Talking about 'Battlestar Galactica's' 'The Oath' with Mark Verheiden

Talking about 'Battlestar Galactica's' 'The Oath' with Mark Verheiden

In the following post, Mark Verheiden, who wrote Friday's "Battlestar Galactica" episode, "The Oath," discusses the episode in detail. Please only read on if you've seen the episode. At the end of the post, there are also a few thoughts from me on the episode, which I thought was simply oustanding.

Questions are in bold type, answers are in regular type.

When does this take place? Is this the morning after the final scene in "A Disquiet Follows My Soul"? I would guess not, since it would take some time for Zarek and Gaeta to formulate their plan.

MARK: We’re talking a day or two after the last episode. During that time Gaeta would have been rounding up support in the crew and discussing the next step with Zarek.

Do you think that there was another way that Gaeta, Zarek or anyone else could have talked the leadership out of the Cylon alliance? If Roslin and Adama weren't going to listen to dissenters, do you think that a violent seizure of power was the only answer?

MARK: Gaeta tried to raise objections, but he was summarily shut down in the previous episode. Basically, his back was against the wall. What intrigued me when writing this episode was the idea that Gaeta and Zarek were, in fact, "right." Looking at the situation from the outside, the alliance with the Cylons was crazy and dangerous. And the revelation of the "final four" didn’t help. Adama’s best friend and first officer was a Cylon, Roslin’s aide was a Cylon, Chief Tyrol, Starbuck’s husband Anders, suddenly it was clear the entire command structure on Galactica had been infiltrated. On top of that, no one in authority was taking time to explain how this alliance was going to help the crew or the fleet. Gaeta’s motivations were pure, he was trying to save the human race, and that’s the real tragedy of the story.

Of course all that begs a larger question, which is whether mutiny is ever justified. I remember impassioned discussions about this, because while mutiny is the stuff of many dramas, in "real life" it’s an enormous step to take, especially for a loyal officer like Gaeta. But it certainly seemed to me that after all this time on the run in space, in the wake of the disappointment (to say the least) of Earth, mutiny might just happen.

Was Zarek's plan all along to kill Adama? Also Tigh? And did he keep this part of the plan from Gaeta? Or do you think Gaeta knew that Zarek might be playing him in some ways?

MARK: Zarek understood that Adama alive would be trouble, so he absolutely wanted him out of the picture. There was some discussion at early story stages whether the soldiers who opened fire in the CIC were operating directly under Zarek’s orders or Gaeta’s, and how that might start a rift between the two, but that idea was (more or less) dropped for this episode.

With Roslin out of the picture and the Quorum an afterthought, was Adama more or less running a military dictatorship? How much of what went down in The Oath could be laid at the feet of Adama and Roslin?

MARK: Adama was definitely leaning that direction, a point Zarek makes when he’s goading Lee into returning to Galactica. The dividing line between civilian authority and the military was always thin, and with Roslin openly sleeping with Adama, the line’s obviously on the verge of disappearing. There are some dramatic developments coming up that will continue to alter this dynamic…

Maybe this is a point I missed in earlier seasons, but have we seen the Pegasus officer who threatened to rape Sharon/Athena in "The Oath" on the Galactica before this? Were all those Pegasus people given a blanket amnesty? I was wondering why that guy would still be serving, given what went down with Sharon/Athena in "Pegasus" (though from the longer cut of "Pegasus" that was released on DVD, Thorne was the one who rapes her, not the man we see in "The Oath").

MARK: We had not seen Gage or Vireem (or "The Sunshine Boys" as we referred to them in the writer’s room) since "Pegasus." (Lt. Thorne was the sadistic officer who actually died during that show.) We had talked about bringing these guys back on several occasions, but this felt like the best time, given their animosity toward Helo and Sharon (and Cylons in general). Truth is Galactica’s crew is populated with people carrying a vast array of grudges and agendas. Pilots whose friends had been killed during Cylons raids, crew from Pegasus (Gaeta’s pal Hoshi came from Pegasus too, if I’m remembering that correctly), cranky civilians, etc. So they all had to learn to get along. More or less…

Even last week, after "Disquiet," some fans were wondering if Adama was unwell. Now more than ever, I am wondering -- could he be the "dying leader" that would lead humanity to … well, something better than a life on the run?

MARK: I think Ron’s made a statement on that (Adama’s taking pain meds, but he’s not dying), so… what he said. [Mo here: See last week's interview with Ron Moore about "A Disquiet Follows My Soul."]

It seemed like a great deal of care went into mixing the various "beats" of the show -- the quieter conversations, the action sequences, the tense moments, the more intimate moments. I know as you write this you have not seen the final cut yet, but do you think the final product will more or less follow the order of the scenes in the script? Was that a difficult part of the writing process -- knowing what sort of moments to put where?

MARK: After the very somber nature of the last two episodes, it really felt like it was time to amp things up a bit, but I certainly didn’t want to lose sight of the emotional stories. I’ve actually seen all but the final mixed broadcast cut and the show definitely tracks with the script. It would have been difficult to change the running order since the mutiny progressed in a very specific, step by step fashion.

Actually, along those lines, what was the hardest part of writing "The Oath"? The easiest or most fun part?

MARK: Trickiest part in crafting the episode was working through the steps of Gaeta’s mutiny. How to isolate Galactica from the rest of the fleet while keeping Adama and the officers in CIC in the dark. Once we nailed that…

I was especially happy to get Starbuck back in motion, giving her character a new drive.

Probably the most fun was writing the scene where Kara confronts the guys holding Lee at the Raptor. I really wanted to see kick-ass Kara again, and Katee delivered. Following that with her amped up moment with Lee and her declaration of "life" was really satisfying, because it felt like we were finally giving Starbuck a mission statement after some very hard knocks.

Were the writers planting the seeds of Gaeta's eventual betrayal as far back as New Caprica? When he lost his leg, was that also part of the process of getting him to this point, where he could betray Adama? Or when you began to outline the second half of the season, did this direction just make sense for this particular character? I guess I'm asking when you began the process of turning Gaeta into a revolutionary.

MARK: I don’t recall specific plans for Gaeta’s eventual turn as far back at the new Caprica storyline, but the mutiny story was something we definitely had in mind for awhile, and we gravitated toward Gaeta as ringleader as season four progressed. He was the perfect candidate after his near death in "Collaborators" and then the leg situation. Poor guy must have thought I had it in for him, I actually wrote the leg shooting for the end of "Road Less Travelled" but it wound up being used at the beginning of the next episode, "Faith."

Incidentally, the script for "The Oath" included flashbacks to the original mini-series at crucial moments, scenes that showed a very fresh faced Gaeta with Adama. It was quite poignant reviewing those moments, all before the Cylon holocaust, and juxtaposing them with the "strained" Gaeta/Adama relationship in the show now. Ultimately we didn’t use the flashbacks, but it helped me understand the depth of anger and betrayal that would erupt between Adama and Gaeta during the takeover.

What was it like working with John Dahl? Do you think he brought something new and/or different to "Galactica"?

MARK: John was great, very laid back and easy going, but he knew what he wanted and got it on a very tight schedule. People don’t realize how tight, I think we shot "The Oath" in seven and a half days.

Any interesting stories from the making of the episode -- did anything go differently than you'd planned? Better? Worse?

MARK: My very last day of shooting on my last episode of BSG was of course the day everything decided not to work. It was nobody’s fault, just stuff deciding not to cooperate. We were shooting the final scene in the show, in the airlock. The mechanism that opened and closed the airlock door broke after one take, the welder that was supposed to spit out sparks decided to stop spitting, it was just one thing after another. Ultimately we got most of it (we eventually reshot a short bit) but it was sure hectic at the time. When it was done I stole the canvas chair back with my name and BSG logo and flew back to Los Angeles…

A few other random memories from the shoot:

The scene where Baltar tries to talk Gaeta out of the mutiny was a suggestion from James Callis after we finished the cast read-through for the show. It was a great idea and I wrote it that night. I love the moment, both Baltar’s delivery and Gaeta’s reaction.

The big shootout: Since this was the first firefight in CIC, I remember deciding how many bullet holes should be added to the various glass surfaces. You’d think this would be a very deliberate process where someone painstakingly drills holes, but in fact it was a guy with an air gun shooting marbles at the glass, scoring it "bullet hole" style. He started shooting and suddenly marbles were flying all over the place. When that was over, I went around to the glass partitions and told him to shoot ‘em some more.

One last memory, totally at odds with the intensity of the show, was watching Eddie Olmos and Michael Hogan goof with their rifles. Some of their antics made the gag reel, it’s pretty hysterical stuff. And speaking of Eddie, I can’t tell you how exciting it was to see him tackle this story. He had several amazing moments, both the high octane intensity of the shootout, but also the sweetness of the first scene with President Roslin. The moment where Adama simply stops and faces off against the soldier hauling him to the brig came to mind because it felt like something Adama/Eddie could pull off. Of course, kudos to the entire cast, who did a uniformly great job.

I know upon pain of death you're not supposed to tell us what happens next (though there's part of me that wants to grab you by the lapels and make you tell me what happens next), but is it true that Romo Lampkin appears in the next episode?

MARK: We all love Romo, he said enigmatically.

Ron Moore said last week that things could get worse. Can they get worse than this?

MARK: Please. It’s Battlestar. We haven’t even scraped the surface of "worse."

It's Mo here: Below are my thoughts on "The Oath."

Maybe being a critic is supposed to be a purely intellectual exercise. Maybe it's all supposed to be done with the cerebellum.

But there's nothing I enjoy as much as an episode of television that produces a reaction that I can feel in my body -- tension, nausea, fear in the pit of the stomach, joy, anticipation, tears, whatever. The "good" variety of all those things, mind you. I'm not talking about the kind of nausea you feel when you watch people eat something gross on "The Amazing Race."

Friday's episode of "Battlestar Galactica," "The Oath," made me feel the way I did when I watched Cally running from a firing squad in "Occupation/Precipice," the Season 3 premiere of the show. Then, I felt physically sick at the sight of truckloads of human beings being unloaded in a remote field under a grey sky. I felt sick at the sight of armed enemies lining up to shoot all of those people.

And as Cally stumbled as she tried to run away, the entire core of my body was seized up with tension.

That's how "The Oath" made me feel. For the last few minutes, I could hardly breathe. And then Gaeta gave the order to fire on the president's Raptor. And then the rebels tossed a grenade in the room that held Adama and Tigh.

And then the screen said, "To be continued."

Aaghghhghghhghghghh!

What a sensational episode.

It worked on a number of levels: There was the slow-building mystery of what the rebels were actually up to -- the tension slowly racheted up as various facets of their plan were revealed. Despite all the slam-bang action -- which was expertly directed by John Dahl -- the episode threaded through a critique of Adama and Roslin's methods and actions. There were conversations, attempts at conversions, politically charged moments and life or death moments. But the throughline of the episode never gave way: There was a taut inevitability to everything that happened.

Here's the thing about the rebels: I kind of agree with them. Theoretically. I didn't agree with what Gaeta and Zarek did, and I certainly wasn't on board with the revenge factor and the score-settling that was part of the appeal for several of the revolutionaries.

But as I said in last week's interview with Ron Moore, I think if I were Jane Schmoe in the fleet, I'd have a very bad feeling about not just the alliance with the Cylons but the idea that the entire fleet would be outfitted with Cylon jump technology -- which the humans don't understand. Even if this particular band of Cylons wouldn't betray the humans and use that technology against them, who's to say that Cavil or any other gang of unfriendly Cylons couldn't use that FTL technology to disrupt or destroy the fleet?

And Roslin and Adama didn't seem particularly perturbed about the objections to the alliance. Their thinking seemed to be, "We've decided this. Let's just browbeat the Quorum into line. Again."

The order to install the Cylon FTLs was referred to as a "lawful order," but who's making the laws? The Quorum passed a law saying that captains could refuse to install the Cylon technology. Wasn't that lawful?

As Zarek points out, the fleet seemed to be operating in a de facto military dictatorship. If Adama makes the rules and only his rules matter, then there is no democracy in the fleet. To me, that's why the scene with Lee Adama near the end of the episode mattered so much. Lee pointed out to his father that the fleet was only in this pickle because of the very Cylons that Adama wanted to ally with.

Lee: "… if this is what survival has come to…"

Adama: "It's all we've got. ..."

Lee: "It's all they left us."

The point is, many people had legitimate issues with the Cylon alliance, and Adama and Roslin didn't listen to them. Maybe they were just off their games after the crushing discovery of Earth and the even more crushing suicides and despair in the fleet. But what was the anti-alliance faction supposed to do with their legitimate complaints? They weren't getting a real hearing from the fleet's leaders.

Having said that, Felix Gaeta is going to hell. If he's not already there. He's betrayed his senior officers. He's been party to murder. He's attempted an armed overthrow of both the government and the military.

AND he lied to Hoshi. Now that's just mean.

Having said that, the way that Gaeta and Zarek played their hand was kind of beautiful. They knew where every weakness was, and not just tactically. They knew how to play Adama, Lee and even the officers of the Galactica like fine-tuned violins.

You had to hand it to them: They knew exactly which buttons to press, physically and emotionally.

But in the end, it was hard not to think that Zarek played Gaeta too (let's hope Gaeta was at least smart enough to see that coming). I've rarely been as shocked as I was when the Marines fired on Adama and Tigh in the CIC. I truly did not expect that. How many times has Adama quieted dissension in the fleet simply with his commanding voice? Not this time. (Laura had no luck either with her attempt at oratory later in the episode).

In any case, when the Marines fired at those officers, you had to think it was on Zarek's orders. In his mind, the only good William Adama is a dead William Adama (a living admiral is a "loose end," according to Zarek's annoyed comment to Gaeta).

But Gaeta is no better. By ordering pilots to fire on Roslin's Raptor, he was in essence attempting to assassinate the president. There will be no smoothing this over. As Adama said, bygones will not be bygones. Not after all this.

So much happened in this episode, so many things that I'll be pondering for days. But what I particularly appreciated about "The Oath" was that it expertly mixed in quieter, smaller moments amid tense antion and the big, jaw-dropping moments.

There was Lee and Starbuck's kiss, there was Laura and Baltar's wonderfully vicious conversation, Baltar's comedic moment with his adoring followers, Baltar's doomed attempt to stop Gaeta, Sharon's conversation with Anders in the brig, Roslin and Adama's kiss (and Starbuck and Lee's embarrassed reaction). And of course, there was Tigh's shocked reaction when he realizes that Roslin spent the night with Adama.

Michael Hogan and his Amazing Acting Eye -- is there anything they can't do?

As the episode was ending, I assumed Adama, Tigh, Lee and Kara were all going to get into the getaway Raptor. Only Roslin and the wily Baltar left, however. So it took me a little while to realize -- Roslin and Adama's kiss was so passionate because they realized this was the last time they might see each other. Ever.

I need a tissue. Something just got in my eye...

In closing, there's one word that we've heard a few times now: "reckoning." Gaeta threatened Starbuck with the idea that a reckoning was coming, and that she wouldn't like how that would go for her. Adama tells the Marines escorting him that there would be a reckoning for their actions as well.

But who gets to decide what the criteria of this reckoning are? Is it better to be a loyal officer, even when you think the course that your superiors set is suicidal? When do you begin firing on the people you once commanded? Where does loyalty stop and mindless violence begin? Who gets to reckon that?

I don't know what happens next week. But I don't think we'll be getting an answer to those questions any time soon.

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The Disney-ABC Television Group today laid off several hundred people, citing the weakening economy. Group President Anne Sweeney sent an e-mail to the approximately 7,000 television group employees, saying that after months of trying to adjust the business to the worsening economic climate, "we're now faced with the harsh reality of having to eliminate jobs in some areas."

"This was not an easy decision, nor one made lightly," Sweeney wrote. "The people affected today are our friends and colleagues, and we are doing all we can for them and their families."

The announcement comes a day after ESPN Chief Executive George Bodenheimer said he would cut 200 jobs within the year, mostly from unfilled positions. Sports broadcasters have been particularly vulnerable to decisions by struggling automakers to cut spending on advertising. It also comes a week after ABC's move to consolidate its network and television program production divisions into a single entity.

More layoffs are anticipated in the coming months, as ABC Entertainment Group President Stephen McPherson evaluates staffing at the newly consolidated studio and network operation.

"I realize this is an extremely difficult day for everyone in our group," Sweeney wrote. "But despite the challenges before us, I remain confident and optimistic about our future, because you really are the best in the business."

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Photo: ABC headquarters in Burbank. Credit: RMA Photography Inc.

Watch this space for thoughts on Dwight and Tigh

Just a heads up: I am heading out of town for the weekend, but I will have two offerings for you in the next few days.

Late Friday, if all goes as planned, I'll post a QA& with Mark Verheiden, the writer of "The Oath," this week's episode of "Battlestar Galactica." The plan is to post that interview as well as a few thoughts from me after the episode airs.

I'll be out of town but I should have a laptop with me. Let's hope that this time, technology is our friend, and that I have access to working WiFi this weekend.

On Sunday night, after the Super Bowl, I'll post a review of "Stress Relief," the episode of "The Office" that airs after the game.

I've seen both episodes, and I'll just say, for comedy, you can't beat "Stress Relief." I think it's a classic "Office" episode.

On the other end of the spectrum, "The Oath" is as dramatic an hour of television as you could possibly want.

Let's meet back here over the weekend, OK?

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div xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtmlpa href=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/28/spielberg_sniderjluap5nc_jcehpwnc.jpgimg class=image-full title=Spielberg_sniderjluap5nc_jcehpwnc alt=Spielberg_sniderjluap5nc_jcehpwnc src=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/28/spielberg_sniderjluap5nc_jcehpwnc.jpg border=0 //a /ppSteven Spielberg, who amid the credit crunch has been having a tough time raising money to finance his new DreamWorks studio, appears to be getting there slowly but surely. img title=Ctlogosmall_3 alt=Ctlogosmall_3 src=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/28/ctlogosmall_3.jpg border=0 style=FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 5px 5px / /ppThe filmmaker's lead bank, JPMorgan Chase, has received a commitment for about $150 million --almost half of the $325-million loan that Spielberg hopes to have in place by late March. Only then will Spielberg's financial partner, India's Reliance Entertainment, start forking over its matching equity portion so the director and his top movie executive, Stacey Snider, can start making movies.nbsp; /ppA couple of weeks ago, Spielberg and Reliance paid Paramount Pictures about $27 million to purchase 17 projects that DreamWorks had been developing at their former studio home and desperately need to get cameras rolling for their venture. This week, Spielberg began directing the massive-budget motion-capture 3-D movie quot;The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn,quot; starring Jamie Bell and Daniel Craig, for Paramount and Sony Pictures./ppA DreamWorks spokesman said, quot;This is a vote of confidence in the new company, so we're feeling pretty good about it.quot;/pp-- Claudia Eller/ppemPhotos: Spielberg (Hector Mata / AFP/Getty Images) and Snider (Vince Bucci / Getty Images)/em/p/div
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There's now executive parity at Universal Pictures. As part of a four-year contract extension, the studio's movie bosses, Marc Shmuger and David Linde, will now share the chairman title.

Neither adds new responsibilities in his executive roles. But the announcement, which accompanied a town hall meeting of employees on the Universal lot this morning, signals a vote of confidence and management stability for the NBC Universal-owned movie studio. Shmuger's and Linde's contract renewal comes on the heels of company-wide cutbacks at the entertainment giant, which like other businesses is grappling with the economic downturn.

In March 2006, when they were paired to succeed studio chief Stacey Snider (who left to join DreamWorks), Shmuger was crowned chairman and Linde co-chairman. Over the last three years, the two have helped steady Universal after it was rattled by the departure of the highly-regarded Snider.

When they took over, Shmuger and Linde made it priority to keep the studio's key production companies, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title, in the fold by clinching new multi-year deals with each.

According to Universal, the two have overseen the two most profitable years in the studio's history when it logged a worldwide box office record in 2007 thanks to such hits as the action picture The Bourne Ultimatum and comedy Knocked Up. The studio then surpassed that milestone last year with global ticket sales of $2.8 billion, fueled by releases Mamma Mia! and The Incredible Hulk.

And, like all studio chiefs, they've had to endure their share of box office misses such as The Kingdom, Flash of Genius and the pricey comedy sequel Evan Almighty.

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Photo: David Linde , left, and Marc Shmuger. Credit: Alex Berliner / Berliner Studios/BEI Images

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SAG board members move to oust chief negotiator

The Screen Actors Guild board today moved to oust the union's executive director, Doug Allen, citing a crisis in leadership that has paralyzed Hollywood's hugest actors union.

A majority of directors said in a sayment that they'd delivered a written assent document to SAG headquarters that authorized that Allen be immediately replaced as national executive director by former SAG General Counsel David White, who will serve as interim executive director. Allen has been on the job for two years.

For now, Allen's job will be split in two. As part of the shake-up, John T. McGuire will take over Allen's role as the union's chief negotiator on all contracts. In addition, the union's negotiating committee will be replaced by a task force appointed by the board, which will work to secure a TV/theatrical contract that can be sent to members with a positive recommendation.

These much needed changes will allow SAG to chart a new course, the group said.

The move, which was widely anticipateed, comes two weeks after the board majority attempted to fire Allen but was filibustered by his supporters during a 28-hour meeting. The group represents a coalition of so-called moderates who have accused Allen and SAG President Alan Rosenberg of mishandling negotiations and dividing the 120,000-member union. Actors have been working without a contract since June 30, 2008.

The board members voted by means of written assent, a provision in SAG's constitution that allows a majority of directors to take action by putting their votes in writing. The unrelenting obstruction by a minority of board members has left us no alternative,'' the group said in explaining its action.

SAG had no immediate comment.

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'Battlestar Galactica's' Ron Moore discusses 'A Disquiet Follows My Soul'

Droopy feathers among the peacock's TV stations
div xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtmlpa href=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/23/nbclogo.jpg/a/ppa href=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/23/nbclogo_2.jpgimg class=image-full title=Nbclogo_2 alt=Nbclogo_2 src=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/23/nbclogo_2.jpg border=0 //a /ppGeneral Electric Co. released its fourth-quarter earnings Friday, and the news was grim from NBC's local TV stations, historically one of the most reliable generators of cash flow for NBC Universal./ppRevenue from the stations tumbled 25% compared with the fourth quarter of 2007, and operating profit dropped a staggering 55%.nbsp; GE's overall income plunged 44% to $3.72 billion as the conglomerate's industrial and finance businesses were hit hard by the recession./ppAll local media outlets, including newspapers, TV and radio stations, have fallen on hard times in the last year as their ideal advertisers -- including car dealerships and retailers -- have struggled to maintain customers and sales.nbsp; /ppThe financial picture wasn't as bleak for all of NBC Universal. For the period that ended Dec. 31, the media company generated $4.43 billion in revenue, down 3% from the fourth quarter of 2007. Operating profit came in at $865 million, down 6%. /ppSaving grace: cable television./ppThe company benefited by strong results from its cable channels including MSNBC, which saw its revenue up 37% for the election-driven quarter. Overall, revenue from the cable channels, including USA Network and Bravo, was up 11% and profit soared 22% for the quarter./ppquot;We had continued strong performance in cable, but that was more than offset by the pressure that we're seeing in local markets,quot; GE Chief Financial Officer Keith Sherin told analysts in a conference call./ppIt was a mixed bag for Universal Pictures and the theme parks. Operating profit was down 7% for the division, partly because of higher marketing costs resulting from the release of more films in the period than the year-earlier quarter. Attendance was up 4% for Universal Studios in Los Angeles but down 4% in Orlando. One bright spot: DVD sales were up 20%, buoyed by the blithe musical quot;Mamma Mia!quot;/ppBut Wall Street wasn't in a singing mood./ppGE's shares plunged 10.7% after the call, in which executives reiterated how the quot;terrible credit marketsquot; were hurting their businesses. GE stock closed at $12.03 a share. The industrial and financial giant delivered earnings of $3.65 billion, or 35 cents a share, down from $6.7 billion, or 66 cents a share, a year earlier. Overall revenue slid 5% to $46.2 billion./pp-- Meg James/ppemPhoto: NBC offices in Burbank. Credit: David McNew / Getty Images/em/p/div
'Battlestar Galactica's' Ron Moore discusses 'A Disquiet Follows My Soul'
Below is an interview with Ronald D. Moore, executive producer of ?Battlestar Galactica,? who talked about the Jan. 23 episode of the show, ?A Disquiet Follows My Soul.? Moore wrote the episode, and he also directed it; it was his first time in the director?s chair. I highly recommend watching "Disquiet" before reading what's below. By the way, Moore talked here about the major events of last week?s outing, ?Sometimes a Great Notion," here. The writers and director of that episode also shared their thoughts about it. One more note: There's news about the upcoming "Battlestar Galactica" prequel "Caprica" here....
Pizarro: San Jose Jazz Festival struggling as top sponsors pull back
After losing major financial support from its two massive sponsors '” Comcast and Southwest Airlines '” the San Jose Jazz Festival is hoping Silicon Valley can come to the rescue.
'Friday Night Lights': One Final Shot At Glory?
Though hailed by critics, NBC's emFriday Night Lights/em has struggled to find an audience. Can a unique deal with DirecTV turn the game around? As the third season airs on NBC, fans hold out hope.
EUROPE: Funnily, Bulgaria Is Not a Turkish Toilet
BUCHAREST, Jan 17 (IPS) - A work of art exhibited this week in Brussels has turned out to be an uncommon test for whether some Europeans are able to laugh at themselves. Just as the artist intended.

Worker-writers settle reality TV lawsuits
div xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtmlpa href=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/21/bachelor_spouses_jg970gnc_j7d0senc.jpgimg class=image-full title=Bachelor_spouses_jg970gnc_j7d0senc alt=Bachelor_spouses_jg970gnc_j7d0senc src=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/pics/uncategorized/2009/01/21/bachelor_spouses_jg970gnc_j7d0senc.jpg border=0 //a /p pTwo high-profile class-action lawsuits alleging that networks and production companies denied overtime payments to story producers and others have been settled for more than $4 milllion./p pThe lawsuits, which were filed in 2005 with the backing of the Writers Guild of America, West, alleged that TV production companies and networks violated California wage and hour laws by, among other things, denying overtime pay and meal breaks to more than 20 workers on such as reality shows as quot;The Bachelorquot; and quot;Trading Spouses.quot;nbsp; /p pUnder the settlements, which have been preliminarily approved by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, Fox Broadcasting and Rocket Science Laboratories agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle the claims, while ABC, CBS and various other defendants agreed to pay $1.545 milion./p pAbout 400 workers are eligible to file claims for payment, said Emma Leheny, lead counsel for the workers./p pquot;This is a paycheck that's long overdue for employees who worked tirelessly on reality shows -- many of which are massively successful -- only to be shut out of basic protections like overtime pay.quot;/p pA spokesman for the Writers Guild of America, West, which helped workers file the lawsuits and publicized their plight as part of a campaign to organize writers in the reality genre, declined to comment, citing the conditions of settlements./p pAttorney Jeffrey Richardson, who represented the production companies and networks, couldn't be reached for comment./p p-- Richard Verrier/p pemPhotos: ABC Television quot;quot;The Bachelorquot;) | Fox Broadcasting (quot;Trading Spousesquot;)/em/p/div
The 'Lost' season premiere: Timeless
The post below discusses Wednesday's two-hour Season 5 premiere of ?Lost.? There?s some new information from executive producer Damon Lindelof about things that occurred in the season premiere, the complete versions of answers to some questions I had to trim from this recent interview with Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse, and some thoughts of my own about the episode. It?s probably ideal if you?ve seen the two season premiere episodes that aired Wednesday, ?Because You Left? and ?The Lie,? before proceeding. Before we get down to business, here's a link to the funniest "Lost" recap ever at the...
Grateful Dead tunes make a long, strange trip to Bay Area symphony hall
There's new life for the Grateful Dead: in the concert hall. The 'Dead Symphony,' an orchestral reinvention of tunes by the trippiest band of the '60s, is about to have its first West Coast performances. And Carolyn Garcia '” Jerry Garcia's widow, better known as Mountain Girl to Deadheads '” offers this warning: 'It's not rock 'n' roll.'
Insulting European Art Show Was A Hoax
The installation was supposedly conceived by artists from each of the European Union's 27 member says, but in fact it was created by a single prankster, David Cerny. Bulgaria was represented as a series of hole-in-the-floor toilets and Italy was represented as a soccer field with soccer players engaged in questionable public behavior.

SAG faction takes fresh shot at Allen

SAG faction takes fresh shot at Allen
div xmlns=http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtmlpThe board majority of the Screen Actors Guild today stepped up its efforts to oust the union's executive director, making its case directly to members.nbsp; nbsp; /p pIn an e-mail sayment to SAG members, the board's dominant coalition said it no longer had confidence in the leadership of Doug Allen, citing his quot;failed strategyquot; for securing a new contract for actors. SAG members have been without a contract for almost seven months. /p pThe sayment further accused Allen and SAG President Alan Rosenberg of thwarting the'll of the board majority last week, when it was blocked from voting on a resolution to fire Allen and replace the union's negotiating committee./p pquot;We firmly believe that SAG needs a change of course and a new captain,'' the board directors said. quot;Mr. Allen has held fast to a failed strategy for over half a year, even as members have lost almost $50 million from working under an expired contract.... With a new direction, we can turn this around and put the Screen Actors Guild back on the right track.quot;/p pThe sayment came in a response to a letter Allen wrote last week in which he proposed postponing a strike authorization vote. Instead, he proposed asking members to vote on whether they would accept the studios' final offer without a recommendation from the board./p pBut the recommendation was roundly dismissed by dissident directors as disingenuous, given that SAG had already spent more than $100,000 discrediting the studios' offer as unacceptable./p pAllen has strongly pushed for the strike vote, saying it would give him leverage in negotiations. But his aggressive pursuit of the referendum sparked a backlash among members who felt the tactic was ill-timed, given the hardships facing members amid a deep recession./p pIf Allen doesn't resign, his hand may be forced. Moderate directors are working on a plan to oust Allen through quot;written assent,quot; which allows board members to take action by casting their votes in writing. Such a vote could happen later this week./p pA SAG spokeswoman said neither Allen nor the guild would comment. In letter to members sent over the weekend, Allen acknowledged that the board is now quot;deeply and publicly splitquot; and vowed to press ahead with the strike authorization vote if the board does not accept his quot;compromise.quot;/p pThe suggestion didn't sit well with board member Todd Hissong, president of SAG's Chicago branch./p pquot;Yet again you've the audacity to make ultimatums to your employers,quot; Hissong wrote. quot;I hereby demand your immediate resignation as our National Executive Director.quot;/p p-- Richard Verrier/p/div
A tasty clip from 'Burn Notice's' Thursday return
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Lots of surprises in Chinese keyboard superstar's program at Flint
Classical music forecasts tend to be grim: Audiences are getting grayer and grayer. Where's the music's future? Sunday night, it was inside Flint Center in Cupertino, where almost 2,000 listeners attended a recital by Yundi Li, the 26 year-old pianist from Chongqing, China, who is a superstar in his home country.
Fifth Grade Reporter To Cover Inauguration
Damon Weaver, a fifth grade reporter at Canal Point Elementary School in Florida, provides an update on his quest to interview President-elect Obama. Weaver finally scored press credentials to cover the inauguration, and he has been invited to cover many glamorous events in D.C.

SAG faction takes fresh shot at Allen

SAG faction takes fresh shot at Allen

The board majority of the Screen Actors Guild today stepped up its efforts to oust the union's executive director, making its case directly to members.   

In an e-mail statement to SAG members, the board's dominant coalition said it no longer had confidence in the leadership of Doug Allen, citing his "failed strategy" for securing a new contract for actors. SAG members have been without a contract for almost seven months.

The statement further accused Allen and SAG President Alan Rosenberg of thwarting the will of the board majority last week, when it was blocked from voting on a resolution to fire Allen and replace the union's negotiating committee.

"We firmly believe that SAG needs a change of course and a new captain,'' the board directors said. "Mr. Allen has held fast to a failed strategy for over half a year, even as members have lost nearly $50 million from working under an expired contract.... With a new direction, we can turn this around and put the Screen Actors Guild back on the right track."

The statement came in a response to a letter Allen wrote last week in which he proposed postponing a strike authorization vote. Instead, he proposed asking members to vote on whether they would accept the studios' final offer without a recommendation from the board.

But the recommendation was roundly dismissed by dissident directors as disingenuous, given that SAG had already spent more than $100,000 discrediting the studios' offer as unacceptable.

Allen has strongly pushed for the strike vote, saying it would give him leverage in negotiations. But his aggressive pursuit of the referendum sparked a backlash among members who felt the tactic was ill-timed, given the hardships facing members amid a deep recession.

If Allen doesn't resign, his hand may be forced. Moderate directors are working on a plan to oust Allen through "written assent," which allows board members to take action by casting their votes in writing. Such a vote could happen later this week.

A SAG spokeswoman said neither Allen nor the guild would comment. In letter to members sent over the weekend, Allen acknowledged that the board is now "deeply and publicly split" and vowed to press ahead with the strike authorization vote if the board does not accept his "compromise."

The suggestion did not sit well with board member Todd Hissong, president of SAG's Chicago branch.

"Yet again you have the audacity to make ultimatums to your employers," Hissong wrote. "I hereby demand your immediate resignation as our National Executive Director."

-- Richard Verrier

A tasty clip from 'Burn Notice's' Thursday return
"Burn Notice" doesn't come back to USA Network until Thursday, and I'll soon post a full review of the first of the spy drama's seven winter episodes. But to whet your appetite, here's a video clip from the first few minutes of Thursday's episode:
Lots of surprises in Chinese keyboard superstar's program at Flint
Classical music forecasts tend to be grim: Audiences are getting grayer and grayer. Where is the music's future? Sunday night, it was inside Flint Center in Cupertino, where nearly 2,000 listeners attended a recital by Yundi Li, the 26 year-old pianist from Chongqing, China, who is a superstar in his home country.
Fifth Grade Reporter To Cover Inauguration
Damon Weaver, a fifth grade reporter at Canal Point Elementary School in Florida, provides an update on his quest to interview President-elect Obama. Weaver finally scored press credentials to cover the inauguration, and he has been invited to cover many glamorous events in D.C.

Del Toro stars in controversial Che Guevara bio film
In director Steven Soderbergh's 'Che,' opening Friday in the South Bay, Benicio Del Toro plays 1950s and '60s revolutionary leader Ernesto 'Che' Guevara. Watch trailer Movie listings | Movie theaters
Celebrating Darwin's Evolution Revolution
The world is getting ready to celebrate the 200th birthday of one of the most influential biologists — some would say THE most influential biologist — ever born. Charles Darwin revolutionized the way scientists think about how life on this planet evolved.

'Battlestar Galactica's' Ron Moore addresses the shocking developments of 'Sometimes a Great Notion'
This post contains extensive interviews and information about ?Sometimes a Great Notion,? the Jan. 16 episode of Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica." Below, ?Battlestar Galactica? executive producer Ronald D. Moore talks in detail about several massive developments in the episode. I'd recommend watching the episode before reading the full text of the post. Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, who wrote the episode, penned essays about how they arrived at ?Notion?s? title, the influence of a Ken Kesey novel on the episode, how they came up with its story lines -- including the "swimming fox" story -- and also about the episode?s...
Iconic Obama illustration by L.A. artist finds place in D.C. at Portrait Gallery
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'The Electric Company,' Rebooted
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EUROPE: Funnily, Bulgaria Is Not a Turkish Toilet
BUCHAREST, Jan 17 (IPS) - A work of art exhibited this week in Brussels has turned out to be an uncommon test for whether some Europeans are able to laugh at themselves. Just as the artist intended.

The Star Report: Does Obama BlackBerry fetish threaten Republic?; plus, 'Grey's Anatomy', Oprah, nude Madonna photo

'Battlestar Galactica's' Ron Moore addresses the shocking developments of 'Sometimes a Great Notion'
This post contains extensive interviews and information about ?Sometimes a Great Notion,? the Jan. 16 episode of Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica." Below, ?Battlestar Galactica? executive producer Ronald D. Moore talks in detail about several big developments in the episode. I'd recommend watching the episode before reading the full text of the post. Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, who wrote the episode, penned essays about how they arrived at ?Notion?s? title, the influence of a Ken Kesey novel on the episode, how they came up with its story lines -- including the "swimming fox" story -- and also about the episode?s...
The Star Report: Does Obama BlackBerry fetish threaten Republic?; plus, 'Grey's Anatomy', Oprah, nude Madonna photo
President-elect Barack Obama is in the midst of his first constitutional crisis, and we're not talking about what kind of dog he's going to get for his girls.
'The Electric Company,' Rebooted
The Electric Company charged up a generation of young readers in the 1970s. Now it's back with a new gang and a timeless goal: to make learning fun.
EUROPE: Funnily, Bulgaria Is Not a Turkish Toilet
BUCHAREST, Jan 17 (IPS) - A work of art exhibited this week in Brussels has turned out to be an unusual test for whether some Europeans are able to laugh at themselves. Just as the artist intended.

It's the final stage of the epic journey for 'Battlestar Galactica'

SAG board members spurn Allen gambit

Some call it a Hail Mary pass.

Beleaguered Screen Actors Guild Executive Director Doug Allen, who barely survived an effort to oust him from his job at a marathon board meeting this week, is now attempting to make nice with his critics on the board in an apparent last-ditch effort to keep his job.

But the overtures aren't working with his opponents on the board, who have the votes to get him fired and are still actively working toward that goal.

In a letter to board members Wednesday, the former Buffalo Bills linebacker proposed suspending a planned strike authorization vote by members, as a number of union members had demanded. He also suggested that the union's 120,000 members vote on the studios' final offer -- without a recommendation from the board.

That's a startling turnaround for a union leader who had spent months belittling the studios' final offer as threatening the very future of middle-class actors, and who had argued forcefully that a strike authorization vote was needed to give him a big stick in negotiations with the studios.

Allen further urged the board members to end their bickering. "Super-heated rhetoric through the press will not contribute to our success on behalf of the members," he wrote. "Working together to resolve your differences will."

But his letter was roundly panned by the moderate board members, who failed to fire Allen during an around-the-clock board meeting Monday and Tuesday after his supporters filibustered a vote on his future.

"After spending $100,000 propagandizing that this is a horrible deal, how can he now claim that this be sent out" without a recommendation from the board, said Richard Masur, a New York board member and former SAG president. "It's an astonishing piece of cynical manipulation."

Ned Vaughn, a spokesman for the Unite for Strength group of moderates, said: "His turnaround on the strike authorization is notable, but the majority of the board wouldn't have stayed up through 28 hours of relentless stalling if it had confidence in Doug Allen's leadership."

Indeed, far from seeking conciliation with Allen, Vaughn and other moderates on the board have hardened in their resolve to oust him and to disband the union's negotiating committee.

Short of demanding another emergency board meeting, the dissident directors could also invoke a so-called written assent provision in the union's constitution. That would allow the board to take action on a matter without actually meeting, so long as a majority of members indicate their votes in writing.

People close to the situation said that Allen's fate could be determined as early as next week.

Allen was not available for comment.

SAG President Alan Rosenberg said he welcomed Allen's suggestion and blasted his detractors. "For them to object to Doug's proposal is pathetic and laughable,"  he said. "They want to get rid of Doug because he's too strong and too much of a unionist."

-- Richard Verrier

It's the final stage of the epic journey for 'Battlestar Galactica'
Life is often more about the journey than the destination. But sometimes the destination matters.For the surviving humans in the ragtag fleet on ?Battlestar Galactica? (9 p.m. Friday, Sci Fi; four stars), one hope had kept them going through years of war with their enemies, the Cylons. The survivors hoped and prayed that one day they?d find Earth, the home of humanity?s lost ?13th Tribe,? and the fleet?s long journey would be over. They?d find rest. Only it didn?t quite work out that way. (If you don?t want to know what happened in the first half of Season 4, stop...
No, they can't!
In three days, the man who coined the world famous call "Yes we can" assumes the greatest office in the world —the US presidency. He ran a well-oiled campaign machine towards his bid, but for Chelsea it's safe to say; "No, they can't!"
The Star Report: Ex-Hef girlfriend tells what it's like to date 82-year-old; plus, Johnny Depp, Steve Carell, Johnny Knoxville
Now that randy octogenarian Hugh Hefner has traded in his trio of blonde girlfriends for a trio of younger blonde girlfriends, the former members of the Hef seraglio are starting to talk about life at the Mansion.
'Chandni Chowk': Across Asia, Lightheartedly
A Delhi doofus is summoned to protect a Chinese village in the Bollywood kung-fu comedy Chandni Chowk to China. With nods to everything from Jackie Chan to James Bond, the movie is a cultural mashup of epic proportions.

Blockbuster partners with Sonic, chases Netflix

Blockbuster partners with Sonic, chases Netflix

Movie rental giant Blockbuster has partnered with a Bay Area technology company to help it set up digital storefronts on an array of consumer electronics products.

The agreement with Sonic Solutions, a company that has created software to bring movie downloads and rental services to devices, provides Blockbuster with the technical know-how it needs as it seeks to extend its business to portable media players, set-top boxes and Internet-connected TVs.

"What we're realizing, more and more, is our consumers are trying to watch movies in a variety of different locations," said Kevin Lewis, Blockbuster's senior vice president of digital entertainment. "Our job is to be ubiquitous."

The combination better positions Blockbuster to compete with its fleet-footed rival, Netflix. The movies-by-mail company has lined up a series of high-profile partnerships to bring its subscription service out of the hands of postal carriers and directly onto the TV.

In recent months, Netflix has announced deals that would allow subscribers to watch thousands of movies and TV shows streamed over the Internet into their living rooms, using a TiVo Series 3 digital video recorder, an Xbox 360 video game console or the just-announced Internet-connected televisions from Korean manufacturer LG Electronics.

Other technology companies are also eying the TV.  Retailer Amazon.com lets customers buy videos online and download them to their TiVo boxes.  And digital media behemoth Apple Inc. delivers a similar experience, pairing its iTunes store with the AppleTV set-top box.

Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey said the Sonic partnership is another sign that Blockbuster is "really serious" about being part of the digital movie revolution. But it's also an acknowledgment of the retailer's limitations.

"It enables Blockbuster to say, 'Whatever device people want to watch video on, we'll put the Blockbuster experience on that device ? without having to launch an army of developers,' " McQuivey said.

Blockbuster pursued a similar strategy in 2007, when it acquired Movielink ? an online movie rental business started by five Hollywood studios ? to move it quickly into digital distribution. But as consumers shied away from time-consuming paid movie downloads in favor of services that offered the immediate gratification of streaming to Internet-connected devices, Blockbuster began seeking another company with which it could partner for this type of expertise.

Sonic has existing deals to offer its own movie-rental service, CinemaNow, to consumers who buy Dell and Hewlett-Packard computers or use an LG BD300 Blu-ray player that can be connected to the Internet (a feature known as BD Live).  The company is also working with the manufacturers of portable devices with a screen and the processing power to handle movies ? including Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry.

Blockbuster will have the benefit of Sonic's many relationships with gadget-makers. CinemaNow, meanwhile, plans to re-brand its movie offerings as Blockbuster stores.

"That's the key to stimulate the market: marrying a trusted brand with a platform that takes the guess work away from the consumer," said Mark Ely, Sonic Solutions' executive vice president of strategy.

? Dawn C. Chmielewski

'Prisoner' star Patrick McGoohan dies
Patrick McGoohan, the creator and star of the landmark TV series "The Prisoner," has passed away. A couple of brief news stories on his death are here and here. I'll try to add links to other obituaries and tributes as the day goes on. I thought I'd also mention that all 17 episodes of "The Prisoner" are now available for free at the AMC Web site. That cable network is remaking the series with Jim Cavaziel and Ian McKellan for a 2009 release. More information about that version of "The Prisoner" is here.
Shay Quillen: A world-class band in Morgan Hill?
Rhonda Vincent & the Rage drop in on the Morgan Hill Grange
Assembling Artifacts Of African-American History
In a vast warehouse off an undistinguished highway in Maryland, storage cartons and suitcases hold the treasures of the as-yet-unbuilt National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

Phone a friend: 'Millionaire' hits the jackpot at Golden Globes

TV.com. playing catch-up, strikes deals for "Dexter," "I Dream of Jeannie"

Can TV.com be suffering from a case of Hulu envy?

CBS Interactive reached a series of deals to bring clips and full episodes of television shows such as "Dexter," "The Tudors" "The Surreal Life" and classics such as "I Dream of Jeannie" to TV.com as it attempts to broaden the appeal of its online community of television fans.

CBS scooped up TV.com as part of its $1.8-billion acquisition of CNet Networks in May. The site -- with a brand name that all but screams that it's the place to watch TV shows online -- has nonetheless lost ground to Hulu, the online television and movie portal venture by News Corp. and NBC Universal that emerged from an extended beta test last March.

The most recent online audience estimates from ComScore Media Metrix show Hulu surpassed the earlier TV-on-the-Internet media darling, Joost, and is putting pressure on TV.com, which has seen its unique visitors drop by a third.

TV.com has found itself playing catch-up.

The deals announced today with MGM, PBS, CBS-owned premium cable channel Showtime, Sony Pictures Television and Endemol, producer of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"  and "Deal or No Deal," add more than 1,000 show episodes to TV.com's video library, which already includes episodes and clips from CBS and Hulu.

Anthony Soohoo, senior vice president and general manager of CBS Interactive Entertainment and Lifestyle, said broadening the selection of shows fit with the desire to make TV.com the place where "television lives online."  Fans will not only come to watch the shows they're passionate about, but the video also provides a leaping-off point for discussion....

...This active participation (the site's community posts an average of six contributions a second) is what differentiates TV.com from the host of other online video sites that offer the same television content, Soohoo says.

"It's like a party that people go to," Soohoo said. "What makes it unique is the people inside the party and the conversations, people's predictions of what's going to happen. That's going to be the unique aspect of TV.com."

Forrester Research analyst Bobby Tulsiani said there was no shortage of places for viewers to watch full-length videos online. What separates Hulu from other portals such as Joost, Sling and Fancast is the experience.

In one survey in which viewers were asked why they choose a particular site, they ranked as the most important criteria that the video plays immediately, the image looks good and the ads aren't obtrusive, Tulsiani said. 

"That's why Hulu's praised," Tulsiani said. "That's put them in a leadership position."

This desire for uncluttered simplicity may pose a challenge for TV.com, Tulsiani said, as it incorporates video with TV listings, community forums and news.

-- Dawn C. Chmielewski

Photo: Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn and Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII in Showtime's "The Tudors." Credit: Jonathan Hession / Showtime

Lineup for Obama HBO concert announced
Performers for the Sunday concert celebrating the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama have been announced by HBO. "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" will be presented exclusively by HBO 6 p.m. Chicago time Sunday. HBO said in a news release performers will include Beyonce (pictured at right), Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am and Stevie Wonder. Additional performers may be announced later. Those who will be reading "historical passages" during the concert...
Phone a friend: 'Millionaire' hits the jackpot at Golden Globes
Kate Winslet wins two acting awards and director Danny Boyle's triumphant 'Slumdog Millionaire' shaping up as the one to beat at the Oscars.

  Slide show: Golden Globes fashion | List of winners | Vote: Who looked their best?
Interactive Games Make Museums A Place To Play
On a recent evening, 100 museum professionals gathered in Washington, D.C., to hear a lecture — not about funding, or curatorial responsibility — but about games. Museum directors are hoping alternate reality games will get visitors of all ages engaged with their collections.

Clips from the 'Flight of the Conchords' season premiere
No preamble, no blathering from me. Because you just want to get to the good stuff. The good stuff being clips from the season premiere of "Flight of the Conchords," which returns to HBO on Jan. 18. Two days after the return of "Battlestar Galactica" and three days before the return of "Lost." Oh dear, I need to lie down, I think my brain's going to explode. In a good way. I lied, I do have one little preamble: These clips are from the Season 2 premiere, so if you'd rather remain in the dark about what transpires in that...
Clint Eastwood's 'Gran Torino' tops box office
Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood has had the best movie opening of his career.
Neglected Films Of 2008 Still Well Worth Seeing
NPR film critic Bob Mondello offers up a short list of pictures that mostly got away from the awards folks, but shouldn't get away from you.

'Beast' star Patrick Swayze hospitalized

Warner Bros. outsourcing jobs to India and Poland

It's no secret that Warner Bros. is poised to slash dozens if not hundreds of jobs at its Burbank headquarters in the first quarter. The Time Warner Inc. studio will join a train of other entertainment companies including NBC/Universal and Viacom Inc. to cut costs across their operations in the face of tough industry economics and the deepening recession.

Although the number and timing of layoffs at Warner is still being determined, it will definitely impact scores of "back office" workers in management information systems, finance and accounting. Many of those jobs will be outsourced to India and Poland, according to people familiar with the situation. Once Warner finalizes its plans, it will conduct training sessions with the outsource workers at its Burbank lot as well as at its various offices around the world.

Those who work in other divisions at the studio will also be affected, but at this point, it is unclear to what extent.

All department heads at Warner have been asked to come up with a specific plan to reduce costs in their respective divisions, which will include cutting travel and entertainment expenses, trimming marketing budgets and eliminating jobs. In 2005, Warner went through a similar top-to-bottom cost-cutting exercise to help shore up its bottom line in the face of declining DVD sales, flat movie ticket revenues and a less robust TV syndication market. That belt-tightening resulted in about 400 job losses -- more than 5% of the studio's workforce -- around the world, including about 300 in Burbank. Warner Bros. employs around 8,000 worldwide.

Warner spokeswoman Sue Fleishman declined to offer any details about the current situations, saying "no decisions have been made."

-- Claudia Eller

Photo: Warner Bros. in Burbank by Kevork Djansezian/AP

'Beast' star Patrick Swayze hospitalized
Patrick Swayze, whose Chicago-set A&E drama, "The Beast," premieres Jan. 15, has checked himself into the hospital, according to news reports from the Television Critics Association convention in Los Angeles. Swayze was set to promote the new series to critics at the TCA winter press tour on Friday, but he was not able to attend due to a bout of pneumonia, according to A&E president president Bob DeBitetto. Swayze has been battling pancreatic cancer for the last year. "As anyone who has had a friend or family member who's undergone treatment for cancer must know, chemotherapy can take a toll...
Celeb vs Celeb: Solo and Chiwawa
Have you ever been in a situation where you were confused for Chiwawa? Enough times, like when he used to stay in my hood we somehow paid each other's bill. For instance, if I owed the shopkeeper and Chiwawa passed by, he would be asked to pay, and they would insist that he is the one who owed them, or the other way round. Also chicks confuse us, and end up claiming that we have lengad them while they had actually seen the other person.
The Star Report: A remake for the preschool set
Even if you're no fan of remakes and sequels, it's hard not to get behind this one. In what might just rank up there with "Godfather II" as a slam-dunk sequel, it's been announced that a new book of Winnie-the-Pooh adventures will be published Oct. Celeb news and gossip Blog: A&E | Things to do
Golden Globes Could Bring Oscar Surprises
Sunday night, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association hands out Golden Globes for the best TV shows, movies, and actors. The Golden Globes are considered the best predictor of who will win an Academy Award, but there could still be some surprises next month.
BRAZIL: Afro-Brazilian Religions Battle New Threats
SALVADOR, Brazil, Jan 8 (IPS) - Millions of Brazilians usher in the new year by wading into the sea, dressed in white, scattering flowers on the water as an offering to the Afro-Brazilian deity Iemanjá, in return for her blessings for the year to come. But few of them realise that this tradition is rooted in a religion fighting for survival in the face of prejudice, racism and intolerance.