Small Screen: Writers’ Strike Begins, Netflix Releases Diversity Analyses
Brandon Larracuente - Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer
Broadcast: The Good Doctor is saying goodbye to Brandon Larracuente, who played Dr. Daniel Perez in the series. Larracuente may return as a guest star in future seasons. Producers reportedly felt that Daniel’s storyline came to a “natural conclusion,” pointing away from contract disputes or other engagements as the reason for Larracuente’s exit. The actor came on to The Good Doctor on its second season as a guest star and was subsequently promoted to series regular in his role as a first-year resident at St. Bonaventure Hospital. Daniel’s struggle with addiction saw the character experience a near-fatal overdose, a stint on probation, and a catastrophic car accident. Dr. Perez will be written off in the Season 6 finale, airing May 1 on ABC.
The Bounce network has renewed Johnson for Season 3. The dramedy, produced by Cedric the Entertainer and Eric Rhone, stars Deji LaRay, Thomas Q. Jones, Philip Smithey, Derrex Brady and D.L. Hughley. Johnson will release two new episodes on August 5. The series is “a journey of love, self-discovery and brotherhood told from the Black male perspective but is inclusive of all men,” per its description, and is known for dealing with issues like fatherhood, classism, and gender relations in the Black community. Bounce will also premiere the documentary Xernona Clayton: A Life in Black and White, a story of the life of the eponymous activist and civil rights leader. Of the network’s offerings, head of original programming David Hudson says,
“From the continued momentum of our latest hit in Act Your Age, to the return of one of our staples with Johnson and an extremely moving documentary telling the largely untold story of a cultural treasure Xernona Clayton, Bounce viewers have a lot to be excited about this summer. We are looking forward to telling these incredible stories in the months to come.”
Of the 13-member regular cast of Bob Hearts Abishola, only Billy Gardell and Folake Olowofoyeku will remain series regulars in the upcoming fifth season, with others demoted to recurring cast. Matt Jones (Douglas), Tony Okengbowa (Kofo), Barry Shabaka Henley (Uncle Tunde,) Shola Adewusi (Auntie Olu,) Bayo Akinfemi (Goodwin,) Billy Gardell (Bob,) Christine Ebersole (Dottie,) Maribeth Monroe (Christina,) Saidah Afrika Ekulona (Edunoluwa,) Gina Yashere (Kemi,) Travis Wolfe, Jr. (Dele,) and Vernee Watson (Gloria) will appear in season 5 as recurring characters, possibly appearing in as few as five episodes. Broadly, the industry has been reducing episodic guarantees – the number of episodic fees per season for each series regular – in an effort to reduce costs. Downgrading nearly the entirety of the cast, however, is a striking move that may indicate an uncertain future for the series. In addition to switching the majority of the cast from series regulars to recurring characters, CBS will waive exclusivity to Bob Hearts Abishola, allowing the cast to take advantage of other industry gigs concurrently. Though Bob Hearts Abishola received a 13-episode season 5 renewal from CBS, the fate of the show beyond these episodes remains a mystery. Some sources claim the series will end this season, but the network has yet to confirm these claims.
Babak Tafti
Cable: Actor Babak Tafti will appear in a recurring guest role on season 7 of Showtime’s Billions. Tafti will play Bradford Luke, a powerful and wealthy political consultant. Dola Rashad, Asia Kate Dillon, Sakina Jaffrey, Daniel Breaker, and Toney Goins will also star. Per the show’s official description, in season 7,
“[A]lliances are turned on their heads. Old wounds are weaponized. Loyalties are tested. Betrayal takes on epic proportions. Enemies become wary friends. And Bobby Axelrod returns, as the stakes grow from Wall Street to the world.”
Tafti is most known for his role as Emil Michael in Super Pumped, and has also played Eduard on Succession and appeared in the Tribeca Film Festival independent feature Swallow.
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez will appear on the Season 12 of American Horror Story, joining Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts, and Cara Delevingne on a season with the theme of “delicate.” The 12th season of AHS is based on Danielle Valentine’s thriller novel Delicate Condition, which will release in August, making it the first anthology series to be inspired by a novel. The newest season will tell the story of a woman who fears a “sinister figure” is sabotaging her pregnancy. Rodriguez’s role has not yet been announced. Rodriguez became the first trans actress to be nominated in a lead acting category and the first trans person to win a Golden Globe. In addition to her Best Actress TV Drama Golden Globe, she was nominated in the Lead Actress category at the Primetime Emmys for her role in Pose in 2021. She will appear on season 2 of Loot, as well as voice Nightbird on Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
Streaming: The newly released trailer for Netflix’s Black Mirror confirms that the show will be returning for a sixth season in June after a three-year hiatus. Among a star-studded cast are Anjana Vasan, Danny Ramirez, Himesh Patel, Myha’la Herrold, Paapa Essiedu, Salma Hayek Pinault, and Zazie Beetz. The teaser features what audiences expect from the dystopian series, with “dysfunction, darkness, dystopia” and violence. Creator and writer Charlie Brooker hinted that season 6 will be “the most unpredictable, unclassifiable and unexpected yet,” saying,
“[P]artly as a challenge, and partly to keep things fresh for both me and the viewer, I began this season by deliberately upending some of my own core assumptions about what to expect. Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar ‘Black Mirror’ tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is.”
Brooker calls the season’s directors “disgustingly skilful [and] smart,” and the actors “so talented they frankly have no right to exist.”
Producers of family comedy series The Garcias have re-acquired the rights to the show from Max (formerly HBO Max) and will shop the show to other producers. After Max canceled the show followings its first season in 2022, New Cadence Productions reclaimed the rights to those 10 episodes and will seek new buyers. Creator and showrunner Jeff Valdez are pitching the show as a modest-budget series with a draw for Latino audiences, which it says drew the highest percentage of Latino viewers of any “Latino-themed” streaming series. Valdez says,
“Hollywood needs to grow its topline and the only way to do that is tap into an audience that it’s not currently tapping. That’s our pitch: Here’s a great quality product that reaches an untapped audience at a great price.”
The series stars Ada Maris, Carlos Lacamara, Bobby Gonzalez, Vaneza Leza Pitynski and Jeffrey Licon and is a sequel to Nickelodeon’s The Brothers Garcia, a family comedy that ran for four seasons from 2000 to 2003.
Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost) will star alongside Taye Diggs in BET+’s Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy. The true crime film series follows Lance (Diggs), an Atlanta businessman known for transforming the 911 system, as well as for being somewhat of a womanizer. After he is murdered in his home, an investigation uncovers a bounty of secrets behind Diggs’ professional and love lives. Sharp will star as Blair Herndon, Lance’s wife. Sharp is currently a series regular on Power Book II: Ghost and will appear in Showtime’s Heist 88 opposite Courtney B. Vance.
Troian Bellisario (Pretty Little Liars) and Brandon Larracuente (The Good Doctor) have been named the leads on Amazon’s On Call. The eight-episode drama follows Traci Harmon (Bellisario), a seasoned training officer, and her “rookie ride-along” Alex Diaz (Larracuente) as they process the loss of a fellow officer and police the streets of Long Beach, California. Bellisario is best known for starring in Pretty Little Liars, after which she appeared on Doula and Where’d You Go Bernadette. She wrote, produced, directed and starred in the independent film Feed. Larracuente is coming off a season as a series regular on The Good Doctor, and has also appeared in 13 Reasons Why, Bloodline, and Party of Five. On Call was originally picked up by what was at the time IMDb TV, now known as Amazon Freevee, in 2021. After the project’s creative team shifted, it was shifted to Amazon’s main streaming service Prime. Law & Order’s Dick Wolf will executive produce along with his son Elliot Wolf, producer Eriq LaSalle, Arthur Forney and Peter Jankowski.
Heather Alicia Simms has joined the cast of Gabourey Sidibe’s 1266. Simms, who is known for her roles on Luke Cage, Single Drunk Female, and The Kings of Napa, will play Lashanna, a “dichotomous” employee at phone sex company Imagine Inc. whose conservative Christian ideals clash with her job. 1266 tells the story of Gabby (Sidibe), a young woman living with her mother as she tries to make it as a singer, model, and “overnight millionaire.” The phone sex gig she takes for easy money quickly becomes a life-altering experience that introduces her to her “chosen family” and teaches her the power of her voice. Sidibe executive produces the series, which is based on her life.
Meera Syal - David M. Benett
Industry: Disney Streaming’s Chief Product Officer and co-creator of Disney+ Jerrell Jimserson has been let go in the company’s latest round of layoffs. He wrote in a note to his team, “After five incredible years at Disney, I will be leaving the company at the end of June.” Jimerson joined Disney in 2018, during the company’s first push into the streaming market with the launches of Disney+ in 2019 and Star+ in Latin America two years later. Jimerson was previously part of the Netscape team to launch the first modern web browser Navigator, as well as headed product and leadership roles at PayPal and iHeartRadio. During his time at Disney, Jimerson oversaw all aspects of product, user experience, and design. Over the past several months, the tech and product teams at Disney Streaming have integrated into Disney Entertainment & ESPN Technology group, led by Aaron LaBerge. Disney previously announced their goal of cutting 7,000 jobs, about 3% of its workforce, in a an effort to cut costs.
Comedian Meera Syal will be awarded the BAFTA Fellowship at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards on May 14. Syal is also set to make a speech at the ceremony, and will spend the upcoming year working with the charity on learning, inclusion, and talent initiatives. Syal, who is best known for her roles on Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42, was previously nominated for a BAFTA in 2003. Of this year’s award, she says:
“I am particularly delighted that this year’s award is twinned with opportunities to mentor and support participants in BAFTA’s learning programme – where I hope to engage with many talented practitioners and continue working to make BAFTA a truly representative and celebratory place for all our creatives.”
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip calls Syal’s impact on the industry “extraordinary,” saying,
“As an actor and writer, she is an exceptional storyteller with enormous range, which means she is loved by peers and the public as much as she is critically acclaimed. At BAFTA, we very much look forward to working with Meera over the next year on her mentoring scheme.”
Netflix has released an analysis of their most recent diversity study as well as a report on the progress of their Fund for Creative Equity. In 2021, the streamer partnered with Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative to gather and analyze inclusion metrics in their US-commissioned films and series, including gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, and disability. Every two years through 2026, Netflix will release analyses of its progress in the name of accountability and change. Also in 2021, the company established the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, investing $100 million over five years into “creating more pathways for talent from underrepresented communities across the world.” The 2023 findings are as follows:
55% of all Netflix films and series from 2018-2021 featured a woman as the lead or co-lead
47% of all Netflix films and series in 2020-201 featured a person of color as a lead or co-lead
26.9% of directors on Netflix original films were women in 2021
38% of show creators were women in 2021
11.8% of director roles were occupied by women of color in 2021
27.7% of films and about 55% of series featured women of color as leads and/or co-leads in 2021
The report also showed “significant room to improve” representation for Latino, Middle Eastern/North African, Indigenous, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and disabled characters. For its part, the Fund for Creative Equity achieved the following:
A $29 million investment over two years in over 100 programs and 80 organizations in more than 35 countries to invest in emerging talent
Support for over 4,500 directors, producers, writers, and visual effects artists through training and resources to support them in their industries
Screening of short films from aforementioned programs at over 40 film festivals
Placement of nearly 400 creatives from these programs on Netflix productions as producers, associate editors, casting assistants, grips, and more; participants in the Series Director Development Program directed episodes on Ozark, Family Reunion, On My Block, and Lost in Space, among others
Netflix also announced the following new programs:
Shondaland Producers Inclusion and Ladder Initiatives (US): a new iteration of the Producers Inclusion Initiative which trains line producers from underrepresented groups within the studio system
Gold Producers Accelerator presented by Gold House, AUM and Netflix (US): a program led by Nina Yang Bongiovi which gives AAPI producers paid shadowing positions, mentorship, and classes
imagineNATIVE Production Mentorship Program (Canada): a program giving Indigenous creatives paid onset mentorship opportunities in Canada
Netflix x Film Companion Take Ten Program (India): a program wherein five filmmakers in India create limited series and receive guidance from industry names
European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs (EAVE), House of Europe, the New York Film Academy and the Ukrainian Film Academy (Ukraine): a forthcoming program for a series of digital classes for Ukrainian producers and line producers
Of this year’s analyses, Netflix reports:
“We’re encouraged by this newest round of results and the impact we’re seeing through the first two years of the Fund for Creative Equity. But we know that driving real change, not only at Netflix but industry-wide, means continuing to think about whose voices are still missing and discovering the next generation of storytellers.”
Shonda Rhimes’ production company Shondaland announced with Netflix The Ladder and The Producers Inclusion Initiative, the next iteration of their joint Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) programs. The Ladder program was designed to “provide an opportunity for individuals from underrepresented groups to gain onset experience and training,” and will launch its first cohort in the US in the spring. The program’s first cohort was piloted on Season 2 of Netflix’s hit original Bridgerton, and saw its first cohort on the set of Bridgerton spinoff Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story in the UK. The program provided six trainees with mentoring in several departments, with all six trainees landing roles on other productions after Queen Charlotte. The subsequent cohort of the Ladder program took on 15 trainees for Bridgerton’s third season. With the support of IATSE, the most recent cohort will participate on forthcoming Shondaland series The Residence in the US. 13 trainees will be placed in production and technical roles and receive mentoring and feedback from Heads of Departments, production, and human resources. Trainees will be eligible for employment on future Shondaland and Netflix productions following graduation. The duo will also launch the second cohort for The Producers Inclusion Initiative, which trains underrepresented Indie Producers, Unit Production Managers, Supervisors, and First Assistant Directors as Line Producers. The nine-week program will see the cohort teaming up with Shondaland and Netflix executive and department heads, after which graduates will be eligible for future career and employment opportunities. This year’s cohort includes Alan Chu, Alicia Daniels, Chineza Lynn Ezinko, Jason Hightower, LaTrisa ‘LJ’ Jackson, Lisa Zugschwerdt, Mike Walker, Nina Hodge, Tamanna Shah, Taylor Williams and Vanessa Goodwin. Rhimes says of the program,
“Shondaland has always been committed to finding and investing in an inclusive pool of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Our partnership with Netflix has allowed us to continue this journey to true equity on a global scale.”
The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment has teamed up with NBCUniversal to launch a program meant to prepare a new generation of Asian and Pacific Islander assistants and coordinators for industry work. The CAPE Emerging Executives Committee (CEEC) will be a year-long program allowing participants to collaborate and network with mentors to bolster their burgeoning careers. Craig Robinson, executive vice president and chief diversity officer for NBCUniversal, says the program is close to his heart.
“As both a member of the AAPI community and someone whose first job in the industry was as an assistant, I can personally attest to the value of this opportunity for these individuals.”
Michelle K. Sugihara, an executive director at CAPE, notes,
“The assistant and coordinator levels are the gateway into much of the industry. Without appropriate guidance and support, careers can languish and stagnate at this stage for longer than necessary.”
CEEC will be co-chaired by Mohan Mandali, VP of development and production at Fabel Entertainment, and Duance Luu, director of drama development at NBCUniversal, both of whom graduated from the CAPE Leaders Fellowship in 2020. They hope that CEEC, which builds upon the CAPE program from which they graduated, will serve as a gateway for entry-level professionals looking to gain footing in the industry. CEEC is one of many initiatives at CAPE, a non-profit dedicated to fostering the careers of AAPI in Hollywood. CAPE New Writers Fellowship, the CAPE Leaders Fellowship, the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator and the Julia S. Gouw Short Film Challenge are all among CAPE’s programs. The 2023 Committee is made up of Angela Fei, coordinator of drama development at NBCUniversal Television & Streaming; Jane Nguyen, assistant, TV literary at UTA; Joban Gill, executive assistant of film production and development at 21 Laps; Kristina Cuello, coordinator at Curate Management; Rachel Yuan, executive assistant to the president of Imagine Television; and Wai Wing Lau, a former executive assistant at Hidden Pictures.
Angela Fei, a second-generation Chinese immigrant born and raised in California’s San Gabriel Valley, oversees upcoming titles for NBC, USA, SyFy, and Peacock. She has worked as a feature marketing executive, programming film festivals, and with the costume team of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Jane Nguygen, a Vietnamese-American raised in Orange County, California, works in the TV literary department at United Talent Agency. Nguyen graduated from UCLA in 2021 with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Film and TV. Joban Gill, a 2018 graduate of UC Berkeley, began her career as a trainee at Bad Robot Productions and went on to become an assistant at Weimaraner Republic Pictures / New Mandate Films. She currently works in production and development at 21 Laps on such films and series as Crater, The Boogeyman, All the Light We Cannot See, and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Kristina Cuello, from Naples, Florida, comes from the advertising world. After earning her BA in Economics and Film Studies from Yale University in 2020, Cuello went on to assist on Amazon’s The Summer I Turned Pretty and Paramount’s Children of Blood and Bone. She is currently in post-production on her own indie feature MIDAS. Rachel Yuan, also from Orange County, earned her BA and MBA from the University of Georgia. She began her career in the Book Rights department at Creative Artists Agency, after which she interned in television development at Legendary, Alloy Entertainment, Fabel Entertainment and Franklin Entertainment. Wai Wing Lau was raised in Brooklyn and received a BA in English and Cinema Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked at Mandeville Films, RBEL, and NBCU before becoming an executive assistant at Hidden Pictures. He also served as a mentee of the Women Wednesdays BIPOC Mentorship program.
Following his breakout role in Netflix and A24’s Beef, Young Mazino has signed with M88. Mazino starred in Beef as Paul Cho, a cryptocurrency investor who gets involved in a road rage incident with Amy Lau (Ali Wong). When Paul’s brother Danny (Steven Yeun) finds himself unable to move on from the “beef” between Amy and his brother, Paul becomes dangerously involved in their spat. Mazino is expected to receive his first Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor for his role on the dramedy. Mazino, who was born and raised in Maryland, is also a classically trained musician who attended the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He has also appeared on Prodigal Son, Blue Bloods, New Amsterdam, and Blindspot.
Strike Watch: After months of speculation, the WGA has officially ordered its first strike in 15 years. As the decision is announced, writers have taken to Twitter and other social media to voice their opinions and castigate studios and the AMPTP. Comedian Adam Conover appeared on CNN to explain the motives behind the writers’ strike and praised the union’s transparency in a tweet on Monday. Conover’s tweet went over the list of WGA proposals and responses from the AMPTP. The proposals and their responses are as follows:
Minimums: The WGA proposes a 6%-5%-5% structure for all minimums including residual bases’ the AMPTP offers a 4%-3%-2% structure with a one-time 2% or 2.5% increase to most residual bases
Features:
Streaming Features: the WGA proposes that streaming features with a budget of $12 million or more receive full theatrical terms, including “better” initial compensation and residuals; the AMPTP offers Made-for-HBSVOD programs 96 minutes or longer in duration with a budget of or above $40 million receive a 9% increase to initial compensation, with no improvement to residuals
The WGA proposes requiring a 2nd step if hired for a screenplay for less than 250% of minimum; the AMPTP rejected the proposal and countered by offering meetings to “educate creative executives and producers about screenwriters’ free work concerns”
Weekly Pay: The WGA proposes 50% pay upon commencement, with the remaining half to be paid out weekly over the writing period. This would apply if the writer is paid less than 250% minimum, with writers above the threshold having the right to opt-in to weekly pay; the AMPTP rejected the proposal with no counter
Appendix A: the WGA proposes establishing minimums for streaming, extending television “Appendix A” terms to high budget SVOD shows including weekly minimums, 13-week guarantees, and residuals based on “aggregate;” the AMPTP countered offering Appendix A weeklies only to high budget comedy/variety SVOD programs, with a budget break of $700,000 for 30-minute shows, $1.5 million for 60-minute shows, and no aggregate or 13-week guarantees, with writers being employed on a daily-rate basis
Episodic Television
Preserving the Writers’ Room: the WGA proposes minimum staffing requirements of six writers and four writer-producers for pre-greenlight rooms. For post-greenlight rooms, the WGA proposes one writer per episode up to six episodes, then one additional writer for each two episodes afterwards up to a maximum of twelve writers; the AMPTP rejected the proposal with no counter
Duration of Employment: the WGA proposes minimum staff guaranteed at least ten consecutive weeks of work for pre-greenlight rooms. For post-greenlight rooms, the WGA proposes writers on staff must receive at least three weeks per episode up to a maximum of 52 weeks (one year), half of the minimum staff must be employed through production, and one writer must be employed through post-production; the AMPTP rejected the proposal with no counter
TV Weeklies: the WGA proposes increasing the weekly rates of staff writers and story editors/executive story editors by 6%-5%-5%, and establishing a new writer-producer tier with a weekly rate 25% above that of the story editors and executive story editors; the AMPTP offered to increase the weekly rates of staff writers and story editors/executive story editors by 4%-3%-3%, and establish the writer-producer tier with a weekly rate of 2%-7% above the SE/ESE depending on terms of employment
Pre-Greenlight Room Compensation: the WGA proposes that pre-greenlight room weekly services are paid at a 25% premium, which applies whenever writers are hired before a series or season order including in-between seasons; the AMPTP countered with a 5% premium for “development room” weekly services, with premium applying only when three or more writers (including teams) are hired for ten or fewer weeks before Season 1 of a series
Minimums in Post-Production: the WGA proposes MBA weekly minimums during post, which the AMPTP rejects without a counter
Streaming:
Foreign Streaming Residuals: the WGA proposes a new HBSVOD residual based on streaming services’ foreign subscriber count; the AMPTP offered an HBSVOD residual based on foreign subscriber count for the largest global streaming services, with Paramount+ and Max continuing to pay a lower license-fee-based residual
Viewership-Based Streaming Residuals (“Tiered Fixed”): the WGA proposes the establishment of a viewership-based residual in addition to the existing fixed residual wherein programs with greater viewership are rewarded, which would require “transparency regarding program views;” the AMPTP rejected without countering
Ad-Supported Free Streaming Services: the WGA proposes that high-budget programs made for AVOD receive TV weeklies and script fees as well as improved residuals; the AMPTP rejected without counter
Pension and Health (P&H) - Teams: the WGA proposes that each member of a team gets P&H contributions as though they were writing as individuals; the AMPTP rejected without counter
Artificial Intelligence (AI): the WGA proposes regulated use of AI on MBA-covered projects such that AI can’t write or rewrite literary material, can’t be used as source material, and can’t be trained using MBA-covered material; the AMPTP offered annual meetings to discuss AI advancements
Tentative Agreements: the WGA proposes that staff writers receive script fees on top of weeklies, that the span cap be increased from $400,000 to $450,000 with basic cable remaining at $375,000 with extended span protection to writers on limited series, that the earnings cap be increased from $325,000 to $350,000, that 150% of pilot premium and 115% of backup script premium apply to made-for-HBSVOD programs, that the WGA retain the option to divert 0.5% of negotiated minimums increases to P&H Fund, and that one additional free “promotional” run be allowed for new made broadcast series
The WGA proposals would gain writers about $429 million annually, while the AMPTP’s offers result in an approximately $86 million gain, 48% of which would come from the minimums increase. Conover tweeted along with the demands, “The pattern is obvious: The proposals that they refuse to engage with are the ones that would protect writers the most. . . So we’re going on strike, to remind them that while our work has made them rich, without us they have nothing. . . . Read [the proposal] for yourself: it explains in black and white we're forced to go on strike.”