Well, the two biggest stories of 10 Days At Sundance 2006 happened today… and neither had anything to do with Sundance.
Both are about the further shrinking of the film industry into easily digested bites. First, there is the Disney
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
Actually, Dave, there are a lot more shows than five that The CW can schedule. In fact, they could make up virtually their entire schedule from current hit shows, if they wanted (don’t forget that they program a lot less hours than most networks). Zap2it provides the best analysis:
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|99710|1|,00.html
The WB and UPN combining really came out of nowhere.
I didn’t see even a rumor of that anywhere.
They should be willing to spend the money. The NFL could have made them a legit network. Ask Fox how that worked out. Sports gives credibility. Which is very big. It might seem like a money loser. But it’s far from it. It helps build a network. Gives it an identity. TV shows come and go. Sports is forever.
The fact is that both networks didn’t have enough to cover two networks. They needed to combine their forces. Now maybe they can get a whole network and go full bore.
Just wondering, why would anyone want a “network”? Is it because cable must carry “local tv” channels?; thus guaranteeing that cable carries it?
The pixar deal seems way over priced. Is this Ovitz part 2?
As long as they keep “Veronica Mars”, I’m happy.
Does this make Disney more or less of a takeover target itself?
Camel: in this country at least, broadcast networks can command greater advertising rates than mere cable networks. Also there’s the whole vertical integration idea, that each huge media company wants to have a movie studio, at least one broadcast network, and several cable networks so that they can have corporate synergy and all that jazz.
From Disney’s point of view I’m guessing this deal is due to the axim:
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
If Disney allowed Pixar to make a distribution deal somewhere else it would, for the first time in over 60 years, be giving up its association with the best quality feature-length animation out there. I’m guessing the Disney board is saying to itself “Not having to compete with Pixar in the animation market is worth $7+Billion.”
From the outside it does seem overpriced. But we don’t have access to the facts, figures and numbers they do. Even if it’s overpriced by how much more than normal? They overpaid by a billion? I wonder who they’re competition was for Pixar.
as long as they renew veronica mars i’ll watch this new network.
All the Sundance hype has been taken over and over shadowed here.
They don’t have much in the way of successful shows on either network. They’re going to have to start from the bottom.
First of all, the “huge” $7 billion price tag represented only a small premium over Pixar’s stock value.
Second, both Disney and Pixar animation studios will retain their names and locations, though clearly Pixar will be the driving force at Emeryville.
Third, these companies need each other. Disney has been and most likely will always be driven by animation. All of their theme parks, films, and merchandising revolves around that fact. If they suddenly don’t have the best animation (Chicken Little was not good enough), then their businesses could start to resemble museums of past greatness. Pixar has obvious things to gain from Disney’s marketing muscle. If the glove fits…
Actually, the networks have a lot of programming that gets very desirable demographics, and, indeed, WB/UPN programming frequently beats one of the “big 4” networks in a timeslot.
palmtree’s right. I don’t know why Poland keeps pushing the “Iger is afraid” meme over and over.
Wall Street likes this deal, Disney employees like this deal, Disney fans like this deal. The only people who are skept are WDFA and Pixar staffers, who understandably don’t know what the future holds operationally.
Dave, you haven’t been to Disneyland lately, have you? I just took my six-year-old there this weekend. Pixar is at the heart of all their new rides, and they’re the rides my kid liked the most. The Pixar characters are everywhere; my kid wanted to see them before the ‘classic’ characters. It’s pretty clear that Disney works hard at keeping the parks fresh, so a steady stream of new characters for them is important. You have to include that in the $7 billion cost.
Most of all, Steve Jobs money managers and accountants and lawyers and maids love it. As well as Disney and Pixar shareholders. A lot of people are going to get rich (or richer) off this.
^^ I’ve read that Pixar currently has about a billion dollars of cash on hand, which was not included in the purchase price (a straight stock swap). This needs to be added to the equation as well.
the merchandising and the theme parks have to be included. the have two huge franchises now with toy story and the incredibles. that will be now disney properties. means dolls, rides, toys, etc.
Actually, Toy Story and Incredibles were already Disney properties (Disney threatened to make Toy Story 3 without Pixar). The deal just helps guarantee any future Pixar characters will get the Disney treatment. Pixar in turn gets to use the characters they created for sequels.
“Actually, Dave, there are a lot more shows than five that The CW can schedule. In fact, they could make up virtually their entire schedule from current hit shows, if they wanted (don’t forget that they program a lot less hours than most networks). Zap2it provides the best analysis:
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|99710|1|,00.html”
I think a lot of this is pretty optimistic. All of those UPN sitcoms except one coming over? Why? Those underperformed even by UPN’s low standards.
What I think will come over from WB:
Smallville
Supernatural
Gilmore Girls
Beauty & the Geek
Reba
One other sitcom, new or returning
Aquaman (new — and the only marquee project in development at either network)
From UPN:
Veronica Mars
Top Model
Everybody Hates Chris
One other sitcom — probably Girlfriends
Wrestling
If you assume that Top Model and B&tG will rotate — that’s 10 out of 15 hours a week. And I’m not convinced they’ll give wrestling a prime time slot — maybe they’ll use the 5-7 pm time on Sunday for that instead.
If Everwood gets renewed, it’ll probably be because they don’t have enough ready to go to fill all the slots. I think it’s probably the biggest question mark, along with the midseason WB shows that haven’t premiered yet. Charmed, One Tree Hill, Related, and all the other sitcoms on both UPN and WB are probably history.
I do think this is a very good thing for Veronica Mars, the only show on either network I actually care about. And in LA we will finally get to see it in HD, too.
I wonder if there will be any kind of resurgence in the market for original syndicated dramas, since more stations will have the time slots to air that kind of programming. That market really died about 5 years ago, and it was kind of sad to see it go, in all its cheesy, low-budget glory.
I’d like to have Jobs’ bank accounts. Could do very nicely with that in my pocket. Maybe even 20%. Could live very comfy.
I’ve seen one show on either network and it was one episode of the Chris Rock show.
They have some building blocks for a network. But wrestling is tanking now. And their sitcoms are nonexistent.
Wrestling is tanking in part because the network moved the show to Friday night. This is the kiss of death for a show that skews young and male.
Actually, WB has at least one other new show that’s guaranteed to make the jump to the CW–the untitled Amy Sherman-Palladino project. If they don’t honor their airing commitment, Sherman-Palladino will jump ship, which they can’t afford, as that’d hurt Gilmore Girls.
Everwood seems to me better than even money because it’s a critical darling (and an excellent show to boot) that could do well either filling the “7th Heaven” vacancy on Monday or a “family drama” slot at 8 on Sundays.
Mondays seem likely to be “Everwood”/”Aquaman”
Tuesdays will be “Gilmore”/”Mars”
Wednesdays are up in the air, but I expect 9 PM to feature “urban” sitcoms to fight a very white, very drama-heavy schedule everywhere else. “Top Model” at 8 might amke sense.
Thursdays will be “Smallville”/”Supernatural”
They have some really good programming if they combine networks. “Smallville”, “Gilmore Girls”, “veronica mars” and “Everwood” are all great shows.
My goodness, Veronica Mars was insanely good tonight, putting all the twists and turns of other shows to shame. Who knew that a high-school girl detective would be so entertaining?
^ I wouldn’t know. I’d never watch a show about a high school girl detective.
Then your loss, my dear Wrecktum. You’ll catch this on DVD years in the future and will say to yourself: Why didn’t I watch it when it was on?
Kristen Bell is some kind of actress. Really a find. I bought the dvd of the first season. Watched it in about 3 days. It was that good. But now I want to see Season 2 and I’m 10 ep’s behind. I got the tivo working now.
How can you not LOVE Veronica Mars????
You need to do yourself a favor and watch it. It’s not just some girlie girl detective show.
She’s dating the Saw 2 director now (who is also working on the remake of Pulse she’s starring in). Just some gossip FYI.
She can do better than the Saw 2 director. I haven’t even seen how he looks but if she wants a director to hang with that can put her on the A list she can move up.
“I wouldn’t know. I’d never watch a show about a high school girl detective.”
Yeah, seriously, your loss. One of the smartest shows around. It’s high school as a noir film.
Kristin Bell is going to be the star that Sarah Michelle Gellar only wishes she could be.
I want Dave Chappelle’s shows. y’all can have the rest of TV (especially anything remotely like Arrested Development).
If there was something like the Jeffersons or All in the Family on I could get interested in TV again.
It never occured to me while watching ‘Veronica Mars’ where I had seen Kirsten Bell before. I knew I had recognized her, and much to my surprise she was Flora in season one of ‘Deadwood’. And she was in ‘Spartan’! Anyhow, I caught up with season one of VM on DVD around Christmas, and I’m just being patient and waiting for season 2 to come out on DVD…I unfortunately don’t have the power of tivo, so I go with ‘Lost’ on Wednesday nights…
VM is a fantastic show. Any word on if its going to be renewed?
Veronica has a very good chance of being renewed. Apparently, the network’s execs are excited about the prospect of pairing it with Gilmore Girls. Hehe, maybe we can convince Wrecktum to watch both shows.
I can’t believe they’d pair GILMORE and VERONICA. Most network programmers aren’t capable of a decision that makes so much sense.
Wrecktum, you’re only hurting yourself by skipping two of the smartest, most entertaining shows on the air right now.
Veronica Mars 4 Prez!!!!
Well, we know who’s running Disney’s ani dept now.
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/news/article341627.ece