Did you know that the Cheers pilot is widely regarded as a a great example of what a comedy pilot needs to be? Tina Fey thinks so. Journalist Ari Karpel talks to the likes of Steve Levitan, the co-creator of the ABC hit Modern Family, and TV director/producer Todd Holland about the elusive process of making pilots and what a comedy pilot needs in order to have it launch a successful series. Plus, Kim talks with Alex Kendrick, the filmmaker behind the hit Christian films that are produced by the volunteer production company, Sherwood Pictures, as an outreach of the Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. From the Hollywood perspective, Sherwood Pictures has an enviable track record. They've made four features -- the last three were released by shingles under the Sony banner -- and their grosses are striking. Their second film, Facing the Giants, cost $100,000 and grossed more than $10 million. Their 2008, movie, Fireproof, was made for $500,000 and grossed more than $33 million at the box office. And their latest -- "Courageous" cost $2 million and made $10 million in its opening weekend. Kim gets a window into this unusual business model of making films through a church congregation.
Today's Banter Topics:
- Universal to release Tower Heist -- the Brett Ratner-directed movie starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller -- on premium VOD only after three weeks in theaters
- Disney to convert more old animated films like The Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo into 3-D to release in theaters on the heels of the success of The Lion King 3-D
- Update on Fall TV season: NBC cancels The Playboy Club and Fox faces a question about re-upping the expensive Spielberg-produced Terra Nova