Our 10th Year Benefiting Northern California Screenwriters and Filmmakers
makers
ABOVE THE LINE
April 2003
A Publication for the Members of the Northern California Writers & Artists
The Insights of the World of Television
Writer Ed Robertson at The Studio Center, Friday April 4, 7:00 p.m.
ED TV
you know that Mannix, Rockford and
Columbo will still get their man. That
accounts for the staying power of cop
shows throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, as
well for the current wave of police
procedurals "C.S.I." has ushered in over
the past year.
By Noelle Ellis
As I typically do before an interview I
research my subject. And as often
happens I am enormously impressed
with what I have discovered. Ed
Robertson is an intriguing figure to be
sure. He is an author, editor, journalist,
television historian, writing consultant,
and speaker, as we shall all get the
opportunity to witness on April 4 at the
monthly NCWA meeting where he will
be discussing the current trends in
television.
Ed Robertson
Ed Robertson’s credits include: The
Ethics of Star Trek, The Fugitive
Recaptured, Chicken Soup for the
Writer’s Soul, a columnist for Media
Life Magazine, regular appearances on
the Ronn Owens Program (KGO-AM
San Francisco) and the Tony Trupiano
Show, as well as appearances on
Biography, Entertainment Tonight, and
Headliners and Legends to name a few.
shows. "American Idol" and "Joe
Millionaire" not only propelled Fox to
Through the magic of modern
technology I got a chance to talk with
Mr. Roberts about trends in television.
His insights into the world of television
as a whole are both smart and shrewd.
Regarding a medium that can seem
overwhelmingly contrite, his
observations are both honest and
encouraging.
Going back a little further, police
dramas and traditional family comedies
have also been on the rise in the months
following 9/11. While comedies and
cop shows have been around since the
dawn of television, they have always
been particularly popular in times of
upheaval. Cop shows, for example,
provide a sense of certainty in times of
uncertainty. Few things in life are more
satisfying than forgetting your
problems for an hour and watching a
good old-fashioned morality play with
clearly defined good guys and bad
guys. The country may be at war, and
you may be out of a job, but at least
NE: What would you say are the
most prominent current trends in
television?
ER: Without a doubt, the biggest rage
these days are reality-based game
its first sweeps win ever in February,
they have, like most trends in
television, brought forth a slew of
imitators. Some have already
premiered, some are in the works for
May sweeps, while others will grace
our screens in the summer.
Comedies have likewise always been
strong during times of uncertainty.
While television in the Vietnam Era is
best remembered for far out shows like
"Bewitched" and "I Dream of Jeannie,"
the top two comedies throughout the
‘60s were "The Beverly Hillbillies" and
"The Andy Griffith Show," both of
which were simple, homespun shows
that centered around family. Similarly,
audiences in recent months also
returned to familiar and familial.
"Friends" received a ratings boost in the
months following 9/11, while "The
Bernie Mac Show," "Eight Simple
Rules for Dating My Teenage
Daughter" and "My Big Fat Greek
Life" have all breathed new life in the
traditional family comedy.
NE: For instance, drama vs. reality
television, would you say this is a
view of the future of television, or
simply a phase?
Because the term "reality TV" cuts a
pretty wide swath, I think we ought to
make a distinction here. Strictly
speaking, "reality TV" as we’ve come
to know it today refers to that semidocumentary style of programming first
made popular ten years ago with
MTV’s "The Real World," where the
lives of ordinary people are depicted
and the "drama" plays out, unscripted,
over a particular period of time. In that
respect, "The Osbournes" is a "true"
ABOVE THE LINE: April 2003
reality show, as is E’s "The Anna
Nicole Show" and, going back a little
further, the Loud family that was the
focus of the 1973 PBS series, "An
American Family." Whereas
"Survivor," "American Idol," and most
of the other so-called "reality shows"
on the networks today are really game
shows disguised within the format of
reality television.
From a production point of view, I
think it’s safe to say that we will
continue to see "reality TV" on the
networks because it’s a format that has
proven to work time and again. When
you think about it, "Candid Camera" is
a "reality" show, and one that’s been a
staple on TV for over 40 years. So have
other shows that "eavesdrop" on or
poke fun at ordinary people, such as
"Real People," "America’s Favorite
Home Videos," and "Girls Behaving
Badly." Newsmagazines such as "60
Minutes" and "Entertainment Tonight"
also fall under the realm of "reality
TV," as do documentary shows such as
"National Geographic." Network
executives have always loved these
kinds of shows. For one thing, other
than the host, there are no regulars, per
se, so they don’t have to contend with
rising salaries and contract negotiations
every year. That makes them relatively
inexpensive to make. For that reason
alone, you can expect to see more
"reality TV" than you might want to in
the years to come.
What you won’t see, however, are
many more "fad" shows such as
"Survivor" and "American Idol."
Generally speaking, most fads in
television last about three years, during
which time you’ll see any number of
knock-offs that hope to capture the
magic of the original. While one or two
imitators may catch on, the rest, for the
most part, tend to fade quickly into
oblivion. Once the trend setter goes, the
fad usually dies along with it.
"Survivor," the show that started the
"reality game show" trend, is in its third
year, and while it still performs solidly
in the ratings, its audience numbers for
the fifth and sixth editions are
noticeably down from that of the
previous four. That would suggest that
"Survivor" has nearly run its course.
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When it goes, expect the trend to go
with it.
NE: What are the advantages,
disadvantages, possible dangers?
ER: The main advantage (from the
network's point of view, anyway) is that
reality-based game shows, as I
mentioned, are relatively cheap to
produce. The main disadvantage is that
they have limited syndication value,
which is where the real money is in
television. Most reality game shows last
about 10 or 13 episodes, so you really
can’t "rerun" them in the usual sense.
Plus, the audience already knows who
the winner is, so the allure of watching
the game as it plays out is no longer
there. About the best you can do is put
together a compilation of highlights on
video or DVD (as "Survivor" and
"American Idol" have both done) and
hope there’s enough of a market for it.
The biggest danger, if you’re a network
programming executive, is that you
might lose sight of the fact that fad
shows such as "Survivor" provide short
term fixes at best. Fox won sweeps on
the strength of two fads, "American
Idol" and "Joe Millionaire." Take those
shows out of the equation, and Fox
finishes a distant second. As it stands,
even with its sweeps victory, Fox still
has major holes throughout its lineup.
Thursdays and Fridays have been a joke
all year. Mondays were also a problem
before until January, when "Joe
Millionaire" came along. But ever since
"Millionaire" left at the end of sweeps,
Mondays are a trouble spot once again.
Which suggests, in Fox’s case, that
reality game shows are a Band-Aid
solution to a bigger problem.
NE: As both a writer and television
historian, where do you predict
writers of legitimate drama, fiction,
et. al will turn to as the market
succumbs to the reality t.v.
phenomenon?
ER: The market won’t succumb to the
"reality TV" phenomenon. Even as we
wait for this particular fad to runs its
course, there are still plenty of outlets
for writers of traditional scripted drama.
Cable networks, for example, are no
longer simply homes for reruns of
canceled network shows. They’re
increasingly producing original dramas
of their own. Lifetime, TNT, and the
SciFi Channel have been doing this for
years. FX, of course, made a big splash
last year with "The Shield," and has a
new comedy set to premiere in April
("Lucky," with John Corbett of "My
Big Fat Greek Wedding" fame). And,
speaking of "Wedding,"
writer/performer Nia Vardalos came
out of nowhere and ended up with a
smash hit, first on the big screen and
now on television. So the opportunities
are certainly there for writers of
scripted comedy or drama.
NE: Do writers, producers, and the
like have a responsibility to the
viewers to maintain some semblance
of civilized society, or is it fair game
to pander to the lowest common
denominator?
ER: I guess the answer depends on
what you believe the purpose of
television should be. While Philo
Farnsworth had much loftier visions for
the medium when he first invented it,
television, particularly American TV, is
a business that seeks to entertain. Most
people who watch television see it as a
source of entertainment, but for the
people who work in the industry, it’s a
business. Actors and writers want the
studios and production companies to
hire them. Studios and production
companies want the networks to buy
their shows. Networks want shows that
people want to watch, so that they in
turn can charge sponsors as much as
they can. It’s a business, first and
foremost, and if you don’t pay attention
to trends, or if you’re producing a
product that isn’t compelling, or which
fails to attract a large enough audience,
you’ll soon find yourself out of
business. That’s the name of the game.
It may sound trite, but the reason we
have so many "reality TV" shows today
is that audiences are watching them in
massive numbers. If they weren’t, the
networks would stop making them.
That said, if you look at the history of
television, you’ll see that are a lot of
writers and producers over the years
who truly understood the power of
television and took it upon themselves
to use it to great effect. Enough quality
programs are made each year that
ABOVE THE LINE: April 2003
engage you in the same way a good
novel will engage you. I’m not just
talking about the stuff you see on PBS,
or the Discovery Channel, or the
Learning Channel. I’m talking about
shows created by the likes of Rod
Serling, Norman Lear, James L.
Brooks, Gene Roddenberry, Roy
Huggins, Larry Gelbart, Aaron Sorkin,
Matt Groening, and Patrick McGoohan,
shows that usually have something to
say about the human condition, even as
they entertain us.
NE: I know it’s corny, but I always
end the interview with “Top Five”.
What are your Top Five favorite t.v.
shows of all time?
ER: 5. "M*A*S*H" (but only the first
five seasons)
4. "Columbo" (the original NBC show
from the ‘70s, but only the episodes
that were 90 minutes in length)
3. "I Love Lucy"
2. "The Rockford Files" (particularly,
the first and fourth seasons)
1. (tie) "Harry O," "The Prisoner," and
"Batman"
To learn more about what’s next for Ed
Robertson check out his website:
www.edrobertson.com
It’s definitely worth the visit.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE!!!
PROFESSIONAL
SCREENWRITING CLASS
James Dalessandro’s Professional
Screenwriting Classes is still open.
The cost will be prorated if you
missed the first class. The classes
are being held from 2:00 p.m. –
6:00 p.m. at The Studio Center, 915
Fee Drive, Sacramento, CA.
Classes will be held on 3/23, 4/27,
5/18, 6/29 & 7/27. The cost is $245
for NCWA members and $275 for
non-members. Call (916) 366-6650
for more information.
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Final Cut Pro development team at
Apple Computer.
NCWA
Northern California Writers & Artists
is an unincorporated non-profit
association benefiting writers and
filmmakers throughout Northern
California. Founded in 1993, the
purpose of the organization is to
provide members the opportunity to
explore the craft and business of
writing and filmmaking, and network
with screenwriters, published
authors, agents, and professionals
from film, television, and publishing.
An Evening with Eric Escobar
By Michael van Mantgem
Story can be told in countless ways:
on canvas, on stage, in the air, on
the page, on screen, or, in the case
of Eric Escobar, on all of the above.
The evening began with the
screening of Eric's short film, Night
Light -- his first narrative film that is
an official selection in many of the
2002-2003 film festivals, including
Sundance. Night Light tells the story
of a little boy in New York City who
daydreams about the night: the
stars, the moon, and the galaxy that
never light up his urban landscape.
A vision that only the sacrifices of
his struggling family can make a
reality.
After the lights went up, Eric
described his career path from
producing documentaries for the
African-American
Studies
Department
at
University
of
California at Berkeley, to his
shooting and editing of Night Light,
to his thoughts on the future of
digital film and filmmaking from the
perspective of a member of the
Eric's
presentation
was
truly
compelling on numerous fronts. But
above all else, it was his
enthusiasm
and
passion
for
storytelling and the creative process
that transcended what could have
otherwise been a detailed how-to
technical presentation of the writing
process,
filmmaking,
contest
submissions, and digital editing. To
an artist like Eric, technology is
simply a means for exploring what
is possible, albeit cheaply and
effectively, to the end of connecting
people in ways that are otherwise
impossible. In a word: Storytelling.
A MESSAGE FROM
THE ACTING
PRESIDENT -: Deborah
Whitman
ABOVE THE LINE: April 2003
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
4
___ New Member
___ Renewal
All Writers & Film Artists are welcome to join the Northern California Writers & Artists (NCWA) and bring friends to our meetings (a $7 donation is
suggested for guests). Complete the application form below and mail it along with your check to:
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WRITERS & ARTISTS
P. O. Box 276983
Sacramento, CA 95827
(916) 484-4117
SELECT ONE MEMBERSHIP TYPE:
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Membership fees pay for guest speakers and publishing the NCWA newsletter. Members are entitled to: 1) Biographical & logline
information on the NCWA website, 2) The monthly NCWA newsletter, 3) Free admission to the monthly NCWA meetings/workshops.
For more information, visit our website at http://ncwriters.tripod.com, e-mail us at [email protected], or call (916) 484-4117.
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Today’s Date: ________________________________
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Call (916) 456-8600
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FEATURING NCWA GUEST
SPEAKER:
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& Artists
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(916) 484-4117
________________________________
Eric Escobar
4/4/03 at 7:00 p.m.
TO:
Acting President: Diane Durrett
Acting Vice President: Bob Matteoli
Secretary/Treasurer: Lee Cranfield
Newsletter Editor: Deborah J. Whitman
Communications: Deborah J. Whitman
Photographer: Bill Hennig
Writers: Noelle Ellis
Michael van Mantgem
Deborah Whitman
NCWA MEETINGS - NCWA meets
the 1st or 2nd Friday of the month at The
Studio Center, 915 Fee Drive,