NCIS is showing that CBS is in trouble

My Case

Okay, to begin with, I am no insider. But I have eyes and I have a brain. So these are observations that I have made. Some over the years, some recently. Anyway, here we go...

Back when Hawaii Five-0 was still on the air, I figure these were the best paid actors in the Lenkov/NCIS-verse...

1. Alex O'Loughlin
2. Scott Caan
3. Scott Bakula
4. LL Cool J
5. Chris O'
   Donnell
6. Daniella Ruah
   
7. Mark Harmon

The Fat Trimming Starts...

...with the cancellation of Hawaii Five-0. Strike O'Loughlin and Caan off the list. This also freed up Katrina Law. Let's put a pin in that. And it freed half of the Hawaiian facilities, opening the door for NCIS: New Orleans to be cancelled and replaced by the cheaper NCIS: Hawaii. Why is it cheaper ? Because A) It allows them to shut down a studio and B) It strikes Scott Bakula off the list. 

Now, as I understand it, actors working for a CBS show get a 7-year contract and each year they get paid more. And when the contract ends, union rules demand that the company renegotiates. This is also why NCIS: Los Angeles is not getting a Season 15. CBS doesn't want to renegotiate. 

Instead, they are taking the opportunity to strike to LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell off to the list. In fact, they are replacing the whole show with the cheaper to make NCIS: Sydney. But how can NCIS: Sydney be cheaper, if it's setting is halfway around the world ? 

Well, to begin with, CBS' Australian branch/partners are footing half the bill. And all the actors in it are paid Tier 1, versus the LL Cool J and O'Connell who are both Tier 14. And so is Daniella Ruah. Almost forgot she had been around since season 1 as well. So that makes three Tier 14 actor gone. 

And NCIS: LA has already been subject of trimming as well. The convenient replacing of Linda Hunt - who was getting up there in Tiers as well - by Gerald McRaney. And the departures of Barrett Foa and Renee Felice Smith. Which was pretty convenient for the show's budget department. But I'm digressing, let's move on to....

The Lenkov-Verse Shows

Which at this point are down to two: MacGyver and Magnum PI. MacGyver ended up getting cancelled altogether. As for Magnum PI....first it became a joined production with Universal and then CBS tried to cancel it as well. Fortunately, NBC rode in to safe the day. But I think it's safe bet that CBS is somehow getting some residuals out of this situation. That, while no longer having to pay for production of the show. Next, lets take about....

The Last Man/Show Standing

Because the original NCIS is not above this situation as well. For example, let's get back to our pin. Emily Wickersham was on Tier 8 and was replaced by Katrina Law. Even if her contract from Five-0 was not cancelled, Law is only Tier 2. 

And she was not the only cut to be made. Other examples:

1. David McCallum's screen-time has been greatly reduced, 
2. After Jimmy Palmer's promotion no replacement assistant ME was hired. Sure, there was an episode where Jimmy interviewed candidates, but nobody was hired in the end. (This was CBS throwing the fans a bone to make them shut up about this issue.)
3. Maria Bello's Jack Sloane left. Another convenient departure for the budget people...
4. ....Where we can also file Pauley Perette's replacement by Diona Reasonover. 
   
5. Agent Quinn lasted only one season (and was not replaced by a new character).
   

But we all know what the big cut was...replacing Mark Harmon - who was on Tier 19 - by Gary Cole. Even if Cole asked for a lot of money per episode, there's a fair chance that he is cheaper the Harmon. 

And it's very possible that there is another big cut waiting in wings. In episode 5 ("Guardian") of Season 20 (the current one), Timothy McGee temporarily takes over from Vance. And at the end of the episode, McGee says that he is liking it. 

This sounds to me like they are laying the groundwork for McGee to succeed Vance as director. Doing so would allow them to remove Rocky Carroll's paycheck from the budget altogether, while dialing back Sean Murray's screen time considerably.

The Big Question

Why is CBS doing all this trimming ? In my opinion, the answer is simple: Money. They already rebranded their streaming service once and now it's merging with Showtime. But I think that all of the above shows that they have been in trouble for a long time.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)

Why I think the quality of Picard S3 doesn't matter....

 ....If It's Good Or Bad

After all the visceral that Picard Season One and Two took, making Season Three was not a glorious job. Essentially, it was a house on fire. So Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman bolted, leaving Terry Matalas to deal with the ruins. 

If It's Bad...

From what I've seen of them so far, Kurtzman and Goldsman will throw Matalas under the bus. All the  show's flaws - including those in season 1 and 2 -  will magically all be his fault.

If It's Good

Kurtzman has a giant ego. There is no way he is going to let Matalas beat the odds and run off with the glory. (Which he was never supposed to have.) He'll find a way to stab both Matalas and the fandom in the back. 

My guess is that he'll either make sure that Matalas' next project is non-Trek. Or he'll put his in charge of the already deeply loathed Section 31 show, with the Discovery Writers' Room conveniently reassigned there.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (aka Commander Nash)

Bit and Pieces Vol. 12

 Hi Alex,

Operation Salvage continues...

My house wasn't very Christmas-like, but now the lights are now in place. I've also taken care of the grocery shopping. Sure, I might have to get some (fresh) things later in the week, but no need to do bulk buying. 

So with a bit of luck and planning, I'll be able to avoid the stores during the Christmas weekend. Also, I've bought (yesterday) and posted (today) my Christmas cards, so this they have a fighting chance of making it in time.

Speaking of (electronic) mail...I also cleaned my inbox and dealt with (most of the) bills. The last bill should get the chop tomorrow. Other then that, all I need to get a haircut and I am good to go. 

(Well, that and I need to keep my Blog/Twitter from sliding back into being forgotten/gathering dust. But this letter is taking care of that.)

That's all I have for today,

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Bits and Pieces Vol. 11

 Hi Alex, 

It's that time of year that you read your previous blog entries and wonder..."What happened to all those plans I announced in my previous entries ?" 

Well, in the case it's that old saying "Life is what happens while your making other plans." Several of my family members moved to the United States (of America) and it was quite the whirlwind. 

It is all the "Working Out in the End" phase now, but it took a while to get there. That, and the phase will take a couple of weeks to complete. Moving on to...

My Buddy Rick Clogston

In my 10 September blog, I said that my buddy Rick was coming. He came by in the last week of September. We chatted - the old-fashioned way - had lunch and he sang some songs. He also recorded a video, which I am sure is floating around the Internet somewhere. Alas, for thus of you wanting to see yours truly on the web, I successfully dodged the camera. 

The thing is, Rick is threatening to visit again in 2023, and this time he would not allow any camera dodging. (Poor viewers, my voice sounds like a male Fran Drescher and when I sing it gets even worse.) And that brings me to...

Picking up the Pieces

So, it's the nearly the end of the year. So Operation "Salvage What You Can." is in full swing. Which is why I am dusting off my blog and Twitter. What is next ? Time will tell. But this is what I have for today.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Novel Update

 Hi Alex,

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've written. To begin with, the pre-Christmas crazy has begun at my day job. I'll save you the boring details, but the result is that I've needed every bit of free time I have to recharge. 

Which has resulted in my professional writing grinding to a halt. Fortunately, I do have a piece of my fourth August Smith novel written already. So I am going to do some typing, hopefully that will get back into "the zone." 

So, what am I going to write when I get there ? Well, I have figured out some pieces of the puzzle. And that brings me to...

Raining Ashes 

Cairo - Several weeks ago, a cult and a group of Intelligence Officers played a game of chess with the fate of the world at stake. Thanks to August Smith and April Tanaka, the world survived. But April and August are no longer in Cairo, leaving the locals to deal with the scars of the conflict. Meanwhile, a new threat is rising....

A sequel/spin-off from Chess Games in Cairo, this is the 'mystery novel' I had cooking. I'm still working on the details, but the plan is for this to be the start of a new trilogy of novels. The text above is not the final blurb, which I'll write later. For now, moving on to...

From the Farm to the Sands

An omnibus collecting August and April's first three adventures. It will also include part of my fourth August Smith Novel. The million dollar question is what state will our heroes be in ? Well...I'm not saying. But I can tell you something, namely....

Five Episodes

The title, which is 'Five Episodes.' I'm keeping the details under wraps. But if you want some, Episode 1 is the part I intend to include in From the Farm to the Sands. For the remaining four, you'll simply have to buy the full thing. And...

That's all I have for today,

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

Three Colors (of Amsterdam)

 Hi Alex,

Somewhere in the future, my American friend Rick is coming over. I've written about him before, he's the one with the band. Speaking of bands.....the Dutch flag has three bands: Red, white and blue. And the US flag also uses those colors. Mixing in the fact that Rick loves music and will be visiting Amsterdam, it gave me the idea for this musical entry. And there was only one song I could think off....

BLUE

I know, I know, Jacques Brel was Belgian. But since he sang Belgian Blues, he gets the blue band. His version is also the original, which is why I'm going Blue-White-Red. It's one of those renditions where you can feel the passion, even if you don't understand a word of the language. (And the fact that's it in French fits nicely with the Blue-White-Red pattern. Considering what their flag looks like.)

 

WHITE

Eventually, a Dutch band braved a translation of the song. This is how I first learned of this song. Some would say that this song doesn't exactly paint Amsterdam in the best light. The thing is, Amsterdam isn't exactly the grand port it used to be, with Rotterdam stealing its crown long ago. So, IMHO, this song tells the story of the way Amsterdam was doing the Golden Age, when sails ruled supreme.

RED

Needless to say, this entry cannot be complete without David Bowie's version. Bowie was brave to take on this song. Not only is it about Europe, which might scare some people off, Brel is simple hard to translate. But he pulled it off.

(And after enduring two versions that most English speakers can probably not understand a word of, they deserve to be rewarded with a version that actually makes sense.) So without further ado....

And that's all for today.

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)

 PS. If you hear somebody call Amsterdam "Mokum", that is totally normal. Mokum is the Yiddish word for city/town. (At least, it is in the Netherlands.) And it's become one of the city's nicknames.

If Amazon won't do it...

Hi Alex,

Yeah, the weekend is here. The dust is continuing to settle over here, which is finally giving me some time to think. So the plans that were brewing before are now crystalizing into something solid. And without further ado, moving on to....

 

 Stargate Fan Fiction (Nova Roma)

I figure most of the people reading this already know, but for any newbies.....Before the Amazon-MGM deal, I wrote a lot of Stargate fan fiction. My stories were a continuation that finished the story of Stargate: Universe.  

 

After that tale was told, I introduced a new enemy that threatened both the Milky Way and the Pegasus galaxy. (Making life miserable for the SGC and the Atlantis expedition). Meanwhile, the Goa'uld had packed up and moved to a new galaxy, where an Earth outpost led by Colonel Telford had landed the job of stopping their evil plans...

 

That was the story I was planning to tell when the Amazon-MGM came through. I figured that this meant that a new canon TV/Streaming show would soon appear on our screens. (Wiping all of my stories from existence.) So I pulled the plug and threw away my notes-slash plans. But it's been ages and we've heard nothing, zip, zilch ! 

So, I figure....well, if Amazon won't do it, I will.....sure, it won't be canon. But it'll be fun. (And as a bonus, it'll keep my Twitter account from getting too dusty.) There is on minor hiccup. Like I said, I threw out my notes. So I'll have to do some homework before I get back to it. In the meantime, the has come to move on to...

Professional Writing

 

My professional writing has been stuck behind an old-fashioned writer's block. Fortunately, I had already written a large chunk of my next project before I ran into it. And I write my first draft the old fashioned way, with pen and paper. So I have plenty of typing to do, which will hopefully give me the run-up I need to break through the block and get back into the zone.

And that's all I have for today,

Regards,

Ruben A. Hilbers (Commander Nash)