Billion-Dollar Kiss

by Jeffrey Stepakoff

  Tracey Ullman Show, The

  Truman Show, The

  Trumbo, Dalton

  Tucci, Christine

  Turner, Ted

  TV executives: control of shows by

  current vs. development

  new breed of

  pickup season and

  pilots bought by

  staffing season and

  TV Guide

  TV industry: changes in, of

  consolidation and decline of

  cycles of

  earnings rise of 1990s and

  finances and

  Fin-Sin repeal and

  Fin-Syn rules of 1970s and

  history of, to

  new breed and youth program-

  ming in 1990s

  new series and ratings

  quality of, and writers and

  renaissance of, in 1980s

  seasons of

  segregation of writers and audiences in

  sitcoms and

  staffing season of

  and

  strike of

  1988 and

  strike threat of

  and rise of reality shows

  success in, and timing

  upheaval of

  in

  writer-producers vs. actors and crew in

  See also agents; studios: syndication; TV executives; TV networks; TV script writing; and other specific issues and roles

  “TV is Good” slogan

  TV networks: advertising revenues of

  affiliates

  consolidation of

  damaged by

  1988 strike

  Dawson’s and

  executives

  Fin-Syn repeal and

  independent producers and

  packaging fees and

  pilots and writers bought by

  PODs and control over shows

  prime-time payments

  takeover by

  See also specific networks

  TV scripts: acts and

  buzz words and

  colors of, and rewrites

  deadline anxiety and

  jumping and fleshing and

  narration and

  punching-up and developing sitcom

  recycling

  rehearsals and

  scenes and

  script fees and

  selling pitch vs. selling script and

  sets and

  setup/punch-line rhythm

  story development process

  story engine and

  story lines, for one hour and

  structure of

  table read and

  teaser and

  timing and hit

  tone and

  See also pilots; spec scripts

  TV writers and writing: agents and

  animated films and

  awards and

  balancing life and work and

  breaking into

  career span of

  Columbia TriStar shutdown and

  control of series by

  deadline anxiety and

  development deals and

  development of, as showrunner

  dramedies and

  earnings of

  earnings of, after

  earnings of, and emotional problems

  earnings of, in 1990s

  entertaining and

  fired

  first job offer and

  first script sold and

  five-year plan and

  freelance

  getting jobs after first

  lack of security and

  lifestyle of, in

  long-term contracts and

  luck and

  momentum and

  MTM and grooming of

  networking and

  new, and

  TV writers and writing (cont.) agencies

  new, and lack of training

  new breed of, in

  NY Times interview on being

  pitches and

  punch-up doctors and

  reality TV and

  recommendations and

  renaissance in

  seasons of

  and

  segregation of, and dominance of young white males

  sitcom production and script development and

  specs and guesswork and

  staffing season and

  staff writing and

  story process and pitching paradigms and

  strike of

  and

  strike of

  and

  strike threat of

  as structured craft

  tone and

  what makes good

  why people make career of

  writer-producers of

  and

  and

  writing teams and

  20th Century

  21st Century Project

  Two and a Half Men

  U

  Uffner, Beth

  Unhappily Ever After

  United Talent Agency (UTA)

  Universal

  Univision network

  upfronts

  UPN

  V

  Van Der Beek, James

  Variety

  Varsity Blues

  vaudeville

  Veronica Mars

  vertical integration

  Viacom

  Vidal, Gore

  video-on-demand

  V.I.P.

  W

  Wall Street

  Ward, Sela

  Warner Brothers

  See also TimeWarner; WB Warren, Robert Penn

  Washington Post

  Wasserman, Lew

  Wasteland

  Waters, Joanne

  Wayans Bros., The

  WB

  shut down

  WEA/Warner Brothers

  Webb, Elliot

  Weinberger, Ed

  Weinstein, Josh

  Weithorn, Michael

  Welch, Jack

  Wells, Belinda

  Wells, John

  West, Nathanael

  Westinghouse

  Weston, Riley

  What About Joan

  What a Country?

  What Makes Sammy Run

  (Schulberg)

  Whedon, Joss

  White, E.B.

  White Shadow, The

  Who’s the Boss?

  Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

  Wife Swap

  Wild Card

  Will & Grace

  William Morris Agency (WMA)

  Williams, Michelle

  Williamson, Kevin

  Wilson, Hugh

  Winchester

  Witter, Pacey

  Witt/Thomas

  WKRP in Cincinnati

  Wolf, Dick

  women writers

  Wonderful World of Disney, The

  Wonder Years, The

  Woodward, Lydia

  Woody, Russ

  “writer-based” drama, defined

  writer-producers

  Writers Coalition (Union Blues)

  Writers Guild Awards

  Writers Guild of America (WGA)

  formation of, and early strikes

  membership of

  Pension and Health Fund

  reality TV writers and

  Showrunner Training

  Program

  strike of

  strike threat of

  and

  WTAA International

  X

  X Files, The

  Y

  Year in the Life, A

  Yerkovich, Anthony

  Young, John Sacret

  Young Americans

  Your Show of Shows

  youth audience

  Yuspa, Cathy

  Z

  Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane

  Zwick, Ed

 

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