Trade Round-Up: Busting Up Murdoch, Busting Down Disney
· In the dark alleys of Europe, "obscure" execs challenge Rupert Murdoch's monopoly on Pay TV with their sinister new technologies and low prices. Here at Fox, from the fifth floor of building 100, an old Aussie weeps. "Fie! Fie on ye, progress!" [Variety, sub. req'd.]
· Disney execs face "incentive revisions." Happy holidays! [Variety, sub. req'd.]
· Baio returns to the small screen with NBC comedy produced by Jace Richdale. In it, Baio stars as a 40-something guy who moves in with a 20 year old and subsequently "turns his life upside down." So, like Charles in Charge, plus 20 years, minus Nicole Eggert. [THR]
· 2005 Television ad market looking "cloudy." In unrelated news, 2005 product placement market looking "egregious." [THR]
· The Incredibles paves way for new subgenre: superheroes vaguely reminiscent of comic books characters, but not so much as to require the exchanging of money. [THR]
· Rap "star" Kurupt and David Carradine to star in one of the more ridiculous movie ideas in recent memory, the urban Western Click. [THR]