MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO UNIVERSITY SATELLITE SEMINAR SERIES, THE: CREATING PRIME-TIME DRAMA: HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio. Moderated by Museum president Robert M. Batscha, this seminar, originating in New York, consists of a panel discussion, with questions from various universities across the country via satellite, about the creative process behind the police drama series, "Homicide: Life on the Street." The panel consists of the following individuals: supervising producers James Yoshimura and Julie Martin; actors Kyle Secor and Richard Belzer; David Simon, author of the book, "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets"; and executive producer Tom Fontana. (Panelist biographies immediately follow this summary.)
After opening remarks from Batscha, a highlight tape is screened featuring memorable moments from the program. Following the highlight tape, the panelists discuss the following topics, among others: the show's conception and the way award-winning film director Barry Levinson became involved; what it is like to an actor on the show; keeping the writing process fresh week after week; the way the creative team pitched the premise for the show to the network executives; the evolution of the show over the years; the average cost of an episode; and how music has become an important part of the stories. Highlights of the questions asked and the topics covered during the question-and-answer session include the following, among others: from Towson State University, whether they are allowed access to police files in order to portray actual cases; from Ithaca College, the reason that Baltimore was chosen as the setting, and the pros and cons of shooting on location; from Asbury College of Kentucky, the challenges of doing a police drama; from Oklahoma City University, the impact actors have on the way a story is written; from the University of Wisconsin, whether the show offers certain freedoms to the actors that they've never experienced before; from Boston University, whether problems arose while shooting the cross-over episodes with "Law & Order"; from the University of Arizona, whether, despite the critical success of the show, they encounter any problems with the network over ratings; from the University of North Carolina, whether they need permission from victims' families if a story is based on actual events; from SUNY New Paltz, what effect the new television ratings system has had on the content of the show; from Indiana University, how they use comic relief to break the intensity of the plots; from Delta College of Michigan, why certain episodes concentrate on the personal lives of the detectives rather than on the case at hand; from the University of Georgia, whether the show experienced negative effects when a few original cast members left; and from Auburn University, what their favorite episodes have been and why.
Biographies Richard Belzer, who plays Detective John Munch, is a veteran stand-up comedian who has worked in every entertainment medium. He began his career in the cult film "Groove Tube," a satirical look at television. He performed in the off-Broadway production "The National Lampoon Show" and on radio in "Brink and Belzer" on New YorkÕs WNBC. On television, he starred in his own six-part series for Cinemax, "The Richard Belzer Show"; headlined a stand-up comedy special for Showtime; has made numerous appearances on "Saturday Night Live" and "The Tonight Show"; and appeared in the television movies "Deadly Pursuits" and "Prince for a Day."
Tom Fontana, the executive producer of "Homicide: Life on the Street," was awarded an Emmy for writing the 1993 episode "Three Men and Adena." He has also won two WriterÕs Guild Awards, two Peabody Awards, and two Television Critics Awards for his work on the show. As a writer and producer on NBC's "St. Elsewhere" for five years, Fontana won two Emmy Awards, a Peabody, the Humanitas Prize, and a WriterÕs Guild of America Award, among others. In association with Bruce Paltrow, Fontana served as executive producer and writer on the series "TattingerÕs and Home Fires." Fontana is also a playwright and has had numerous plays produced in New York, San Francisco, and other cities.
Julie Martin began her television career as a writerÕs assistant on "St. Elsewhere" and went on to serve as a story editor on "L.A. Law" and the half-hour drama series "Home Fires." She was a producer and story editor on "Homicide" before becoming a supervising producer in 1996.
Kyle Secor plays Detective Tim Bayliss and directed his first episode of "Homicide" this season. In 1987 Secor appeared as Brian Bradford in the popular NBC daytime drama "Santa Barbara." He has appeared in numerous plays, films, and on television in the movies: "In the Line of Duty: Standoff at Marian"; "BeautyÕs Revenge"; and "Inherit the Wind" with Jason Robards and Kirk Douglas. Secor also had a recurring role on "St. Elsewhere" and has guest-starred on "NYPD Blue"; "Eerie, Indiana"; "Middle Ages"; and "Tales From the Crypt."
David Simon, who is a story editor for "Homicide," was a reporter for the Baltimore Sun for thirteen years and is the author of "Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets," on which "Homicide" the series is based. SimonÕs second book, which chronicles a year in the life of an inner-city drug corner, will be published later this year.
James Yoshimura, a 1977 graduate of the Yale School of Drama with an MFA in playwriting, joined "Homicide" as a story editor in 1991 and now serves as a supervising producer. His plays have been produced at Center Stage in Baltimore, the Dallas Theatre Center, and the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: February 10, 1997 7:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:33:10
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:47264
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Robert M. Batscha … Moderator
- James Yoshimura … Panelist
- Julie Martin … Panelist
- Kyle Secor … Panelist
- Richard Belzer … Panelist
- David Simon … Panelist
- Tom Fontana … Panelist
- Barry Levinson