tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839368858765224916.post8397917498113603143..comments2023-11-25T02:05:12.827-08:00Comments on The Hollywood Temp Diaries: Hollywood Dictionary: Volume 20Temp Xhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05758244499684711232noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7839368858765224916.post-65353873176809829742010-09-15T15:56:05.229-07:002010-09-15T15:56:05.229-07:00as someone who made his living writing prime time ...as someone who made his living writing prime time TV Movies in the '80's (mostly for ABC, NBC), I have to tell you that your take on why network movies got popular, and then faded from view is, uh, wrong. <br /><br />You are right in saying that once the two-hour movie format began full force in the mid '70's (as opposed to the 90 minute,exploitative movies Aaron Spelling cranked out for ABC in the '60's) the MOW was developed to service series regulars who didn't have enough time during their hiatuses to shoot a feature film! By the late '80's the network ceded their A list movies to premium cable, and after that, the networks could not sell a second run of the movies to advertisers but were still required to pay the talent/guild members in advance.<br />Also, once TV went global in the early 90's, small american movies became a hard sell -- which is why Lifetime and Hallmark are virtually the only non- premium cable companies- left. Even Showtime pulled out of the market. Class dismissed...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com