I'm blogging a little late because it was my birthday today, and I spent a good chunk of that birthday helping my father replace a sump-pump during a flood inducing rainstorm. Joy.
Anyway, I'm here so let's get busy...
1. I FOR ONE WELCOME OUR NEW CABLE OVERLORDS
Well, barring any governmental interference the sale of NBC-Universal to the Comcast Cable giant is pretty much done and dusted. And for some reason Jeff Zucker is still in the cat-bird seat, which can only be explained in one of three ways.
Zucker has incriminating evidence on every CEO in America, and hence can blackmail his way to success despite turning NBC into a wasteland, and coasting on already successful cable channels.- Comcast is only keeping Zucker so they can have a smooth transition, which will include massive firings and layoffs, ending with the defenestration of Senor Zucker from his corner office.
- Zucker has some sort of black magic mojo going on.
Josef Adalian at The Wrap, has 5 ideas about what to do with NBC, which is still the flagship of the TV side of the business, and he makes some good points. I would move Leno to 8 PM but I'd also shrink his show down to once, maybe twice, a week, but that's just me.
I wish Comcast good luck turning things around, they're going to need it.
2. IN OTHER UNIVERSAL RELATED NEWS
The street is abuzz with the possibility that Debbie Liebling, outgoing Fox exec will be moving in as Universal's head of production. She's got a good background in developing comedy properties, like South Park, and Borat, and has maintained good relations with the people who make them. Universal could use more cost-effective comedy after things like Land of the Lost.
Now some have criticized Debbie Liebling for the failure of Fox Atomic during her tenure. Personally, the failure was pretty much locked in when the Fox brain-trust gave it the lame name of Fox Atomic. I mean say what you will about the Weinsteins, they at least had the good sense to name their genre division Dimension Films and not Miramax Atomic. So I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
3. BULLY FOR YOU SONY
Sony Pictures had a banner year, breaking records left and right. Giving them one of my rarely dispensed and highly coveted Magnificent Bastard Awards!
Which will be revoked in about 5 minutes when they start poor-mouthing themselves to get out of paying people, so I say they should take some time to enjoy it.
I don't give those awards out every day.
I wish Comcast good luck turning things around, they're going to need it.
2. IN OTHER UNIVERSAL RELATED NEWS
The street is abuzz with the possibility that Debbie Liebling, outgoing Fox exec will be moving in as Universal's head of production. She's got a good background in developing comedy properties, like South Park, and Borat, and has maintained good relations with the people who make them. Universal could use more cost-effective comedy after things like Land of the Lost.Now some have criticized Debbie Liebling for the failure of Fox Atomic during her tenure. Personally, the failure was pretty much locked in when the Fox brain-trust gave it the lame name of Fox Atomic. I mean say what you will about the Weinsteins, they at least had the good sense to name their genre division Dimension Films and not Miramax Atomic. So I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
3. BULLY FOR YOU SONY
Sony Pictures had a banner year, breaking records left and right. Giving them one of my rarely dispensed and highly coveted Magnificent Bastard Awards!
Which will be revoked in about 5 minutes when they start poor-mouthing themselves to get out of paying people, so I say they should take some time to enjoy it.
I don't give those awards out every day.
Furious! Happy Birthday!!! So sorry about the sump pump/rain combo. I've been there too, but never on my birthday. You'll have to do what I do: celebrate for a week! Here are some balloons to keep it festive.
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