Tips and stories from around the Web, Part 4

Let’s take a breather from all the heavy stories going on around by looking at a few (very interesting) entertainment and writer-related articles and interviews.

First, in case you missed it, The Futon Critic has a minute-by-minute rundown of the anticipated Freaks & Geeks/Undeclared reunion that went on at the Paley Festival a few days ago.

We also have an article from the LA Times about the broadcast of “enhanced” version of serialized series; meaning an old episode with subtitles supposedly clarifying past plot-lines for the viewer.
A great lesson on how to destroy any subtext and condescend to the max everyone involved.
And it becomes pretty ridiculous when it hampers the enjoyment of the current episode. Following ABC’s tries (with Lost and Ugly Betty), DirecTV has now decided to use the same tactic for none other than Damages. Summing up a season’s worth of mythology, one sentence at a time. Lovely.

On the writing side of things, Jen Grisanti, who many may know from the NBC “Writers on the Verge” program, released a couple of weeks back another great one-hour podcast interview, this time with Matthew Salsberg, writer and executive-producer on Showtime’s Weeds. A must-hear.

Finally, it’s always nice to hear personal experiences from fellow (television) writers, and John August’s regular segment, “First Person,” provides just that with amazing in-depth guest articles. Allison Schroeder continues the trend by writing about her “big break,” from being a PA on Pineapple Express and Smallville, to moving up the ladder as writer’s assistant, and then followed by becoming a staff-writer on 90210.