Television pilots keep flying east

Seven new shows will shoot in NYC this season despite networks’ dry spell

 

In a TV pilot season that still continues to drag as a result of the writers’ strike, there is some good news out there for New York actors.

 

Pilots for seven new shows are currently shooting, or about to start shooting, on the streets of the Big Apple — a welcome change since many networks this season are cutting down on the amount of pilots being produced. Some networks, in fact, have opted to order series without even seeing the pilots first, trusting in the talent involved with the shows and the strength of the ideas behind them.

 

 

The 19-week strike cut into the development time of pilot season, leaving networks scrambling for ways to complete their lineups. Every year, the networks commission far more pilots than they intend to air, deciding on a lineup after viewing all their options. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, execs have ordered half of the usual amount of pilots, and the major studios are producing only four new shows apiece, nowhere near the typical dozen of past years.

 

To combat the development losses and save money, networks this year sought new ways of getting shows without spending $7-8 million on the pilot alone. Some greenlit programs without pilots, while others chose to renew more of their freshman shows than normal. The networks are also playing it safe by picking up shows based on successful series from abroad or former hits in the U.S., rather than taking a risk on a completely new show.

 

But here in New York the season is going strong with the near-record filming of seven pilots: NBC is giving us “The Philanthropist,” “Kings” and “Blue Blood,” while CBS will shoot “Can Openers” and “Exit 19.” Cable networks HBO and Showtime will produce new shows as well.

 

The acting jobs that come with these pilots — and, with any luck, the full season of shows that follows — will be a blessing to performers all over New York. -Jennifer DeYoung

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Splitsville for actors’ unions
SAG and AFTRA opt to bargain separately in upcoming contract talks with producers

 

After a short period of uneasy peace, disagreements between the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild have proven too great for the unions to negotiate in solidarity.

 

In mid-March, SAG agreed to jointly negotiate with AFTRA in the unions’ efforts to ink a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. But just before a meeting in which the unions were hoping to approve a negotiating strategy, the federation suspended its bargaining alliance with the guild.

 

The rupture occurred after leaders of AFTRA learned that SAG leaders had met with cast members of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and accused them of trying to end the federation’s representation of the actors. That evening, AFTRA scrapped the talks, which have been conducted jointly for 30 years.

 

The break-up makes negotiations even more difficult, dragging complications and scheduling conflicts into the process. With the looming June 30 expiration date on the current contracts, the unions are desperately trying to avoid another strike. However, both groups are weaker without the other at the negotiating table, and separate contracts could lead to a prolonged struggle for representation of actors on television shows.

 

Both unions look to start negotiations with similar demands, but whether or not those will be met before the end of June has yet to be seen. AFTRA says that it plans to open talks with AMPTP as soon as possible, and SAG will have to step up and accelerate its talks to avoid getting left behind in the dust. -Jennifer DeYoung

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