Word: werners
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Within the industry, however, their talents are hardly a mystery. Last spring Disney-ABC chief Michael Eisner tried to convince Carsey and Werner to take over the network's struggling entertainment division. They were tempted but said no, partly because it would have meant giving up their company and abandoning their new shows in the midst of development. The company, worth an estimated $1 billion, is growing fast, with a newly created distribution arm (two years ago, Carsey-Werner reacquired the domestic syndication rights for their biggest shows) and a fledgling movie division. Still, they don't rule...
That gives Carsey-Werner a total of seven shows on the air this fall (Roseanne, Grace Under Fire, Cybill and 3rd Rock are its incumbents), more than any other independent production company--though there aren't many independent companies left for comparison. As media mergers proliferate and most small producers have sought shelter under the umbrella of a studio, Carsey and Werner are determined to keep going it alone. In doing so, they have proved that a couple of smart programmers with good instincts and enough confidence to fight for what they believe in can still be a power...
Carsey, 51, and Werner, 46, are the most unassuming moguls in Hollywood. They share an office on the second floor of their unpretentious bungalow on the former MTM lot in Studio City and rarely go out for fancy lunches, preferring to grab a plate in the commissary line downstairs. Intensely private, both have families (Carsey is married to a former comedy writer and has two children; Werner and his businesswoman wife have three) that they keep out of the limelight. Carsey drives a modest Mustang convertible; Werner tools around in a Toyota Landcruiser. Carsey doesn't even have an answering...
Carsey and Werner have also become experts in a more conventional TV game: appeasing stars with big egos. Both Roseanne and Brett Butler, the star of Grace Under Fire, have driven out a succession of writers and producers with whom they've clashed over scripts. Cybill executive producer Jay Daniel has just been ousted after a falling out with star Cybill Shepherd--she had been trying to assert more control over her series, reportedly even fighting for more close-ups as shows are being edited...
Some criticize the team for invariably caving in to the stars in these disputes. One producer claims that Carsey-Werner is particularly inhospitable to writers, who are seen as expendable. The duo reply that they're just doing what is best for the show. Such stars "have a lot on the line," adds Carsey. "And any kind of nervousness, insecurity on their part is totally natural and very healthy." The results of their empathetic approach are hard to argue with. Roseanne, though limping, is still a hit show after eight volatile seasons. And Butler expresses undying loyalty: "They helped...