FBO: 'Writers are mad -- Should we care?'

The FAILED BANDS OF OKLAHOMA has long held a ban on movie sequels, movie bio-pics and movie remakes -- as the cynical reasoning in Hollywood is that the public can stomach a more expensive slice of the familiar than just the polite nibblings of something new, more creative and original.

Inspired by the FBO ban, writers in Hollywood are taking to the streets to protest payment for network shows -- mostly affecting soap operas and late-night shows like David Letterman.

Problem is they're missing the target. Movie studios are watching it all in protected isolation, as if from an air-conditioned press box with free gin-and-tonics and vegan casseroles.

We ask the striking writers to re-direct their efforts to studio execs who are churing out remakes (eg 3:10 to Yuma), sequels (Saw 4, Fantastic Four) and bio-pics (upcoming Mandella starring Morgo Freeman, Dali starring Alvin Pacino).

Meanwhile, note this strike has nothing to do with the NBC writer's union, which includes the show The Office, a remake of a BBC original. Fans may have noticed how the US version was slow-to-start this season, with awkward/forced misfiring jokes (eg the fictional animal Michael Scott imagines in a drawn-out joke in the opener). The FBO has no inside information on this (yet), but privately wonders whether new lesser-paid writers are trying to replicate the success of past seasons -- but not 'getting the job done' to quote Tony Banks, keyboardist of Genesis, who recently regrouped to stage a Tour of the Familiar.

We'll keep an eye out -- and weigh potential bans -- on NBC and television in general. So far, FBO's ban does not affect television OTHER than the show Lost, which still owes us an apology.


FBO Admin
Mobile/Semi-Permanent HQ -- Brooklyn, NY