Paul Attanasio
Frank Swarbrick
Paul Attanasio? I mean, he gets credit for "creating" the show, but what
exactly did he do? I mean, David Simon wrote the book (err, The Book),
and Levinson and Fontana always seem to take credit for creating the show.
Did Attanasio develop the show and bring it to Levinson to produce? And
what happened to him? He only has two writing credits for the entire show.
Did he leave early on? Is he doing anything now?
Just wondering...
--
Frank Swarbrick
home: inf...@sprynet.com
work: frank.s...@1stbank.com
Blue Morphan
On Thu, 4 Feb 1999, Frank Swarbrick wrote:
> Here's a question I've been meaning to ask for years. Who exactly is
> Paul Attanasio? I mean, he gets credit for "creating" the show, but what
> exactly did he do? I mean, David Simon wrote the book (err, The Book),
> and Levinson and Fontana always seem to take credit for creating the show.
> Did Attanasio develop the show and bring it to Levinson to produce? And
> what happened to him? He only has two writing credits for the entire show.
> Did he leave early on? Is he doing anything now?
You can check www.imdb.com for greater detail, but be it known
that Paul Attanasio is indeed no slouch of a screenwriter. Among his
writing creds, besides the HLOTS pilot "Gone for Goode", are such
excellent films as "Donnie Brasco" and "Quiz Show".
My understanding is that Attanasio, a writer of crime fiction, had
the brainchild to adapt David Simon's book to the small screen, and
proceeded to bring the idea to Levinson and Fontana. Ergo, Attanasio did
indeed "create" HLOTS.
bilal
not paul's agent
"It is the prerogative of fools and children to point out that the Emperor
has no clothes. But the fool remains a fool, and the Emperor remains an
Emperor."
- Neil Gaiman
"The Sandman"
WHarr87881
lifeform
Dave Locke
> i seem to recall he was a movie reviewer at the washington post in
> a previous lifeform
Movie reviewers are a different kind of lifeform? Well, come to think
of it, I've accused some of them of it.
--
Dave | dave...@bigfoot.com | Dutch, Injun, Irish, Limey, Scotch
"Proud to be a mammal"
Davidelic
Bilal wrote:
<<My understanding is that Attanasio, a writer of crime fiction, had
the brainchild to adapt David Simon's book to the small screen, and
proceeded to bring the idea to Levinson and Fontana. Ergo, Attanasio did
indeed "create" HLOTS.>>
Bilal needs to stop smoking that crack. (Although he is right about Attanasio
being a fine screenwriter.) Attanasio never wrote crime fiction; he was,
indeed, the film critic for the Washington Post before moving to L.A. about 10
years ago to break into TV and film writing. Nor did Attanasio bring the idea
to Levinson.
Here's the deal. "Homicide" was offered to Levinson by David Simon's "people"
-- a natural person to pitch it to, what with the Baltimore connection and all.
(Did y'all know that, before Levinson bought it, William Friedkin had
expressed interest in "Homicide" as a feature film project??)
Anyway, concurrently, Levinson was nurturing the screenwriting talents of young
Mr. Attanasio. I believe Attanasio's script for "Quiz Show" was already
written (though it wouldn't be filmed till a couple of years later) when
Levinson assigned him the task of writing the pilot script for "Homicide." (In
the following years, Attanasio has also done writing work on Levinson's films
"Disclosure" and "Sphere.")
Basically, the way it goes in TV, the writer who writes the pilot is usually
assigned "created by" credit. A very nice credit which puts ducats into Mr.
Attanasio's wallet every time a new episode is produced ... In this case, with
more than 100 episodes produced, it's quite a hefty financial return for that
initial burst of labor. Not that Attanasio is to be begrudged this ... it's
not easy writing a pilot, I don't care what your source material is.
Okay, I guess that's all that need be said about this. Now ... pass the crack.
David Mills
Pushkin
there, Zeljo Ivanek also, casting. whats new!! It was Louis DiGiaimo..
screenplay was by Atanasio. If i forgot anyone please feel free to add.
Oh and QuizShow was excellent indeed.
Sacha
> You can check www.imdb.com for greater detail, but be it known
>that Paul Attanasio is indeed no slouch of a screenwriter. Among his
>writing creds, besides the HLOTS pilot "Gone for Goode", are such
>excellent films as "Donnie Brasco" and "Quiz Show".
>
> My understanding is that Attanasio, a writer of crime fiction, had
>the brainchild to adapt David Simon's book to the small screen, and
>proceeded to bring the idea to Levinson and Fontana. Ergo, Attanasio did
>indeed "create" HLOTS.
>
Pushkin
after H:LOTS aired.
Pushkin wrote in message <3HHu2.131$Z66....@news.total.net>...
Blue Morphan
Re: My crack-smoking
Never! My crack is my lifeline! A-hahahaha!
Okay, seriously, I apologize for the erroneous information. I can
only plead ignorance, in that I was ignorant that the guy who told me this
info was full of it.
Consider me schooled.
bilal
cooking up
J Ramsay
>
>
> Here's the deal. "Homicide" was offered to Levinson by David Simon's "people"
> -- a natural person to pitch it to, what with the Baltimore connection and all.
> (Did y'all know that, before Levinson bought it, William Friedkin had
> expressed interest in "Homicide" as a feature film project??)
>
> Anyway, concurrently, Levinson was nurturing the screenwriting talents of young
> Mr. Attanasio. I believe Attanasio's script for "Quiz Show" was already
> written (though it wouldn't be filmed till a couple of years later) when
> Levinson assigned him the task of writing the pilot script for "Homicide."
> assigned "created by" credit. A very nice credit which puts ducats into Mr.
> Attanasio's wallet every time a new episode is produced ... In this case, with
> more than 100 episodes produced, it's quite a hefty financial return for that
> initial burst of labor. Not that Attanasio is to be begrudged this ... it's
> not easy writing a pilot, I don't care what your source material is.
>
Thank you very much for providing the definitive answer. May many,
many pilots come your way!
And dare H;LOTS hope for some more of your scripts? Did you notice how
much we all appreciated the superb quality of Finnegan's Wake? Well,
we did.
With respect,
Joan
Frank Swarbrick
>
> On Thu, 4 Feb 1999, Frank Swarbrick wrote:
>
> > Here's a question I've been meaning to ask for years. Who exactly is
> > Paul Attanasio? I mean, he gets credit for "creating" the show, but what
> > exactly did he do? I mean, David Simon wrote the book (err, The Book),
> > and Levinson and Fontana always seem to take credit for creating the show.
> > Did Attanasio develop the show and bring it to Levinson to produce? And
> > what happened to him? He only has two writing credits for the entire show.
> > Did he leave early on? Is he doing anything now?
>
> that Paul Attanasio is indeed no slouch of a screenwriter. Among his
> writing creds, besides the HLOTS pilot "Gone for Goode", are such
> excellent films as "Donnie Brasco" and "Quiz Show".
>
> My understanding is that Attanasio, a writer of crime fiction, had
> the brainchild to adapt David Simon's book to the small screen, and
> proceeded to bring the idea to Levinson and Fontana. Ergo, Attanasio did
> indeed "create" HLOTS.
Thanks for the info.
BTW, I wasn't disputing that he created the Homicide series. I was just wondering
how it all came about.
MGilli4994
>crack.
David Mills
You have to go to The Corner for that. Fayette and Monroe.
Eva Whitley
goggling at the ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT crew. (What can I say? It was my first
movie premiere.)--Eva Whitley
Todd
thus spake:
>In deed. My friend Martin met him at the premiere of DUNE but I was too busy
>goggling at the ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT crew. (What can I say? It was my first
>movie premiere.)--Eva Whitley
>
Now here's a real blast from the past. How goes it, Eva?
Todd