Remember that news about NBC cutting costs?
Well CBS may also do that in the very near future as they announced yesterday a third quarter loss of $12.5 billion (linked to a $14 billion write-down) with ad revenue declining in its main divisions, including television.
Incidentally, digital revenues have rose 6% this year with a 12% increase regarding Internet display ads.
As for their revenues, they are up 3%, thanks primarily to CSI: NY’s cable syndication.
All in all, CBS is now in the top 10 Internet company and the “#1 producer and provider of premium online content”.
No wonder they are trying to cash in on the future.
Meanwhile, Yahoo Video is now the (distant) second in video streams with a 56% increase (to about 265 millions).
Still, Google’s YouTube is very far ahead with 5 billion video streams in September.
Let’s not forget though that most Yahoo Vids have ads in them (= money = good for the company).
Speaking of, Lisa Klink has posted about “[trying to come] at the TV biz sideways”. Meaning that wannabe TV (and for that matter any) writer wanting to break in will have better chance of doing that by trying various other “creative outlets”.
TV writing is becoming increasingly more competitive due to a number of reasons, including strong cuts in budgets, therefore creating a smaller gap for people to squeeze in.
Any kind of “out of the box” success will definitely be a plus, distinguishing you from the rest.
Everyone needs some kind of procedural spec under his/her belt, and a great action/cop one can be the way to go.
A few reasons pushed me to spec Flashpoint, and I thought wise, for those out there who wish to spec the show, to post my various breakdowns of FP episodes as well as my overall research on the show, à la Chuck, on my blog.
So here goes.
Part One: Breaking it
The following is a breakdown of the Flashpoint pilot, through its shooting script.
The plot revolves around presenting us the SRU team, especially Ed, as well as the arrival of a new member, connecting everything with an enraged gunman at a Plaza.
What we will call the “Plaza sequence” is everything revolving around what happens at the Plaza with the gunman.
Storylines:
A: Gunman Plotline and Plaza sequence (comprises of Ax + Ab + Ac)
Ax : Backstory of Gunman, events leading up to SRU arrival, and what happens after to Gunman/Family
Ab: Plaza sequence with SRU on scene
Ac: Plaza sequence from Ed’s POV
B: SRU life, routine — Before and After the Plaza sequence (not including Ab)
C: Ed’s life — Before (family) and After (interrogation) the Plaza sequence (not including Ac)
D: Arrival of a new SRU member
It should be noted that a few “B story” scenes revolved around Jules (hinting at a future romance between Sam and her), but for the sake of argument, I merged her SRU scenes with the larger B storyline. Ditto for her scenes on the rooftop (merged with Ab).
Breakdown:
Episode 1×01 — 66 pages
Teaser — 5 Scenes (exposition of A story) — 3 pages
1+2 — Ab
3 — Ac
4 — Ab
5 — Ac
Act One — 17 Scenes (Before Plaza sequence) — 20 pages
5 — Ac (repeat of last Teas scene)
-> FLASHBACK
6+7+8 — C
9+10+11 — Ax
12 — D
13 — B
14 — Ax
15 — D
16 — B
17 — Ax
18+19 — B leading to Ab
20 — D
21+22 — B leading to Ab
END OF ACT ONE just as the SRU arrives on the scene -> Ab
Act Two — 29 Scenes (During Plaza sequence) — 17 pages
23+24 — Ab
25 — Ac
26 — Ab
27+28 — Ac
29 — D
30+31 — Ab
32 — Ac
33 — Ab+D
34 — Ac
35+36+37 — Ab
38 — Ac
39 — Ab
40 — Ac
41 — Ab
42 — Ac
43 — Ab
44 — Ac
45 — Ab
46 — Ac
47 — Ab
48 — Ab+D
49+50 — Ab
51 — Ac leading back to C
END OF ACT TWO just as Ed is taken away by inspector -> C
Act Three — 12 Scenes (After Plaza sequence) — 17 pages
52+53 — C
54 — Ab leading back to B
55 — D
56+57 — C
58+59 — B+D
60+61 — C
62 — B+D
END OF ACT THREE
Act Four — 7 Scenes (Continuing — After Plaza sequence) — 9 pages
63 — C
64 — B+C+D
65 — C+D
66 — Ax
67 — B
68 — D
69 — C
Summary:
Episode 1×01 — 69 beats
A storyline total: 5 + 5 + 28 + 2 = 40 beats
Ax storyline: 0 + 5 + 0 + 1 = 6 beats
Ab storyline: 3 + 0 + 17 + 1 = 21 beats
Ac storyline: 2 + 0 + 11 + 0 = 13 beats
B storyline: 0 + 6 + 0 + 4 = 10 beats
C storyline: 0 + 3 + 0 + 10 = 13 beats
D storyline: 0 + 3 + 3 + 6 = 12 beats
Tune in next time as
we will discuss in more depth the overall Flashpoint structure, through other FP breakdowns (Episodes 8 & 9).
Let’s make a quick (but far from exhaustive) list of upcoming planned remakes:
- Footloose with Efron.
- Bienvenue chez les Chtis (aka The Sticks).
Do I need to remind people that the story was very local-based?
- A 1963 Akira Kurosawa classic (High and Low), by David Mamet and directed by Mike Nichols.
- A remake of another Kurosowa remake (yes you read that right), The Seven Samurai by the Weinstein Co.
- A Hellraiser “relaunch”, by Pascal Laugier.
and
- Melrose Place, the spin-off of BH 90210.
Will the new version be considered a spin-off of the new 90210 or a spin-off of the old 90210? Or a spin-off of the spin-off of another show?
I’m confused.
First, I’d like to welcome all my new readers, especially the ones that are from the far-away APA Blog. :)
I hope you won’t get too lost in the crazy rants I sometime post.
Speaking of crazy rants (and crazy days for that matter)…
Wednesday is Obama Day.
And by that I mean he’s tomorrow’s Daily Show guest.
What? You thought I was gonna talk about another show he’ll be on tomorrow night simultaneously on NBC, CBS and FOX?
Also, ABC is airing Pushing Daisies.
Who will win the rating war: a pie-maker or a terrorist lover?
As for next Tuesday.
Mmmm…
What are you supposed to do on November 4th again?
Right, buy French fries.
Delish’.
Today, don’t forget that Strike.TV is officially launched.
And, no, I am not producing anything over there, thanks for asking telepathically.
Also today, I successfully cooked “Sautéed aubergines and leeks with ginger”.
Yay me.
In other worldwide TV news, France Television’s primetime will begin next year at around 8:35PM instead of 8:50/9PM (as ads will be suppressed after 8PM).
To try to counter its rival network, M6 will also program its primetime at around 8:35PM.
This is a huge change in the French TV landscape.
That’s like having Mad Men on NBC right after the Super Bowl leading to record-shattering ratings of 10 people watching the show.
Only, you know, at 8:35PM.
Forgive me but I couldn’t leave you with a smile on your face, so here goes:
The Footloose remake has been fast-tracked by Paramount with… Zack Efron in the lead. Right after he signs that half-mil check.
