The Writers Guild of America West will present Designing Women and Evening Shade creator Linda Bloodworth Thomason with its highest honor — the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement. The award is presented to a Guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.” Designing Women star Jean Smart will present the statuette to Bloodworth Thomason at the Wgaw’s annual WGA Awards on April 14.
The multiple Emmy-nominated television creator-writer, director, and producer launched her career with an Emmy-nominated script on M*A*S*H* in 1973. She concurrently worked on M*A*S*H* and Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff Rhoda before creating and producing her first series Filthy Rich in 1982. Filthy Rich would lay the groundwork for the creation of landmark comedy series Designing Women by bringing her together with actresses and collaborators Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Smart.
In addition to her work in television,...
The multiple Emmy-nominated television creator-writer, director, and producer launched her career with an Emmy-nominated script on M*A*S*H* in 1973. She concurrently worked on M*A*S*H* and Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoff Rhoda before creating and producing her first series Filthy Rich in 1982. Filthy Rich would lay the groundwork for the creation of landmark comedy series Designing Women by bringing her together with actresses and collaborators Delta Burke, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts, and Smart.
In addition to her work in television,...
- 4/2/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
When I heard the news about Norman Lear’s death, I was sitting with my writing team at Abortion Access Front. We had just finished writing this social post when the notification came in on Slack: “Norman Lear died.”
It hit me harder than I thought it would. All my gratitude for how he paved the way for me came rushing to the surface.
All in the Family blew apart the Overton Window in terms of what comedy on TV looked like. I could not have imagined a media world...
It hit me harder than I thought it would. All my gratitude for how he paved the way for me came rushing to the surface.
All in the Family blew apart the Overton Window in terms of what comedy on TV looked like. I could not have imagined a media world...
- 12/7/2023
- by Lizz Winstead
- Rollingstone.com
TV giant Norman Lear, who died Dec. 5 at 101, leaves behind arguably the single most valuable body of work ever committed to the medium. On seminal series like All in the Family, Maude and The Jeffersons, Lear dared to tackle issues then considered unthinkable sitcom fodder — rape, abortion, homosexuality, racism, alcoholism — with a genius’ eye and ear for capturing their moral complexities while poking at the foibles of the American working class. These six episodes, however, stand out among the rest for having actively moved the needle on public opinion — and in doing so elevated Lear’s work from mere entertainment to timeless agitprop art.
1. All in the Family — Season 8 — “Cousin Liz” — Original Air Date: Oct. 9, 1977
Lear’s magnum opus, All in the Family, tackled the most hot-button issues throughout its nine seasons, from rape to racism to the war in Vietnam. But one particularly resounding episode was “Cousin Liz,” in...
1. All in the Family — Season 8 — “Cousin Liz” — Original Air Date: Oct. 9, 1977
Lear’s magnum opus, All in the Family, tackled the most hot-button issues throughout its nine seasons, from rape to racism to the war in Vietnam. But one particularly resounding episode was “Cousin Liz,” in...
- 12/7/2023
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The '80s were a different time; shoulder pads were in, Reaganomics was taking over the country, and in 1984, a hyper-stylish show called "Miami Vice" was about to become all the rage. Before the Florida-set cop series ever premiered on NBC, though, it had already inspired another series, one that seemed to have very little in common with the Michael Mann-produced action show.
That series was "The Golden Girls," the popular and gut-bustingly funny sitcom about women of a certain age that has only become more beloved in the decades since it ended. "The Golden Girls" is remembered for its positive and honest conversations about aging and its characters' penchant for savage, hilarious quips. It also bolstered the fame of its already-famous stars, Bea Arthur ("Maude"), Betty White ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), Rue McClanahan (also "Maude"), and Estelle Getty ("Mask"). Put together around a kitchen table, the four...
That series was "The Golden Girls," the popular and gut-bustingly funny sitcom about women of a certain age that has only become more beloved in the decades since it ended. "The Golden Girls" is remembered for its positive and honest conversations about aging and its characters' penchant for savage, hilarious quips. It also bolstered the fame of its already-famous stars, Bea Arthur ("Maude"), Betty White ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), Rue McClanahan (also "Maude"), and Estelle Getty ("Mask"). Put together around a kitchen table, the four...
- 9/25/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Inga Swenson, the two-time Tony-nominated singer and actress who as the dictatorial German cook Gretchen Kraus sparred with Robert Guillaume‘s character on the 1980s ABC sitcom Benson, has died. She was 90.
Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in hospice care in Los Angeles, her son, Mark Harris, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Swenson also sparkled in two critically acclaimed 1962 films released seven weeks apart — as the mother of Helen Keller (Patty Duke) in Arthur Penn’s The Miracle Worker (1962) and as the wife of a U.S. senator with a dark secret (Don Murray) in Otto Preminger’s political thriller Advise & Consent (1962).
On the strength of those performances, the Nebraska native — no, she was not born in Germany — was cast in 1963 as the spinster Lizzy in 110 in the Shade, based on N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker. She received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical for that performance,...
Swenson died Sunday night of natural causes in hospice care in Los Angeles, her son, Mark Harris, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Swenson also sparkled in two critically acclaimed 1962 films released seven weeks apart — as the mother of Helen Keller (Patty Duke) in Arthur Penn’s The Miracle Worker (1962) and as the wife of a U.S. senator with a dark secret (Don Murray) in Otto Preminger’s political thriller Advise & Consent (1962).
On the strength of those performances, the Nebraska native — no, she was not born in Germany — was cast in 1963 as the spinster Lizzy in 110 in the Shade, based on N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker. She received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical for that performance,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Writers Guild of America West has penciled in Living Single creator-showrunner Yvette Lee Bowser for its 2023 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement. She will receive the career honor, which is presented to a WGA member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer,” at the 75th annual WGA Awards on March 5.
Related Story WGA Awards TV Nominations: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘The Crown,’ ‘Severance’, ’Yellowjackets’ Among Shows Vying For Top Prizes Related Story WGA Awards Film Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere', 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'The Menu', 'Nope' & More Related Story Michelle Buteau To Host 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards In New York
A 35-year guild member with more than 600 hours of TV to her credit, Bowser began her career as an apprentice writer on NBC’s Cosby Show spinoff series A Different World,...
Related Story WGA Awards TV Nominations: ‘Abbott Elementary,’ ‘Better Call Saul,’ ‘The Crown,’ ‘Severance’, ’Yellowjackets’ Among Shows Vying For Top Prizes Related Story WGA Awards Film Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere', 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'The Menu', 'Nope' & More Related Story Michelle Buteau To Host 75th Annual Writers Guild Awards In New York
A 35-year guild member with more than 600 hours of TV to her credit, Bowser began her career as an apprentice writer on NBC’s Cosby Show spinoff series A Different World,...
- 2/1/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Many people throughout the years have been referred to as “Disney Legends,” usually based on their close proximity to the company or for working on multiple projects with them. But starting in the late 1980s, becoming a Disney Legend was something that would actually happen – you’d get a statue and a golden, lifetime ticket to all of the Disney Parks and your handprints would soon be immortalized in Legends Plaza, an area on the Disney Lot in Burbank (formerly the reflection pool for the masterful Team Disney Burbank building designed by postmodern architect Michael Graves). In recent years, a lavish ceremony has been added to the D23 Expo, the all-Disney version of Comic-Con, that happens every two years in Anaheim.
While this year’s inductees have yet to be announced, we have some ideas about who should be honored this year:
Robert A.M. Stern Disney
Like Graves, Stern is...
While this year’s inductees have yet to be announced, we have some ideas about who should be honored this year:
Robert A.M. Stern Disney
Like Graves, Stern is...
- 8/9/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Drag events have become a hot-button topic in some parts of the U.S., but in the 90210, a series of drag brunches at the Golden Girls Kitchen, a tribute to the classic NBC sitcom, are simply a hot ticket.
The pop-up — an officially licensed shindig at 369 N. Bedford Drive presented by events and experiences firm Bucket Listers (in partnership with rights holder Disney) — has six brunches on the calendar through the end of October, four already sold out.
“The drag brunches were fastest to sell out,” explained Bucket Listers founder and CEO Andy Lederman. The show’s four characters — Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia — will be re-created by drag queens who are expected to lip-sync the show’s theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend.”
Bucket Listers — a company that partners with event producers, movie studios and other IP holders to create...
Drag events have become a hot-button topic in some parts of the U.S., but in the 90210, a series of drag brunches at the Golden Girls Kitchen, a tribute to the classic NBC sitcom, are simply a hot ticket.
The pop-up — an officially licensed shindig at 369 N. Bedford Drive presented by events and experiences firm Bucket Listers (in partnership with rights holder Disney) — has six brunches on the calendar through the end of October, four already sold out.
“The drag brunches were fastest to sell out,” explained Bucket Listers founder and CEO Andy Lederman. The show’s four characters — Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia — will be re-created by drag queens who are expected to lip-sync the show’s theme song, “Thank You for Being a Friend.”
Bucket Listers — a company that partners with event producers, movie studios and other IP holders to create...
- 8/4/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For years, Mike Hollingsworth has found creative ways to inject jokes into animated comedies. Working as the supervising director on “BoJack Horseman,” as well as “Tuca & Bertie,” “Inside Job,” and more, Hollingsworth fills frame after frame with visual humor — from cutaway punchlines and background puns, to silent callbacks and quips written on T-shirts, chyrons, and more.
Now, he’s applying his impressive skillset to a stone-cold classic of live-action television: “The Golden Girls.” In “Golden Girls 3033,” a pilot made to elicit a series order, Hollingsworth reimagines Susan Harris’ beloved sitcom with animation, relying on the original scripts and audio as a jumping off point before shaping fresh episodes for a story set more than 1,000 years in the future. Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) all still share a house in Miami — but it’s the year 3033, they’ve discovered the Fountain of Youth,...
Now, he’s applying his impressive skillset to a stone-cold classic of live-action television: “The Golden Girls.” In “Golden Girls 3033,” a pilot made to elicit a series order, Hollingsworth reimagines Susan Harris’ beloved sitcom with animation, relying on the original scripts and audio as a jumping off point before shaping fresh episodes for a story set more than 1,000 years in the future. Blanche (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy (Bea Arthur), Rose (Betty White), and Sophia (Estelle Getty) all still share a house in Miami — but it’s the year 3033, they’ve discovered the Fountain of Youth,...
- 7/8/2022
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Picture it, Miami. 1992.
The Golden Palace, a 90s spin-off series of The Golden Girls, will stream exclusively via Hulu starting Jan. 10. The streamer is releasing Palace in celebration of franchise star Betty White’s 100th birthday just 7 days later.
Though it only ran for one season, The Golden Palace is a treasured follow-up of the original series that has mostly been unavailable to stream. It’s set after the events of the Golden Girls series finale that saw Bea Arthur’s departure as Dorothy Zbornak after marrying Blanche’s (Rue McClanahan) uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielson).
The new series reunited White’s Rose Nylund with Dorothy’s mother Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), and Blanche as they’re amid mayhem while moving out of the Miami residence they shared for the titular Art Deco hotel in South Beach they invested in and would manage. Series costars include Don Cheadle, who played hotel manager Roland Wilson,...
The Golden Palace, a 90s spin-off series of The Golden Girls, will stream exclusively via Hulu starting Jan. 10. The streamer is releasing Palace in celebration of franchise star Betty White’s 100th birthday just 7 days later.
Though it only ran for one season, The Golden Palace is a treasured follow-up of the original series that has mostly been unavailable to stream. It’s set after the events of the Golden Girls series finale that saw Bea Arthur’s departure as Dorothy Zbornak after marrying Blanche’s (Rue McClanahan) uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielson).
The new series reunited White’s Rose Nylund with Dorothy’s mother Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), and Blanche as they’re amid mayhem while moving out of the Miami residence they shared for the titular Art Deco hotel in South Beach they invested in and would manage. Series costars include Don Cheadle, who played hotel manager Roland Wilson,...
- 12/16/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Merrill Markoe, longtime head writer at “Late Night With David Letterman,” will receive the Writers Guild of America West’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement.
She will be honored at the Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 1 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
“Merrill Markoe’s pioneering work created what was then a new language of comedy in television, and her writing has influenced every comedy variety series in the last three decades. We are truly honored to give her this award,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman.
Markoe has been a member of the WGA West since 1977. She’s best known as the co-creator and original head writer of 1980’s “The David Letterman Show,” for which she shared a Daytime Emmy Award. Markoe went on to earn six Emmy nominations and share three Emmy Awards for her work on “Late Night With David Letterman,” creating many of the show,...
She will be honored at the Writers Guild Awards on Feb. 1 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
“Merrill Markoe’s pioneering work created what was then a new language of comedy in television, and her writing has influenced every comedy variety series in the last three decades. We are truly honored to give her this award,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman.
Markoe has been a member of the WGA West since 1977. She’s best known as the co-creator and original head writer of 1980’s “The David Letterman Show,” for which she shared a Daytime Emmy Award. Markoe went on to earn six Emmy nominations and share three Emmy Awards for her work on “Late Night With David Letterman,” creating many of the show,...
- 12/13/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Merrill Markoe, the multple-Emmy-winning former head writer of Late Night with David Letterman, will receive the WGA West’s 2020 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement.
Named after one of television’s the most influential writers, the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award is the guild’s highest honor for television writing. It is presented to a guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.”
Markoe will receive the award at the Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 1 in Los Angeles.
“Merrill Markoe’s pioneering work created what was then a new language of comedy in television, and her writing has influenced every comedy variety series in the last three decades. We are truly honored to give her this award,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman.
Markoe’s career as a TV writer began in 1977 on the revival of Laugh-In,...
Named after one of television’s the most influential writers, the Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award is the guild’s highest honor for television writing. It is presented to a guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.”
Markoe will receive the award at the Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 1 in Los Angeles.
“Merrill Markoe’s pioneering work created what was then a new language of comedy in television, and her writing has influenced every comedy variety series in the last three decades. We are truly honored to give her this award,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman.
Markoe’s career as a TV writer began in 1977 on the revival of Laugh-In,...
- 12/12/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Katherine Helmond, the seven-time Emmy-nominated Texas actress who played the feisty, man-crazy mother Mona Robinson on the long-running ABC sitcom Who’s the Boss?, has died. She was 89.
Helmond, who earlier starred as the wide-eyed socialite sister Jessica Tate on another popular ABC comedy, Susan Harris’ daytime-serial spoof Soap, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency, Apa, announced.
The shapely, blue-eyed Helmond also portrayed Doris Sherman, the widowed owner of the fictional NFL team the Orlando Breakers, on ABC’s Coach, and she was Lois Whelan, the upper-class mother of Patricia Heaton’...
Helmond, who earlier starred as the wide-eyed socialite sister Jessica Tate on another popular ABC comedy, Susan Harris’ daytime-serial spoof Soap, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency, Apa, announced.
The shapely, blue-eyed Helmond also portrayed Doris Sherman, the widowed owner of the fictional NFL team the Orlando Breakers, on ABC’s Coach, and she was Lois Whelan, the upper-class mother of Patricia Heaton’...
Katherine Helmond, the seven-time Emmy-nominated Texas actress who played the feisty, man-crazy mother Mona Robinson on the long-running ABC sitcom Who’s the Boss?, has died. She was 89.
Helmond, who earlier starred as the wide-eyed socialite sister Jessica Tate on another popular ABC comedy, Susan Harris’ daytime-serial spoof Soap, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency, Apa, announced.
The shapely, blue-eyed Helmond also portrayed Doris Sherman, the widowed owner of the fictional NFL team the Orlando Breakers, on ABC’s Coach, and she was Lois Whelan, the upper-class mother of Patricia Heaton’...
Helmond, who earlier starred as the wide-eyed socialite sister Jessica Tate on another popular ABC comedy, Susan Harris’ daytime-serial spoof Soap, died Saturday of complications from Alzheimer’s disease at her home in Los Angeles, her talent agency, Apa, announced.
The shapely, blue-eyed Helmond also portrayed Doris Sherman, the widowed owner of the fictional NFL team the Orlando Breakers, on ABC’s Coach, and she was Lois Whelan, the upper-class mother of Patricia Heaton’...
Jenji Kohan, creator of Weeds and Orange Is the New Black, will be this year’s recipient of the WGA West’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award, which is given to a guild member who has “advanced the literature of television and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the television writer.” She will be honored at the guild’s La awards show on February 17.
“Jenji Kohan’s work is what all good writers aspire to – touching on the harsh but also comedic realities of life through characters that don’t sound written, that talk like real people,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her scenes can be comic and tragic simultaneously; while she engages, she also unnerves, pushing us out of our comfort zone. Her work has truly advanced the literature of television, and the WGA West board of directors considers it our honor to give her this award.
“Jenji Kohan’s work is what all good writers aspire to – touching on the harsh but also comedic realities of life through characters that don’t sound written, that talk like real people,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her scenes can be comic and tragic simultaneously; while she engages, she also unnerves, pushing us out of our comfort zone. Her work has truly advanced the literature of television, and the WGA West board of directors considers it our honor to give her this award.
- 1/16/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Jenji Kohan, creator and showrunner of “Orange Is the New Black” and “Weeds,” has been named recipient of the Writers Guild of America West’s Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement.
She will be honored at the Writers Guild Awards show on Feb. 17 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
“Jenji Kohan’s work is what all good writers aspire to – touching on the harsh but also comedic realities of life through characters that don’t sound written, that talk like real people,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her scenes can be comic and tragic simultaneously; while she engages, she also unnerves, pushing us out of our comfort zone. Her work has truly advanced the literature of television, and the Wgaw Board of Directors considers it our honor to give her this award.”
Kohan is also an executive producer and writer on “Glow.” She has...
She will be honored at the Writers Guild Awards show on Feb. 17 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
“Jenji Kohan’s work is what all good writers aspire to – touching on the harsh but also comedic realities of life through characters that don’t sound written, that talk like real people,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her scenes can be comic and tragic simultaneously; while she engages, she also unnerves, pushing us out of our comfort zone. Her work has truly advanced the literature of television, and the Wgaw Board of Directors considers it our honor to give her this award.”
Kohan is also an executive producer and writer on “Glow.” She has...
- 1/16/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
1968: Oltl's Jim asked Price to assist with Carla's case.
1980: The Edge of Night's Geraldine interrupted Raven's plans.
1985: Days of our Lives' Patch attacked Hope.
2010: General Hospital's Mike appeared for the final time."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1968: Joan Crawford made the second of four appearances on The Secret Storm as Joan Borman Kane, substituting for her sick daughter Christina Crawford.
1968: On One Life to Live, Joe (Lee Patterson) told Anna (Doris Belack) about his feelings for her, which went beyond the boundaries of friendship. Meredith (Trish Van Devere) had left...
1980: The Edge of Night's Geraldine interrupted Raven's plans.
1985: Days of our Lives' Patch attacked Hope.
2010: General Hospital's Mike appeared for the final time."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1968: Joan Crawford made the second of four appearances on The Secret Storm as Joan Borman Kane, substituting for her sick daughter Christina Crawford.
1968: On One Life to Live, Joe (Lee Patterson) told Anna (Doris Belack) about his feelings for her, which went beyond the boundaries of friendship. Meredith (Trish Van Devere) had left...
- 10/29/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns."The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).
1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later...
― Lord Byron
"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.
On this date in...
1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).
1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later...
- 9/17/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
Soap and daytime soap opera actor Robert Mandan died on April 29 in Los Angeles after a long illness, his friend, playwright and screenwriter Gary Goldstein, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was 86.
Mandan had worked on such soap operas as From These Roots (as David Allen), The Doctors (Mike Hennessey/Mr. Tabor), The Edge of Night (Nathan Axelrod) and Search for Tomorrow (Sam Reynolds) when he was hired to play Chester, a conniving Wall Street stock broker, on the ABC primetime comedy Soap.
Susan Harris created the sitcom, which aired for four seasons, from 1977-1981. The show, always a critical darling, was a top 10 hit in its first season but suffered in the ratings as it was moved around the schedule.
Mandan and Helmond reunited for two episodes of her next series, Who's the Boss?, and for a 2002 production of "A Twilight Romance" at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. He also...
Mandan had worked on such soap operas as From These Roots (as David Allen), The Doctors (Mike Hennessey/Mr. Tabor), The Edge of Night (Nathan Axelrod) and Search for Tomorrow (Sam Reynolds) when he was hired to play Chester, a conniving Wall Street stock broker, on the ABC primetime comedy Soap.
Susan Harris created the sitcom, which aired for four seasons, from 1977-1981. The show, always a critical darling, was a top 10 hit in its first season but suffered in the ratings as it was moved around the schedule.
Mandan and Helmond reunited for two episodes of her next series, Who's the Boss?, and for a 2002 production of "A Twilight Romance" at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. He also...
- 6/4/2018
- by Roger Newcomb
- We Love Soaps
“He was my brother.” Producer Tony Thomas remembered his longtime partner Paul Junger Witt as an extraordinarily talented producer who had great taste in material and an instinctive skill at pitching shows to network buyers.
Witt died Friday in Los Angeles at age 77 after a long battle with cancer.
“He was a lion — an absolute lion,” Thomas told Variety. “He was laser-brain smart and strong and believed in his convictions and would not be deterred. He had terrific taste and he knew how to tell a story extremely well. He was a great salesman. He knew how to find the right way to articulate to a given network what the show was and the elements that they would respond to.”
Witt and Thomas worked together for more than 45 years. From 1975 on, the two were partners in the prosperous Witt/Thomas Prods., which later expanded to Witt/Thomas/Harris Prods. when writer Susan Harris,...
Witt died Friday in Los Angeles at age 77 after a long battle with cancer.
“He was a lion — an absolute lion,” Thomas told Variety. “He was laser-brain smart and strong and believed in his convictions and would not be deterred. He had terrific taste and he knew how to tell a story extremely well. He was a great salesman. He knew how to find the right way to articulate to a given network what the show was and the elements that they would respond to.”
Witt and Thomas worked together for more than 45 years. From 1975 on, the two were partners in the prosperous Witt/Thomas Prods., which later expanded to Witt/Thomas/Harris Prods. when writer Susan Harris,...
- 4/27/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Junger Witt, the TV producer whose credits include “The Golden Girls” and “Soap,” has died at the age of 77, according to media reports.
According to Variety, Witt passed away in Los Angeles on Friday following a long battle with cancer.
Through his company Witt/Thomas/Harris productions, run with producing partner Tony Thomas and wife Susan Harris, Witt was also behind such shows as “The Partridge Family,” “Benson,” “It’s a Living,” “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” from the 1970s through the ’90s.
Also Read: Happy 96th Birthday, Betty White! Watch 9 of Her All-Time Best TV Moments (Videos)
On the film side, Witt also produced the Robin Williams drama “Dead Poets Society,” Nora Ephron’s “Mixed Nuts” and 2011’s “A Better Life,” which earned an Oscar nomination for star Demián Bichir.
He is survived by Harris and five children.
Read original story Paul Junger Witt, ‘Golden Girls’ Producer, Dies at 77 At TheWrap...
According to Variety, Witt passed away in Los Angeles on Friday following a long battle with cancer.
Through his company Witt/Thomas/Harris productions, run with producing partner Tony Thomas and wife Susan Harris, Witt was also behind such shows as “The Partridge Family,” “Benson,” “It’s a Living,” “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” from the 1970s through the ’90s.
Also Read: Happy 96th Birthday, Betty White! Watch 9 of Her All-Time Best TV Moments (Videos)
On the film side, Witt also produced the Robin Williams drama “Dead Poets Society,” Nora Ephron’s “Mixed Nuts” and 2011’s “A Better Life,” which earned an Oscar nomination for star Demián Bichir.
He is survived by Harris and five children.
Read original story Paul Junger Witt, ‘Golden Girls’ Producer, Dies at 77 At TheWrap...
- 4/27/2018
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Paul Junger Witt, who produced such hit TV shows as Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides and features Dead Poets Society, Three Kings and Insomnia, among others, died Friday morning at his home after a long battle with cancer, his publicist said. He was 77.
Witt, who began his career in the mailroom at Columbia Pictures, rose to become a producer of some TV’s most beloved and successful shows. Witt was behind such hits as The Partridge Family, Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides, Soap, its spinoff Benson, Empty Nest, Blossom and the original Beauty and the Beast.
In addition to his TV work, Witt also was a producer of features Dead Poets Society and Insomnia, both starring Robin Williams; Three Kings; and critically praised A Better Life, along with the classic 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song. The photo at left shows Witt with Williams at the Insomnia premiere in...
Witt, who began his career in the mailroom at Columbia Pictures, rose to become a producer of some TV’s most beloved and successful shows. Witt was behind such hits as The Partridge Family, Golden Girls, Here Come the Brides, Soap, its spinoff Benson, Empty Nest, Blossom and the original Beauty and the Beast.
In addition to his TV work, Witt also was a producer of features Dead Poets Society and Insomnia, both starring Robin Williams; Three Kings; and critically praised A Better Life, along with the classic 1971 TV movie Brian’s Song. The photo at left shows Witt with Williams at the Insomnia premiere in...
- 4/27/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Junger Witt, producer of such TV comedies as “The Golden Girls,” “Benson,” and “Soap” and a principal of the prosperous Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions, died Friday in Los Angeles. He was 77.
Witt had faced a long battle with cancer, a family representative said.
With producing partner Tony Thomas, Witt in the 1970s and 80s ran Witt/Thomas Productions, which was also home to NBC’s “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” and the original “Beauty and the Beast” series. In 1983, Witt married writer-producer Susan Harris, creator of NBC’s “Golden Girls,” and the company expanded as Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.
In addition to his TV work, Witt was a producer of such films as 1989’s “Dead Poet’s Society,” 1999’s “Three Kings,” 2002’s “Insomnia,” and 2011’s “A Better Life.”
Born in New York City, Witt graduated from the University of Virginia. He got his start in Hollywood in the mail room of Columbia Pictures.
Witt had faced a long battle with cancer, a family representative said.
With producing partner Tony Thomas, Witt in the 1970s and 80s ran Witt/Thomas Productions, which was also home to NBC’s “Empty Nest” and “Blossom” and the original “Beauty and the Beast” series. In 1983, Witt married writer-producer Susan Harris, creator of NBC’s “Golden Girls,” and the company expanded as Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions.
In addition to his TV work, Witt was a producer of such films as 1989’s “Dead Poet’s Society,” 1999’s “Three Kings,” 2002’s “Insomnia,” and 2011’s “A Better Life.”
Born in New York City, Witt graduated from the University of Virginia. He got his start in Hollywood in the mail room of Columbia Pictures.
- 4/27/2018
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
On-screen presidents are an unusual collection because they don’t always reflect what we want from a leader. (Though these days, it seems that consensus is fracturing more than ever.)
Some are abrasive, some are diabolical. Others are worse at their job than you would expect. So when picking the “best” TV versions of U.S. presidents, it’s just as important to consider what these individuals brought to the position that previous inhabitants did not, for good or ill.
Despite the occasional missteps of these fictional Commanders-in-Chief, many of them do represent the theoretical ideals that a national leader should uphold: a clear grasp of the office’s privilege, an understanding of the ramifications of key policy decisions, and the power that words can have to send a message to the entire nation.
We kept this particular roundup to fictional Presidents of the United States. You could make a...
Some are abrasive, some are diabolical. Others are worse at their job than you would expect. So when picking the “best” TV versions of U.S. presidents, it’s just as important to consider what these individuals brought to the position that previous inhabitants did not, for good or ill.
Despite the occasional missteps of these fictional Commanders-in-Chief, many of them do represent the theoretical ideals that a national leader should uphold: a clear grasp of the office’s privilege, an understanding of the ramifications of key policy decisions, and the power that words can have to send a message to the entire nation.
We kept this particular roundup to fictional Presidents of the United States. You could make a...
- 8/22/2017
- by Michael Schneider and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
The exploitation films of the ‘70s always offered up the goods to everyone. And by goods I mean a whole lot of sex and violence, and if you were so inclined to notice behind fogged up eyewear, pulpy takes on the relevant social issues of the day. Not all were created equal, of course; they can’t all be clever variants of the form such as Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, or Foxy Brown. However, they almost all deal with female empowerment and Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) more than checks off all the boxes, squeezing every last drop of pulp from its sci-fi fruit.
Released by Centaur Dimension Pictures in June, Invasion of the Bee Girls Aka Graveyard Tramps (it doesn’t really fit, but is one of the best alternate titles I’ve ever heard) managed to fairly impress critics on its tour of local theatres and drive-ins, including Roger Ebert,...
Released by Centaur Dimension Pictures in June, Invasion of the Bee Girls Aka Graveyard Tramps (it doesn’t really fit, but is one of the best alternate titles I’ve ever heard) managed to fairly impress critics on its tour of local theatres and drive-ins, including Roger Ebert,...
- 7/22/2017
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Today is not only International Women’s Day, but a day when many are choosing to strike for A Day Without Women, an economic protest to remind the nation just how important women’s contributions to society are. And as part of that, IndieWire has assembled a powerful list of shows, all currently streaming online, that would not exist without the brilliant female creators at their center. This is the great TV that happens when women show up. Don’t take it for granted.
“30 Rock” (NBC, Netflix)
Did we fully appreciate the gift we had in Tina Fey’s absurdist take on life behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show, while it was on the air? Maybe not, but here’s what matters: “30 Rock” was one of the most original, bizarre, hilarious and unapologetically female shows of its time, and it holds up damn well.
“Broad City” (Comedy Central,...
“30 Rock” (NBC, Netflix)
Did we fully appreciate the gift we had in Tina Fey’s absurdist take on life behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show, while it was on the air? Maybe not, but here’s what matters: “30 Rock” was one of the most original, bizarre, hilarious and unapologetically female shows of its time, and it holds up damn well.
“Broad City” (Comedy Central,...
- 3/8/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen and Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
In the gallery above, we’ve picked 29 moments among a multitude from “The Golden Girls,” the ‘80s-‘90s comedy that is available to binge in its entirety on Hulu now. Click through for a rough guide to what’s in store when you revisit Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia.
Read More: Friends of Dorothy: Was ‘The Golden Girls’ Really as Queer-Friendly as Its Reputation Suggests?
Created by Susan Harris, who had also created the controversial but critically acclaimed sitcom “Soap,” “The Golden Girls” was unlike anything America had seen before on TV. It centered on four older women living in one house in Miami, who, despite the gray in their hair (some of it camouflaged with dye), still had plenty of zest for life, sex, and troublemaking.
Based on their performances on “Maude” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Rue McClanahan and Betty White were cast first. Director Jay Sandrich...
Read More: Friends of Dorothy: Was ‘The Golden Girls’ Really as Queer-Friendly as Its Reputation Suggests?
Created by Susan Harris, who had also created the controversial but critically acclaimed sitcom “Soap,” “The Golden Girls” was unlike anything America had seen before on TV. It centered on four older women living in one house in Miami, who, despite the gray in their hair (some of it camouflaged with dye), still had plenty of zest for life, sex, and troublemaking.
Based on their performances on “Maude” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” Rue McClanahan and Betty White were cast first. Director Jay Sandrich...
- 2/13/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Warner Archive has announced the release of Demon Seed (1977), and soon fans can witness Julie Christie versus evil artificial intelligence in remastered HD!
A release date has yet to be announced, but stay tuned to Daily Dead for future updates to this story, and check out the official details and cover art below.
From Warner Archive: "Demon Seed (1977)
New 2017 1080p HD Remaster
BD50
Color - 94 Minutes
Original Aspect Ratio - 2.40:1
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 Mono-English
English Sdh
Special Features:
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Susan Harris is alone in the house when, suddenly, doors lock, windows slam shut and the phone stops working. Susan is trapped by an intruder…but this is no ordinary thug. Instead, the intruder is a computer named Proteus, an artificial brain that has learned to reason. And to terrorize. In “one of her finest, most vulnerable performances” (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic), Julie Christie...
A release date has yet to be announced, but stay tuned to Daily Dead for future updates to this story, and check out the official details and cover art below.
From Warner Archive: "Demon Seed (1977)
New 2017 1080p HD Remaster
BD50
Color - 94 Minutes
Original Aspect Ratio - 2.40:1
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 Mono-English
English Sdh
Special Features:
Original Theatrical Trailer (HD)
Susan Harris is alone in the house when, suddenly, doors lock, windows slam shut and the phone stops working. Susan is trapped by an intruder…but this is no ordinary thug. Instead, the intruder is a computer named Proteus, an artificial brain that has learned to reason. And to terrorize. In “one of her finest, most vulnerable performances” (Danny Peary, Guide for the Film Fanatic), Julie Christie...
- 2/13/2017
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Happy Friday, everybody! In this week's Ask Alan, I take questions on whether certain Peak TV shows won't age particularly well, which showrunners have the most impressive "writers tree" of all(*), and whether TV's increased serialization makes it harder to air episodes out of order these days. (*) One I had in my notes but neglected to mention when I recorded this: Susan Harris, who on "Golden Girls" alone employed future show creators Marc Cherry, Mitch Hurwitz, and the "Modern Family" Christopher Lloyd. You can watch the video embedded at the top and bottom of this post. As always, you can send questions to askalan@hitfix.com.
- 1/29/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
This story first appeared in a special Awards Watch issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. September 1985 saw the birth of some of America's most treasured pop-cultural heroes (Super Mario Bros., MacGyver), but arguably no one was more beloved than the four irrepressible stars of The Golden Girls. The sitcom, created by Susan Harris and starring Bea Arthur, then 63, Rue McClanahan, then 51, Betty White, then 63, and Estelle Getty, then 62, followed the antics of four older women living together in Miami. Critically acclaimed right out of the gate (THR called it "the funniest new show of
read more...
read more...
- 11/27/2014
- by Meena Jang
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Golden Girls.
The sitcom, created by Susan Harris and starring Bea Arthur, then 63, Rue McClanahan, then 51, Betty White, then 63, and Estelle Getty, then 62, followed the antics of four older women living together in Miami. Critically acclaimed right out of the gate (THR called it "the funniest new show of the year"), The Golden Girls sparked a ratings revival for NBC upon airing, stealing almost all network ...
</!--[Cdata[...
The sitcom, created by Susan Harris and starring Bea Arthur, then 63, Rue McClanahan, then 51, Betty White, then 63, and Estelle Getty, then 62, followed the antics of four older women living together in Miami. Critically acclaimed right out of the gate (THR called it "the funniest new show of the year"), The Golden Girls sparked a ratings revival for NBC upon airing, stealing almost all network ...
</!--[Cdata[...
- 11/27/2014
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
We've sort of gone gaga for Golden Girls today on Vulture: The show took on Friends in our Sitcom Smackdown, and we also talked to former Gg scribe Marc Cherry. And now we bring you proof that the Girls remain golden around the globe: Series creator Susan Harris last year lent her blessing (and name) to a Dutch version of the show. Take a look at the opening credits, which even feature a Dutch remake of "Thank You for Being a Friend."Folks in the Netherlands may be experiencing the latest clone of Gg, but the Dutch certainly aren't the first to enjoy localized antics of geriatric gals. Here's Spain's Las Chicas De Oro (we assume the ladies all gather in the kitchen to enjoy tres leches cake): There's also been a Russian version, but instead of a balmy beachside locale, it's set in a snow-bound house. And everyone...
- 2/28/2013
- by Josef Adalian
- Vulture
London - A British college is offering a new course designed to help people prepare for X Factor auditions. ITV, which airs the U.K. version of the music competition show, on Tuesday reported about the course, which is called The X Factor Preparation Course. Bishop Auckland College in Durham, England is offering it. The 17-week class, which costs about $150 (£95), promises students "tuition in singing and performing and coaching on how to project themselves confidently," according to the college's web site. It is taught by Susan Harris, who has worked with such musicians as Lenny Kravitz, according
read more...
read more...
- 1/15/2013
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
London, Jan ary 15: A college has launched a course specifically aimed at helping prepare budding performers for the X Factor auditions.
Technical tuition in singing, performing and projecting confidence will be offered at Bishop Auckland College in Durham. The course lasts for 17-weeks and ends just in time for the next round of auditions for the ITV1 talent show.
Actress and performer Susan Harris, who has worked alongside Lenny Kravitz and had TV roles including Davina Pike on Emmerdale during her 25 year career, is leading the course, the Mirror reported.
There are 40 places available on the course, which costs 95 pounds,.
Technical tuition in singing, performing and projecting confidence will be offered at Bishop Auckland College in Durham. The course lasts for 17-weeks and ends just in time for the next round of auditions for the ITV1 talent show.
Actress and performer Susan Harris, who has worked alongside Lenny Kravitz and had TV roles including Davina Pike on Emmerdale during her 25 year career, is leading the course, the Mirror reported.
There are 40 places available on the course, which costs 95 pounds,.
- 1/15/2013
- by Abhijeet Sen
- RealBollywood.com
Birthday shoutouts go to Ben Browder, (above) who is 50, Teri Garr is 68, and Donna Mills is 70!!The feature version of Angry Birds is a go, by the producer of Despicable Me. This year's inductees into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame are Rush, Public Enemy, Heart, Donna Summer, Randy Newman, and Albert King. Sir Ian McKellen Has Been Battling Prostate Cancer for Years.Scientists May Have Finally Unlocked Puzzle of Why People Are Gay. Thanks, Mom!Outsports has the details on a nasty anti-transgender rant by two sports radio "personalities."Below you can see the first official trailer for Man Of Steel. I'm impressed.
Would Anderson wear Meggings?
Below you can see Thomas Roberts talk to Paris Prince and Ravi Perry, the first gay male couple featured in the wedding section of Jet.
The Walking Dead won't return until February, but you can see a preview below, as Merle and Daryl get reacquainted.
Would Anderson wear Meggings?
Below you can see Thomas Roberts talk to Paris Prince and Ravi Perry, the first gay male couple featured in the wedding section of Jet.
The Walking Dead won't return until February, but you can see a preview below, as Merle and Daryl get reacquainted.
- 12/11/2012
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Marion Segal Freed, a producer, editor, screenwriter and the former wife of actor George Segal, died Dec. 22 at her Century City home after a long illness. She was 77. Freed, who was married to Segal for 25 years until their divorce in 1984, also was the step-sister of Susan Harris, the creator of TV's The Golden Girls. Photos: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths Freed served as an associate producer on Russian Roulette (1975) and Fun With Dick and Jane (1977), both of which starred Segal, and did editing work on the actor's 1981 movie Carbon Copy as well as a pair
read more...
read more...
- 12/26/2011
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This past Saturday, the lovely Ashley Greene and was on hand at the 10th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in Los Angeles at the private Mandeville Canyon estate of Susan Harris and Hayward J. Kaiser. Ashley joined stars like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, and Ryan Phillippe to help honor the great foundation, and specifically actress Olivia [...]
Click on the Title for the Full Article...
Click on the Title for the Full Article...
- 6/14/2011
- by Team Switzerland
- twilightersanonymous.com
Twilight's Ashley Greene spotted stunning at Cali Butterfly Ball last night. Twilight Saga starlet Ashley Greene was recently spotted,looking quite gorgeous last night at a Butterfly Ball in Los Angeles,California. Ashley appeared to be in great spirits as she smiled and posed for the cameras in her red dress ensemble. According to sources, Ashley attended the 10th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball. It was held at the private Mandeville Canyon Estate of Susan Harris and Hayward J. Kaiser. It honored actress Olivia Wilde for her activist work. They also honored Scott Stuber of Stuber Pictures, Wme Board Member Richard Weitz,and John Dillon Awards recipient Dianna Thomas.
Twilight’s Ashley Greene Spotted Stunning At Cali Butterfly Ball Last Night is a post from: ontheflix.com...
Twilight’s Ashley Greene Spotted Stunning At Cali Butterfly Ball Last Night is a post from: ontheflix.com...
- 6/12/2011
- by Chris
- OnTheFlix
On Thursday night, January 20, old school Hollywood gathered at the Beverly Hilton Hotel to honor some of TV's biggest legends. The Television Academy of Arts and Sciences inducted seven honorees into their Hall of Fame, adding them to a list of over 100 other famous names from in front of and behind the camera.
This year's inductees were actresses Cloris Leachman and Diahann Carroll, writer/producer Susan Harris and TV executive Tom Freston. Posthumous honors were given to game show producer Bill Todman, journalist Peter Jennings and composer Earle Hagen. Presenters for the special awards were also legends in the industry — Carl Reiner, Florence Henderson, Bob Woodruff, George Englund, Bob Daly, Fred Silverman, Tavis Smiley.
On hand to congratulate the honorees were other TV luminaries including Rose Marie, Valerie Harper, Marsha Strassman and David Steinberg. The evening's hosting duties were fulfilled by Survivor's Jeff Probst.
We were lucky enough to...
This year's inductees were actresses Cloris Leachman and Diahann Carroll, writer/producer Susan Harris and TV executive Tom Freston. Posthumous honors were given to game show producer Bill Todman, journalist Peter Jennings and composer Earle Hagen. Presenters for the special awards were also legends in the industry — Carl Reiner, Florence Henderson, Bob Woodruff, George Englund, Bob Daly, Fred Silverman, Tavis Smiley.
On hand to congratulate the honorees were other TV luminaries including Rose Marie, Valerie Harper, Marsha Strassman and David Steinberg. The evening's hosting duties were fulfilled by Survivor's Jeff Probst.
We were lucky enough to...
- 1/26/2011
- by Pop Culture Passionistas
- popculturepassionistas
hollywoodnews.com:Emmy Award-winning Murphy Brown creator Diane English has been named recipient of the Writers Guild of America, West’s 2011 Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television, honoring lifetime achievement for outstanding television writing. English will be feted, along with other honorees, at the 2011 Writers Guild Awards West Coast ceremony on Saturday, February 5, 2011, in Hollywood.
“Diane English is a total class act – a trailblazing, supremely talented writer whose groundbreaking body of work has helped to both equalize and revolutionize television, while raising the bar for insightful, caustic, and moving writing on primetime TV. Her unique voice influenced not only a generation of women writers, but all creative artists who strive to deliver quality work,” said Wgaw President John Wells.
A Wgaw member since 1977, multiple award-winning writer-producer English first began her career at Wnet/13, New York City’s PBS affiliate. She worked first as a story editor for the Theatre in America series,...
“Diane English is a total class act – a trailblazing, supremely talented writer whose groundbreaking body of work has helped to both equalize and revolutionize television, while raising the bar for insightful, caustic, and moving writing on primetime TV. Her unique voice influenced not only a generation of women writers, but all creative artists who strive to deliver quality work,” said Wgaw President John Wells.
A Wgaw member since 1977, multiple award-winning writer-producer English first began her career at Wnet/13, New York City’s PBS affiliate. She worked first as a story editor for the Theatre in America series,...
- 1/20/2011
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Some bite-sized TV news for your Tuesday:
Fox isn't ordering any more of "Lie to Me" this season -- but that doesn't necessarily mean the show is canceled. It will complete its 13-episode order by the end of January, after which "The Chicago Code" takes its timeslot; the network will make a decision on "Lie to Me's" future closer to upfronts time in the spring. [Deadline]
The CW has a "Glee"-esque musical series in development, but it's focused more on rock 'n' roll. It's tentatively titled "The Prickly Spheres" and is about a musician who turns down a Julliard scholarship and joins an indie-rock band in Minneapolis. Music manager and producer Jeff Kwatinetz ("Royal Pains") is among the executive producers. [Vulture]
"The Middle" just expanded a little bit. ABC has tacked on two episodes to the season order for the comedy, bringing its total to 24. [TV Guide]
The final season of "Law...
Fox isn't ordering any more of "Lie to Me" this season -- but that doesn't necessarily mean the show is canceled. It will complete its 13-episode order by the end of January, after which "The Chicago Code" takes its timeslot; the network will make a decision on "Lie to Me's" future closer to upfronts time in the spring. [Deadline]
The CW has a "Glee"-esque musical series in development, but it's focused more on rock 'n' roll. It's tentatively titled "The Prickly Spheres" and is about a musician who turns down a Julliard scholarship and joins an indie-rock band in Minneapolis. Music manager and producer Jeff Kwatinetz ("Royal Pains") is among the executive producers. [Vulture]
"The Middle" just expanded a little bit. ABC has tacked on two episodes to the season order for the comedy, bringing its total to 24. [TV Guide]
The final season of "Law...
- 12/7/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
North Hollywood, CA – The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame Committee has selected two iconic actresses, a ground-breaking comedy writer, an innovative cable executive, a trail-blazing TV game show producer, a universally respected journalist and television’s most beloved composer as the newest inductees into the Hall of Fame, announced Television Academy Chairman-ceo John Shaffner. Actresses Diahann Carroll and Cloris Leachman, cable executive Tom Freston, composer Earle Hagen, writer and producer Susan Harris, broadcast journalist Peter Jennings, and game show producer Bill Todman will be honored in the 20th Annual Hall of Fame Induction ceremony held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on January 20th. The event will be produced by Lee Miller. Earle Hagen, Peter Jennings, and Bill Todman will be inducted posthumously. “This year’s group of Hall of Fame inductees continues to exemplify and define the accomplishments that we recognize with this honor. Each one of...
- 12/7/2010
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Mixing Comedy & Soap: A History of the Serialized Situation Comedy
By Doug Prinzivalli
As one of the producers of the hit web series Pretty - a parody hybrid of reality TV and soaps - I thought it would be a fun idea to take a brief look at the long history of the serialized situation comedy. The idea of mixing comedy with soap elements is not a new one - in fact it started over 60 years ago.
The First Hundred Years (CBS 1950-52) was a mildly humorous daily soap about newlyweds who are gifted with a bat-infested Victorian mansion. Sounds pretty wacky to me. After less than two years, it was replaced by something called The Guiding Light.
The Egg & I (CBS 1951-52) Based on a book by Betty MacDonald and the 1947 film (starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray) that followed, this show followed the misadventures of city folk...
By Doug Prinzivalli
As one of the producers of the hit web series Pretty - a parody hybrid of reality TV and soaps - I thought it would be a fun idea to take a brief look at the long history of the serialized situation comedy. The idea of mixing comedy with soap elements is not a new one - in fact it started over 60 years ago.
The First Hundred Years (CBS 1950-52) was a mildly humorous daily soap about newlyweds who are gifted with a bat-infested Victorian mansion. Sounds pretty wacky to me. After less than two years, it was replaced by something called The Guiding Light.
The Egg & I (CBS 1951-52) Based on a book by Betty MacDonald and the 1947 film (starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray) that followed, this show followed the misadventures of city folk...
- 12/2/2010
- by Guest Editorial
- We Love Soaps
Filed under: Features, TV News
Today, we lost a brilliant comedienne with the death of Rue McClanahan at the age of 76. For most female stars who have images that are based on sex appeal, their prime years are when they're in their 20s or 30s, brimming with youth and allure. The secret success of 'Golden Girl' McClanahan is that she made her mark as a femme fatale when most actresses her age were struggling to find roles.
Rue was a master at making sexy fun, and she imbued her 'Golden Girl' alter ego, Blanche Devereaux, with all the passion and lust of a woman half her age. It made her character hilarious and lovable, but beneath the comedy was a real message about believing in your own sexual attractiveness no matter how old you are.
Writer Susan Harris created the character of Blanche, but it was...
Today, we lost a brilliant comedienne with the death of Rue McClanahan at the age of 76. For most female stars who have images that are based on sex appeal, their prime years are when they're in their 20s or 30s, brimming with youth and allure. The secret success of 'Golden Girl' McClanahan is that she made her mark as a femme fatale when most actresses her age were struggling to find roles.
Rue was a master at making sexy fun, and she imbued her 'Golden Girl' alter ego, Blanche Devereaux, with all the passion and lust of a woman half her age. It made her character hilarious and lovable, but beneath the comedy was a real message about believing in your own sexual attractiveness no matter how old you are.
Writer Susan Harris created the character of Blanche, but it was...
- 6/3/2010
- by Allison Waldman
- Aol TV.
Normally, you'd think it odd to spotlight a series that lasted four seasons in a column like 'Gone Too Soon.' But 'Soap' was a different kind of series. Like the soap operas it was mocking, it was a premise that could have gone on for years and years. In fact, there's no reason to imagine that it couldn't still be on today.
From 1977 to 1981, Susan Harris crafted what would become a timeless comedy classic for ABC. But despite high ratings throughout its run, 'Soap' would only see four seasons, abruptly ending on a slew of cliffhangers that have frustrated fans for decades.
Despite that, the stellar cast and writing have stood the test of time in a way very few television series can, even if the wardrobes haven't. 'Soap' is as relevant and hilarious today as it was more than thirty years ago now. It deserved a longer life,...
From 1977 to 1981, Susan Harris crafted what would become a timeless comedy classic for ABC. But despite high ratings throughout its run, 'Soap' would only see four seasons, abruptly ending on a slew of cliffhangers that have frustrated fans for decades.
Despite that, the stellar cast and writing have stood the test of time in a way very few television series can, even if the wardrobes haven't. 'Soap' is as relevant and hilarious today as it was more than thirty years ago now. It deserved a longer life,...
- 4/13/2010
- by Jason Hughes
- Aol TV.
By Daniel Frankel
The Writers Guild of America West will give Larry David its Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television when it conducts its annual trophy night Feb. 20.
The creator of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will be receiving a lifetime writing honor previously given to Steven Bochco, Susan Harris, Stephen J. Cannell, John Wells and David Chase.
The 2010 WGA Awards will be held simultaneously on both coasts on Saturday, Feb. 20, with the Western branch handing out the hardware at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles and the WGA East conducting ...
The Writers Guild of America West will give Larry David its Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television when it conducts its annual trophy night Feb. 20.
The creator of “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will be receiving a lifetime writing honor previously given to Steven Bochco, Susan Harris, Stephen J. Cannell, John Wells and David Chase.
The 2010 WGA Awards will be held simultaneously on both coasts on Saturday, Feb. 20, with the Western branch handing out the hardware at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles and the WGA East conducting ...
- 1/19/2010
- by Daniel Frankel
- The Wrap
The WGA West will honor William Blinn with its Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television during the 2009 Writers Guild Awards ceremony Feb. 7.
The guild's highest TV award, the Laurel honors lifetime achievement for outstanding television writing. Blinn will join the ranks of Rod Serling, Norman Lear, Steven Bochco, Susan Harris, Stephen J. Cannell, John Wells and last year's honoree, David Chase.
Blinn's five-decade resume includes the TV longform projects "Roots," "Brian's Song" and "The Boys Next Door" and such series as "The New Land," "Fame," "Eight Is Enough," "Starsky & Hutch," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "My Favorite Martian" and "Rawhide." He also co-wrote the hit 1984 Prince film "Purple Rain."
Blinn has been nominated for five Emmys and six Writers Guild Awards, winning two of each. He also won a Peabody Award for "Brian's Song" and the Humanitas Prize for "Roots."
"William Blinn's writing changed the face of television," Wgaw president Patric Verrone said.
The guild's highest TV award, the Laurel honors lifetime achievement for outstanding television writing. Blinn will join the ranks of Rod Serling, Norman Lear, Steven Bochco, Susan Harris, Stephen J. Cannell, John Wells and last year's honoree, David Chase.
Blinn's five-decade resume includes the TV longform projects "Roots," "Brian's Song" and "The Boys Next Door" and such series as "The New Land," "Fame," "Eight Is Enough," "Starsky & Hutch," "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," "My Favorite Martian" and "Rawhide." He also co-wrote the hit 1984 Prince film "Purple Rain."
Blinn has been nominated for five Emmys and six Writers Guild Awards, winning two of each. He also won a Peabody Award for "Brian's Song" and the Humanitas Prize for "Roots."
"William Blinn's writing changed the face of television," Wgaw president Patric Verrone said.
- 12/23/2008
- by By Jay A. Fernandez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Six TV producers, four writers and four directors have been nominated for the 2005 Honors Awards presented by the Caucus for Television Producers, Writers & Directors, which made the announcement Tuesday. The producer nominees are Jerry Bruckheimer, Mark Burnett, Marcy Carsey & Tom Werner, David Milch and Gary Smith. Susan Harris, Barry Kemp, Leonard Stern and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason are the writer nominees, while directors James Burrows, Thomas Carter, Mimi Leder and Gene Reynolds also were nominated. The awards will be presented Jan. 13 at the caucus' 22nd annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The black-tie event -- co-chaired by Chuck Fries and Lee Miller, with Tom Bergeron (America's Funniest Home Videos) serving as emcee -- is an annual gathering of artistic and creative professionals and executives working in the TV industry who "pay tribute to a producer, writer, director or executive for their innovative, creative and distinctive contribution to the profession." The caucus, chaired by Vin Di Bona, is a multiguild professional organization "that mentors TV producers, writers and directors in their negotiations with the cable and broadcast networks for their creative rights."...
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.