TV Criticism

Because I love TV, I often have conversations with my friends about what constitutes as "good TV".  My friends know that I stay on top of what's happening in the industry, so I'm often asked for my professional opinion.  I often regurgitate what I've read from critics and express my own personal opinion, which usually conflicts with the general TV professional.

I was led to wonder, what is it that I'm not getting?  What do they see about this TV show that they find so amazing, that I think is so boring?  Then, I realize, almost every "critically-acclaimed" show always has the lowest ratings and is generally struggling for an audience.  My opinions are generally more aligned with higher-rated shows.  There are clear exceptions to this; I am hard-pressed to find a reality show I can sit through.  But I do understand why certain reality shows are beloved, apart from my personal opinion.

When I watched previews of the fall lineup this summer, I predicted who was going to make it and who wasn't.  I should have blogged about it, but I never got around to it.  But I was most surprised that Lone Star was a critic's favorite.  I didn't understand how I could become emotionally attached to a main character that was deceptive.  As a woman, I couldn't see entertainment in watching a man lie to his two secret families.

Clearly, America agreed because it was the first show to get chopped.  It came on right after House, and most of the viewers changed the channel, probably to NBC to see the The Event, which was my choice.  The show's creator begged and plead on the internet for people to watch his show the second week, but even less viewers tuned in.

I can't say I never agree with the critics.  We all thought NBC's Undercovers wouldn't work because sex and action alone to equal to a good show.  Spy shows have been struggling on TV for years.  Spy show fans are pretty hard core, just ask loyal followers of Chuck and the canceled Jericho.  But spy show fans generally have to identify with the characters and I did not see the Comic-Con fan base jumping on the bandwagon behind a sex-crazed African-American couple.  I guess that was just me.

But if what I think makes a good TV show are higher rated shows, who's wrong?  What criteria are reviewers even using?  My guess is that TV is rated by the same community that rates films.  The last few years of Oscar-nominated pics are a strong indication that regular people don't agree with the general film community.  Everyone I've ever met who worked in the TV industry was more interested in film, and liked the steady paycheck that came with TV.

This is one of the many reasons why I want to work in the television.  I can't say I know what's best, I've never worked for a network, I have no idea what's involved in their criteria.  But I do care.  I love TV and I always will.  When I finally get to LA, I hope I get a better understanding.

Season 2 of Glee

There's no question, I love Glee.  Season 2 is no different, I love it.  I love singing, I love dancing and I'm in a group called Chicago Glee for a reason.  Regardless of the fact that I love season 2, I think it could be MUCH better.  The first season was magical.  The dialogue was witty, the plot points were original and the characters were presented with iconic Steve Urkel-like material, especially Jane Lynch's well-deserved Emmy-winning role as Sue Sylvester.  

And as much as I love singing, there's a little too much of it going on right now.  I feel like every episode is designed for iTunes sales.  There's barely any dialogue or any plot at all whatsoever.  But when 7 songs are in a one-hour episode, how does one have any time for an actual good show?  If this season is any indication of what Glee looks like now that it's found some success, I don't think it's going to be riding this success wave very long. 

Stress!

I'm usually pretty good at staying calm.  I meditate, focus on the present moment and trust that everything will work out all right.  I understand that worrying doesn't solve anything, so generally, I choose not to do it.  In my last post, I spoke of issues with selling my condo.  I'm sure these issues are no surprise, everyone who is selling property knows that it can't be done without complication.

I consider myself a relatively educated person.  I pay attention to politics, listen to NPR, watch PBS, subscribe to and read Money and Time magazines on a semi-regular basis, and overall, I choose to be aware of the world around me.  Therefore, I was taken by surprise when I realized that I know absolutely about the banking industry.  I'm not going to get into the semantics of the issues and decisions that lay before me; all I will say is that serious decisions need to be made. 

Now: for the good news.  I called myself completing a new draft of my screenplay that is perfect for Agape Productions.  In better news, I got an email from Danny Manus, a script consultant for No Bull Scripts with feedback on how to improve my second draft.  I had to give him a plug because he provided notes for my second draft, without me asking for them and without charging me.  So I'm going to have an even more polished script to send off to Agape Media and ABC Family.

More good news:  The window for NBC's Entertainment Associates Program just opened.  I have been checking voraciously all year.  I almost missed it, the window opened August 2nd and closes on the 20th.  There's tough competition and because of my lack of experience in LA, my odds aren't high.  But the window opens for 18 days every two years, so I'm glad that I got into it while I could.

So I'll just focus on my good news instead my frustrating condo decision bring me down...  

The Present Moment

So on the LA side, things have been looking great.  I'm getting lots of great, positive feedback from people in the industry and I'm eager to get there.  However, I still have this giant weight bearing down on my shoulders: my condo.  My place is has been on the market for almost two weeks.  I can't say that I expected to be showered with bids, but there are no promising leads yet.

A friend and old colleague is listing it and I'm just not getting a lot of positive feedback from her.  On top of the fact that she told me she doesn't have the time to devote to it so I should get another agent, everyone she's talked to suggests that I should list it for way less than I bought it for.

I know the housing market took a hit and it does suck to think of leaving Chicago with debt and no job, but I have been reminded to stay focus on my original purpose.  I will be lowering the price and getting a new agent today.  I can't say that I'm not scared, but I'm doing this for a reason. 

I'm not doing this for me.  My purpose is to have a positive effect on the world, using the television as a medium.  It's not about achieving my goal, making my money or accomplishing something in particular.  I'm not in LA yet, but I know I will be, and I know when I get there, I will be fine.

Though I am ready to move on, right now, this present moment is all that I have.  I love Chicago, my job is amazing, and right now, in this present moment, I am doing good and positive things.  I am being the change I want to see in the world, right now.  Regardless of where I am living, where I am working and how much my condo sells for, I am and will continue to be that change.  Like Michael Jackson said, I'm starting with the (wo)man in the mirror...

Emmy Predictions

The Primetime Emmy Awards predictions are pouring in and I'm not going to miss my chance to put my predictions in print. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a self-professed Gleek. If it was up to me, they'd win in every category. Even though I am far from the only Gleek out there, everything I've read on Twitter, blogs and trade articles indicate to me that there aren't a whole lot of Gleeks in Hollywood.

Hollywood loves Modern Family. I like Modern Family enough, but I personally believe that the stakes aren't high enough in that show. It's funny, but the plot doesn't drive me through the commercial break and I often lose interest when I watch it live. However, I and my fellow Gleeks are not voters in the Academy.

That brings me to the issue I approached in an earlier blog about the Emmys. I'm not saying Hollywood is out of touch with the rest of America, I'm just saying Hollywood uses a different ruler to gauge quality. I don't think that's a bad thing. If it was up to the people, Jersey Shore would sweep.

So, my predictions look like this:

Drama Series: True Blood

Damages, Breaking Bad and Mad Men have all done well in this category. Theoretically, any of the three of these could still win, but True Blood is gaining Hollywood and regular people traction, so I think Hollywood might lean towards True Blood.

Comedy Series: Modern Family

Miniseries: The Pacific

I've never seen it, but Hollywood can't stop talking about it so they obviously think it's good.

Made-for-TV movie: You Don't Know Jack.

Jack Kevorkian played by Al Pacino. 'Nuff said.

Actor, Drama: Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Hollywood loves Dexter and he had cancer this season. His colleagues will be rooting for him.

Actress, Drama: Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife

Hollywood and regular people are eating this show up. Hollywood likes it when regular people like quality shows. Glenn Close keeps winning for Damages; it's someone else's turn.

Supporting Actor, Drama: Michael Emerson, Lost

Everyone loves Lost, it was the last season, and Hollywood respects his dichotomous performance.

Supporting Actress, Drama: Anyone but Rose Byrne

Though Hollywood loves Damages, Rose Byrne can't act. The fact that there are two nominees from Mad Men and The Good Wife make it difficult for actresses to win from either of those shows, so Sharon Gless from Burn Notice might win by default. If I was forced to, I'd guess Elizabeth Moss from Mad Men.

Actor, Comedy: Steve Carrell, The Office

Everyone loves him, Alec Baldwin has won enough times, and next season will be Carrell's last at The Office.

Actress, Comedy: Toni Collette, United States of Tara

Collette plays multiple personalities and Hollywood loves her. Tina Fey has enough Emmys and Amy Poehler's role in Parks and Recreation splits voters over the two of them. I wouldn't be surprised if Edie Falco won for her role in Nurse Jackie; Hollywood loves her too.

Supporting Actor, Comedy: Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother

Everyone loves Barney and NPH is hot. Last year, he was hot as the host of the Tonys and in his musical villain role in Joss Whedon's online miniseries, and he had a great guest appearance in Glee this season, directed by Joss Whedon. The vote will split among the three nominees for Modern Family, Chris Colfer is not a Glee star, and there's too much drama on Two and Half Men right now for a win for Jon Cryer.

Supporting Actress, Comedy: Jane Lynch, Glee

Hollywood is madly in love with her right now. If you talk to anyone in the industry about Glee, she is who they rave about. Plus, she will no longer be on Party Down because it was cancelled and Hollywood loved on that show, too. In a side note, it appears insiders were the only ones who loved Party Down, and I'm guessing it's because they were the only ones who could really appreciate it.

Guest Actor, Drama: John Lithgow, Dexter

I have not seen any episodes of the shows nominated in this category because I don't have a DVR and none of these shows are available free online. John Lithgow's performance was the only one I've ever read about and I've read good things.

Guest Actress, Drama: Lily Tomlin, Damages

I haven't seen any of these episodes either, I'm just banking on Damages' appeal and Lily Tomlin's star power.

Guest Actor, Comedy: Neil Patrick Harris, Glee

For the same reasons as above.

Guest Actress, Comedy: Betty White, SNL

In my opinion, all would be right with the world if Kristin Chenowith received it for her role in Glee. It was a killer performance and how can anyone not love her? She's amazing. When reality kicks in, I know that Betty White is riding a wave a fire right now and it doesn't look like it's fizzling out anytime soon.

Reality Competition Program: The Amazing Race

It wins every year. If voters decided to stop voting for this show, I'm guessing they'd vote for Top Chef. Hollywood loves food porn.

Reality Series: Kathy Griffin, My Life on the D-List

Hollywood voters voting about a show about clout in Hollywood. Plus, she loves gay people. I say her chances are GREAT.

Variety, Music or Comedy Series: Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show

There's a whole movement around Conan's short stint as host of The Tonight Show. I doubt Hollywood would pass up their chance to give him a major award to commemorate it.

The rest of the categories are so obscure, I couldn't have begun to contribute worthwhile hypotheses. Besides, I don't want this to be the never-ending blog post. Pull this blog up when the Emmys air, you can get a chance to see if I am crazy off-base or spot-on.

Change Will Do Me Good

So, the big decision is that I have decided to move to LA. Though I have announced it all over the place, my actual moving day is going to be a big question. I am putting my condo on the market in August and moving day will totally depending on my place selling. Right now, I'm working on cleaning it, fixing it and getting it pretty for showing.

I'd like to move in October, but my mom is getting married on 10/10/10, at 10:10am (awesome, right?) which makes things a little complicated. The big plan is to fly in to look for a place, come back for my mom's wedding and drive back with some stuff. I'll keep everyone posted on that process.

The icing on my cake is that I am now happily engaged. Everyone loves icing, right? I've got a place in mind, but we decided to figure out the date once we move to LA so that we can see what our money situations look like. We are both taking a huge leap by moving to LA without jobs, we're definitely stepping out on faith. We feel super positive about the decision and our happy to have the moral support of our friends and families as we make this step. Thank you all!

I'm back!!

For a minute there, it looked like I wasn't coming back. Everything was amazing. I learned a lot, met a lot of great people and was even invited out for coffee by the VP of Current Programming at CBS! I had amazing day at the Pitchfest. I pitched my scripts and myself to 19 different production companies. I got a lot of positive feedback and one script in particular was requested by about 10 different companies. Though that sounds like good news, it's just the beginning. Here's the life of a pitched script:

At a development company, the process starts with someone reading it and deciding if they like it or not. If they do, they ask for a rewrite. After 2 or 3 rewrites, the person pitches it to their boss. If their boss likes it, more notes and more rewrites are done. Once everyone thinks the script is perfect, they try to sell it.

If a production company likes it, they don't have to worry about selling it, they are the ones deciding if they want to buy it. I've only got one production company interested and it's in Canada. That company is in the process of pitching the idea to the people in charge to decide if they want to read it at all.

So for the places that actually requested scripts for me, I decided that I should get them professionally polished. These script ideas are the first screenplays I've ever written. In fact, the most popular idea was the first idea I wrote. Most people say that screenwriters don't produce quality work until their fifth or sixth idea. So, based on notes from a professional, I'll do some rewrites and send my final drafts out in a few weeks.

The best news of trip was a development assistant who said he'd go to bat for me for a production assistant job, but I'd have to start next week. Every single executive I spoke to said that if I want to break into the field, I need to work as an intern for free. The fact that I had an opportunity to interview for a job that actually paid something made me feel like I should take it. I probably dragged my feet a little too long though, because I haven't heard back from them.

I've made some definitive decisions and I will be sharing them in the next post. Don't turn that dial, we'll be right back :-)

Writing Projects

As an admissions counselor, June and July leave me with the most free time of the year because most people don't look for college during these months. Theoretically, it is the time that I get to have normal social and fitness schedules and plan vacations.

I made the decision to cram as much writing as I can in June and relax in July. Because of the Pitchfest and some contest deadlines, this seemed like a good idea. Initially, I planned to write a spec script for Glee, work on preparing pitches for my feature scripts and work on revisions for all of my completed drafts throughout the month.

Then, I learned of a new contest to write an original half-hour pilot for a contest for Spike TV. Out of the blue, I was invited to participate in a secret writing project through a website that reviewed my earlier contest submissions and decided that I was a good writer. I felt like I couldn't pass up that honor, so I wrote new content for that contest.

When researching companies that are going to be at the Pitchfest at the end of this month, I learned that Agape Media is going to participate. Agape is a mega-church in LA that is rooted in New Thought. My spiritual center is closely aligned with Agape and one of my screenplays has some strong New Thought elements. In addition, they are probably the only the production company in the world that actually accepts submissions. Therefore, the screenplay I'd like to pitch to them must be a lot tighter than it is now.

Based on new work and information, I have decided to give my pitches and screenplay revisions top priority for the remaining 15 days in the month of June. After starting my spec for Glee, it felt like an incredibly daunting task to have a good draft by June 30 for a contest deadline. I will be taking a television writing class at Columbia this fall, so I will write that script during the fall semester.

I will spend July on the pilot for Spike and on the relaxation that I promised to myself all year. Within the last year, I have taken two screenwriting classes, a television class, several writing workshops and bootcamps and a spiritual foundations class all while balancing extra work, family, community and volunteer commitments. I think I deserve July.

I'll be taking the bus to Memphis to meet my girlfriend's family during the July 4th holiday and I'll be spending a long weekend in Lake Geneva with my family shortly afterward. I plan to watch at least one full season of the television shows Breaking Bad, Party Down, The Guild, Battlestar Galactica, Damages and Six Feet Under. I heard they're good, and I will be posting my opinions about them as the excitement unfolds.

The next post will include more information about my finished projects. I should have contest results from my secret writing project very soon and I will certainly provide updates about the Pitchfest. Stay tuned!

Network Bidding for the Emmys

So I know I promised I'd share more about my writing projects in this post, but right now, I don't feel like talking about them so I'm going to go on a new rant about the Emmys. Right now, the networks aren't really feeling the Emmys. They have to pay licensing fees and production costs and the benefit doesn't feel worth the expense (Hollywood Reporter).

The intended benefit of the Emmys are to bring more attention to the networks' shows, but the Emmys haven't improved the ratings for recent winners. Looking at Emmy-nominated shows, it is easy to understand why.

I'm not saying the shows suck, they're awesome. However, Americans don't like awesome television. Americans really like crap. There's a reason that the MTV Movie Awards exist and that they're talked about amongst regular people far more than the Oscars. MTV is fun and features movies and actors that people actually know and like. If MTV had a television award show, I'm sure it would be the same way.

The show would actually be entertaining, including skits featuring the Jersey Shore cast, America's Top Model judges and other stars and cast-offs from crappy reality shows, and feature characters from shows the 18-49 crowd watches, like Grey's Anatomy, How I Met Your Mother and Glee.

Granted, Glee can currently change things in the world of the Emmys next year. Critics and regular people like it, so if there's some good stuff from Glee, the show's ratings will probably benefit. But my point is that the Emmys are suffering from the same disconnection with the people that the Oscars are. Until the networks start producing fictional programming that attracts the 18-49 crowd and the Emmys become just as fun as the programs themselves, it's going to continue to go down the toilet.

Even if the Emmys were highlighting shows that the American public was actually watching, the award's show format is pretty boring. I feel like it's essentially the same format since the inception of awards shows. MTV award shows work because they constantly have to switch things up to get the attention of their demographic. I'm not saying that Jon Hamm should fall naked from the ceiling onto Charlie Sheen, I'm just saying the Emmys could stand to mix things up a little. Have Beyonce perform with the Glee kids. Or better yet, just invite Kanye and have him present an Emmy to Courtney Cox after beating out Tina Fey and see what happens.

Screenplay

So the story begins when I started my job at Columbia College Chicago. I was working downtown and needed to take public transportation to work every day. Though I have tons of music on my iPod, I was getting bored and had an idea to start downloading the podcasts. After doing a search for "television", I found Pilar Alessandra's "On The Page" podcast.

At first, I just downloaded the episodes that featured guests that we television writers and executives. I found the podcast relevant, informative and entertaining so I downloaded more. Through the podcast, I learned that the lines between television and film writing are quite blurred. She had guests that were television and screenwriters who were writing for the Hallmark Channel, ABC Family and Disney.

After listening to these podcasts, I was inspired. I didn't have an idea for a screenplay, but I decided I would write one. Over time, an idea came to me. One day, I sat down and wrote it. I wrote an entire screenplay in one day. But I didn't know what to do with it. I decided to register for a screenwriting class at Columbia, since I have such a handy dandy discount.

I wanted to use the screenplay I had already written, but the teacher said we needed to start with a brand new idea. My first assignment was to write six loglines for a script I might like to write and that sparked a brand new idea. This screenplay was much more difficult for me to write and ended up taking me the entire semester, as opposed to one day.

Close to the end of completion of my screenplay, I had the opportunity to take a rewriting workshop, held at Columbia, by the one and only, Pilar Alessandra. I was so excited to meet her. The workshop was super helpful and I was lucky enough to horn in on her plans to meet some other people at a bar. While talking about my screenplay idea, she suggested that I go the Pitchfest this summer because my idea was so timely.

So here I am, getting ready for the Pitchfest in three weeks. I have a lot of other writing projects to complete before the end of the month that interfere with my preparation process. I'll be ready to share more about those in my next post. Stay tuned.

Welcome

I have always loved television. I love it so much that in high school, I made a decision to pursue it professionally. At the time, I didn't know anything about television, other than the fact that I liked to watch it. To learn more, I took a class in high school at Columbia College Chicago, I browsed the internet and read anything I can find about the subject at Borders.

At the time, my resources were limited. The internet was still a baby and no one had even heard of Google. Domain names came a dime a dozen. I didn't know anyone in the industry and I didn't know anyone who knew anyone in the industry. I made the decision to study media at Northern Illinois because it was cheap, far enough away from home but close enough to visit and cable television was included with my dorm room. Cable TV was especially important to me because my mother had never allowed me to have it and as a TV-phile, I didn't want to live another moment without it.

When I graduated from college in 2003, I had no idea how much I didn't know. I was a bright-eyed, arrogant Master's degree-holder with a great apartment and a job at a TV station in Des Moines. So for the last seven years, I have had a number of different jobs in and out of the industry that have taught me how ignorant I am. Worst of all, everything I'm learning now, is a part of the regular curriculum for Columbia College Chicago, a school that now acts as my employer. My job is to speak to students about how fabulous the college is, which serves as a constant reminder of the decision I should have made so many years ago.

My various jobs, articles, books, podcasts, on and off-line social networking groups, classes, workshops and conferences all make me feel better prepared to really break into the world of television. My next step involves a trip to Los Angeles next month to pitch two screenplays I wrote over the course of this year.

One may ask, if I'm so interested in breaking through the small screen, why am I writing for the big one. The answer to that question comes in the next blog post.