A lot of people think TV is better than movies these days. For many actors, it certainly pays better. Unless you're able to play a superhero, it's tough to get super-rich from big-screen work, so more actors are moving to series TV. The expanded talent pool has given networks and studios extra leverage in negotiating salaries. "There are so few gigantic stars in features and the rest are not making any money," says one industry executive familiar with this year's deal-making. "That's helpful."
The general rule across the TV business is to keep lead performers on new network prime-time series to $125,000 an episode. (Cable networks are going as high as $150,000.) That's not Charlie Sheen money, but it's not bad. "Times that by 22, [and] you can maintain a pretty good lifestyle based on what you were making in features but now you're not," the executive says.
There are always exceptions
read more
Michael Moore will be among the first guests on Keith Olbermann's new show for Current TV.
"ShowPlug1: Honored to tell you that scheduled among my guests on tomorrow's premiere of Countdown on @Current is @MMFlint - Michael Moore," Olbermann tweeted on Sunday.
Moore will be joined by Markos Moulitsas, the founder of Daily Kos and a columnist at Newsweek.
read more
This is one of the more jam-packed weeks of a seriously overstuffed TV summer, so let's break it down by night.
MONDAY
COMEBACK: The mercurial and always opinionated Keith Olbermann, most recently ousted from his MSNBC perch, brings his act back to cable with the same title (Countdown) but a new network (Current TV). His eclectic roster of contributors will include documentarian Ken Burns, comedian Richard Lewis and filmmaker Michael Moore. Let the ranting begin.
GUILTY PLEASURE: [As seen in TV Guide Magazine] RuPaul's Drag U, Logo at 9/8c. Think...
read more
Filmmaker Michael Moore joins a growing list of commentators who will contribute to Keith Olbermann's upcoming Current TV show, the network announced Wednesday.
Moore, a regular guest on Olbermann's MSNBC show, will be joined by...
read more
Jeff Daniels is nearing a deal to star in Aaron Sorkin's HBO pilot set at a cable news show, The Hollywood Reporter reports.
Daniels, 56, would play Will McCallister, the host of his own cable news show. The project goes behind the scenes of the show, following him, his...
read more