By Nellie Andreeva
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ask and you shall
receive, right? Not exactly, at least according to the TV
manufacture bible, summertime 2008 version.
Network executives have complained privately that they
rolled out the red carpet in anticipation of a flood of pitches
following February's village of the Hollywood writers
strike, merely so far all they've seen is a trickle.
"We're open for business, but no one is coming to pitch,"
one network topper says.
Fox, NBC and ABC have indicated that they are permanently
dropping the traditional development cycle in favour of a
year-round one featuring an April "upfront" presentation to
advertisers (NBC), a split development season with pilot pickup
roger Huntington Sessions in May and December (Fox), and three tone arm
"tentpoles" in fall, January-March and summer (ABC).
So summertime should be a busy buying season. Last year, when
the networks had an additional incentive to stockpile in case
of a writers strike, business was brisk. But this summer, when
the networks have the additional motivator of feeding off-cycle
development, it's been languishing.
Don't blame the writers, agents say. It might be "ask and
you shall receive," but it depends how you ask, they argue.
"It's the networks' fault," one agent says. "They brocaded
the prevention a lot this yr; they're just buying prepackaged
stuff."
Indeed, most of the higher-profile projects picked up so
far this summer ar based on existing properties. Others had
talent affiliated.�
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