Reality check, April 16
Rocky Mountain News
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Funny's not enough
"You are such a lovable character that (we) just want you to do well, but unfortunately you're not much of a dancer."
Len Goodman, head judge of Dancing With The Stars, bidding adieu to Adam Carolla, who was booted off the show after four weeks
What if we don't want an Emilio Estevez movie?
How and why would a show jump from one cable network to another? OK - $150 million likely played a sizable role in the process, but there were other factors that led to Project Runway's defection from the NBC- owned Bravo network to Lifetime. The anatomy of the deal, according to press reports and the lawsuit filed by NBC attempting to block the deal:
* NBC and the producers of the show, the Weinstein Co., negotiated for more than a year over exclusive rights to additional seasons of the show, including the sixth season that starts airing in November.
* NBC claims that, as part of the negotiations, the Weinstein Co. insisted the network buy some of their films, which, of course, have nothing to do with Runway.
* Indeed, as part of its deal for Runway, Lifetime also bought the rights to such Weinstein films as Miss Potter, The Great Debaters, Derailed, Bobby, Transamerica and The Nanny Diaries. None of the films was a box-office blockbuster.
* Now the deal is in court, where NBC contends they have "a right of first refusal to future cycles of the series, which the Weinstein Co. unfortunately has refused to honor." Counters Weinstein lawyer David Boies: "While good for the market for lawyers, it is always unfortunate when parties try to win in court what they have lost in the marketplace."
Americans have taste after all
Who would have thought America had no interest in watching Star Trek's George Takei singing On the Road Again? The first week of CBS's Secret Talents of the Stars also ended up being its last after only 4.6 million people tuned in. What we'll miss now that CBS quickly pulled the plug:
* Sheila E. juggling
* Joe Frazier singing R&B
* Marla Maples doing gymnastics
* Ben Stein swing dancing
* Danny Bonaduce riding a unicycle
* Cindy Margolis performing magic
* Malcolm-Jamal Warner singing
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