Conflicts of Interest

 Posted on 5/7/1997 by J. Michael Straczynski <71016.1644@compuserve.com> to CIS


Roseann M. Caputo <103510.1542@compuserve.com> asks:
> Do any of these guys have offices in D.C.?
> PS: Did you see the "Ellen episode?"

That's exactly what happens. Happened to Peter David on Space
Cases; the nitwits at Nickelodeon came in and made a great number of
stupid changes, which only hurt the show...the ratings went down
because of those changes, and this led them to conclude the show just
didn't work (rather than admit the changes were stupid) and thus
canceled the show.

Same thing happened on The Real Ghostbusters; we had the #1
rated animated show on the air at the time. Then the Experts and the
Consultants came in to fix it. Massive and stupid changes. I could
either swallow them, or leave. I left. And the show went down the
toilet. After that, they kinda came around and said that maybe the
changes were, sorta, kinda, wrong, see...and would I do a few more
freelance the way it was supposed to be and put it back? There at
least they were sufficiently mensches to do the right thing, and be
open about it. I have a great deal of respect for them as a result.

jms