The Neutrality of this article is disputed

[thebitterguy]

No fucking shit.

Unlike most sitcom show runners, Lorre takes a "hands on" approach to writing each episode. Even though the show has a staff of writers, he doesn't trust their talent or expertise and instead writes every episode in the "writers room." And rather than give individual writers credit on episodes (and appropriate residuals, or royalties) he and his co-show-runners put their names on every script, guaranteeing them more money than their already exorbitant executive producer salaries.

Lorre has been regularly despised and feared by his production staffs for years, and continues to intimidate the people who work for him as well as the networks and production companies who employ him, in order to compensate for his own insecurities.

"Regularly despised and feared"? Wow. I can totally see the creator of Dharma and Greg as a tyrant.

Comments

[perich.livejournal.com]

If you look up washing machines (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Washing_machine&action=history), "deleted unsourced assertion re: motives of detergent companies" is actually mine. I defend neutrality in all arenas.

[thebitterguy]

Heh. You should visit the Fan Expo entry sometime. There's a link to an 'open letter' by a very... interesting individual.

[adamjury.livejournal.com]

Wow, that thing seriously makes no sense.

[thebitterguy]

The letter?

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

Sid's, its in the foot notes of the Fan Expo wikipedia entry.

[thebitterguy]

Shh! Do not mention the beast's name! He may appear!

[jeffreyab.livejournal.com]

He is a beast?

I guess I have not interacted with him enough to notice.

[thebitterguy]

He is Moloch, the beast, the devourer of worlds and consumer of souls!

[autobotsrollout.livejournal.com]

What, just because D&G was a fluffy show you think the people who made it were nice?

I've talked with one or two people who have worked with Lorre, back in the day, and believe me - the article is, if anything, being generous.

[thebitterguy]

No, it just doesn't seem like something that required being a total douchebag to produce.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

If you want to produce in Hollywood, you don't earn that opportunity by being a nice person. Even children's programming is run by bastards.

[thebitterguy]

Don't say that about Jim Henson!

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Jim Henson was probably the exception that proves the rule, although I've heard stories about ruthless business types who thought they could get one over on the puppet-loving hippie only to have the tables turned.

[thebitterguy]

Has there been a decent biography of Jim Henson done? I'd love to read that.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Not to my knowledge, actually. There are puff pieces but nothing in depth. Part of the problem is the guy was a consummate professional and as such had one hell of a boring life, for the most part. The really juicy stuff comes after with the family struggling to maintain his legacy (at least in my opinion.)

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

Gee for a second there I thought this was about JMS.

He might be a great guy, for all I know, but it did seem very strange that he wrote every episode of B5.

[thebitterguy]

I remember how he drove Larry DiTillio away in tears.

[mark-argent.livejournal.com]

Do what now?

[thebitterguy]

The Story Editor for B5 in its first season. He left the show at some point. I presume not actually in tears.

He also wrote Masks of Nyarlathotep.