#tv show billing

[that-left-turn]

I got a couple of asks on billing, but as I started writing this post, I realized it'll be longer than a year of hunger, so I have to break it up into separate points/posts.

“Melissa is fine with being second billed after Norman. Suggesting she's not is to say that she's weak.”

Melissa is anything but weak, but she's still subject to the same sexism/misogyny and ageism as other women. She works in a male dominated industry and the sci-fi/fantasy & horror space in particular is difficult for women. There aren't a lot of allies. If you work within that niche, it's very easy to start believing the things you're told (directly or indirectly) about your own worth and talents.

Melissa is bombarded—has been since TWD first gained traction—with the messaging that Norman is the star. He's the one people love, the one the fans show up for. The one people travel for hours to catch a glimpse of on set. She's lucky to be a part of the production, especially since she has social anxiety and the studio is so nice to be this accommodating to her needs. She's not able to promote in the way Norman does, so who is she to expect fair and equal treatment for the work she does put into the storytelling and the acting?

Being second billed in the title credits means that Melissa is less than Norman to the show. Less money, less influence on story direction, less authority on the set. She is the supporting lead, not the star. Even the title tells the audience and anyone working on the show that.

Melissa puts effort into crafting Carol's arc. The things she recently mentioned at Tribeca, about going out to mingle among people to observe their behavior? That's research on the actor's part and a good actor does a lot more than memorize lines. That's part of what I mentioned in a previous post about how 'creatives' (I hate that studio invented word 🙄) put in a lot of unpaid hours of work.

Why should she settle for playing second fiddle to the show's "real star," when she invests at least as many hours of prep into the show as he does, when she carries the bulk of the show's emotional arc and to judge by the coverage of the second season, is responsible for the surge of attention? Isn't she owed equal recognition despite not having a penis or being vocal about her mistreatment?

A woman can't say the things Norman or JDM do. You get labeled 'difficult to work with,' a diva or a bitch. Lauren Cohan's fight with AMC over the pay gap was well-publicized and maybe the GA doesn't understand why she came back to the franchise? I believe there's a comment out there by Kim Dickens about returning, where she basically says that as an actor, you can't afford to bear grudges. What she doesn't say, is that her comment pertains to female actors (and most POC).

As a woman in the industry, you bite your tongue often. You smile when you don't feel like it and you say complimentary things about people you despise simply to be able to keep working. You don't want to be "overreacting," or "too emotional" or "too sensitive" when your 'competition' (aka your coworkers) step all over you, or "make a fuss." You get fired or blacklisted for less than what the TWDU men aren't shy of saying in public.

It's also complicated for Melissa because she likes Norman. He's her friend. She doesn't want to damage their relationship by complaining to the bosses (who may have a 'buddy' relationship with her costar) and like I said above, Melissa believes he is the star of the show. Why wouldn't she? She's been inundated with subliminal messaging for over a decade, along with the usual studio behavior to make sure women stay in line and know their place. That place is always below/after the men.

None of that makes Melissa weak. Quite the contrary. She's kept Carol alive and more than relevant, despite repeatedly being sidelined, which takes a savvy woman. Someone who's talented and smart.

[thatrandomblogsays]

Annabeth: I, a child, had to earn Thalia’s love, that’s how the world works! I have to earn my moms love. Love is transactional, you gotta be worthy of it first silly :)

Percy, listening to this on the train

[sherlock-is-ace]

I'm still not over the fact that in the book, Aziraphale and Crowley are supposed to look 30 and 24 years old...

This is what they would look like

That's David in 1995 in The Bill and Michael in 1997 (not quite 99 like it's supposed to be) in Wilde.

Those are children! Mere babies!

[eunice-2magwerl]

Howdy Y'all.

This is my story in short, please share with me, I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I was diagnosed in February 2019 after being very sick and I weighed 88 lbs. For the last two and a half years I have had to inject insulin 4+ times for day every day, to stay within my blood glucose level.

In December 2020 I was hospitalized and had to have emergency surgery where I had to stay at home for the entire period of my illness without working, and I also had DKA aka Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones.

Diabetic ketoacidosis develops when your body cannot produce enough insulin. Insulin normally plays an important role in helping sugar (glucose), the main source of energy for your muscles and other tissues, enter your cells. Without enough insulin, your body begins to break down fat as an alternative fuel. This process produces a buildup of toxic acids in the bloodstream called ketones, eventually leading to diabetic ketoacidosis if left untreated.

Three months later in March 2021 I finally got to see an endocrinologist, who specializes in Type 1 Diabetes. Who told me that an insulin pump would be a good device for me?

Currently the device you see in the picture is the most needed to control my diabetes.

I was recently approved for an insulin pump that will help me better control my diabetes. Although I am happy that I am approved the hardest part is coming up with the funds to pay for the pump and equipment.

📎Support and donate here.

👉 GOAL: $90/$340

A donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated even if you can't donate but if you share the story against friends It will help. Thanks to anyone and everyone who is willing to help.

[animusrox]

The Eric Andre Show S06E07

[formleadsfunction]

unfortunate that I can't do fanart, and i'm sure this has been done before actually, but.

Billford.

[haveyouseenthisseries-poll]

[sad-endings-suck]

One of my favourite specific tropes has got to be murder bride.

[misteria247]

Okay but Ford trying to sneak monsters and cryptids onto his and Stan's boat to study. Like it's a habit, he sees it and immediately goes into nerd mode going-

"Oh my God gotta take this bad boy in a jar and put it in my pocket so I can study it and put it in my journal-"

And this leads to Stan finding random creatures in places like the dresser, the bathroom, their bedroom, on the deck, hell even the fridge. And Stan he wants to be mad but he sees Ford's giddy expression and bright smile at his discoveries so Stan just sighs and like an exhausted mother goes-

"Sixer, you forgot your weird creature again."

Que Ford busting in to retrieve it, apologizing while Stan waves him off and/or teases him.

[thebadphilosopher]

Justice for Bill because she was funny and kind and the dynamic with Peter Capaldi was amazing.

Imagine 13 and Bill together! Would've been incredible.

[that-left-turn]

I saw ep 1 of TBOC. It’s not gonna be the show we want for Caryl. Reedus is trying to hang on to us to pump up his cash cow dreams of being Daryl forever. I’m no fool and he doesn’t have me anymore. He keeps telling us this is his show but MMB was always a part of it? If that’s true why isn’t it called Cherokee Rose or something that nods to both of them. If no one else smells the lie yet I pity you. Best hour of anything twd ever is bait.

I think if someone genuinely enjoyed the storytelling of S1, they might like TBOC. Realistically, viewers have to expect writing that Zabel is capable of delivering and I don't think it represents what most Carylers are looking for in the show. He has a set of tropes and certain imagery that he'll hit again and again, regardless of what the show is. If you're fine with that, maybe you'll like it, but Nicotero was in charge for a good chunk of time and Gimple was free during post to stick his grubby fingers into the pie. It's never a sign of good quality when executive power shifts hands between people with very different visions for the show.

Norman needs Daryl and this spinoff. Listen to what he says: in many interviews, he mentions being tired of playing the same character story beats over and over. That's bound to happen when you stick with a project this long; actors get creative fatigue and that's why many of them leave long-running shows. He also says that he hopes the spinoff will go on for years and years. That's an indication that he either needs the project financially or other offers (that he likes or is willing to entertain) aren't coming in. Norman wants the audience to love him, so he tries to retcon all the bts drama. He should stick to hyping the coming season instead of rehashing things that will make the target demographic less likely to watch. No matter how he tries to spin it, this is his show and no, Melissa wasn't always part of it.

Being "a part of" something is still less than being the costar. That was the core of the original Caryl spinoff. They would both feature equally because the concept centered on their dynamic and chemistry. If you're left out of the title (a 1-season awkward subtitle isn't the equivalent of being a title character), you're second on the call sheet and the title cards credit you after your colleague, then there's nothing equal about how the two of you are perceived on set and in meetings, or the respect you're given. Whether you're listened to and how serious you'll be taken.

The title is really all you need as evidence that Melissa wasn't always part of the reimagined show and that she's considered 'less than.' Even if S3 were to be titled "The Book of Caryl," Carol and Melissa are still just a footnote, but if the show goes back to just being Daryl Dixon? That definitely and definitively says, this isn't your show. The billing in the title cards is the other 'smoking gun.' Fade in/fade out billing might look pretty to the regular viewer, but to anyone who works in the industry or in an industry-adjacent field, (title) credits detail the production power hierarchy. If her name isn't on the same title card at the same time as his, there's a power differential between them. His say weighs heavier.

"Best hour of anything TWD ever" is definitely bait. AMC (and Norman) need Carylers to watch. Everything that's been said and done to placate and draw back Carylers indicate that TPTB are concerned about viewership and that they know they need the Caryl fans. Despite that, they're emphasizing the 'friends' narrative and that should make Carylers more cautious. It's an indication that the payoff to their character arcs isn't there. Like I've said before, I don't know how the emotional climax of 206 will look onscreen, but the conceit of the script—you can't change the structure of the plot in post—is problematic and very poor storytelling.

My advice to anyone who's watching is to manage your expectations. Take what we know from previous exposure to Zabel's writing, and Nicotero and Gimple's preferences into account.

Melissa has input on Carol's character arc, but how that will actually look onscreen is determined by Zabel's writing abilities and studio/EP interference. Unless Melissa's contract terms state that she has complete creative control of her character arc (and it won't unless she also happens to be the showrunner), her vision for Carol will have filtered through many other people. Don't mistake what you see on the show for "what Melissa wants." Nobody will say, "We'll do as Melissa says because she knows her character the best," during a production meeting. TV production is a collaborative process, but it isn't democratic or "fair."

Realistic viewer expectations for TBOC would include:

a focus on the external plot and the visuals

a trite "message"

action sequences (The one thing which may have improved by having Nicotero in charge instead of Zabel)

Gimple-era 'action Carol'

Don't expect talks about emotions unless it's shipbait and please, don't expect canon. Especially not explicit, unambiguous canon. If that happens, you'll be positively surprised and if it doesn't, you won't be gutted. Nicotero likes to shipbait blondes and he doesn't care for the connective tissue that binds a story together. Zabel comes from network TV where keeping the leads apart, in an indefinite 'will they, won't they' by any artificial means, is how they hooked viewers to tune in week after week.

[vertigoartgore]

The Babylon 5 cast flipping the bird (with their looks from Season 4). From the 1997's TV Guide cover story about B5.

[ghostboy-art]

I did this in my notes app

[draculasdaughterrr]

⭒ ⋆ 📀 random movie blinkies ⋆ฺ࿐⭐️ ࣪⁎˚

[forever70s]

Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno in a 1979 promotional pic for "The Incredible Hulk"

[pedroam-bang]

The Mandalorian (2019)