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4 items from 2007

17 October 2007 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »

Citing improper accounting practices, Dharma & Greg's co-creator, writer, executive producer and lead actress have filed suit against 20th Century Fox TV, claiming that they are owed $15 million in profit-participation payments.

At issue in the state court lawsuit, filed Oct. 1 in Santa Monica, is the modified adjusted gross receipts agreement with co-creators Dottie Dartland and Chuck Lorre.

The plaintiffs claim that Fox improperly deducted those modified adjusted gross receipts payments to Dartland and Lorre from the gross receipts of the series, and that significantly understated their share of the modified adjusted gross receipts.

The plaintiffs include Jenna Elfman, Dartland, Michael Slessinger, executive producer James Burrows and More-Medavoy Management. Lorre is not a party to the litigation.

A Fox spokesman said the studio does not comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit's claims are broken down by the percentage each plaintiff claims that they're entitled to get. For example, Elfman and Slessinger, who acted as a consultant with regard to creation, development and licensing of the series, claim that Fox agreed to pay each of them 5% of the modified adjusted gross receipts. »

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27 September 2007 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »

Dharma & Greg co-creator Dottie Dartland Zicklin is reuniting with the series star Jenna Elfman and ABC.

Dartland Zicklin has come on board the network's comedy pilot starring Elfman and executive produced by Darren Star as executive producer/showrunner.

The project, tentatively titled Literary Superstars, centers on a sexy and sassy literary publicist (Elfman) who is fighting for the rights of her authors while balancing a busy social schedule.

Matthew Reilly penned the pilot, which Zicklin will executive produce with Star.

Originally set up at Sony Pictures TV where Star is based, Superstars will now become a co-production with ABC Studios where Dartland Zicklin has an overall deal.

Dartland Zicklin's series credits also include Cybill and Grace Under Fire. »

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19 September 2007 | The Hollywood Reporter | See recent The Hollywood Reporter news »

ABC senior vps Vicki Dummer and John Saade have been given the reins of the network's alternative series, specials and late-night.

Dummer and Saade, both veteran unscripted executives at the network, have overseen the day-to-day operations of the department since April, when ABC's former reality maven, Andrea Wang, departed to head Lifetime, and have been considered the primary candidates to succeed her.

In their new capacity, Saade and Dummer will jointly oversee development, current and production for ABC's alternative series, with Saade focusing on development and Dummer on current and specials. They will report to ABC Entertainment president Stephen McPherson.

"John and Vicki have impressive track records, incredible creative instincts and really complement each other in their skill sets," McPherson said. "They make a great team and continually discover, develop and execute original alternative programming. Their expanded responsibilities will continue to help ABC excel in the genre."

Dummer and Saade were instrumental in the shepherding of such ABC reality series as Dancing With the Stars, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Supernanny and American Inventor.

ABC had a ho-hum summer with unscripted series The Ex-Wives Club, Shaq's Big Challenge, The Next Big Thing, American Inventor and Fast Cars & Superstars. The network is gearing up for the return of its reality juggernaut Dancing.

Dummer joined ABC in 1996, when she worked in the network's comedy department, handling such series as 8 Simple Rules, According to Jim, Dharma & Greg, The Drew Carey Show, Less Than Perfect and Whose Line Is it Anyway? She segued to a split duty in the unscripted and current departments in 2000, when she was upped to vp current programming and alternative series development. »

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1 May 2007 | WENN | See recent WENN news »

Tom Poston, the Emmy award-winning actor who played comic sidekicks to a number of TV stars, most notably Bob Newhart, Robin Williams, and Steve Allen, died Monday night at his home in Los Angeles; he was 85. Poston, who was married to actress Suzanne Pleshette, passed away after a brief illness, the nature of which was not initially disclosed. Before venturing into television, Poston made his Broadway debut in 1947 in the acclaimed production of Cyrano de Bergerac starring Jose Ferrer, and assayed a number of dramatic roles onstage. In the mid-1950s he was selected by Steve Allen to appear as a recurring character in a number of man-on-the-street comic sketches on The Steve Allen Show, and he won an Emmy for the part in 1959. Poston worked almost exclusively in television throughout his career, occasionally taking the small film role, and appeared on Get Smart and The Bob Newhart Show, among other sitcoms. In the late 1970s he played the cantankerous neighbor to Robin Williams on the hit show Mork and Mindy, and in the '80s had arguably his most famous role, that of handyman George Utley on Bob Newhart's second sitcom, Newhart, a part which earned him three Emmy nominations. Poston guest starred on a wide variety of sitcoms and dramas, among them ER, Dharma & Greg, The Ellen Show, Becker, Will & Grace, That 70s Show and most recently the Disney show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Poston was married twice before he tied the knot in 2001 with Suzanne Pleshette, whom he first met in 1959 on Broadway and worked with on The Bob Newhart Show. He is survived by Pleshette and three children from his previous marriages. -Mark Englehart, IMDb staff »

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4 items from 2007