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NBC Leaves Sandler Pilot "Alone"
A new comedy pilot produced by the goofball megastar, and starring former Saturday Night Live buddies Norm McDonald and Jon Lovitz, remains stalled at the Peacock network, after producers and NBC got into a tiff about language in their contracts protecting the network from future lawsuits.
The show, titled Leave Me Alone, might just be left alone permanently, because of the ever-growing concern over "sweetheart deals" made between networks and their sister companies, Variety reports. In the past, Hollywood heavyweights like David Duchovny and Steven Bochco have sued their networks, claiming syndication and licensing deals that were made within the same company robbed them of profits they could've earned if their shows had been sold outside of the corporate family.
In the case of Leave Me Alone, NBC sought to make potential legal battles more difficult. The network removed wording from its pilot contracts that would require NBC Studios to seek a "fair market value" and conduct "arm's length negotiations" when working out licensing deals.
Instead, the network added that clause requiring it simply to act "in good faith" when negotiating.
Variety reports that several NBC pilots have already signed the new contract. And NBC insists the new wording still does protect producers from sweetheart deals.
Sandler and company, however, weren't buying it: Endeavor and Brillstein-Grey Entertainment (which represent Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions, as well as writer Tim Herlihy) refused to agree to the new contract.
NBC, Endeavor and Brillstein-Grey have refused to comment on the negotiations. But if both sides don't agree to a deal, the show may be buried for good. That's because NBC owns the script and could refuse to let Sandler shop it to other networks.
NBC has become quite familiar with the sticky process of dealing with a sister company. Several years ago, the producers of Homicide: Life on the Street sued the network over its dealings.
More recently, NBC hired outside legal consultants to help hammer out a deal with NBC Studios to renew Will & Grace for three more years. And it would be tough to accuse NBC of scoring a cheap renewal with its sister company: The network is shelling out more than $3 million an episode to keep the show running through 2005.
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