I wish I had the funny in me today to make some witty observations.  But sometimes, it’s just not there. Hence the blah title and short post.  It’s at times like these I ask myself, what would R. Kelly do?  Since I have no singing talent and an empty bladder, I instead provide the following links I find of interest.

First, a great article on the difference between directors in film and television.  I’ve often read that television is a writer’s medium while film is a director’s.  I never gave it much thought until I read this article, and how it jived with my personal viewing of the taping of an episode of the Two Broke Girls, which I outlined in this post.

Second, an interesting TV development.  Amazon Studios is getting into the TV game.  They’re hiring execs to set up and run children shows and comedies, under the Amazon Studio umbrella.  Don’t know if this is going to be run like the film competition, or if it will be pitch based, like a real studio.  Stay tuned, I am.

Third, a run down from the Hollywood Reporter on this year’s batch of soon to be failed exercises in TV Pilot creation.  Just amazing how much rushed effort is put into these things, only to see so many of them never get out of the gate or fail along the way – and we know it’s not for lack of effort or talent.  Last year, I analyzed this list like the Zapruder film, hoping to glean insight into the process.  I did.  It’s a terrible way to create television – all the resources and talent competing at the same time – it’s like… (insert witty analogy here, I’m out, see opening sentence above…)

Which leads to one more link, from Gavin Palone, on how the TV Pilot Season process ensures failure.  Really great insider info, especially the part on ‘locking up talent’. 

I know that Television has operated the same way for years and that because of advertising and the set-in-stone sweeps months (which determine ad revenue prices), this is why TV Pilot Season exists.  But everyone recognizes, like HBO and some of the smaller cable nets, that year round development is the way to go.  But none of the BIG 3 are going to take that chance first – but I have to ask, what does NBC have to lose?  Go for it!