DVDs for Everyone Loves Raymond. My oldest grandson loves Scrubs. My daughter and granddaughters love Monk. They no longer have satellite - only watch the season DVDs. House and 24 are two others - again, the DVDs. I also watch Bones.
With this year’s “American Idol” set to air on Jan. 15, no one will notice.
My TV set didn’t survive the trip, when I moved from Florida to Kentucky in 2006. Consequently I’ve watched hardly any TV at all, though my pastor gave me a hand-me-down TV. My wife used to be a TV addict, but she quit watching when I bought her a laptop last May and she learned how to play DVDs on it. Nowadays we only turn on the set to entertain the parrot.
These people are all liberals.
Can’t they, all, get along (with no apologies to Rodney King)?
Alas, Babylon.
/better known as gAyBC.
That's about right. I was tempted to say that you should have more respect for your parrot, but if he likes TV, why not indulge him?
Why don’t these TV shows go direct to DVD and let the market determine their viability? If I was a TV show exec, I wouldn’t pander to the networks.
The only shows I watch religiously is “The Office,” “Friday Night Lighs” and “Desperate Housewives.” I’m a big fan of “CSI: Miami” as well.
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