tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post5871421942028634137..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Katherine Heigl is at it againBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55264784514292900902014-10-09T20:15:28.230-07:002014-10-09T20:15:28.230-07:00So in other words, she will do nothing. She will g...So in other words, she will do nothing. She will get a handsome salary. She will (hopefully) wrangle her daughter. She will get the network credit that many writers who have toiled for years working their way up the staff ladder never receive, and I’m sure she’ll have a nice office with a decorating budget.<br /><br />Bottom line: she’ll be taking the job away from a qualified deserving professional.<br /><br />Substitute "mother" for "daughter" and that could have been written about Melissa Rivers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15088554826205251102014-07-26T11:46:01.671-07:002014-07-26T11:46:01.671-07:00And ironically, the she'll bake the cookies wi...And ironically, the she'll bake the cookies without additives.PD in Waterloonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14836628271141957282014-07-25T16:11:17.107-07:002014-07-25T16:11:17.107-07:00Wasn't Paula Hart behind the dismissal of Nell...Wasn't Paula Hart behind the dismissal of Nell Scovell as the "Sabrina" showrunner after its first season? "STTW" was a very charming series in its initial season; after Scovell left, it simply wasn't as interesting, succeeding more on the strength of its actors than its stories. By the time it left ABC for the WB, the show had declined substantially. (I can't speak for "Melissa & Joey," since I've seen only a few minutes of one episode.)VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19502645688641341752014-07-25T09:37:15.923-07:002014-07-25T09:37:15.923-07:00Hi Ken,
Because I have a friend who's starrin...Hi Ken,<br /><br />Because I have a friend who's starring in that show with Katherine Heigl, I will refrain from any diatribe, only to say I agree. Being the "Momager" should not entitle someone to EP credit or pay. But I do think people in these comments are confused. Not all Executive Producers are showrunners, yet some people here seem to think so. The showrunner (or showrunners in the case of teams like Ken and David Levine) are the guiding force of the show in all realms. Some EP's are named as such because their participation facilitated the pitch in front of the right people, their name pedigree helped the show get picked up, and/or they have some hands-on work on the overall direction of the show, but tend to stay out of the day-to-day (see Spielberg with ER) and have almost no interaction with writers, staff, crew or actors. Does Katie Heigl's mother fall in this category somewhere? Maybe. She co-created the project, but for someone to go from no producing history at all to EP is not common - nor should it be - but does happen (see Chris Fedak with the show CHUCK. No credits - not even as a PA - , then became an EP because he took his show idea to for college roommate, TV Wunderkind Josh Schwartz, who molded the idea into a feasible show.) But Katie's mother is certainly is not the showrunner, nor the head writer. And yes it is still unfair as people actually working on the show could have gotten the title and bump in pay. <br /><br />But here's the thing, if she does get in the way and becomes a problem, nothing says she can't be let go "for creative reasons." Show creators get the boot all the time if the showrunner is more aligned with the studio than the creator. Just food for thought.Carsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26428226584163880232014-07-25T06:30:56.604-07:002014-07-25T06:30:56.604-07:00I meant "those," not "them." H...I meant "those," not "them." Hope no one trashes me!Greg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/category/animation-spin/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77349462671045721082014-07-25T06:29:32.632-07:002014-07-25T06:29:32.632-07:00Look for the name "Natalie Kalmus" in th...Look for the name "Natalie Kalmus" in the credits of vintage Technicolor movies. Reportedly she got that title through divorce proceedings and never consulted at all. The person named in small type under her, as "associate," really did the work. <br /><br />I quickly learned when writing for TV (not that it didn't happen in other kinds of writing) that the credits don't always reflect who really did what.<br /><br />I do wonder, though, if Katherine is going to trash her mom the way she trashed the work of the writers and others behind her biggest successes. <br /><br />It's one thing to use influence to get favors for a friend, family member or someone you "owe." It's another to disparage the talents of others who helped you along the way.<br /><br />A person with connections like her can take jobs away from people by attacking their skill at their profession -- people who make much less money than her or her mommy.<br /><br />What we seem to be finding repulsive is the selfishness, lack of respect and appreciation for them that helped you.<br /><br />I see it all the time. Not just in television. Some "professionals" develop amnesia almost immediately after you've busted your tush for them. Greg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/category/animation-spin/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83360906761148245382014-07-25T06:17:36.118-07:002014-07-25T06:17:36.118-07:00You're ranting about nepotism in the entertain...You're ranting about nepotism in the entertainment industry? And the idea that people in that industry get paid scads of money without actually having any real talent at the job they are supposed to be doing? How many pitch meetings have you been at where some no-talent network exec has said something along the lines of "yeah, but this show would be a lot funnier if you put a monkey in it. And it needs more boobs". Famed EP/hairdresser Jon Peters once demanded that the Superman movie that was then in pre-production must have a giant spider in it. No reason, he just wanted a giant spider. I'm sure the list of executive producers who are pals of the star (or the star himself) and totally unqualified for the job would fill an entire column. If you want to rage about something, it should be about the incredible amount of shit your industry has produced in the past 70 years, and the Croesus-like sums of money that is paid to people to produce that shit.Joe Austinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41922675486695896842014-07-25T02:07:40.640-07:002014-07-25T02:07:40.640-07:00I suppose Heigl's mother is as good an EP as h...I suppose Heigl's mother is as good an EP as her daughter is an actor.Barry Traylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14134880916215990198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16264787100798025942014-07-24T23:17:15.551-07:002014-07-24T23:17:15.551-07:00Star's moms are automatic producers.
They pro...Star's moms are automatic producers.<br /><br />They produced the star.Waynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-58657479114660425072014-07-24T22:48:16.390-07:002014-07-24T22:48:16.390-07:00Most shows on the air nowadays are pretty crappy. ...Most shows on the air nowadays are pretty crappy. I guess that means I could call myself an executive producer every time I take a dump.YEKIMIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01921751875397071034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-26116632101863527902014-07-24T22:24:03.486-07:002014-07-24T22:24:03.486-07:00This reminds me of one of my favorite lines from &...This reminds me of one of my favorite lines from "American Dad," where Roger the alien sells Fox a sitcom pilot starring Francine and gets himself a job on it, too. He excitedly declares, "I'm a non-writing producer, which means I get paid to do nothing. I might even be a hindrance!"Pat Reedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45197678974263276722014-07-24T22:18:14.695-07:002014-07-24T22:18:14.695-07:00You want and additive, get STP. You want and additive, get STP. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9753813693695465822014-07-24T21:57:13.203-07:002014-07-24T21:57:13.203-07:00Hey Ken,
Well, the full court press she was doing ...Hey Ken,<br />Well, the full court press she was doing in the magazines recently about - her bad reputation - and how it was about her only 'caring too much' or whatever BS should have been a warning, that was the calm before the &*%$ storm. I'm sure all we've heard is true, and no doubt her stamping her foot and demanding her mother be on the show is part of this same process with 'hurricaine', she gets her way, or everyone goes home. Now mom's there to back her up. Oddly, mom may be the one to make her stop pouting and complaining. If the EP's are smart, they'll connect with the mother and really listen to her and make her an ally.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14083325805335312437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20931975184886886442014-07-24T19:30:36.633-07:002014-07-24T19:30:36.633-07:00Friday question--
Was recently rewatching the epi...Friday question--<br /><br />Was recently rewatching the episode of Cheers where Woody was an extra on Spenser for Hire. If I remember correctly Spenser was an ABC show while Cheers was of course on NBC. How hard is it to get a show produced where you are basically promoting a show on another network? Kevinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75836031798451705992014-07-24T19:13:25.540-07:002014-07-24T19:13:25.540-07:00You know, earlier in her career K. Heigl might hav...You know, earlier in her career K. Heigl might have auditioned her heart out for a few dozen rooms full of real executive producers--then gone home to await their inscrutable verdicts of "not quite right for us" or the equivalent.<br /><br />If so, can you blame her for staking out such a nice piece of mountaintop property?Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15219021832908869312014-07-24T18:02:08.045-07:002014-07-24T18:02:08.045-07:00FRIDAY QUESTION:
Ken, regarding a CHEERS reunion,...FRIDAY QUESTION:<br /><br />Ken, regarding a CHEERS reunion, you previously wrote, "Reunion shows are always sad. Much better to remember the characters for who they were… and what they weighed."<br /><br />Do you ever feel that way about your former co-workers? In other words, was it depressing when you went to the CHEERS 30 years reunion and saw the cast and crew all fat and old?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41213107260743663992014-07-24T17:49:39.299-07:002014-07-24T17:49:39.299-07:00Some just direct the pilot and get a producer cred...Some just direct the pilot and get a producer credit for the life of the show (James Burrows).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63260821177118723082014-07-24T13:09:47.153-07:002014-07-24T13:09:47.153-07:00Nancy is Jack Haley to Katherine's Dennis Rodm...Nancy is Jack Haley to Katherine's Dennis Rodman. And like those two, I am sure both are a**holes and not so bright.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34127748978428497532014-07-24T11:49:42.312-07:002014-07-24T11:49:42.312-07:00Ah... Rich white people's problems.
Makes me...Ah... Rich white people's problems. <br /><br />Makes me want to cry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-2868351689117989912014-07-24T11:48:13.953-07:002014-07-24T11:48:13.953-07:00Paula Hart a notable exception? I thought she was ...Paula Hart a notable exception? I thought she was pretty much the definition of the credit grabbing mom. The first series was absolutely brilliant, then after she got the EP gig it all turned into a bit of a meh thing. Jimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16610849910429995962014-07-24T11:03:19.616-07:002014-07-24T11:03:19.616-07:00Ken wrote: "Bottom line: she’ll be taking the...Ken wrote: "<i>Bottom line: she’ll be <b>taking the job away</b> from a qualified deserving professional.</i>"<br /><br />Ken, I gotta put that comment down in the Just-a-RANT column.<br /><br />If she does have no EP skills, and unless there is a limit on how many people can have the "EP" title, then won't this simply mean there will be the usual complement of EPs... plus one more, her mom?<br /><br />Like, when Tony Soprano arranged no-show construction jobs for his guys, that didn't reduce the number of people who actually had to be hired to do the work...?Igornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63352713756529766812014-07-24T10:49:22.718-07:002014-07-24T10:49:22.718-07:00Maybe the additive that Nancy brings to the table ...Maybe the additive that Nancy brings to the table is hash for the cookies. Franknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-85775288298296077602014-07-24T10:37:40.083-07:002014-07-24T10:37:40.083-07:00Hooray for HOLLYWOOD!Hooray for HOLLYWOOD!Artie in Sin Cityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14926750887476570729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3362423129764633302014-07-24T10:02:19.044-07:002014-07-24T10:02:19.044-07:00"Additive" is the stuff you needlessly p..."Additive" is the stuff you needlessly put in your gas tank hoping to make your motor run cleaner, your car run faster, and your exhaust puffs purple and smelling of roses. Harmless if not nonfunctional at best, damaging to your motor at worst, and generally relying on placebo effect.Markusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87015989263870282322014-07-24T09:42:35.376-07:002014-07-24T09:42:35.376-07:00Even if it is a vanity title, it's still lots ...Even if it is a vanity title, it's still lots of fun to consider the possibilities of a showrunner running a TV show by baking cookies and being the star's mom. That's one of the most spectacular fish-out-of-water scenarios known to man.<br /><br />Move over Jack Handey, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer just got a run for his money.Dan Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06865180000909831517noreply@blogger.com