Article in the Los Angeles Times by Marshall Herskovitz

[Sascha]

The Los Angeles Times prints today an article written by Marshall Herskovitz about how he has quit producing for TV (for now) and moved to broadband.

After 20 years and five series, including "thirtysomething" and "My So-Called Life," my partner, Ed Zwick, and I have -- for the time being at least -- stopped producing television programs.
[..]
Producers are now employees, not creators. If you were foolish enough to independently produce a TV pilot today, when you took it to the network, you would give up at least half of your ownership and all of your control, even though the network wouldn't pay any more than it used to pay as that old license fee.

[velvetviolence]

Good article. I can't believe it's this difficult for people who changed the face of TV. They are narrowing the demographic in book selling and TV so much that maybe there will only be advertising on TV next. I don't watch TV, I only watch movies. I really wish Winnie could work with Claire Danes again. In the interview included on the DVD set of MY-SO-CALLED-LIFE, Claire says it would be great...My so-called-life feels more unfinished than any tv show I've ever watched. I wish they could somehow finish it but A.J. Langer looks so different now.. and all the characters... isn't there anyway to do some kind of collaboration with the main actors back? I'm sure Winnie would come up with something to defy those plastic social-climbing power hungry people controlling television since they no longer even try to hide the fact that they care more about instanteous feedback and ratings than they do craftsmanship or vision. These people in control need to stop caring so much about what sells... I know that it might "jeopardize their job" and the next hungry person can come in to look at the rating charts... But I want an artist controlling TV, not an accountant. Then they might make REALLY end up with art...and money...and a fulfilling life that for once resembles a circle more than a ladder. Most people get sick of trash, even if they think that it is shiny and pretty at first. If it has no depth, even the shallowest of Generation Y (the brand obsessed, right?) will lose interest. This generation lacks a sense of loss. I mean WE LOST THIS SHOW. ANd I feel it's loss. I don't care how gracefully people acted about the cancelling. Marshall Mcluhan predicted this..

Ours is the first age in which many
thousands of the best-trained individ-
ual minds have made it a full-time
business to get inside the collective
public mind. To get inside in order to
manipulate, exploit, control is the
object now. And to generate heat not
light is the intention. To keep every-
body in the helpless state engendered
by prolonged mental rutting is the
effect of many ads and much enter-
tainment alike.-(McLuhan and Zingrone 21)

People are going to watch TV NO MATTER what you put on it..Now are you going to put good stuff on it? Or will the smarter people choose to go to the internet.

Ivy

http://www.NOSTOPPINGPLACE.blogspot.com