Category: TV

Strike Hard! Strike Fast!

On 18/01/2008

Well, it’s been a pretty busy week in relation to the Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) strike. Here, then, is a brief summary for you.

The WGA made agreements with a further two companies – MRC, a new media company, and Spyglass Entertainment, makers of films such as The Sixth Sense.

Meanwhile, the studios, represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who walked away from negotiations with the WGA in December, entered into negotiations with the Directors’ Guild of America (DGA), whose contract is also up for renewal. The DGA, unlike the WGA, doesn’t have a history of striking; they did strike in 1987, but it was for five minutes (on the West Coast of the USA, and three hours and five minutes on the East Coast), and a swift end to negotiations was anticipated.

While all this was going on, Apple announced that they’d struck a deal with all the major studios to allow material to be downloaded for a fee to their iPod and iPhone products. One of the causes of the current WGA strike has been the AMPTP’s refusal to agree on residual payments for downloads, on the grounds that this sort of new media is uncertain as a source of income. As this article from Business Week points out, the Apple agreement may nudge things along in relation to the WGA strike, as all the studios signing up to the Apple arrangement may effectively push the issue. I have to say I find it hard to see how the studios can convincingly argue they’re not sure there’s any money in the internet when they’ve signed up to make money with Apple…

Anyway, yesterday the DGA and AMPTP announced they’d struck a deal , which includes payments for internet and other new media use of material, which of course was a sticking point for the WGA discussions, so that’s an interesting change in stance for the AMPTP… and indeed, a quick look at the AMPTP’s homepage seems to contain a veiled suggestion that the AMPTP might be willing to re-enter negotiations with the WGA.

Interesting times, I feel…

Striking While The Iron(y)’s Hot

By John

On 10/01/2008

In Link, TV, Uncategorized, Writing

As you may have seen in the news, the Writers’ Guild of America strike has led to the Golden Globes awards ceremony being cancelled. This is mainly because the actors who would have been attending have said they’re to willing to cross the picket lines which were predicted. Quite clever in a way, the WGA didn’t actually have to physically picket, just say that they would. It seems unclear at the moment whether the threat of picketing will have the same sort of impact on the Oscars, due next month.

Further down the report linked above, you’ll see mention of what one might argue are the first cracks in the studio’s rock-like refusal to return to the table, as (and I sort-of expressed hope it might be the case in this post ) individual production companies have directly struck deals with the WGA. This gives them a commercial advantage, as they can work with WGA members (and that means they can actually have, you know, scripts for their products), unlike the members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

And the names of the companies who have struck these deals add an amusing little touch to the news, as the film production company which has struck a deal is United Artists (first formed in 1919 to allow creative types more control over their work and pay), and the TV company behind David Letterman’s nightly chat show, which – and note how the BBC site is too coy to mention it – rejoices in the frankly splendid name of ‘Worldwide Pants’.

(One Sentence) REVIEWS: Christmas TV 2007

By John

On 08/01/2008

In Review, TV, Uncategorized

Big Christmas Day films on BBC:
Maybe too much animation, but they clearly went shopping with full pockets.

Big Christmas Day films on ITV:
Were there any?

Doctor Who – Voyage of the Damned:
We knew Kylie’s character wasn’t going to last long enough to become a companion, didn’t we?

EastEnders:
Only fitting that, after a year of spinning out the Max-Stacey-Bradley storyline, they spread the revelations over several episodes, I guess, but still…

Coronation Street:
Surely, the way Kevin punched John was the way Bradley should have punched Max in EastEnders?

The Catherine Tate Christmas Show:
I think I’d like to be the Script Editor on this show, it’d be nice to catch up on my sleep.

Oh My, Have I Just Posted A Bit Of EastEnders ‘What If’ FanFiction? Lawks.

By John

On 05/11/2007

In TV, Uncategorized, Writing

As part of my whole ‘keeping an eye on the state of TV Drama’ thing, I’ve been paying a bit of attention to EastEnders. And I have to ask: am I truly the only person who thinks the whole Max-Bradley-Stacey storyline has gone on way, way too long?

For my money, there are fundamental flaws with the setup:
1. It seems unclear whether there’s actually been anything going on between Max and Stacey for the last couple of months
2. The character of Stacey seems to be limited to either scowling at her fiance or scowling at her fiance’s father, making her role (as the object of so much attention) frankly baffling
3. The character of Bradley has been reduced to that of a clueless idiot who can’t seem to spot that his fiance spends all her time looking on him with a barely-concealed mix of contempt and pity
4. None of the characters are likable as a result of all this, leaving the viewer with no-one who they can even partially root for
5. It’s been running since at least the start of the year. There have been a couple of times when it seemed like the whole messy business was going to be either revealed or in some way resolved, but this hasn’t been the case (even the ‘caught on tape’ aspect of recent episodes looks unlikely to be resolved immediately – I have a horrible suspicion that they’re saving it for Christmas) .

Maybe it’s my short attention span or something to blame, but this strand seems to have been going on since last Christmas or so (correct me if I’m wrong), and I think it would have been far better if, during the vows, it had gone more like….

VICAR:
And do you, Bradley, take Stacey to be your lawfully wedded wife?

BRADLEY:
I…

BRADLEY looks round, unsure of himself. Meets the concerned looks off various guests. Sees MAX looking surprised.

STACEY (whisper)
Bradley?

BRADLEY looks at her. His look changes to one of certainty.

BRADLEY
No.

A ripple of murmurs from the congregation. The VICAR looks taken aback. MAX looks worried. SEAN allows himself a smile.

BRADLEY
No, I don’t take you to be my lawfully wedded wife.

STACEY
But –

BRADLEY
You’ve been having it away with my dad for over six months –

STACEY’s face drops. Another buzz from the congregation.

BRADLEY
– and now you want the security of marrying me ?

STACEY
I –

BRADLEY
What kind of an idiot do you take me for?

BRADLEY shakes his head, smiles coldly. He’s in charge of things now.

BRADLEY
I just wanted to see how far you’d take the whole getting married idea, and see how far you’d take the lies. All the way, it seems. All the way up the aisle.

STACEY
Bradley, I –

BRADLEY grits his teeth.

BRADLEY
But now, in front of all our friends, I’ve shown you up for the liar you are.
(Beat)
And the kind of girl you are.

BRADLEY tears the flower from his buttonhole, throws it to the floor. Slowly, he walks out of the church, and as he goes, we see the reactions of the guests – horrified surprise from most of them, but barely-suppressed rage from TANYA, a victorious look from SEAN, and a look of genuine worry from MAX. Close on STACEY’s expression as she realises what she’s lost. We hear the church door slam.

FX: Drums and end theme

Okay, so maybe the above is a touch OTT, but I really wish they’d resolve the storyline – it feels like it’s been spinning its wheels for months, and there was a period of time when it was all too similar to the Dawn-May-Rob plotline (married man having affair with much younger woman). I’m guessing they want to keep it going until the Christmas Day episode – there is, after all, no better way to celebrate a happy family Christmas than by … um, gathering round the TV to watch fictional families’ unhappy Christmases.