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04/15/2009
Logo show details turn ironically 'Sordid'
"Sordid Lives: The Series," which debuted on Logo last year, has been a bit of a mystery to us. When we watched our screener copy last summer, we were quite entertained. Then when we saw the cast members on high profile chat shows, we assumed that Logo was putting some real ad/marketing/PR muscle behind the series. To us it seemed like the show was about to become Logo's first real breakout program.
So why did it all go silent? Creator Del Shores may have some of those answers (at least from his perspective):
"See, usually, when you bring a network a hit, you are rewarded! And we were. LOGO ordered the 2nd season 2 weeks after we premiered. BUT, LOGO doesn't own the show. Our production company owns the series. In fact, there are three financial partners. LOGO, our production company and IMG International, who is our foreign distributor. LOGO ordered the show CONTINGENT on the other partners also ordering the show. IMG did not. They were still selling the show -- and still are. They seem to be doing very well -- France, Germany, Austria, Israel, Canada, Sweden and more in the wings -- so they could still come in.
But a bigger problem arose. The 12 episodes have now aired 262 times collectively (in America alone). Each time SLTS airs, the writer, director and actors are to receive compensation -- residuals. The production company is the signatory with all the Guilds, meaning they have agreed to pay the residuals. To this date, WE HAVE BEEN PAID NOTHING! I wrote and directed all twelve episodes and am personally owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have been paid nothing! I took a huge pay cut to do this show. I made less money in four years working on SLTS than I made in one season on "Queer As Folk". The actors, who worked for minimums or slightly above, have also BEEN PAID NOTHING. The Guilds have stepped in, but these claims takes months.
...
And as much as I love my friends at LOGO, it did sting when they picked up a second run (reruns) of "The Sarah Silverman Program" for more money per episode than they paid for SLTS. That money could have saved our show. And no disrespect to Ms. Silverman. I LOVE her show, but that's not the point. My interpretation -- "Sordid Lives: The Series" was just simply not that important for LOGO to save."
*Read Shores' full letter: Sordid Lives Creator Fed Up, Slams LOGO for Non-Payment [Towle]
Uncomfortable.
Although if Logo is smart, they'll capitalize on this off-screen drama by putting it on the screen. "The Real Housewives of New York City"? Try the "The Real 'Sordid Lives' That The Network (Allegedly) Treated Shitty"! A hit, that would be.
Here's just hoping Logo execs have sufficiently taken care of Rupaul. After all, it's tough to make important network decisions when afflicted with a case of ass-stiletto.
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