PR PITCH

[22.00 - French Time] Oscar-winning writer/director Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Dreamgirls) and Cynthia Mort (Tell me you love me) must be very satisfied.

The news by The Hollywood Reporter that they are developing a half-hour comedy series for HBO about "a powerful female online showbiz journalist with a no-holds-barred style", has raised enough attention to help the pay cable channel evaluate the interest for the project. Or maybe HBO, Mort and Condon believed the idea of Tilda - that's their title - is anyway a safe bet.

Of course the THR article gave other online journo names (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i6914f3194e3fb193fbc6a3d9991f8dc6) but we all know there can be only one person who can match to the "powerful female online showbiz journalist" type: our dear She Who Must Be Read, aka Nikki Finke, founder and Editor in Chief of Deadline.com.

The excellent THR, Esq. blog asks if Nikki can sue HBO over this new sitcom (http://www.thresq.com/2010/02/did-hbo-clear-its-new-show-with-nikki-finke.html). Nellie Andreeva, who wrote the THR piece, points out to her THR, Esq. colleagues, that Nikki Finke isn't the only female "Hollywood blogger", so the character could be a composite.

Actually there's nothing new under the sun. Remember Murphy Brown (1988-1998), a sitcom starring Candice Bergen as a strong, uncompromising reporter based on several star female journalists of the time. The worst Nikki, and us, could fear about Tilda (Tilda?! Hedda Hopper subliminal reference alert) is a bad show.

If it's well handled this sitcom could be the Murphy Brown of the 21st century, and if it's bloody awful we'll get something like "Veronica's Closet meets Entourage". Can we sue for that? I guess we can't, otherwise the courts would be filled with half of the Hollywoodland showrunners.

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2010/02/nikki-series.html