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Monday, May 9, 2016

Or, Maybe the Sleepy Hollow Writers Deserve Raises and Trips to Bermuda

You never know what really goes on behind the scenes of a TV show.  I'll never know, most likely, what happened with Sleepy Hollow.

But when a writer from inside the biz, not affiliated with the show, posts an informative rant like the following, it kinda makes this writer want to eat crow, at least a little.

Thanks Eric

  1. 22) So to end the hypothetical, the question: Would you still want to write for TV?
  2. 21) AND STILL, you can't say a thing. You can't speak to what goes on behind the scenes for obvious legal reasons.
  3. 20) And so, you do your job. And when episode airs, fans write fanfic about you, writer, getting murdered. Piles of "fuck off & die" msgs.
  4. 19) This is your job as writer. You have the story, likely broken by room and/or showrunners. It's like trying to steer a train.
  5. 18) Now, finally, you get called into show office. You hope it's good news. "Write episode where Lead dies." Oh, no. No no.
  6. 17) Journalists who could make a few calls and get the real scoop decide instead to get clicks by supporting fan claims.
  7. 16) Meanwhile, it's not just fandom RAGING at you for "fucking up" Lead's role, now TV critics have hopped on. Without any research.
  8. 15) And again, you CANNOT say any of this publicly or else major lawsuit due to a number of laws on confidentiality+medical health.
  9. 14) Lead is relieved, they're getting what they want after months of frustration. But the DNA of the show has mutated due to constraints.
  10. 13) The reason you, writer, signed up for this is to write Lead and Co-Lead, now you don't get to do much of each. Plus Lead must exit show.
  11. 12) (And because Network operates on fear, the next week they say: Wait, make it so Lead can come back. Flip-flops a lot.)
  12. 11) The situation is becoming untenable. Lead has to go or else everything collapses. Network says: All right, kill Lead off.
  13. 10) New twists, next: Co-Lead realizes Lead has gotten a deal, and demands the same. Now you're really screwed. Network says: Manage it.
  14. 9) So to comply with medical condition as per Lead's note, you drop Lead out of some episodes. Fans rage at you. Not network -- you.
  15. 8) This is a ridiculous task for any writer. Especially since Lead is one of the engines for your show. Yet here you have to do something.
  16. 7) This medical condition progresses, according to Lead, to where Lead's agent demands: "Lead should get every 3rd episode off."
  17. 6) If you do, you open yourself and the network to lawsuits. So now you are burdened with a SECRET problem + fewer scenes for Lead.
  18. 5) Here's where it gets VERY tricky, legally. Due to confidentiality, you can't ask the ailment. You CANNOT share it publicly either.
  19. 4) While dealing with this, possibly during shooting, Troubled Lead comes in with a doctor's note that Lead must get reduced hours.
  20. 3) Your lead then asks for reduced hours. Fewer scenes. Something to ease the wanderlust. This makes it hard in new ways, naturally.
  21. 2) You now have a cranky lead making things tough for everyone else. You try to bear it best you can.
  22. 1) HYPOTHETICAL: You write for a show. One of your leads wants to leave and try movies for a while. Network says, "Uh, no. You're a lead."