IT'S ONLY A MOVIE, INGRID (EPISODE 6)

Birthday cakes, Our Man in Austria, Nikki Finke in top shape. Ingrid... The Nobody does it Better edition (« Makes me feel sad for the rest »).

MASTERPIECE BLOG THEATRE

Cathode Ray Tube (http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/), the quintessence of British Pop culture blogs - I don't remember who said that - is two years old. In april I wrote that Frank Collins is an erudite specialist of Doctor Who but Frank is actually a specialist of so many subjects... If you're not a regular reader already just visit Cathode Ray Tube and enjoy. Happy Birthday.

We also wish a happy birthday to BrontëBlog (http://bronteblog.blogspot.com/), the indispensable reference on the life and work of the Brontë family. We mentioned them recently about ITV1's great adaptation of Wuthering Heights with Tom Hardy (now my favourite Heathcliff after Timothy Dalton). BrontëBlog is four years old this week.

http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/2009/09/cathode-ray-tube-is-2.html
http://bronteblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/bronteblog-is-four-years-old.html

QUANTUM OF BREGENZ

Quantum of Bond (http://quantumofbond.blogspot.com/) is back after a short summer break. The blog of cinema journalist Philippe Lombard - author of major books on The Pink Panther or OSS 117 - covers the 007 franchise through anecdotes (Universal Exports, "Churchill's head", stunts...), photos, ads, magazine covers, items of the journalist's own collection and many details about the universe of 007.

And this month Philippe brings back some interesting photo material from Bregenz (Austria), one of the locations of Quantum of Solace. The blog is in French but begins to earn a deserved recognition amongst English-speaking James Bond aficionados.

http://quantumofbond.blogspot.com/2009/09/bons-baisers-de-bregenz-1.html
http://quantumofbond.blogspot.com/2009/09/bons-baisers-de-bregenz-2.html
http://quantumofbond.blogspot.com/2009/09/bons-baisers-de-bregenz-3.html

OH, THE GOOD WIFE...

Nikki Finke is busy keeping the higher standards we are used to with her brand new Deadline.com, formerly Deadline Hollywood Daily (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/). But she found some little time between her exclusive news about the birth of DC Entertainment (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/toldja-warner-bros-creates-dc-entertainment/) to take care of a young lady working on the promotion of The Good Wife, the new CBS show starring Julianna Margulies.

Perhaps this young lady didn't know who Nikki is but it seems that her job of the moment consists in offering $20 Amazon gift certificates to journalists just to consider mentioning the show (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/cbs-even-more-desperate-marketer-than-nbc/). Except that the Canterbury's Law DVD box set costs $20.99 on Amazon. Life is unfair.

See also:

http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/04/fire-up-quattro-cathode-ray-tube.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/08/wuthering-heights-with-tom-hardy-on.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/01/quantum-of-bond.html
http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/05/things-to-oh-whatever.html

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE, INGRID (EPISODE 5)

Where Ingrid returns not orange but green. Ingrid... The Grinch Edition.

THE 2200

Let's call that the Bernie Lomax Syndrome, old tv shows can't rest in peace. Of course, remakes allow new generations to discover a character or a concept (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/08/young-barnaby-jones-chronicles.html). Without remakes the only on-screen Batman ever would be Lewis Wilson in the 1943 serial and the 2005 version of Doctor Who would not be the best series in the History of television (until Voyage of the Damned at least).

And the worst thing than the remake of an old show is the remake of a British contemporary show for the US market. We could hope that the demises of Life on Mars US and of the remake of Eleventh hour (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/primetime-pilot-panic-more-cbs-moves/) will vaccine American television executives but there's a Warner Brothers Primeval movie coming and even a US Primeval spin-off series(http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a156144/reports-primeval-spinoff-in-the-pipeline.html).

But now Hollywoodland doesn't just remake old shows, it "re-imagines" them, "reinvents" them, thanks to the success of Casino Royale - the 2006 James Bourne movie. And I suspect "reinvention" will be seen as the golden access pass to Penny Lane now that the new Star Trek is a worldwide phenom. The latest tv classic to be "reinvented" is V, the 1983 miniseries by Kenneth Johnson. The remake, produced by Scott Peters (The 4400), is due to be shown on ABC during the 2009-2010 season (1) and we can have a first look at the show through clips (http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/first-look-at-clips-for-a.php).

The original V was a political metaphor, It can't happen here or Jean-Paul Sartre's choice with lizards in orange mechanic outfits, and Brecht or Rod Serling in the shadows. A television event too: at the time the most expensive miniseries ever made, with stunning special effects, magnificent actors, an incredible soundtrack, the talent of Kenneth Johnson - one of the most brilliant television authors of his time (http://www.kennethjohnson.us/) - and some effective scenes still terrifying a whole generation by their single evocation. Sorry, but from what I see of the new V we're very (very) far from that. Monuments should stay untouched, and if the new V succeeds expect Alien Nation 2010 but experience shows that it's not a good idea to try V without Johnson.

NOT THAT ONE

We all make mistakes sometimes. May I please suggest that comedy genius Matt Lucas (of Little Britain fame) has made one with his "impersonation" of Britain's Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle for Heat Magazine (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/susan-boyle/5346071/Matt-Lucas-impersonates-Susan-Boyle.html).

Think what you want of producer Simon Cowell and his programmes (I personally believes he knows how to pack entertaining shows) but this was not funny at all and far from the standards of Lucas's duo with David Walliams. Susan Boyle may or may not win BGT (dance group Diversity is my favourite) but her first appearance on the show was really wonderful.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Your humble servant is always amazed by your growing interest about this little blog and I was recently intrigued by the sudden affluence of visitors from a forum about the American version of Life on Mars (http://z3.invisionfree.com/Life_On_Mars/index.php?). I had to register to learn more and discovered that my use of the adjective "Unnecessary" to qualify their favourite show raised a honest, open-minded, fair, balanced and interesting four-page discussion.

No hard feelings for the Dead Pool quote as I often use it myself in private (preceded by "As a great philosopher of the 20th century once said") and the site administrator is a gentleman. The forum is also a "think tank" for a campaign to bring back Life on Mars US (http://z3.invisionfree.com/Life_On_Mars/index.php?showforum=1) so I mention it as some of you, faithful readers, are true fans of this version.

(1) http://abc.go.com/fallpreview/index?pn=v

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE, INGRID (EPISODE 4)

In which Ingrid is asking herself if she should regenerate as the great Nikki Finke and call this notebook It's only a movie, Nikki...

STRICTLY COME DANCING... AT 30 ROCK

Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily scoops again and as usual with a most interesting news for those who follow the business of Television in America and in United Kingdom: Paul Telegdy, one of the top execs of BBC Worldwide America (Executive Vice-President of TV sales, content and production) is unexpectedly leaving the US commercial arm of the Corporation, and NBC wants him to become EVP in charge of unscripted and scripted entertainment (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/is-this-craig-plestis-replacement-at-nbc/). This would suffice to do sensation from our personal standards but Nikki adds that « the negotiations call for Telegdy to be given a bigger job like NBC Entertainment President in a year or to get paid off ». Which means he could then be in position to replace Ben Silverman (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/09/things-to-watch-in-hollywoodland-when_1016.html), co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and NBC Universal Television Studio.

At BBC Worldwide America, Paul Telegdy has overseen the American adaptation of Strictly come dancing, Dancing with the Stars, (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985135.html?categoryid=3070&cs=1) and Viva Laughlin, the short-lived US remake of Blackpool (is « short-lived US remake » a pleonasm?) On previous Ingrid episodes we talked about the departure of Jane Tranter (the BBC controller responsible of fiction) to Los Angeles, where she's now Executive vice-president of programming and production at BBC Worldwide's North American production branch (alongside with Paul Telegdy, at the time of her appointment to the job).

If the arrival of Telegdy at NBC is confirmed, and with Jane Tranter in LA, the perspective of a US co-producer for Doctor Who will become yet more precise.

THE DOCTOR IS OUT

« Darling you got to let me know, should I stay or should I go ». It was really about time for Doctor Who to escape of one of its most weighing incertainties: the fantastic David Tennant has announced he won't return as the Doctor in 2010 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698539.stm). Remember that the fact that Tennant, one of the most popular Doctors of the History of the series, has been on on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company is one of the reasons for the delay of Season 5 of the Hit show.

Remember also the infamous botched regeneration at the end of the first half of the finale of Season 4. And remember (« Remember, remember...») that there's a Next Doctor played by the excellent David Morrissey in the Christmas special this year. Well, when the Doctor will regenerate for good let's hope it will be as Morrissey. New face, new showrunners, nu-Who definitely needs a true regeneration. By the way, please read the reactions to this announcement on Behind the Sofa (http://www.behindthesofa.org.uk/2008/10/im-sorry-im-so.html#comments), the blog every Doctor Who fan must read once a day (at least...)

QUANTUM OF SOLACE: BUT HOW MUCH?

Ah, Nikki... Back to DHD again: Nikki Finke asks the $261 million Question about Quantum of Solace, the new 007 (really?): the ratio between the price tag of the movie and its 105 minute duration. $2.5 million per minute! Maybe the costliest film ever made minute by minute (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/new-bond-wannasee-double-casino-royale-questions-about-quantum-of-solace-cost/).

WAITING FOR D-DAY

Canadian D.R. MacMaster (a.k.a. Furious D), author, writer, and Entertainment industry expert extraordinaire, has announced on his blog, The Fantastic Adventures of Furious D (http://dknowsall.blogspot.com/), that he's working on a book that will contain his impressive comprehension of the business of Cinema and Television and of its History, his sharp sense of analysis and his humor. All the ingredients that make us loving his blog (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-only-movie-ingrid-notebook.html).

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE, INGRID (EPISODE 3)

Ingrid is asking herself if the expression « Bear Market » means that at the end we have the right to eat the bear if it doesn't eat us first.

LADY JANE GOES WEST

The Guardian has confirmed what the always excellent British newspaper calls « the worst kept secret in broadcasting »: Jane Tranter, the BBC controller of fiction, leaves her post to become Executive vice-president of programming and production at BBC Worldwide's North American production branch (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/22/janetranter.bbc). Jane Tranter has more than contributed to make fictions from the Beeb the main export product of the Corporation, with shows such as the new Doctor Who, Life on Mars or Spooks/MI-5 (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/08/its-only-movie-ingrid-episode-2.html). Now Ben Dowell asks the £ 100 000 question: How will Jane Tranter's departure affect BBC Drama, particularly with a lower-than-expected licence fee settlement? (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/organgrinder/2008/sep/22/bbc.television)

Jane Tranter will be replaced by head of drama commissioning Ben Stephenson. There have been rumors that the BBC tried to tempt Jane Featherstone, co-founder of the Kudos production company (Spooks, Hustle...), to take the job. But we learn from Tara Conlan, one of our favourite signatures, that Featherstone has been appointed creative director of Kudos, while Stephen Garrett, co-founder of the company, becomes executive chairman - focusing on strategic and international development (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/08/independentproductioncompanies.television).

ABSOLUTELY... NOT?

We will see within two or three weeks what the US remake of Life on Mars will become, but now Fox Network is working on a remake of the mythical British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992-2005) by the team behind the enjoyable Two and a Half men. This is the third attempt to remake Ab Fab, with the French movie of 2001 and a failed ABC project helmed by comedienne Roseanne Barr with Carrie Fisher involved.

Your humble French Nestle milk addict being too young for senility (40 next week), please see http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/08/young-barnaby-jones-chronicles.html to get his unasked opinion about remakes. Amusingly, I see that this Fox version has catched the attention of multi-talented Lee Goldberg (http://www.leegoldberg.com/about.html), author, writer, producer, TV Historian and expert, teacher, etc - a man often mentioned here (http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/a_writers_life/2008/10/absolutely-scary.html). We recommend you A Writer's Life (http://leegoldberg.typepad.com/), his blog, and his official site (http://www.leegoldberg.com/index.html).

15 MINUTES OF FAME...

Well, er, how to put it... the very nice folks of Beans on Toast, the French Doctor Who website, have published last month an interview of your servant - consultant for the French dubbing of season 3 of Nu-Who: http://www.doctor-who.fr/d_itw_attard.php. This interview is in French.

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE, INGRID (EPISODE 2)

In which Emma, er... Ingrid sees green and reads that Life on Mars could not be the only British jewel to move to the US, remembering the immortal words of Sir Alan Parker: « I mean what is the British Film Industry anyway? Just a bunch of people in London who can't get Green Cards » (Will Write and Direct for Food, Page 85 - Cf. http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/05/will-write-and-direct-for-food.html)

IT'S NOT THAT EASY, SEING GREEN

« ... and I've seen it before.. and I'll see it again... yes I've seen it before... just little bits of history repeating » sung Dame Shirley Bassey (Bless her name till the end of times and beyond). Almost as an echo of our previous post about new dogs with old tricks come now new frog with new tricks, as Disney announces a new movie starring Jim Henson's beloved children: Kermit the Frog and The Muppets (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2636106/Muppet-Show-to-return-to-TV-after-27-years.html).

This is of course not the first Muppet movie but this one will be written by Jason Segel, writer and star of the comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), and if it does well at the B.O. it could bring back The Muppet Show on television with Segel helming the program. Most amusingly, unlike what is written everywhere, this is not the first attempt to revive The Muppet Show (1976-1981) for tv. But everybody seems to forget the short-lived Muppets Tonight, shown from 1996 to 1998 on ABC.

In 2006 France even had its own local version, by radio and television presenter/producer Sébastien Cauet for TF1. The original series, green-lighted in its time by UK media baron extraordinary Sir Lew Grade (http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/lewgrade.htm) for his ITC Entertainment company, is very popular in this country, because of its first french-speaking dubbing voices (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10309340742&refurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fs.php%3Fq%3Dgroupe%2Broger%2Bcarel%26init%3Dq). The first Muppet show was the addition of Jim Henson's Folie douce to the generous spirit of Lord Grade, and to capture the essence of that magic is mission: impossible.

WHAT? WHAT?

According to several websites, Jane Tranter (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/controllers/janetranter.shtml), the BBC controller responsible of fiction, the woman whose influence on television series in UK equals the legacies of Verity Lambert and Lew Grade, is in talks to move next year to the Mecqua of global Entertainment industry: Los Angeles (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i22e2d720f4d22efde882e4a61e56b79b).

« One source said: "Unsurprisingly, Jane has quite a few offers to consider. People within the BBC are being told she will make an announcement about her future before the end of the year " » writes Tara Conlan in The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/28/janetranter.bbc?gusrc=rss&feed=media). To understand why the Kingdom awaits this announcement, suffice to say that Jane Tranter's flair and instinct brought such gems as the new Doctor Who, Life on Mars or Spooks to the Corporation.

She once said: « Can anyone remember what BBC drama was like in 2000? How bare and depressing the BBC drama cupboard was? » (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/01/bbc.television1). One of the options would be for her to stay within the noble house to work for what is said to be BBC Worldwide's new US drama production unit, but her departure from its UK public service would not be without consequences as fiction is the jewel of the BBC's crown. Add what Mimi Turner wrote in Hollywood Reporter: « ...though there also is a chance that [Julie] Gardner may move to the U.S to work with Tranter in Los Angeles », take a look at http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/08/killer-memorandum.html, and take the TARDIS to the troubled times of Bugs (1995-1999).

According to Digital Spy, quoting News of the World, two of the 2009 Doctor Who specials could be shot in the US (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/a126698/dr-who-specials-to-film-in-america.html). Should this information be confirmed could we imagine that a possible move of Ms Tranter to Los Angeles (provided it's confirmed too) could be useful in some way or another to manage to get additional funding or co-production from a US partner (?), like Hustle - co-produced by American cable channel AMC. Note that the show is already co-funded by canadian CBC.

Hopefully, Survivors, the re-imagining of Terry Nation's classic (1975-1977) by Adrian Hodges (The Lady in the Smoke, Primeval), is coming... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/05_may/30/survivors.shtml).

IT'S ONLY A MOVIE, INGRID (A NOTEBOOK)

Everybody has a blog these days, your humble servant has two and even my mother's late dog had one. And as there's a critic born every minute, Movie blogs are in some respects dazibaos of what is left of contemporary culture.

The theme of this first episode of It's only a Movie, Ingrid (the Notebook of http://tattard2.blogspot.com/) will naturally be... blogs. « Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose »...

IT'S NOT ONLY A BLOG, INGRID...

The ultimate reference in Movie blogs, if not in Movie business news, is of course Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/). In Hollywoodland, Nikki Finke is the daring voice of intelligence and common sense and her field of expertise covers every aspect of the Infotainment industry and Cinema business from Box Office to corporate, egos... er, personalities and - remember what it was all about in the first place, Movies.

Not to mention the fact that Nikki's address book is as big as my annual consumption of coffee and Nestle milk tubes and that the résumé of this great journalist includes Associated Press, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair and Esquire. And her non-stop coverage of the WGA strike will remain the mètre étalon of what Movie journalism should always be.

OPEN CHANNEL D

The Fantastic Adventures of Furious D (http://dknowsall.blogspot.com/) is another of your french Milk tube addict's favourites. Furious D defines himself as « the ultimate Pop Culture outsider » and parodies egotism applied to Movieverse with hilarious posters. But the interest of this blog lies in the tone and the style of his views, mixing a true and sharp Philosophy of Movie business with a pretty good dose of humour.

Morceaux choisis of Mr D's Thoughts:

- « You see, in Hollywood, the popular mindset is that to land an Oscar nomination you must play someone who is mentally handicapped, terminally ill, or both. »

« [...] the fundamental tenet of capitalism is that in any deal all sides must walk away happy. »

« The casual renter-buyer, not the raging fanboy, is what will make a movie profitable in DVD. »

- « When I was a kid the joke about Hollywood movies was that everything was a sequel to something, and to a certain extent it was true. Hollywood's predominant philosophy was that every film needed a sequel, and possibly more, preferably with the 3rd instalment in 3D. »

- « Because the majority of Hollywood's A-List stars couldn't sell tickets to a lifeboat on a sinking ship. »

- « I would like to see everybody in the movie business make money, be happy, the world to be all sunshine and unicorns, and Alyson Hannigan to do nude scenes. »

TOLDJA! (NIKKI FINKE'S MIX)

One of Nikki Finke's trademarks is her now famous « Toldja! », which she uses when news she attributed to her sources are officially confirmed (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aqDlk_JfMeBk&refer=us) or when one of her predictions goes real. Recently she let me indulge myself in a typically french exercise of arrogance when I shamelessly borrowed her « Toldja! » after the announcement of a fourth opus in the Austin Powers franchise.

Almost one month before I wrote under one of her posts (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/get-smart-over-love-guru-by-more-than-2-1/) a comment comparing the course of the talented Mike Myers' career to the one of Peter Sellers, after The Love Guru bombed, and asked myself if - all proportion kept - the Austin Powers movies would become his equivalent of the Pink Panther series - my conclusion being that I would not be surprised if another one began shooting soon...

« Ingrid » in French:

http://thierryattard.blogspot.com/2008/06/ce-nest-quun-film-ingrid-le-bloc-notes.html
http://thierryattard.blogspot.com/2008/06/ce-nest-quun-film-ingrid-episode-2.html
http://thierryattard.blogspot.com/2008/07/votre-fidlit-chers-lecteurs-mritant.html