Comments (6)

• I heard Oprah’s going to try to replace The Sopranos with a new drama about feuding gangs of violent, foul-mouthed, self-help and diet book authors.

  Plus she’s making them change the name of the network to HBOprah.

  Comment by Furious D — Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 1:37pm PST  Reply to this post

• this arm of Oprah’s company must not be managed very well since the track record is soo slight, perhaps this relationship with boost the output or perhaps Oprah will change management in her Film/TV arm to get something going. It just seems to be so out of touch.

  Comment by confused — Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 3:01pm PST  Reply to this post

• Good Lord, what has happened to HBO?

  Nikke, your searing coverage of NBC and the Silverman Chronicles has been the only light to shine on that debacle (and the most entertaining reading since the election). Can you turn your bloodhound’s nose toward HBO and fill us in? Sue Naegle has been there since spring and what so far has she accomplished? Oh yeah, True Blood. And their upcoming year? Cancelling Milch’s Last of the Ninth but more of Hanks’ pretty history lessons (not that Band of Brothers or John Adams weren’t great, but is that all)? And now we’re supposed to wait with bated breath for Oprah’s glitzed-up after school specials?

  Their best producers are jumping ship to Showtime. Seems like they only want to work with the big names, no longer seeking out the best and brightest, taking chances, kicking ass. Ferrell/McKay, Bruckheimer/Bay, Oprah, sounds like the same old shite we’re fed every day on network.

  Now do we miss Albrecht? He may have been a royal prick, but it’s become abundantly clear that the networks rise to glory was his doing. The genius has left the building.

  Comment by Outis — Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 3:24pm PST  Reply to this post

• HBO needs something BIG to happen since Showtime is now what HBO used to be…Oprah knew they’d top an other offer around…she’s one smart broad.

  Comment by Oh c'mon — Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 3:42pm PST  Reply to this post

• What do they mean that shows about health and well-being will be non-scripted? Unless they’re all going to be ad-libbed on the street from scratch with no cutaways, somebody is going to have to write the intros, outros, questions, show formats, structure, voice-over, and edit plans.

  Comment by Santayana — Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 4:29pm PST  Reply to this post

• To: Chris Albrecht
  From DPJ
  Re: An apology.

  Dear Chris,

  I’ll get right to it: we miss you. Things have gone to hell in a handcart since you were kicked out. The house that you built is being foreclosed on because we traded you in for some sub-prime executives.

  You won’t believe the shit they’re programming! The only thing they got going is some show about gays screwing vampires, (or is it a show about some fucking gay vampire?) Anyway, it sucks and the people over at HBO 2.0 are celebrating like they killed the Weinstein brothers and got away with it.

  And now they made a deal with Oprah. God only knows what “Fat-Girl-Overcomes-Adversity” piece of shit will come out of this unholy alliance.

  So come back, Chris. We need you. TV needs you. Look, we know what happened and we forgive you. Everybody wants to whack his significant other once in a while. It was either you or her, right? I mean, it’s not like you threw a shoe at the President, killed a baby or hired Ben Silverman.

  And don’t worry about the chick that replaced you. We can handle that. It’s not like anybody really likes women in this town.

  See you soon.

  Don

  Comment by Donald Pejeaux — Tuesday December 16, 2008 @ 8:45pm PST  Reply to this post