By David Bauder, Television Writer
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) --Now that the sitcom she's writing has moved from NBC to Netflix, Tina Fey has big plans: "Season two is going to be mostly shower sex."
Jokes aside, the journey of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" is a unique one for television and its future will be watched closely. The series, starring Ellie Kemper and Jane Krakowski, will see its first 13 episodes drop on Netflix on March 6.
Tina Fey and her creative partner Robert Carlock are behind the series, in which Kemper plays a woman who emerges from living in a cult for 15 years and starts over in New York City.
Originally targeted for NBC, half of the first season had been filmed and edited when NBC's bosses — mindful of the difficulty broadcast networks have had lately creating new comedy hits — freed Fey and Carlock to shop the series elsewhere.
No hard feelings, Fey said. She's co-hosting the Golden Globes on NBC this weekend with pal Amy Poehler and said she won't hesitate to again make something for NBC, where her "30 Rock" was a cult favorite.
"Because the show is made by NBC, it's really in NBC's best (financial) interests to find it the best home," she said.
The comedy could have worked on NBC, "but I actually think more people will find us" on Netflix, Fey said.
The creators knew the series was moving to Netflix in time to edit the last half of the season, which enabled them to extend the episodes slightly beyond the 22-minute standard broadcast sitcom fare.
Moving forward, since Netflix has already committed to a second season, the creators are debating how the new venue will change what they do. For instance, will the actors be permitted to use rawer language?
"We will have to find our own boundaries next year," Carlock said. "The theme of the show is set so I don't think it will be a drastic shift."
One thing Fey's happy about in moving to Netflix: no snipes, the term for promotions that often pop up onscreen.
"I love Debra Messing, but we won't see her face" on "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" hawking her NBC show, Fey said.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More