Grammy show wins support of two unions
The American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists back the Recording Academy, which is seeking a waiver from the Writers Guild.
By Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
January 16, 2008
After watching the Golden Globes gala implode last weekend in the face of the Writers Guild of America strike, the organizers of the 50th Annual Grammy Awards began a campaign Tuesday to preserve their Feb. 10 show.
The American Federation of Musicians, the largest union for professional musicians, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which represents 70,000 entertainers, issued a joint statement supporting the producers of the Grammys and their bid for a waiver from the WGA.
"AFM and AFTRA strongly urge all of our members to support the important work of the Recording Academy by participating in the Grammy events," the statement read.
That may not sway the WGA, which had declared it "unlikely" that it would grant a waiver to the Grammys. The guild is coming off a major disruption of the Globes, which were reduced to a celebrity-free news conference. People close to the negotiations say a decision from the WGA isn't expected before next week.
The academy also sought Tuesday to set the Grammys apart from trophy shows that honor film and television.
Neil Portnow, president and chief executive of the academy, said the Grammys should be spared from a dispute raging between writers and the studios and networks that pay them. He also pointed to the numerous tie-in events in Los Angeles.
"Grammy Week represents the most significant worldwide music event of the year," Portnow said in a statement. "And we are in a different industry than the motion picture and television business; I am quite certain that most are aware of the extremely difficult and challenging conditions facing our industry's creators and companies."
Still, to the eyes of the WGA, the Grammys are a viable target because the three-hour gala drew an average of 20 million viewers for CBS last year. The network has been promoting the Grammys for weeks and on Nov. 30 aired a two-hour franchise retrospective titled "My Night at the Grammys."
Academy officials privately pledge that the show will go on even in the face of a picket line, which would put some music stars on the spot. A number of notable Grammy nominees have memberships in the Screen Actors Guild for working in film and television. Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Jon Bon Jovi, Queen Latifah, Barbra Streisand, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani, Bette Midler and Common are just some of the nominees this year whom SAG would probably pressure not to attend if the Grammys were not given a waiver.
The Grammys have a larger local footprint than the Globes: The event is attended by more than 15,000 people at Staples Center and draws music talent from around the world.
The show has a major production budget and more than a dozen performances that require a small army of sound, lighting and stage workers. Portnow said that the show employed about 700 union workers, but that only two of them were WGA members.
****************
Note: The AFTRA is currently in a mild dispute with SAG-West over the SAG negociations with AMPTP.
What are you watching this summer?
Moderator: S2k Moderators
Re: What are you watching this winter?
As expected, the DGA and AMPTP have reached an agreement WGA has no comment.
In other news, NBC will air the sixth season of Nashville Star.
Highlights of the new agreement include:
• Increases both wages and residual bases for each year of the contract.
• Establishes DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet.
• Establishes new residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers.
• Establishes residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet.
In other news, NBC will air the sixth season of Nashville Star.
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GalvestonDuck
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
lurker_from_nc wrote:As expected, the DGA and AMPTP have reached an agreement WGA has no comment.Highlights of the new agreement include:
• Increases both wages and residual bases for each year of the contract.
• Establishes DGA jurisdiction over programs produced for distribution on the Internet.
• Establishes new residuals formula for paid Internet downloads (electronic sell-through) that essentially doubles the rate currently paid by employers.
• Establishes residual rates for ad-supported streaming and use of clips on the Internet.
Most excellent!
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Brent
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
WOW... DGA has talks for what, a week, and they reach a deal?
WGA goes on strike(after weeks of talks) and it's been 2 1/2 months since it started, and they still haven't?
WGA goes on strike(after weeks of talks) and it's been 2 1/2 months since it started, and they still haven't?
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
The Deal between DGA/AMPTP .
Much of the commentary of the deal says that this is a "ceiling" of what will be offered to the unions. The AMPTP will not be offering anything better to the WGA or the SAG.
I am beginning to believe that the original plan (before WGA messed it up) was to settle with DGA first. And since, no one was going to get more than the directors (directors, actors and then the writers is the hierachy here), use the DGA deal to come to an agreement with the actors and writers. But the WGA messed it up by going strike sooner than later (instead of with SAG in July 1st).
The writers went on strike and the AMPTP, wanting to go back to the original plan, deliberately left the bargaining table and waited for the DGA. DGA came to an agreement rather quickly. So, AMPTP promptly issued an invitation to the WGA to talk, again. . . The questions are 1) Will both parties go back to table for talks? 2) If the WGA refuses the invite, will the moderates (including 30 or so showrunners ) cross the picket lines?
Much of the commentary of the deal says that this is a "ceiling" of what will be offered to the unions. The AMPTP will not be offering anything better to the WGA or the SAG.
I am beginning to believe that the original plan (before WGA messed it up) was to settle with DGA first. And since, no one was going to get more than the directors (directors, actors and then the writers is the hierachy here), use the DGA deal to come to an agreement with the actors and writers. But the WGA messed it up by going strike sooner than later (instead of with SAG in July 1st).
The writers went on strike and the AMPTP, wanting to go back to the original plan, deliberately left the bargaining table and waited for the DGA. DGA came to an agreement rather quickly. So, AMPTP promptly issued an invitation to the WGA to talk, again. . . The questions are 1) Will both parties go back to table for talks? 2) If the WGA refuses the invite, will the moderates (including 30 or so showrunners ) cross the picket lines?
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
Well, some good news from the strike --- NBC Universal may be crawling back to iTunes. . 
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TexasStooge
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Miss Mary
I'll welcome ".....Christine" back. It's much better than Rules of Engagement! We've watched TNAOOC since the beginning. It's a good show. My favorite characters are her brother Matthew, her ex and his girlfriend, then Wanda (she is a riot!) and even the meany-moms. Christine - not so much. LOL But the supporting cast is quite funny.
Kyle XY fans - remember, it's back, tonight is the second episode of the returning second half of Season 2: @ 8 p.m., ABC Family.
And this Thursday, Chuck returns, to a new temporary night, to the Thursday night NBC lineup - two episodes, one @ 8 p.m. and the second @ 10 p.m. (EST).
We have Lost in 10 days (woohoo), Survivor and Jericho in early Feb. So it's not as bleak as it was a few weeks ago.....
Mary
Kyle XY fans - remember, it's back, tonight is the second episode of the returning second half of Season 2: @ 8 p.m., ABC Family.
And this Thursday, Chuck returns, to a new temporary night, to the Thursday night NBC lineup - two episodes, one @ 8 p.m. and the second @ 10 p.m. (EST).
We have Lost in 10 days (woohoo), Survivor and Jericho in early Feb. So it's not as bleak as it was a few weeks ago.....
Mary
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
Some good news from Hollywood today:
WGA demands for reality TV and animation jurisdiction are officially off the table. -- Good news. That means that the informal talks are going well, I hope.. .
[No picketers at Grammys; no work agreement either
WGA demands for reality TV and animation jurisdiction are officially off the table. -- Good news. That means that the informal talks are going well, I hope.. .
[No picketers at Grammys; no work agreement either
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Miss Mary
Re: What are you watching this winter?
TV, film production losses could top $3 billion
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON, CYNTHIA LITTLETON, JOSEF ADALIAN
Now that the two sides are talking again, hope is rising that the writers strike will be settled sooner rather than later. If that doesn't happen, the showbiz community will face far more financial pain related to the strike -- just as the national economy appears to be skidding into a recession.
If the 3-month-old strike were to persist for an additional 60-90 days, the direct amount of lost spending on TV and film production could reach $3 billion, according to an industry study conducted by informed sources.
The study provided to Daily Variety on a confidential basis has calculated a cost of about $1.9 billion in lost episodic production for the more than 70 broadcast and cable primetime skeins, assuming no more segs are delivered for the 2007-08 season. That includes more than $800 million in above-the-line expenditures and $1.1 billion in below-the-line salaries.
If pilot season is tabled entirely, that would yank an extra $300 million-plus out of the showbiz economy, a calculation based on the conservative assumption that the five broadcast webs have, in recent years, produced about 50 half-hour pilots at a cost of about $125 million and roughly 45 hourlong pilots running $180 million. NBC has already said it is curtailing pilot production this year.
Crunching the numbers on the film side is tougher than in television, because movie production is generally more pliable in terms of when a pic begins lensing; TV by its nature offers a more easily quantifiable production process. But after surveying major employers and talent reps, the study authors conservatively estimate that pic production losses would reach $1 billion if the strike runs two or three more months.
Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., estimates that the strike to date has cost Los Angeles County about $1.5 billion in wages and related economic activity -- not including the lost studio spending on production.
The really staggering figure comes when you take the $3 billion estimate for lost film and TV production spending and consider the multiplier effect, or the lost spending stemming from expenditures for physical production (lumber, paint, craft services, supplies, town cars, etc.) plus the lost spending among actors, writers, directors, crews et al. who didn't have as much money to drop on meals in restaurants, clothing and that new Prius they might've been eyeing before the strike.
Because showbiz workers are generally highly paid (and unionized), the U.S. Dept. of Commerce applies a high multiplier of 2.8 in assessing the ripple effect of the showbiz sector, which means that $3 billion in lost coin will really feel like a loss of $8.4 billion in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and other production hubs should the strike persist into April.
In an effort to salvage as much coin as possible, top brass at major TV studios are working overtime on contingency plans to determine how many episodes of various series could be salvaged if the strike ends within two to three weeks.
Studio brass said there's no blanket approach to such planning; each show's fate will be determined by a combination of network need, syndication and foreign licensing contracts and the feasibility of getting production up and running in a hurry.
One studio topper said he's most concerned over what to do with bubble shows. Having to return and jump-start production on a show -- when it's not known whether the network is even planning to bring it back next year -- may be too cost-prohibitive.
"If all we can do is four more episodes, there are pretty substantial amortization costs in order to go back into production," the exec said. "Each of those episodes will cost a lot of money. And my guess is the networks won't be generous in helping with that."
There's been a lot of optimistic discussion about keeping shows in production during the traditional summer hiatus period to make up the lost episodes, but others caution that network appetites may be diminished. Some returning skeins may just have to take the loss and hope for a return to normal orders in the 2008-09 season.
But insiders believe nets will be angling to get as many original episodes of their signature shows as possible.
"Any show that's a keeper, something that's working, you're going to want episodes," the studio topper said. "And we'll be able to figure it out: 22 (episodes) for next year, and somewhere between three and six or seven for this year."
Every show is different, but it's believed showrunners will take anywhere from two weeks (for multicamera laffers) to six weeks (for newer hourlong dramas) to produce their first post-strike episodes. "Desperate Housewives" creator-exec producer Marc Cherry recently told KABC-TV that he could finish the full season of his show if the strike ended fairly soon.
But there are other caveats.
Many nets have declared that they no longer want to be bound by the traditional September-May season. Even before the strike, for instance, Fox had planned to air the season finale of "24" in June.
The strike would give nets the perfect chance to experiment with airing original segs of scripted hits in June. And given how tight the scatter market has been, advertisers may welcome the opportunity to tout their wares in something other than reality shows during the summer.
Some believe nets may instead convert the back-nine orders for some of this year's frosh success stories -- think NBC's "Chuck," ABC's "Pushing Daisies" and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" -- into 13-episode orders for next fall.
Another possibility: Nets may produce the full orders of some shows now but hold back airing the episodes until next season. That may mean more original episodes next season and fewer repeats.
Of course, there's plenty of TV production spending that has already irrevocably vanished as a result of the strike.
The industry survey pegged the cost of the lost production of the major latenight talkshows, which went dark for eight to nine weeks following the onset of the strike on Nov. 5, and NBC's "Saturday Night Live," which remains out of commission, at more than $95 million. That included $55 million in above-the-line fees and $39 million in below-the-line pay on eight shows including CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," as well as "SNL."
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON, CYNTHIA LITTLETON, JOSEF ADALIAN
Now that the two sides are talking again, hope is rising that the writers strike will be settled sooner rather than later. If that doesn't happen, the showbiz community will face far more financial pain related to the strike -- just as the national economy appears to be skidding into a recession.
If the 3-month-old strike were to persist for an additional 60-90 days, the direct amount of lost spending on TV and film production could reach $3 billion, according to an industry study conducted by informed sources.
The study provided to Daily Variety on a confidential basis has calculated a cost of about $1.9 billion in lost episodic production for the more than 70 broadcast and cable primetime skeins, assuming no more segs are delivered for the 2007-08 season. That includes more than $800 million in above-the-line expenditures and $1.1 billion in below-the-line salaries.
If pilot season is tabled entirely, that would yank an extra $300 million-plus out of the showbiz economy, a calculation based on the conservative assumption that the five broadcast webs have, in recent years, produced about 50 half-hour pilots at a cost of about $125 million and roughly 45 hourlong pilots running $180 million. NBC has already said it is curtailing pilot production this year.
Crunching the numbers on the film side is tougher than in television, because movie production is generally more pliable in terms of when a pic begins lensing; TV by its nature offers a more easily quantifiable production process. But after surveying major employers and talent reps, the study authors conservatively estimate that pic production losses would reach $1 billion if the strike runs two or three more months.
Jack Kyser, chief economist for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., estimates that the strike to date has cost Los Angeles County about $1.5 billion in wages and related economic activity -- not including the lost studio spending on production.
The really staggering figure comes when you take the $3 billion estimate for lost film and TV production spending and consider the multiplier effect, or the lost spending stemming from expenditures for physical production (lumber, paint, craft services, supplies, town cars, etc.) plus the lost spending among actors, writers, directors, crews et al. who didn't have as much money to drop on meals in restaurants, clothing and that new Prius they might've been eyeing before the strike.
Because showbiz workers are generally highly paid (and unionized), the U.S. Dept. of Commerce applies a high multiplier of 2.8 in assessing the ripple effect of the showbiz sector, which means that $3 billion in lost coin will really feel like a loss of $8.4 billion in Los Angeles, New York, Vancouver and other production hubs should the strike persist into April.
In an effort to salvage as much coin as possible, top brass at major TV studios are working overtime on contingency plans to determine how many episodes of various series could be salvaged if the strike ends within two to three weeks.
Studio brass said there's no blanket approach to such planning; each show's fate will be determined by a combination of network need, syndication and foreign licensing contracts and the feasibility of getting production up and running in a hurry.
One studio topper said he's most concerned over what to do with bubble shows. Having to return and jump-start production on a show -- when it's not known whether the network is even planning to bring it back next year -- may be too cost-prohibitive.
"If all we can do is four more episodes, there are pretty substantial amortization costs in order to go back into production," the exec said. "Each of those episodes will cost a lot of money. And my guess is the networks won't be generous in helping with that."
There's been a lot of optimistic discussion about keeping shows in production during the traditional summer hiatus period to make up the lost episodes, but others caution that network appetites may be diminished. Some returning skeins may just have to take the loss and hope for a return to normal orders in the 2008-09 season.
But insiders believe nets will be angling to get as many original episodes of their signature shows as possible.
"Any show that's a keeper, something that's working, you're going to want episodes," the studio topper said. "And we'll be able to figure it out: 22 (episodes) for next year, and somewhere between three and six or seven for this year."
Every show is different, but it's believed showrunners will take anywhere from two weeks (for multicamera laffers) to six weeks (for newer hourlong dramas) to produce their first post-strike episodes. "Desperate Housewives" creator-exec producer Marc Cherry recently told KABC-TV that he could finish the full season of his show if the strike ended fairly soon.
But there are other caveats.
Many nets have declared that they no longer want to be bound by the traditional September-May season. Even before the strike, for instance, Fox had planned to air the season finale of "24" in June.
The strike would give nets the perfect chance to experiment with airing original segs of scripted hits in June. And given how tight the scatter market has been, advertisers may welcome the opportunity to tout their wares in something other than reality shows during the summer.
Some believe nets may instead convert the back-nine orders for some of this year's frosh success stories -- think NBC's "Chuck," ABC's "Pushing Daisies" and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" -- into 13-episode orders for next fall.
Another possibility: Nets may produce the full orders of some shows now but hold back airing the episodes until next season. That may mean more original episodes next season and fewer repeats.
Of course, there's plenty of TV production spending that has already irrevocably vanished as a result of the strike.
The industry survey pegged the cost of the lost production of the major latenight talkshows, which went dark for eight to nine weeks following the onset of the strike on Nov. 5, and NBC's "Saturday Night Live," which remains out of commission, at more than $95 million. That included $55 million in above-the-line fees and $39 million in below-the-line pay on eight shows including CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman," NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," as well as "SNL."
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Miss Mary
Both Chuck episodes were good but the last one sad. Sad because that's probably it for the show for this season and sad because of the storyline. I had to laugh at the end when NBC had a Chuck promo, saying - "coming soon (implying new episodes)".......yeah right. Hubby said - "coming never!"
I really, really am beginning to hate this strike. If I didn't have Lost, Survivor and Jericho to look forward to, I think I would just unplug the TV.
That is how I feel about this strike. But I have 3 shows to watch soon so I'll be content. But honestly if one wasn't Lost, I'd consider unplugging that darn thing.
Mary
I really, really am beginning to hate this strike. If I didn't have Lost, Survivor and Jericho to look forward to, I think I would just unplug the TV.
That is how I feel about this strike. But I have 3 shows to watch soon so I'll be content. But honestly if one wasn't Lost, I'd consider unplugging that darn thing.
Mary
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Re:
Miss Mary wrote:I really, really am beginning to hate this strike.
Mary
Me too! The writers HAD a valid point - lots of people were making money from their labors and they weren't getting their fair share. BUT. I think they overplayed their collective hand...the present strike has gone on way too long and hurt too many people. How many low level staffers - make up people, script runners, studio janitors and the like - will never recover financially? AND, the studios can hold out with drivel like American Gladiators, All Star Survivor, etc. Cheap to produce and watchable. Just look at the ratings.
Me? I'm getting mighty tired of Mythbusters and Cops. I don't have that much time for television. I want to watch my regular few network shows again. More importantly, I want to see people working, making money, supporting their families. Maybe that will help our sagging economy in some small way.
C'mon writers. I think it's time to put the signs away and make the best deal you can.
Just my 2 cents.
BocaGirl
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
Cross your fingers (and toes) . . . they are talking .. . civilly . . . to each other. . .
From Variety:
From Variety:
Moonves, Verrone and Young: Let's do dinner
There's another sign of a thaw in the chilly relationship between scribes and congloms.
With no advance fanfare, CBS Corp. supremo Leslie Moonves broke bread with WGA leaders Patrick Verrone and David Young Friday. The trio, along with CBS labor relations chief Harry Isaacs, had dinner at a private dining room inside the Four Seasons Hotel.
The meal followed several days of informal talks between WGA leaders and the studios, led by Bob Iger and Peter Chernin.
Both the Moonves dinner and the off the record chats are being interpreted as hopeful signs that the two parties will restart formal talks soon.
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Brent
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
ABC's "Mega" Super Tuesday
Variety breaks the news of ABC's political "mega coverage" next Tuesday. "Super Tuesday Showdown: Coast to Coast" will blow out regular prime time entertainment shows on ABC.
ABC News has the top two most-watched debates of the primary season, the back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates on Jan. 5.
NBC is planning one hour of coverage in prime time, but has MSNBC which will be covering Super Tuesday using the resources and anchors of NBC News. As for CBS, Variety reports, "industry insiders believe CBS is very close to expanding [from one hour] to two hours."
ABC's Charles Gibson is expected to stay at the anchor desk from 8pmET to 1amET (10amPT) but could stay on longer if necessary. Variety reports, "Local stations will cut in at least twice per hour, at around 25 and 55 minutes past the hour" and for their late local news.
Variety breaks the news of ABC's political "mega coverage" next Tuesday. "Super Tuesday Showdown: Coast to Coast" will blow out regular prime time entertainment shows on ABC.
ABC News has the top two most-watched debates of the primary season, the back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates on Jan. 5.
NBC is planning one hour of coverage in prime time, but has MSNBC which will be covering Super Tuesday using the resources and anchors of NBC News. As for CBS, Variety reports, "industry insiders believe CBS is very close to expanding [from one hour] to two hours."
ABC's Charles Gibson is expected to stay at the anchor desk from 8pmET to 1amET (10amPT) but could stay on longer if necessary. Variety reports, "Local stations will cut in at least twice per hour, at around 25 and 55 minutes past the hour" and for their late local news.
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
Brent wrote:ABC's "Mega" Super Tuesday
Variety breaks the news of ABC's political "mega coverage" next Tuesday. "Super Tuesday Showdown: Coast to Coast" will blow out regular prime time entertainment shows on ABC.
ABC News has the top two most-watched debates of the primary season, the back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates on Jan. 5.
NBC is planning one hour of coverage in prime time, but has MSNBC which will be covering Super Tuesday using the resources and anchors of NBC News. As for CBS, Variety reports, "industry insiders believe CBS is very close to expanding [from one hour] to two hours."
ABC's Charles Gibson is expected to stay at the anchor desk from 8pmET to 1amET (10amPT) but could stay on longer if necessary. Variety reports, "Local stations will cut in at least twice per hour, at around 25 and 55 minutes past the hour" and for their late local news.
Feb. 5th is Super Tuesday, btw
Please say there are some decent movies on HBO or Showtime . . . .
Sorry, I don't care. My state isn't involved, so I'll check on the 'net later . . . when I do care (by the time they both get to NC primaries, the nominees will be set)
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
WGA on board for Grammys telecast
The show must go on, and now it officially will.
The WGA said Monday that it has agreed to an interim agreement with the producers of the Grammy Awards telecast. The move was widely expected after the guild said last week it would not picket the ceremony.
"Professional musicians face many of the same issues that we do concerning fair compensation for the use of their work in new media," WGA West president Patric Verrone said Monday. "In the interest of advancing our goal of achieving a fair contract, the WGAW board felt that this decision should be made on behalf our brothers and sisters in the American Federation of Musicians and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists."
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Re: What are you watching this winter?
CBS teams with Canada's CTV
Duo to produce police drama 'Flashpoint'
By JOSEF ADALIAN
In another sign of how the WGA strike is reshaping network TV's development process, CBS Paramount Network TV is planning to team with Canada's CTV to produce at least 13 episodes of a police drama dubbed "Flashpoint."
Skein will begin lensing April in Toronto using scripts from Canadian scribes and a cast of Canuck thesps, including Enrico Colantoni ("Veronica Mars"). "Flashpoint" is believed to be the first scripted project developed and ordered to series by a broadcast network since the WGA walkout in November.
Final deal points between CBS Par and CTV were being finalized Monday, and a deal could be announced as soon as today.
While the strike focused Eye execs on "Flashpoint," CBS insiders are cautioning that the show is not meant as pure strike programming. Indeed, it's likely the show -- which is expected to air concurrently on both CBS and CTV -- won't premiere until late May or June at the earliest, after the current TV season is over.
Even before the strike, CBS went into the season determined to expand the development process beyond U.S. borders. It's understood the Eye has about a dozen other scripts and formats in the works from outside the country, including projects from Blighty, Oz and Israel.
CBS sees "Flashpoint" as a possible alternative business model, one that could be more financially -- and creatively -- attractive than the usual pilot process.
Eye didn't have to waste millions on a rushed pilot that might have to be retooled anyway. And because there's no rushing to get the project on the air, producers will be able to map out episodes well in advance, rather than doing so on the fly.
CTV developed and produced the pilot for the show on its own late last year. It then was brought to CBS, which agreed to a series order after seeing how the show's concept was executed.
"It just worked," said one CBS creative exec. "It hit all the right buttons for us. And we had a great meeting with the producers, who already had story ideas for another four or five episodes."
Because "Flashpoint" is a co-production, the Eye's license fee will be far less than a typical one-hour drama. However, the show's production values "will be as good as any American production," one person familiar with the project said.
What's more, CBS execs will still get creative input on the series, offering notes and creative guidance to make sure the show works for its audience.
Eye will also retain domestic distribution rights, allowing it to sell the show to a U.S. cable network if it's a hit.
CBS is just the latest network to shake up its development process.
NBC U CEO Jeff Zucker last week said he planned to dramatically reduce the number of pilots the Peacock commissions each season, to as little as one or two per year. NBC last year also gave a 13-episode order to a scripted series it will co-produce with a Blighty production shingle, but in that case, no pilot had been shot.
As for "Flashpoint," skein fits into the Eye's police drama motif.
Skein revolves around an urban Strategic Response Unit (SRU) -- essentially a SWAT team. Cops in the unit bust gangs, defuse bombs and rescue hostages.
CTV and Toronto-based Pink Sky Entertainment originally developed the pilot for "Flashpoint." Avmar Entertainment then came on board for the series, and the three companies are now in business with CBS Par.
Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern created "Flashpoint," which also stars Hugh Dillon ("Degrassi: The Next Generation") and David Paetkau ("LAX"). Exec producers include former Alliance Atlantis producer Anne Marie La Traverse and ex-CTV drama chief Bill Mustos.
Duo to produce police drama 'Flashpoint'
By JOSEF ADALIAN
In another sign of how the WGA strike is reshaping network TV's development process, CBS Paramount Network TV is planning to team with Canada's CTV to produce at least 13 episodes of a police drama dubbed "Flashpoint."
Skein will begin lensing April in Toronto using scripts from Canadian scribes and a cast of Canuck thesps, including Enrico Colantoni ("Veronica Mars"). "Flashpoint" is believed to be the first scripted project developed and ordered to series by a broadcast network since the WGA walkout in November.
Final deal points between CBS Par and CTV were being finalized Monday, and a deal could be announced as soon as today.
While the strike focused Eye execs on "Flashpoint," CBS insiders are cautioning that the show is not meant as pure strike programming. Indeed, it's likely the show -- which is expected to air concurrently on both CBS and CTV -- won't premiere until late May or June at the earliest, after the current TV season is over.
Even before the strike, CBS went into the season determined to expand the development process beyond U.S. borders. It's understood the Eye has about a dozen other scripts and formats in the works from outside the country, including projects from Blighty, Oz and Israel.
CBS sees "Flashpoint" as a possible alternative business model, one that could be more financially -- and creatively -- attractive than the usual pilot process.
Eye didn't have to waste millions on a rushed pilot that might have to be retooled anyway. And because there's no rushing to get the project on the air, producers will be able to map out episodes well in advance, rather than doing so on the fly.
CTV developed and produced the pilot for the show on its own late last year. It then was brought to CBS, which agreed to a series order after seeing how the show's concept was executed.
"It just worked," said one CBS creative exec. "It hit all the right buttons for us. And we had a great meeting with the producers, who already had story ideas for another four or five episodes."
Because "Flashpoint" is a co-production, the Eye's license fee will be far less than a typical one-hour drama. However, the show's production values "will be as good as any American production," one person familiar with the project said.
What's more, CBS execs will still get creative input on the series, offering notes and creative guidance to make sure the show works for its audience.
Eye will also retain domestic distribution rights, allowing it to sell the show to a U.S. cable network if it's a hit.
CBS is just the latest network to shake up its development process.
NBC U CEO Jeff Zucker last week said he planned to dramatically reduce the number of pilots the Peacock commissions each season, to as little as one or two per year. NBC last year also gave a 13-episode order to a scripted series it will co-produce with a Blighty production shingle, but in that case, no pilot had been shot.
As for "Flashpoint," skein fits into the Eye's police drama motif.
Skein revolves around an urban Strategic Response Unit (SRU) -- essentially a SWAT team. Cops in the unit bust gangs, defuse bombs and rescue hostages.
CTV and Toronto-based Pink Sky Entertainment originally developed the pilot for "Flashpoint." Avmar Entertainment then came on board for the series, and the three companies are now in business with CBS Par.
Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern created "Flashpoint," which also stars Hugh Dillon ("Degrassi: The Next Generation") and David Paetkau ("LAX"). Exec producers include former Alliance Atlantis producer Anne Marie La Traverse and ex-CTV drama chief Bill Mustos.
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