Hollywood's Bump from the Economic Slump; Strike TV; Titles

Do sky-high gas prices mean boffo box office? Plus, first there was the writers' strike and now there's strike TV. Plus, the Zen of making movie titles.

TV Across the Pond; The Day the Creatures Cried

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The two-way street between American television and British telly. We talk to TV producer extraordinaire Caryn Mandabach about her dealings across the pond.  Plus, last words from the late special-effects wizard Stan Winston.

MySpace Makeover

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A makeover at MySpace continues to transform Hollywood into your space.  We chat with MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe.  Plus SAG and AFTRA's battle over the hearts and minds of its members.

Rating the Ads; Weather to Shoot or Not to Shoot

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How will rating ads instead of programs change what you see on your TV? Plus, whether or not to shoot a scene often depends on the weather.

Runaway Production Runs Faster

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A hit network TV show picks up, moves to New York and stirs up the enduring question: why doesn't California do something to staunch the flow of runaway production?

Everything You Wanted to Know about Being an Assistant

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This week on The Business, everything you wanted to know about being an assistant, but were too terrified to ask. We talk with the authors of The Hollywood Assistants Handbook. Plus, an update on the actors' negotiations for a new contract.

TV's 'Unfronts;' Popcorn Prices Pop

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Indie Film Shake-up; Hollywood on the Couch, Part II

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A major studio is getting out of the indie business and one stalwart indie distributor is rumored to be having serious money problems. The two indie film TV channels may roll into one. Is Hollywood going to give indie the bum's Rushmore? We talk to esteemed indie producer Christine Vachon and uber-salesman John Sloss. Plus, 'Hollywood on the Couch,' Part II, with writer-turned-therapist Dennis Palumbo.

Hollywood on the Couch

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We put Hollywood on the couch with writer-turned-therapist Dennis Palumbo.

Another Visit with Pixar's Big Bird

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Pixar's Brad Bird just received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers' Guild. So this week we revisit our conversation with the creator of The Incredibles and Ratatouille. Plus, the entertainment industry home team.

Why Can't SAG and AFTRA Get Along?

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The uneasy alliance between the two actors' unions has turned into outright hostility. Plus, the unions want money from the digital future. When will that future arrive? Finally, who gets credit before the credits roll?

Everything You Wanted to Know about Agents

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There's been a mad game of musical chairs in the agency business in the last few of weeks. The agency business is changing, but the relationship between agents and clients seems to be as quirky as ever.

Celebrities Can Be Taxing

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Using Tax Day as a very weak hook, we talk to the man who helped clear Wesley Snipes of tax fraud conspiracy charges. The question: what are the special challenges of representing a celebrity in court?

AFTRA-SAG Split; a 'Miss Guided' Novice Writer

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Hollywood's actors' unions file for an untimely divorce. Then, what happens when a novice TV writer gets her own show?

Qualified to Act?; The ShoWest Goes On

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In a town where actors are more likely to wait tables than wait in the wings, how do you define a working actor?  That's the central question in our lively conversation with two actors. How SAG answers that question may determine if there's a strike. Plus, this year's ShoWest movie exhibitors' conference.

Big Gulp to Blockbuster

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Jim Keyes was the former CEO of 7-11 stores.  Now he's applying the lessons of the Big Gulp to the small screen at the troubled video-rental giant Blockbuster. Plus, Variety game reviewer Ben Fritz asks, "Why are hardcore video gamers so sensitive?"  And good agentry with writer and producer Rob Long.