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MORE BRITISH ACCENTS ON U.S. TV?
Thursday, August 30 2007
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Should a writers' strike shut down U.S. television production in the coming months, broadcast networks may substitute programs produced in Canada, the U.K., and Australia, Daily Variety reported today (Thursday). Although the trade publication said that producers and networks have had "conversations" with international producers and broadcasters, no deals, apparently, have been negotiated. "I've been communicating with people and looking all over the world for ideas," NBC Entertainment Co-chairman Ben Silverman told Variety. Silverman had previously brought to U.S. television several British hit shows that were transformed into domestic hits by employing American actors and revising scripts. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, a company that has produced the British and U.S. versions of Wife Swap, Off the Charts, Don't Forget the Lyrics, Meadowlands and Supernanny, remarked, "The tone of British television is becoming more American. ... It's made the two markets come together even more." As for concern about British accents, Coelen said, "The biggest star on American television is Simon Cowell ... and accents haven't hurt the James Bond movies." Variety also observed that ABC's one ratings winner this past summer was Just for Laughs, originally produced for Canadian TV.
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STUDIOS STOCKING UP IN CASE OF STRIKE
Tuesday, July 31 2007
Both
principal
entertainment
trade
publications
featured
articles
today
(Tuesday)
indicating
that
the
major
film
studios
are
preparing
for
the
possibility
of
strikes
by
the
Writers
Guild
of
America
(WGA),
the
Directors
Guild
of
America
(DGA),
and
the
Screen
Actors
Guild
(SAG).
Efforts
to
stockpile
projects
in
anticipation
of
a
strike
spiked
location
filming
in
Los
Angeles
in
the
second
quarter
by
21
percent,
according
to
Film
L.A.,
the
group
that
acts
as
a
one-stop
clearing
(more)
PRODUCERS PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE WRITERS STRIKE
Tuesday, April 24 2007
Anticipating
a
possible
strike
by
members
of
the
Writers
Guild
of
America
this
fall,
the
television
networks
are
making
decisions
on
renewals
far
earlier
than
usual
and
some
shows
have
already
begun
shooting
for
the
2007-2008
season,
the
Los
Angeles
Times
observed
today
(Tuesday).
The
newspaper
said
that
Gary
Scott
Thompson,
who
writes
and
exec
produces
NBC's
Las
Vegas,
plans
to
begin
production
for
the
coming
season
on
Monday
--
three
months
earlier
than
usual.
(more)
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