The Production Manager - Hurry up and wait

So I greet you this week with exciting news in the world of television, not only do I read in Variety that the movie Heathers is to be remade into a TV series, which hopefully will keep its dark edge rather have a 90210 style make over complete with bad acting, high gloss no substance characters and appalling storylines.

I also read that following the murder–suicide of a contestant on two of their reality shows - can anyone say psychological evaluation? – VH1 are finally looking to change their current slate of programming, which lets face it can all be traced back directly from Surreal Life*.

This is fantastic news for the likes of the indies who make actually interesting shows, although this may not be so great for Pepa or TLC’s Chili who were both set to ‘look for love’ in the fall season.

Yes that’s right folks I’m back in the states, back to the cut throat market, getting a show commissioned and back to complaining about the lack of decent documentaries in this country when secretly I spent my entire time in the UK watching re-runs of Friends. (And MOTD of course!)

On the production management side, commissioning editors are still on vacation this week, which holds up production. All projects I’ve been contacted about so far are ‘waiting for approval’ - code for someone forgot to sign on the dotted line before jetting off to the Amalfi coast.

So while waiting for the industry’s September jump start I’m budgeting an indie feature and making one last ditch effort to get our docu soap commissioned. I’ve connected my man on the inside with my man who can make it happen and I hope something will come of it. My Man Who Can, a seasoned development producer told me he applauded me for taking a stab at developing a series and that I was ‘entering the arena’. I think it was meant to be a compliment but to me it isn’t.

To me the arena is full of dirty play; it’s like a WWF fight that’s rigged from the start, carefully choreographed and nobody really wins except the promoter.

In the real production world I have had a very interesting offer from a production company who are very excited about me and look set to make an offer. The only downside being that I’m hearing some not so great rumors about the head of the company being terrible to work for. No doubt next week’s blog will be about money or integrity, can you really have one without the other?

*Surreal Life spawned Flavor of Love, which spawned both Rock of Love and I Love New York, which in turn spawned Daisy of Love, Charm School, I Love Money, For the Love of Ray J, Real Chance of Love…the list goes on!

Tags: Film, Director, , Movie Blog, Oscars