writer and producer
PROFILE
Michelle Ashford
Guest
FROM Michelle Ashford
The Business
Showrunners Ilene Chaiken and Michelle Ashford Fox's hit series Empire has just resumed its second season with a ratings bang. That means Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard are back as Cookie and Lucious Lyon, now trying to regain control of their record label. We're bringing you a conversation with two showrunners -- Ilene Chaiken of Empire and Michelle Ashford, creator of Showtime's Masters of Sex. The two sat down to talk about their different paths to success, how they deal with the daily pressures of putting out strong shows, and the state of diversity in television with Michael Schneider at this year's meeting of the National Association of Television Program Executives.
The Spin-off
Showrunners Ilene Chaiken & Michelle Ashford Michelle Ashford, creator of Masters of Sex and Empire showrunner Ilene Chaiken sit down with Michael Schneider to talk about their process of becoming TV writers and executive producers, and why they don’t typically call themselves "showrunners."
The Business
‘Masters of Sex’ Today we revisit Kim Masters' conversation with Michelle Ashford, the creator and showrunner of the Showtime series Masters of Sex. The show was just picked up for third season. Ashford talks about her decades in the television business. She's worked for years writing pilots -- and making a living doing so -- but never got a series on the air until this one. She also addresses how a show about sex is not necessarily sexy and how she thinks Masters and Johnson were "accidental feminists" and, by extension, so is the show. She reflects on the gender disparity in the TV business.
The Business
Masters of Sex Michelle Ashford, the creator and show-runner of the Showtime series Masters of Sex talks about her decades in the television business. She's worked for years writing pilots -- and making a living doing so -- but never got a series on the air until this one. Now approaching the end of Season One but slated for a second season, Ashford talks about how they made a show about sex not necessarily sexy and how she thinks Masters and Johnson were "accidental feminists" and, by extension, so is the show. She reflects on the gender disparity in the TV business and why that is while also saying she doesn't want to be regarded as a "female writer."
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Screengrab
Will viewers go for 'The Conners' without Roseanne? ABC premieres 'The Conners' this week. This is of course, 'Roseanne' sans Roseanne. After the network fired Roseanne Barr for racist tweets, the fate of the show was unclear. Now, it's back with the core family intact, except for the matriarch.
Design and Architecture
Remembering Palm Springs fashion icon Jonathan Skow, aka Mr. Turk Fashion designer Jonathan Skow, aka Mr. Turk, died Friday in Los Angeles at the age of 55. His flagship store is at the heart of Palm Springs’ design district, and he and his wife Trina Turk are key figures in the design and architecture community. We remember him and his contribution to the city he loved.
Don't @ Me with Justin Simien
The ‘Moral Correctness’ Debate How political is black art, and how much can black people critique it? A recent New York Times piece by Wesley Morris suggests that black art in this day and age is being critiqued for its politics rather than for its quality. Justin sits down with writers Chuck Hayward and Jarrett Hill to discuss.