The Producers

[Patti Feinberg]

So, if I'm correct, the producers of the HOPEFUL new DS are John Wells (Law & Order), Josh Wheldon (Buffy) AND DC.

Uhh...first, couldn't there possibly be a problem with the old adage too many cooks spoil the pot?

Or, has anyone heard if each gentleman will have a hand in a certain aspect?

And, not to get negative, nasty, but....what has DC don't lately to merit being in 'the big leagues' with these other men? (I don't think that sounded right, but, I hope you catch the drift.)

Patti

[Stuart]

Joss Whedon isn't involved - it's John Wells, Dan Curtis and Mark Verheiden - you can read brief info on each at http://www.collinwood.net/new

As for too many cooks, have you *seen* the opening moments of most network shows these days? I was watching "Smallville" yesterday and could swear that the endless list of producer credits lasted for about two thirds of the episode.

Three EPs in this day and age really isn't a big deal at all.

[Patti Feinberg]

Thank you Stuart .

You're right...on the opening credits of 90210 there's like 5 producers plus 3 exec. producers.

I forgot (look at my subtitle)....who OWNS DS?

Does DC...if so...what is the relationship with Worldvision (not affiliated with blah blah)?

Thanks again,

Patti

Also, does anyone know what exactly DC will be doing inasmuch as production of hopeful new DS?

[Mysterious Benefactor]

who OWNS DS?

Does DC...if so...what is the relationship with Worldvision

DC owns the intellectual property of DS, which is why no one else has ever been able to do another DS without his say so. However, DC doesn't own the ABC epsiodes - WorldVision does - which is why any deal to run those epsodes must go through them.

Details of this arrangement have been posted on the forum before. If not on this version, then on VantageNet. If they're not here, they can probably be posted again...

[Brian]

DC owns the intellectual property of DS, which is why no one else has ever been able to do another DS without his say so. However, DC doesn't own the ABC epsiodes - WorldVision does - which is why any deal to run those epsodes must go through them.

MB, I've  :-  always thought that Dan Curtis Productions owned the series, including the original recorded materials, and that Worldvision only controlled the re-broadcast rights, on behalf of DCP.  I didn't think that ABC had ownership in the original series (unlike their current daytime shows), but only DC's company.

At least, that's the way I've always understood the terms and ownership--at least, that's the way one of the actors explained it to me several years ago, along with the fact that DC    gets residuals from the original show while the actors get zip!

 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, unless things changed since their report (which, I suppose, could be possible), back in the '70s Variety reported that the settlement of DC's suit against ABC to finally get DS syndicated was that WorldVision owns the actual DS episodes.

No offense, but personally, given their ability for often, uh, "mixing up" (yeah, that's it  ) their "facts," I'd believe a report in Variety before I'd believe almost any of the actors. 

[Brian]

Oops. . .I didn't know about DC's suit against ABC as reported by Variety back then.  So, you're probably right.

LOL--you're certainly right about the actors "mixing" their facts.

So, I guess in the end, DC doesn't get all that money I thought he's been getting from MPI's VHS and DVD releases, while the actors allegedly get nothing. 

[Stuart]

I don't know what the deal is for television screenings of DS, but MPI does pay the actors some residuals from their merchandising activities.

[jennifer]

but it is pretty common that actors from that time period get zip in residuals
unlike today kinda like ballplayers worked jobs after baseball season was over in the old days to support their families Could you see Derek J or Nomar
selling you a car today in the off season?

jennifer

[Nancy]

So, I guess in the end, DC doesn't get all that money I thought he's been getting from MPI's VHS and DVD releases, while the actors allegedly get nothing. 

Having actually seen the check(s) one DS actor has gotten over the years, the words "next to nothing" come to mind.  If this what that particular actor gets, the rest make the same or less by comparison.

Nancy

[Nancy]

Could you see Derek J or Nomar
selling you a car today in the off season?

I'd probably buy anything Derek Jeter was selling, whether it worked or not.

Nancy

[CyrusL]

I'm not sure at which year things changed, some of you scholars of entertainment law may be able to inform us, but as an example of royalty payments, I met George Lindsay who stated he get more royalties for one episode of M*A*S*H he guest appeared on than the whole run of The Andy Griffith Show. I would suspect the main reason DS actors get royalties from the tapes and DVDs would be from the extra contributions like the interviews, which are new amterial, as well as a small stipend for "transfer to another medium." Either that or as a courtesy. Was there some clause that gave them a small (I bet very small) per cent of the merchandising? Does anyone have any idea what was set up?

[Cassandra]

I'd probably buy anything Derek Jeter was selling, whether it worked or not.

  I hear ya!!   


Stuart Wrote:

Joss Whedon isn't involved - it's John Wells, Dan Curtis and Mark Verheiden - you can read brief info on each at http://www.collinwood.net/new

 Thanks Stuart for the link.


Cassandra

[Brian]

I'm not sure at which year things changed, some of you scholars of entertainment law may be able to inform us. . .

I'm not a "scholar of entertainment law," but I have worked in the entertainment industry for many years, and I know the royalties/residuals issue is more the result of what AFTRA and/or SAG negotiated with the producers than what individual actors negotiate.  A few "stars" may have been able to get residuals from daytime shows in the 60s, but then the only real star who worked in daytime during DS was Joan Bennett--and she was the first "movie star" to do daytime.  And she didn't get residuals written into her contract.  After all--whoever thought a soap opera would ever be syndicated, or reissued on home video (we didn't even know such a thing would ever exist in the future back in the 60s) on VHS or DVD.  But, as the actress I spoke with said: "Dan Curtis KNEW this show was special" and he kept all those tapes (at least that's what she told me).  Maybe that's why he fought so hard with ABC over syndication rights. . . 

[Luciaphile]

I am talking completely from recollection of autobiographies that I've read, but in Golden Age Hollywood for instance, many, many actors did not get residuals for the movies they made when those films then appeared on TV. There were exceptions--a couple of people with far-seeing agents and so on--but a lot of people made zip while their films aired over and over again.

And some of the actors from sitcoms like Gilligan's Island have gone on record as saying that they never received residuals.

http://www.gilligansisle.com/interdawn.html
http://www.bobdenver.com/Ask_Bob/body_ask_bob.html