Ellen DeGeneres Proves There's No Better Ratings Stunt Than A Teary Meltdown
· In other strike-related news, post-production houses prepare for the hit they'd take during a work stoppage, while indie film companies could see "the labor mess as a potential silver lining." [Variety, Variety]
· IggyGate provided The Ellen DeGeneres Show with a nice ratings boost, leading producers to plan a monthly stunt in which Ellen generously gives away one of her recently rescued pets to a young audience member, only to suffer an emotional breakdown as the gift is immediately ripped from the arms of the bawling child by adoption agency shock troops. [THR]
· 2007 TV Diversity Champion ABC posted a solid night behind Dancing with the Stars and univerally beloved Halloween special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but Fox wins a sixth straight Tuesday night. [Variety]
· Optimistically envisioning a future in which writers will once again be able to create screenplays for studios, Columbia signs Zodiac scribe James Vanderbilt to script Spider-Man 4. [THR]
· In yet another sign that the Apocalypse is upon us, Carrie Underwood set some kind of first week sales record for American Idol winners. [Variety]