'Catch Me' tunesmiths on whiplash pace

Marc Shaiman, left, and Scott Wittman are writing 15 tunes for your 'Marilyn' musical within the finish of 'Smash.'Like lots of others round the "Smash" team, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman began concentrating on the NBC series concerning the building of the Broadway musical concurrently they were knee-deep being created of Broadway tuner "Catch Me if you are in a position to.InchThe coincidental ligament involving the two projects was Steven Spielberg, who had the very first inspiration for the concept increased being "Smash," and who also directed the 2002 feature film "Catch Me if you are in a position to.In . The brilliant demands of concentrating on original music for projects saved the composer and lyricist duo around the foot, literally."Once we were practicing 'Catch Me,' we'd say 'We're gonna go get yourself a soda nearby,' " recalls Shaiman. "As well as we visited the table read for 'Smash.' ""It absolutely was gay 'Inception,' " laughs Wittman.The pair's tunesmithing process remains elevated with the demands of TV, since they're designated with delivering no less than 15 original tunes for your "Marilyn" musical this is the show-within-a-show in "Smash."The tunes "need to be recorded and staged, because frequently they're production amounts we now have done a few of those more quickly than i had been familiar with,In . Wittman states. "But it's enjoy undertaking a musical. You're in the table read and you're simply like, 'We could write a far greater song with this particular moment.' "An important part of the "Smash" plot triggers the oft-told story from the youthful singer, carried out by Katharine McPhee, who moves to NY to locate fame and fortune onstage. It may be a trope as old as "42nd Street," nevertheless it nonetheless rings true.The show's story line is by design "very authentic for the process," Wittman states. "Frequently round the set I'll say, 'I've experienced this room.' " Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com

'The Descendants,' 'Drive' Take Top Satellite Award Honors

Fox Searchlight's "The Descendants" was named best picture of year within the Worldwide Press Academy's 16th annual Satellite Honours, which have been held Sunday evening within the Beverly Slopes Hotel.Nevertheless the neon-lit thriller "Drive," from FilmDistrict, needed home most likely probably the most movie trophies, with best pointing, honors prone to Nicolas Winding Refn best actor and supporting actor, prone to Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks and greatest appear editing.Furthermore towards the best picture win, "Descendants" acquired a trophy for top modified script, which visited Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash.Viola Davis was named best actress for "The Help,In . while Jessica Chastain was designated in addition to supporting actress on her behalf performance in "The Tree of Existence," which acquired best original script honors for Terrence Malick.Raoul Ruiz's "Mysteries of Lisbon" was honored in addition to foreign film "The Adventures of Tintin," best animated movie and "Senna," best documentary.Other film individuals who win incorporated: score, "Soul Surfer" song, "Lay Decrease Your Mind," "Albert Nobbs" cinematography, "War Equine" visual effects, "Hugo" film editing, "The Guard" art & production design, "The Artist" and costume design, "Water for Tigers."Professionals group also given out ten television honours and nine honours in new media. Justified was named best TV drama series and "It Definitely Is Sunny in Philadelphia" was named best TV comedy series.Mitzi Gaynor, Douglas Trumbull, Peter Bogdanovich, Carl Reiner as well as the late Tim Hetherington counseled me recognized with special honours. The Hollywood Reporter

Boy having a Dragon Tattoo clicker

David Fincher, Christopher Plummer and Difficulties Daniel Craig's gig in "The Lady Using the Dragon Tattoo" switched to become more harrowing than any 007 stunt.At Saturday's Crosby St. Hotel junket for that Columbia/MGM thriller, helmer David Fincher referred to the scene where Craig, having a plastic bag over his mind, is tied and hoisted up through the villain. "The stunt coordinator arrived and gave Daniel a clicker," remembered Fincher. "He states Daniel needs to hold this in the hands to ensure that if he is doing lose awareness -- because he will be acting like he's imprisoning, that is not so not the same as...Inch "Imprisoning," Craig interjected.Craig, regrettably, needed to make use of the clicker. Based on the helmer, that day's production report read: "Let Daniel go fifteen minutes early. Because of unconsciousness.""Yet another day dealing with David Fincher," Craig stated. For that hoisting contraption, "I required it home," the actor noted having a straight face. * * * A highlight of Warners' "Pleased Noise" may be the knockdown food fight fought between Dolly Parton and Full Latifah.At Saturday's Regency Hotel junket in Gotham, Parton remembered, "I needed to put on my (high heeled) footwear and stored sliding around within the spaghetti and skidding around. It is a question I did not break a wrist or perhaps a neck.""She's got the most harmful goal. I have got the most harmful headlock," joked Latifah, who's a mind taller than her co-star. "The short ones will always be faster, but once you have them, you have them.""If anybody does not know, this is the gayest scene I have ever shot," stated Todd Graff. The author-director was inspired by his mother, who had been "the Hadassah choir director of Bellrose, Queens. These ladies ... seemed much better than any Hadassah choir had any reason to seem."When Graff spoke by telephone with black gospel legend Kirk Franklin about joining "Pleased Noise," Graff understood he was "a youthful black lady in another existence" when Franklin told him, "I've no clue whether you are black or whitened and I am presuming you are black due to the actual way it was written." Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Harcourt's eclectic vibe infuses new ventures

HarcourtWhen Nic Harcourt, one of the last remaining big-name tastemakers left on terrestrial radio, ankled as musical director of L.A.'s KCRW and host of its "Morning Becomes Eclectic" program in 2008, it amounted to the end of an era -- a decade in which he became arguably the most influential DJ in the country. With the KCRW show still thriving under the auspices of new host Jason Bentley, Harcourt has nonetheless kept plenty busy, helming a radio show on KCSN while running his SamLuna Media company. But it is with two new ventures that the music curator is embarking on what he calls the "next phase" of his career. Last spring, Harcourt joined MTV as the network's first music supervisor in residence. He will serve as song selector for upcoming scripted shows such as "I Just Want My Pants Back," as well as consulting for the MTV-Extreme Music joint project Hype Production Music, which seeks to place unsigned artists' music in MTV Networks programming. Meanwhile, he's serving as host for DirecTV's "Guitar Center Sessions," which broadcasts out of the music chain's Hollywood store, combining musical performances from the likes of Peter Gabriel, Blondie and Bad Religion alongside often-revealing interviews between Harcourt and the musicians. "I'm not directly involved in the booking. What I have been able to do is make suggestions," Harcourt said of his "Guitar Center" role, noting with particular pride the part he played in ushering SoCal indie bands Delta Spirit and Saint Motel onto the platform. For now, Harcourt seems to enjoy his more laidback role with the program, which has seen him branch into music far outside what would have been his comfort zone during his "Morning Becomes Eclectic" tenure. "It's exciting to sit down with Peter Frampton, who I'd never played in my entire career in radio," Harcourt said. "I would never have envisioned myself interviewing (Social Distortion's) Mike Ness, but that was such a good interview. It's the unexpected things that make the show, like when Debbie Harry starts talking about smoking weed in bed, and you just have to be prepared for it." As for his position with MTV, Harcourt noted that his overall role is still coming into shape. Though the network has weathered some withering criticism in the past over its surrender of a music-based format in favor of reality skeins, MTV's recent ventures into the international music sphere with its Iggy platform, as well as the Hype Production venture, seem to reflect a concerted effort to bring more eclectic music back into its programming -- a trend Harcourt hopes to be a part of. "I'm sure they'll keep on dragging 'Jersey Shore' into the ground, but they really are trying to bring a degree of music back through these scripted shows," he said. "It's an opportunity to put unsigned indie bands out there into the world." Music bites Despite some less than enthusiastic reactions to its trailer, Relativity Media's Tarsem Singh-directed "Mirror Mirror" landed a coup with its hiring of composer Alan Menken to score. The pic will be the eight-time Oscar winner's first film-scoring assignment since penning Disney's "Tangled" last year. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has been tapped to score Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master." Greenwood earned high marks for his feature film-scoring debut with Anderson's previous feature, "There Will Be Blood," which was controversially ruled ineligible for Oscar consideration in the music category. On the Internet radio front, Clear Channel announced the appointment of Bob Stohrer to chief marketing officer of its Clear Channel Digital branch, where the former Sprint Nextel exec will develop marketing efforts for the broadcaster's iHeartRadio online platform. Meanwhile, Pandora hired on former MySpace exec Michael Chuthakieo as executive director for national entertainment sales. Zynga, whose social-media videogames "FarmVille" and "Mafia Wars" have previously solicited cross-promotional ventures from Lady Gaga and Dr. Dre, respectively, has announced another, pairing Michael Buble with "CityVille." The neo-crooner, whose "Christmas" compilation currently sits atop the album chart, will debut exclusive material and lend his avatar to the game next week. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Jersey Shore Is the Most-Watched Prime-Time Cable Series of the Year

Jersey Shore Fist pumps still rule! Jersey Shore was the year's most-watched prime-time series on basic cable. Capisce?Check out photos of Jersey ShoreSeason 4 of the MTV reality series starring Snooki, The Situation and their paisans averaged 9.29 million viewers in 2011, according to year-end Nielsen Co. data. (The show returns Thursday, Jan. 5 at 10/9c.) Second place: Season 2 of AMC's The Walking Dead, with 8.87 million. The shows also ranked No. 1 and 2 among the industry-prized 18-to-49-year-olds.Top TV moments of 2011Third in viewership was TNT's Rizzoli & Isles with 8.14 million, followed closely by its lead-in The Closer, which enticed an average of 8.13 million. History's Pawn Stars came in fifth, scrounging up 7.02 million viewers.The best shows of 2011Rounding out the top 10: Falling Skies (6.91 million), Royal Pains (6.56 million), Suits (6.31 million), Burn Notice (6.01 million) and American Pickers (5.78 million).The top social-TV moments of 2011In the 18-to-49 demo, there was little overlap, as Nos. 3 through 10 were Sons of Anarchy, Pawn Stars, The Game, Teen Mom 2, Teen Mom, Tosh.0, Falling Skies and Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

Fox manages to lose at Dodger TV hearing

A federal personal bankruptcy judge ruled Thursday against Fox in the bid to forestall the faster purchase from the La Dodgers' future television privileges. Fox will contest your decision, which puts the cable privileges towards the Dodgers' publish-2013 games in play nearly last year than Fox's current TV contract using the team enables. The explanation for that decision ended up being to maximize worth of the approaching purchase from the Dodgers and fulfill the bankrupt franchise's creditors. "When we're disappointed within the judge's decision, we comprehend the court process and can appeal this decision to safeguard our contractual privileges," a Fox representative stated. "Individuals privileges are material and valuable, and also the current owner recognized them as binding when he bought they in 2004." Fox continues to have a preliminary duration of exclusive settlement using the Dodgers, but which will expire prior to the April 30 deadline that's been looking for Dodger owner Frank McCourt to market they -- with no TV deal that McCourt concurs to is binding for that new proprietors. So effectively, it renders the Fox exclusive settling period meaningless. This produces the chance that early the coming year, putting in a bid around the Dodger privileges will available to Fox rival Time Warner Cable. Both companies are interested in the Dodger privileges to supply content for his or her particular La cable systems: Time Warner Cable's approaching channels featuring the Opposing team, and Fox Sports' Prime Ticket. However, another new wrinkle within the pending face-off between your TV titans emerged now, once the La Occasions reported the current Dodger-Fox contract precludes a Dodger-Time Warner partnership. Whether which includes Time Warner Cable, which spun removed from Time Warner last year, will probably be disputed. "Anything, that was designed in 2004, states the Dodgers are restricted in joining up with 'Time Warner' within an RSN," FSN communications veep Chris Bellitti stated, "and each side have always, as much as today, behaved consistently using the knowledge of this is that point Warner Cable is fixed from creating a media privileges cope with the Dodgers. "For (the Dodgers') lawyer to point otherwise is revisionist history made to mislead prospective purchasers into thinking the Dodgers are unfettered for making a media privileges cope with whoever they choose." Contact Jon Weisman at jon.weisman@variety.com

THR's 2011 Women in Entertainment Power 100

"E! is a guilty pleasure ... and not necessarily one people like to admit they watch."our editor recommendsTHR's Women in Entertainment 2011: Power 100How USA Co-Presidents Will Move Beyond the 'Blue Skies' Programming (Q&A)USA Co-Presidents Reveal Push Into Reality Programming (Exclusive)E! Network to Undergo 'Brand Audit' Under NBCU's Bonnie Hammer (Exclusive)Jane Fonda Opens Up About Her Father, Her Return to Acting and the Lesson She Learned From Warren Beatty That was the hard-to-hear feedback newly appointed NBCUniversal cable entertainment chairman Bonnie Hammer received this summer when she commissioned a brand study among consumers on the latest addition to her portfolio, the E! network. What will come next is a brand makeover, which will see the E! logo as well as the programming tone and philosophy change to reflect what Hammer hopes will be a smarter and more aspirational destination. To hear her tell it, the network best known for Kardashian fare and Ryan Seacrest's staggering paycheck has the potential to be as popular and profitable as USA became under her watch. (E! currently garners 22 cents per subscriber a month, compared to USA's 60 cents, according to SNL Kagan.) PHOTOS: 2011 Women in Entertainment Power 100 "E! needs to be and really wants to be the pulse of popular culture," the trim and immaculately dressed Hammer says of a network she claims has grown too Hollywood-centric to be relevant to a broader audience. The next several months with her recently reconfigured team, including a new hire to move the network into scripted programming, will redefine what the network stands for. "We'll eventually get rid of the more Playboy trashy element, and elevate E! to a fun, exciting and aspirational network," she explains with her hallmark intensity, noting that a recent promo for Kourtney & Kim Take NY, which features the stars in a helicopter and black-tie attire, is evidence -- albeit just a slice -- of the coming class. Of course, changing the perception of E! in an era when the Kardashians' reality genre is often considered the scourge of society (by critics mostly, mind you) sounds like an impossible mission. But Hammer is cable TV's miracle worker, an executive who transformed once-dowdy USA and too-narrow Syfy into top5 cable networks and presided over the prized possessions Comcast coveted in its $13.8 billion deal for NBCUniversal. These days, USA, which is coming off the most watched quarter in cable history, even out-rates broadcast sibling NBC on occasion. It's no wonder she earned a top position in the post-merger reorganization and a coveted spot at No. 2 on this magazine's list (tied with Sony's Amy Pascal). Hammer's portfolio, which includes G4, Chiller, Sleuth, Universal HD and Universal Cable Productions, is poised to deliver an estimated $2 billion in profit this year, and remains the biggest contributor to NBCUniversal's bottom line. COMPLETE LIST: 2011 Women in Entertainment Power 100 "She's one hell of a businesswoman. She has built the most powerful cable operation in the history of television. It's not by accident," says Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, whose Criminal Intent spinoff aired on USA. Known as a skilled -- but never sleazy -- corporate player, the well-liked Hammer can be both a detail-oriented manager (she'll still weigh in on color choices on USA ads) and a big-picture thinker. USA co-president Chris McCumber marvels at the collaborative work environment she's able to foster. "She has the best gut in the business," he says of a woman he considers both boss and mentor. Says NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, "It's rare to find an executive who has both strong leadership and creative talents, but that is exactly what you get with Bonnie. She has built a terrific team and the success of her portfolio speaks for itself." ♦♦♦♦♦ The fallout from Kim Kardashian's 72-day marriage to NBA player Kris Humphries is still the dominating theme at the newsstand and on the web when Hammer sits down to lunch at Rockefeller Center's The Sea Grill on a crisp Manhattan day in late November. In recent weeks, reporters from The NY Times to People magazine have questioned the validity of the union, which commenced with a multi-million-dollar wedding showcased in a two-hour special on E! in October. But if Hammer, 61, fears her network's most valuable franchise is in danger of unraveling, she isn't letting on. "This was not a stunt. In no way did people believe that this was going to happen," she says definitively, before adding: "I think true Kardashian fans know that a bigger than life mistake can be made easily in their world. Everything they do is bigger than life ... it's just part of their DNA." (The latest season opener of Kourtney & Kim Take NY, featuring a then-married Kardashian and Humphries drew the franchise's largest premiere viewership to date.) Still, Hammer is adamant that going forward the network not be as dependent on the Kardashians as it has been. Despite being a "beautiful" and "interesting" family, she believes the current strategy of living with only one or two franchises is "too fragile," and has ambitions of adding several more over the next couple of years. Not that Hammer is interested in abandoning the kash kow family just yet. "I think it will have its own life expectancy," she says of the lucrative brand that the family has built on and off screen, "and we'll just go along with it and help hone what's right for E! and what's not right for E! as we develop a whole other world." Falling among the former are mom Kris Jenner's two youngest daughters -- technically Jenners -- and what Hammer says she hopes are "two, three, even four new Kardashian [spinoffs]." Suzanne Kolb, promoted to E! entertainment president in July, continues to be struck by how clear and focused Hammer is on what she believes can happen and her willingness to let the team make sure it does. "She's a great mix of inspiration and empowerment for those who work for her," Kolb says of her new boss, with whom she communicates daily. "She's a master at directing people and redirecting people. She's really good at saying, 'a little to the left,' and navigating a very large ship." In addition to the entry of scripted programming -- which Hammer seems confident will help elevate the brand -- she has plans to reevaluate the network's daily news program and grow its stable of hosting talent. At September's Emmy Awards, Hammer opted to monitor the red carpet coverage operation from an E! News van rather than walk the carpet in a gown herself. "The most important thing for E! to move forward is credibility, with immediacy being a close second," she adds, acknowledging the significance of being able to delve into smart news stories as well as to break news, something the current celebrity-themed news hour rarely does. Also of appeal is broadening the network's purview so that it isn't so narrowly focused on Hollywood. It will still be about celebrity, but as Hammer sees it, her viewers will be drawn to people who have done extraordinary things, whether in Atlanta, Nashville or Paris, and her plan is to bring E!'s cameras to them. "One of the first things we'll do," she says, "is to expand beyond the confines of how Hollywood defines celebrity, trends and aspiration." For the rest of the story, go to the next page. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery THR's 2011 Women in Entertainment Power 100 Related Topics NBCUniversal Women in Entertainment NBCUniversal Cable Women in Entertainment 2011 1 2 next last

Sports Costs Vex Cable Executives: UBS Confab

The per-household subscription costs ESPN charges cable systems comes down to “a tax on every American household,” Liberty Media Corp. CEOGreg Maffei stated Mondayat a trader conference backed by UBS AG in NY City. ESPN charges would be the greatest associated with a cable funnel, based on SNL Kagan, which estimations individuals per-customer costs have leaped 42% since 2006 to $4.69. In comparison average cable funnel costs were up 24% for your period to 26 cents per month. The issue isn’t just ESPN, Maffei stated later, because regional systems for example Fox Sports also lead towards the overall escalation of costs systems pay to hold occasions.National football league, for instance, is settling contracts that may raise broadcast systems’ costs by 60% to around $3.2 billion annually, the Wall Street Journal noted. Some professionals think it may be easier to position costly sport shows for example ESPN on the separate tier that will allow uninterested customers to opt out minimizing their bills. Otherwise, rising sports privileges costs may lead many customers to decrease services. MTV Systems and Nickelodeon ownerViacom Corporation.’s CEOPhilippe Dauman also designated ESPN like a significant element in greater costs since it is “double the price of all of our systems combined.” Despite the fact that they still resist the thought of a la carte packaging, media professional are realizing the merits of promoting more compact, cheaper programming bundles in an effort to lure or retain cost-wary customers.

Friday Box Office: Breaking Dawn Heads For Threepeat

A light week in new releases yielded an opportunity for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 to claim its third consecutive Friday crown, all while The Muppets, Hugo and Arthur Christmas fought for what remains of holiday table scraps. Your Friday Box Office is here. 1. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1: $5,500,000 ($235,891,000) 2. THE MUPPETS: $2,738,000 ($48,012,000) 3. HUGO: $2,005,000 ($19,568,000) 4. ARTHUR CHRISTMAS: $1,650,000 ($19,592,000) 5. JACK AND JILL: $1,575,000 ($60,383,000) [Figures via Box Office Mojo]

Cablers to reap wireless windfall

The nation's two largest cable companies, Comcast and Time Warner Cable, will reap a windfall selling spectrum to Verizon, announcing Friday plans to unload $3.6 billion worth of licenses, as well as an ongoing collaboration where the erstwhile rival cable and telco groups will sell each others' services. Comcast, TWC and smaller player Bright House Networks, the three partners in a venture called Spectrum Co., will take in, respectively, $2.3 billion, $1.1 billion and $189 million from the sale of 122 advanced wireless services spectrum licenses to Verizon. The companies said the cablers on one hand and Verizon Wireless on the other will also become agents to sell one another's products and, over time, the cablers will have the option of selling Verizon Wireless service on a wholesale basis. Cable companies and Verizon Wireless have formed a venture to develop technology that will better integrate wireline and wireless products and services. The deal was inked at a time when consumer demand for wireless services and bandwidth is increasing rapidly, and ahead of likely government action to free up even more spectrum. Comcast Cable prexy Neil Smit said the agreements, together with the Philadelphia giant's Wi-Fi plans, "enable us to execute a comprehensive, long-term wireless strategy and expand our focus on providing mobility to our Xfinity services." "Spectrum is the raw material on which wireless networks are built," said Dan Mead, CEO of Verizon Wireless. "Americans deserve excellence from a wireless service provider, and innovative wireless companies plan ahead in order to deliver on that expectation." Time Warner Cable prexy Rob Marcus said he's pleased at the price the partners got for the spectrum and "excited to be able to offer the nation's best wireless services to our customers and to have Verizon Wireless as a sales channel for our superb wireline services." His investors were also pleased with the unexpected cash inflow. Time Warner Cable shares were higher in early trading, up 2.36% at $62.36. Comcast shares got a boost too, rising 2.66% to $23.17. Both were running ahead of the overall market. Verizon shares lagged, up only 0.24% to $37.86. The sale is subject to FCC approval. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com