Re: Glee season 6 discussion and spoiler thread--Part 1

[Jellyrolls]

I think FOX painted themselves in the corner with the 6th year guarantee. 

They can't be forced to do a season if they don't want to, but regardless there will be financial repercussions, payouts, salary guarantees, etc, etc as well as trying to maintain a working relationship with showrunners in the future.   The "Modern Family" show runners got so pissed at FOX they never offered that show to them once they got burned with some of their other shows on FOX, so it's dicey/risky  for studios to burn their bridges with the show runners completely.

I do feel for the hardworking cast and crew, it sucks to be out of a job no matter who it is.

I wonder if Fox could potentially get out of the 6th year guarantee by offering Ryan another slot for another show that Ryan and/or Brad have in mind

I'd love to be on a fly on the wall watching the negotiations between Fox and Ryan. I'd think that now that Kevin Reilly is officially gone, and Fox should be transitioning to new management. You'd think that the management would be extremely frustrated that RIB has spent two seasons focusing on lesser actors when their most notable actors like Chris, Jane, and to a lesser extent Lea have had their screentime minimized and been left out of entire episodes. If I was running Fox, I would have been questioning RIB years ago about why they were pushing the most recognizable and award winning talent to the side. And I sure as hell wouldn't be letting Ryan go back to his vision of fighting for the arts, bringing in more new cast, etc.

[Buenos]

At a Virtually Famous taping


Talk about a vague  "toothless" comment.

Translation: we still don't know.   

[Glorfindel]

^So the bottom line is that they still don't know. Which is saying a lot.   

 
Matthew Smith @m67smith · 42m

Weird. I've picked up a bunch of followers that last couple days and I haven't been tweeting much? WHAT'S GOING ON? (and will I break 600?)
 

Matthew Smith @m67smith · 20m

@drawstuf99 Crazy. When I start doesn't effect when the show starts. I started Sept 1st last year well after production...

That is still a non answer when production actually starts this year on Glee since they didn't start on Glee until August last year.

What this tweet confirms is 2 things:
1) He definitely was talking about Glee in his earlier tweets.
2) In his earlier tweets he said they only found out a few days ago that work for Glee would start later than the crew expected, and he seemed surprised and suddenly without a job for a good month (I believe he sneered about "tv schedules"), so there's definitely an unusual delay and still uncertainty when it comes to the production of Glee.

And like you said, @Buenos: they indeed also started production late last year due to Cory's death, so this tweet only confirms the unusual delay this year even more.

[Ranwing]

The total uncertainty about what is happening is really unfair to the cast and crew, who could have lined up jobs to keep them busy (and to keep their bills paid) during an extended production break. While the actors aren't hurting for money, we have to keep in mind that they aren't getting paid either if episodes aren't filmed and going by usual contract law, will only get paid for the episodes that they actually film (since they are in effect being laid off after the shortened run). But for the crew who don't make the big bucks, this is especially problematic. They may not have the financial cushion to carry them over until filming starts.

That is, of course, if production does actually start. It's not too far out of the realm of possibility that RIB and FOX cannot come to an agreement about how many episodes to film, the budget and a multitude of other issues and make a mutual decision to cancel the final season.

But the fact that no one seems to have any clear idea of when production will actually start (everyone is guessing at this stage) is pretty strong evidence to me that either negotiations with FOX are still ongoing or that RIB have to completely reorganize what they had planned for the season because they are not getting the episodes/budget to carry their original plans out.

[Buenos]

Ryan has had some of his crew people since the Popular/Nip Tuck days of production which goes back nearly 15 years so the fact that some of them are getting delayed a paycheck for an extended period shows things must be screwed up big times  behind the scenes.

My impression is that Reilly threw money at RIB/Glee and they got so cavalierly used to it that if the new regime is playing hardball about everything it's thrown them for a big loop.

Just a hunch, but I doubt Ryan Murphy will have the luxury to waltz  into the writer room anymore and famously say he was inspired by the color orange, and than insist on an elaborate number based upon "At the Ballet" because he whimsically got obsessed by that song.

FOX may not "care" as much anymore about Glee but I suspect they also aren't going to rubber stamp  any vision/plan of Ryan Murphy for the season either , not while they're footing the bill still for any production.

[Ranwing]

You would expect that with these new constraints (tighter schedule & budget) that this would force RIB and the writers to narrow their focus and not go down these tangents of tribute episodes that don't contribute to the overall story or elaborate song performances that have little/nothing to do with the episode.

But Glee has done this so many times before and squandered every single good thing that they had going for it that I fully expect that at least half of the few episodes will be wasted and then there will be the mad rush at the end to try to wrap up all the lose ends.

[Buenos]

You would expect that with these new constraints (tighter schedule & budget) that this would force RIB and the writers to narrow their focus and not go down these tangents of tribute episodes that don't contribute to the overall story or elaborate song performances that have little/nothing to do with the episode.

But Glee has done this so many times before and squandered every single good thing that they had going for it that I fully expect that at least half of the few episodes will be wasted and then there will be the mad rush at the end to try to wrap up all the lose ends.

Well in the past they had the money for it.   IF the budget is slashed, that's going to limit Ryan more than any thing else.  IF he can't afford elaborate production numbers and a myriad of guest stars it's one thing, but the bigger problem  is the shitty writing since their vision is never thought out with a genuine game plan.

Last season it seemed to me the budget for the 7 NY episodes was reduced somewhat but the episodes overall still suffered from lack of focus and coherent and consistent  storylines.  I mean a bare bones budget with  Blam super heroes or Sam/new LI Sl is still going to be a steaming pile of manure whether on a $ budget or on a $$$ budget.

[Ranwing]

That's exactly what I was saying, Buenos. That even if they know they only have 12 or so episodes for the whole season, half will still end up being wasted on tribute episodes (because I'm sure that there is some female singer that Glee hasn't heavily covered before that they need to devote three episodes to) or maybe Sam needs a new girlfriend that they'll send multiple episodes building up to before she vanishes without a trace.

When you come right down to it, a half season (which is the absolute best that they can hope for at this point) really allows nothing in the way of extra time. They've got to hit the ground running (spending a very short amount of time to catch the audience up on where all the characters are following the time jump) and keep things moving at a very rapid clip. The problem is that they've got a show runner with the attention span of a hyperactive gnat. A disciplined crew could pull this off, but with Glee you know that it's going to be a grand mess.

[Buenos]

It amazes me how having doubts and reservations that Glee is going to be able to pull off this shortened final season off makes one a "hater"...  

It's like saying if  one doubts the Chicago Cubs are going to make it to the World Series this year makes one a hater who just wants them to lose...

Would love for Glee to surprise me and have a bang up satisfying final episode with interesting arcs and resolutions both comic and touching and dramatic.

However that's not been their track record and they seem to have gotten worse even servicing the older characters they do have.

Common sense, ass lickers!!

[Buenos]

[Buenos]

"I have been let go"...
 
That is going to make his book tour and interviews a real interesting QA time...
 
Jimmy Fallon can't come quickly enough....

My speculative  guess is that due to the change in status with Glee's shortened season and episode order, RIB asked/requested  Chris to  cancel his "Noel" shooting schedule in order to accomodate Glee's final run.  It seems that Noel has no firm starting date yet so the accommodation (when  Glee was going to shoot supposedly a full season) was that Chris could be missing from the entire first quarter/half of the season. Which clearly might be the full production run of the now shortened Glee filming. 
 
Chris refused to and that's that.

[ChrisColferFan1]

If Chris was let go because,he refused to cancel his "Noel" shoot, to accommodate Glee.he is better off in my opinion.

[Buenos]

Mind you, I'm interpreting Chris statement as saying he was fired.

[ChrisColferFan1]

Mind you, I'm interpreting Chris statement as saying he was fired.

Me too, but I am hoping it was his choice.

[Ranwing]

False alarm people. Chris's manager just stated that his twitter account was hacked.

[Buenos]

UPDATED: Colfer’s manager tells THR that the star’s verified Twitter account has been hacked and that the actor will indeed be back for the final season of the Fox musical.  Fox’s Glee will not be without one of its original stars when it returns for its sixth and final season. Star Chris Colfer, who has been a regular since the series, announced Thursday that he will not be coming back to the musical dramedy where he has played fan favorite Kurt Hummel for the past five seasons.

Fuck.

It was fun while it lasted.

It was GLORIOUS... 

[Lottie2303]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

Thankfully I only read about it when Chris manager already released his statement. Otherwise I'd be devastated   

[Buenos]

Studio 20th Century Fox Television also just issued a statement confirming that Colfer will indeed be back for the final season. “We’ve been alerted that Chris Colfer’s Twitter account has been hacked. Rumors of his dismissal from Glee could not be further from the truth. We love Chris and look forward to working with him again this season.

[tanita_mors]

well, this could be interperted in a few ways, yes ???

first and easiest is that his account really did get hacked. it happens.

or, chris wasn't going to be available or had a problem/spat/fight with murphy, got fired, announced it on twitter and fox got the wind of it, basically rushed to stop the stupidity and had the whole thing covered up with this story.

either way, JUICY

[Buenos]

Fuck that Chris Colfer , he planned all this to get even more PR and talk show gigs for his book release.  He's evil I tell ya. 

 

[Buenos]

well, this could be interperted in a few ways, yes ???

first and easiest is that his account really did get hacked. it happens.

or, chris wasn't going to be available or had a problem/spat/fight with murphy, got fired, announced it on twitter and fox got the wind of it, basically rushed to stop the stupidity and had the whole thing covered up with this story.

either way, JUICY

 
Ooooh.

I really really love your version of events better.

I would add that FOX told Ryan:  "IF Chris is let go, the fucking  series is cancelled as of now."

[tanita_mors]

Fuck that Chris Colfer , he planned all this to get even more PR and talk show gigs for his book release.  He's evil I tell ya. 

 

i like yours as well. i don't think chris is above a Machiavellian move of this kind. you got to know how to play the game to get ahead in tinseltown.

[Lottie2303]

What I find curious, why is the tweet not deleted yet?! Will probably happen and means nothing, but the PR team did immediate damage control but the tweet is still out and open...

But maybe his account got hacked and that person also changed the settings..?!    

It most certainly is a scandal that already created A LOT of buzz.

[tanita_mors]

or, you know, fox noticed that the interest in season 6 was lacking to say the least and consider that one of the actors announce something like this. lea and darren are a lock, naya has been in and out of glee for a while so no shock there, so chris is the only one who fits the bill. original star, awards darling, book out with a huge publicity month for him, going to film a movie in the fall,... i smell conspiracy

[tanita_mors]

although, didn't he lose his phone for a short while recently. people could have stolen it to see or change the password and returned it to him.

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