MIKE ON RADIO: Predicting the Year Ahead in Entertainment News on KCRW's "The Business"

It's the first day back for much of the entertainment biz, as offices re-open and everyone gets back to work. In TV land, that means we're hitting the crux of pilot season, as the networks start to decide which drama and comedy projects they'll shoot this spring for fall consideration.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. As it's the first unofficial day of the new year, let's talk predictions for 2014. What will be the big stories of the year? For this week's episode of KCRW's The Business, Kim Masters, John Horn and I came up with one story each that we're most interested in covering in the year ahead. Listen below to find out what they are!

Jeff Goldsmith Gives You The "Backstory"

Congrats to our pal Jeff Goldsmith, who put a lot of blood and sweat (and yes, a few tears too) into launching his brand new magazine Backstory, a deep look inside movie (and TV) making. The debut issue is available now exclusively on iPad here. It was worth the wait. Beautifully designed (there's a definite McSweeney's vibe to it) and chock full of goodies, the best part of the Backstory debut issue is this: It's absolutely free. Jeff hopes you'll like what you see and come back to buy an annual subscription at a still low price.

Here are a few highlights of issue one:

On the Cover: Prometheus
Find out how an off-the-cuff pitch led to the making of the film.

Off the Shelf: Bessie
Writer-director Richard Kelly discusses his unproduced, labor of love script, Bessie. Plus, read the script in its entirety.

Staged: A New Vintage of "Sideways"
Writer Rex Pickett chats about adapting his novel into a stage play. Plus, read the play in its entirety.

Black List Tales: Strange Skies
Scribe Pat Healy discusses adapting Matt Marinovich's novel, "Strange Skies," which landed his script on the fabled Black List. Plus, read the entire script.

Inside the 2011 Nicholl Fellowship
Full coverage of the fellowship, including the screenplay of one of the contest winners

Cinema Obscura: Mr. Nobody
Jaco Van Dormeal discusses his 40 million euro sci-fi film, which you probably haven't seen. Plus, read the script.

In-depth interviews
Featuring director Barry Sonnenfeld, actor Jeffrey Combs and producer Craig Perry

Writer-director Edgar Wright shows you his latest short film series, which the audience helps to create.

It's a large file (I had to delete a few TV episodes off my iPad to make room), but it's worth it.

Mike on KCRW's 'The Business': The Year That Was, and The Year That Will Be

As I teased last week, I got a chance to sit in with KCRW's "The Business" host Kim Masters and L.A. Times film reporter John Horn to help add my two cents on the year in TV and what's to come in 2011.

This week's show dealt with the issues to come this year, such as the impact of the NBC Universal/Comcast merger, the upcoming launch of this fall's Simon Cowell entry "The X Factor" and much more. Stream it here:



Meanwhile, here's the Dec. 27 show, looking back at the highs and (too many) lows in the biz:

Retro Friday: Mid-20th Century "Los Angle-Less"

Wow, this is a great find: A mid-20th century filmstrip about Los Angeles -- or, as this narrator pronounces it, "Los ANGLE-less."

Marvel at the L.A. of old: The petroleum industry, second only to Texas. A leader in the production of airplanes. Producing more automobiles than any other city except Detroit. Second only to Akron in the production of tires. As much furniture as Grand Rapids, Mich. And fourth in the nation when it comes to the manufacture of clothing.

This sure isn't the Los Angeles we know in 2010 -- well, other than the entertainment industry. At least that's still around. Well, for now.

Web Series Get Their Due At This Year's Independent TV Fest

The fourth Independent TV Festival gets under way Thursday with a big nod toward the growth of web-based series.

After competing in a separate category at the ITVFest over the past two years, this year projects created specifically for the web will face off in the same categories against projects still geared toward TV.

It's an acknowledgement of how quickly Internet series have hit the mainstream, even in the four years since ITVFest launched, said event executive director A.J. Tesler. After all, YouTube was in its infancy when ITVF began in 2006.

"We're treating web series equally to TV," Tesler said. "For us to make that switch in so short a period of time says how important the web stuff has become."

This year's ITVFest has also added a festival specifically devoted to mobile content, as well as a day devoted to international entries.

Held at the Laemmle Sunset 5 from July 31 to Aug. 6, the ITVFest has seen its submissions triple since its first outing, Tesler said.

This year, thesp Kevin Pollack, who's behind the web series "Kevin Pollack's Chat Show," will receive the event's "Independent Award." The ITVFest will screen 45 projects this year, and also include panels on a variety of topics.

Mel's Diner Reopens for Business

Now that my friend and one-time co-worker Melissa Grego has moved over to Broadcasting & Cable, she's resurrecting her old Mel's Diner blog.

Like she did back at TV Week, Melissa will take bigtime TV execs out to lunch and mi industry dish with restaurant info.

First up, Melissa takes Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly out to Blue on Blue at the Avalon Hotel. Discussion focuses on Fox's fall, but the topic eventually turns to how unhealthy those top-level jobs can be:

Kevin also does his best to eat healthy. “You can shove a lot of stuff in your face out of the stress,” he says.

And booze?

“No, I drink as much as possible,” he says, laughing. “I try not to have hard alcohol before lunch. But I really do wonder about the old-school way of drinking. I don’t know how they ever did it—though I’m tempted some days. It’s fun till about 3:30 when you crash.”

With all this talk about not indulging, I was surprised that Kevin knew all about the desserts at this place. He orders chocolate chip cookies and a fruit plate with honey for us to share.

He has started coming here pretty often, though he didn’t know about it until he joined Fox last summer. The Avalon Hotel, at the corner of Olympic and Cañon in Beverly Hills, is a quick ride over from Fox in Century City.

“If you want some semblance of creative thinking, sometimes it’s just a matter of sitting by the pool for a couple of hours,” he says.

Next up, Melissa will be dining with "The Girls Next Door" exec producer Kevin Burns.

Franklin Avenue Travels to Gabbaland

As promised, a recount of our trip to Yo Gabba Gabba. Last month, I managed to secure a visit to the top-secret set, where shooting for season two was winding down. Evan, clutching his Brobee doll, and cousin Jordan, grabbing a Plex toy, joined me on the trip (providing a good alibi -- uh, yeah, I'm visiting the set purely for their enjoyment).

Once there, we were ushered in by Kelly Kimball, from "Gabba" producer Wildbrain, who showed us around.

The boys were a tad hesitant at first, but everyone went beyond the call to make us feel welcome. Visually, there was much to see: Gabbaland, countless props, costumes, and of course, DJ Lance and the Gabba characters.

Me and DJ Lance. Singing and dancing to music is awesome!

We smartly turned the kids' heads as the actors in costume climbed in and out (didn't want to destroy the illusion -- to them, Brobee and Plex are as real as you and me) and we spent some time with DJ Lance, who couldn't have been nicer to the kids.

Also, the boys are still talking about Christian Jacobs, the co-creator who happens to also be Aquabats lead singer MC Bat Commander. Evan seemed to get that Christian was an Aquabat, even out of character. I tried to get Evan to sing his rockin' version of "Pool Party," but shyness prevailed.

Toodee and Plex, deep in conversation.

And now, my report:

Plex, Muno, Brobee and Toodee. They like to dance and have fun.

Deep inside a massive warehouse off the busy 60 freeway in Industry, Calif., the hippest show ever to hit the juice box demo is winding down its three-month season two shoot.

Grabbing a microphone to amplify his voice inside the massive, converted stage (that once housed a dairy plant), “Yo Gabba Gabba” co-creator Christian Jacobs is helping guide host D.J. Lance through a song about an art show.

Lance, who has replaced his trademark fuzzy orange hat with a beret for the scene, is encouraging the “Gabba” characters – a green monster named Brobee, a cat/dragon named Toodee and the red Cyclops named Muno, among others – to display their art projects, via song. Toodee’s entry isn’t, well, all that good – but Lance still cheers her work.

Foofa and Brobee strike a pose.

That’s the underlying theme of the Nick Jr. series: Keep trying, don’t give up, play hard, share with others, hugs are fun… and “don’t, don’t, don’t bite your friends.”

The messages aren't that different from Mr. Rogers or "Romper Room" (well, except maybe for that biting one). But the delivery sure is.

Foofa, Plex and Brobee.

“Yo Gabba Gabba” attracted hipster parents and their Ramones T-shirt-wearing offspring last year by mixing life lessons (Brobee scarfs down green beans and sings about the party in his tummy) with indie rock (The Shins, Cornelius), cutting-edge animation and cuddly, off-beat characters – all set to a dance beat. (Wildbrain, which is behind another Evan fave, "Higglytown Heroes," produces, along with The Magic Store.)

Decked in large Run DMC glasses, a striped jumpsuit and that oversized cap, host DJ Lance begins each episode by opening up a colorful boombox and bringing the shows character’s to life. In between songs about sharing and being nice to everyone, segments range from Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh demonstrating how to draw and rapper Biz Markie demonstrating his beat box skills.


Muno and Foofa : Future "Dancing with the Stars" contestants?

The brainchild of Jacobs (also known as Aquabats frontman “MC Bat Commander”) and Scott Schultz, “Yo Gabba Gabba” was named one of 2007’s top ten new series by Time magazine and has earned Emmy and TV Critics Assn. award noms. Of course, the show’s campy, frantic antics haven’t won over everyone.

My name is Muno, muh-Muno, Muh-muh-muh-muh-muh-Muno!

“Our goal has been working to really connect with both parents and their kids,” Jacobs says. “But my favorite is the one parent out of ten who finds out what I do -- and you see their face drop, as if to say, ‘Oh, you make that show? I want to kill you.’”

But for the generation of Gen X parents raised on “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse” and Krofft puppets, “Gabba” has also developed a cult following – and oh yeah, their kids are watching (and humming along) too. The show’s even a hit among teens and college-age kids who aren’t exactly in the Nick Jr. demo.

At this summer’s ComiCon – not a popular toddler hangout -- DJ Lance was mobbed by teens and adults.



For season two, set to bow in September, Jacobs and Schultz have attracted a who’s who of hip celebs and bands to visit Gabbaland: Jack Black, Andy Samberg, the Roots, MGMT, The Ting Tings and “The Office’s” Melora Hardin (who teaches the “Gabba” gang how to conga) stop by.

In one recurring segment, “30 Rock’s” Jack McBrayer will offer up a joke of the day, while in one episode, Amy Sedaris plays the tooth fairy.

“We’re really trying to outdo season one,” Schultz says. Adds Jacobs, “We went a little crazy this season and had less time to do it in. It’s just been a whirlwind and we’re coming up for air. Plus, there’s no air conditioning here, so it’s like a battle in the desert.”



At least it’s most colorful desert ever, complete with a skateboard ramp, empty costumes (is that Muno’s extended family sitting over there?) and production assistants wandering around, passing out red velvet cupcakes. DJ Lance is right – Gabbaland is awesome.

As we mentioned earlier this month, YGG! merchandise is starting to make its way to Target, Toys R Us, Walmart and other retailers. Party party!

One Chalet Patron's Semi-Poignant Farewell to Los Angeles

(Flickr pic by rantfoil.)

The scene: Wednesday night at Eagle Rock's The Chalet, which I love because of its strong pours and its kitschy ski chalet decor. But mostly the strong pours.

The player: Some random guy, who'd clearly already taken advantage of several strong Chalet pours, tells the bartender to turn down the jukebox. He has something to say -- and I'm hoping it ends with, "free round for everyone!"

He tells us it's a big night. "Six years ago, I came to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a filmmaker."

OK, this could be good. Free drinks: Imminent.

"I had high hopes and big dreams. Well, I'm here to tell you today that I failed."

Wait. What?

"And I'm moving back home tomorrow to Manhattan, to return to my Dominican brothers."

Wow. That speech started out so good. And ended so... well, depressing.

Especially for me. My free drinks hope had been dashed. Oh well. Good luck heading back home, Mr. Failed After Six Years in Los Angeles.

Hollywood Loves L.A.

No, you're not imagining it: There is, indeed, a bit more production going on here in Los Angeles. It's pilot season -- which means you'll be seeing more of those yellow-and-black signs around town in the coming weeks, pointing cast and crew to the production site. (It's sometimes a game to decipher those signs. "WMC"... hmmm... I know! "Women's Murder Club"!)

According to a round up by TVTracker.com, 91 of the 122 scripted pilots being produced in 2007 for the broadcast and cable networks are being shot here in L.A. Other cities don't come close: 8% are being shot in New York City and 5% in Vancouver, among other destinations.