Show creators? Who needs 'em

Sunday, May 06, 2007 -

So Todd Epp at TV Bloggin got it in his head that the showrunner leaving is actually a good thing, simply because it makes the star actor happy. I don't know what reality Todd is living in, maybe he thinks actors make up their own lines too, and hash out story ideas between themselves over caviar and showrunners are 'just those antisocial guys who came up with the idea.'

Showrunners are the life blood of a series and the single most important reason for success. This isn't the same ego-laden BS we have to deal with with feature directors, showrunners came up with the idea, wrote the pilot, hired all the actors, writers and other producers, got the thing shot under budget and ordered to a full season, and that was just to get it on the air.

After that, a good number of them continue writing for the show, decide its direction, and are the one person held responsible for its success or failure. 20 hour days are the norm for the ones who keep writing. When they do their job and a show gets good ratings, taking them out of the picture results in pending cancelation -- there's no debating it.

NCIS is finished people, so the operative phrase here isn't "Good news if you are an NCIS fan", it's "I hope you enjoyed it, because it's all over."

Where does 451 Press get these people?

New York Magazine reviews the script for The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson's next project and what looks to be a big flop in the making.
Grey's Anatomy 2-hour episode pulled in huge numbers for ABC, reminding us why Lost is being killed off.
Lindsay Lohan -- who badly wants to be considered a serious actress -- can now add drug addict and slut to her list of personal experiences that can help her land the big roles.
Paris Hilton's mommy thinks driving drunk and with a suspended license are "a joke." I think rich brats who only care about themselves and not the safety of others "is a joke."