Cablevision earnings slip on video losses

Big NY-area cabler Cablevision Systems Friday saw earnings for the September quarter fall, revealing a loss of 19,000 video subscribers from the previous three-month period partly offset by an uptick in voice and high-speed Internet biz. Net income plunged to $40 million from $112 million. Company cited higher programming, sales and marketing costs as well as a $16 million hit from Hurricane Irene in the NY metro area in late summer. Revenue rose 8% to about $1.7 billion, including contributions from Bresnan, a smaller cable operator acquired last December. Excluding Bresnan, Cablevision said revenue would have been essentially flat. Cablevision's numbers emphasized what Time Warner Cable illustrated the day before, a slippage of video subs to competition from telecom services like Verizon's Fios and possibly, although it's still early days, nascent inroads by new video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu and others. The company had 3.626 million customers at the end of Sept. The number of video customers dipped 19,000 to 3.264 from the quarter ended in June. On the upside, the company added 17,000 new voice customers and 38,000 new high-speed data customers. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com

Joss Whedon tackles Much Ado About Nothing

Joss Whedon has adapted and directed a modern version of Shakespeare's classic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. And we thought he was hard at work on The Avengers. The production is the first feature from Bellwether, a micro-studio created by Whedon and Kai Cole for the creation of "small, independent narratives for all media."Filmed in just 12 days entirely on location in Santa Monica, the project wasshot in black and white by Jay Hunter (Paper Heart, Dollhouse) butapparently "embraced a DIY ethos and newer technologies". Much Ado About Nothingstars Amy Acker (Cabin In The Woods, Angel) and Alexis Denisof (How I Met Your Mother, Angel) as Beatrice and Benedick, the world's least likely lovers headed for their inevitable tumble into love.The cast also includes Nathan Fillion, Clark Gregg, Reed Diamond, Fran Kranz, Sean Maher, Spencer Treat Clark, Riki Lindhome, Ashley Johnson, Emma Bates, Tom Lenk, Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney, Joshua Zar, Paul M. Meston, Romy Rosemont and Jillian Morgese.Those players arealldescribed as being "dedicated to the idea that this story bears retelling, that this dialogue is as fresh and intoxicating as any being written and that the joy of working on a passion project surrounded by dear friends, admired colleagues and an atmosphere of unabashed rapture far outweighs their hilariously miniature pay cheques.""The text is to me a deconstruction of the idea of love, which is ironic, since the entire production is a love letter - to the text, to the cast, even to the house it's shot in," Whedon said.

Buffy's Charisma Contractor: Concentrating on Supernatural Was Super Tasty

James Marsters and Charisma Contractor Charisma Contractor fell beneath the Supernatural casting department's spell after they asked for her to get a witch, nevertheless the real miracle happened once she discovered who'd play her on-screen husband. "I obtained a telephone call from my manager proclaiming that there's interest from Supernatural inviting me to accomplish an instalment,In . Contractor notifies TVGuide.com. "I believed that was advisable and went forward from it. After which it I came across next James [Marsters] would participate it too, and simply got super tasty." Firefly's Jewel Staite on Sam's first Supernatural hug, eating brains The first sort Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel co-stars reunite on Friday's episode, "Shut Up, Dr. Phil" (9/8c, The CW), through which Contractor plays a witch named Maggie Stark. "I'd not carried out because genre shortly, therefore i thought it may be a lot of fun,In . states Contractor. "She's a very effective witch but disgruntled. She's also associated with some type of artistic and philanthropic work. That's her passion outdoors of her marriage." Once glasgow - Wealth, Ind., is hit getting a string of grisly deaths, the Winchester brothers and sisters positioned on their utmost G-Males personas to analyze. They find Maggie's husband Jesse (Marsters), who claims that she's taking her anger around the townspeople for just about any mistake he gained. "I am unsure simply how much I'm allowed to convey, but he's a pressure being thought with," states Contractor. "We've been married a great-duper very very long time and understanding that comes some problems and comedy." Although Contractor and Marsters have a very shared TV past, concentrating on Supernatural was most likely probably the most time the two had really spent together inside the same moments. "James which i were type of within it together, you understand?In . states Contractor. "This wasn't our show. I had been type of site visitors there therefore it was a pleasurable experience to remain in it together, learning Romanian in lickety-split a while and trying to create our fans happy." Phone The Past of Horror on tv Speaking Romanian - which Contractor states is a touch from the spoiler in regards to the couple's back story -- shown being simpler for Marsters, who had positioned on an british accent for his Buffy vampire character Spike. "He's quite the gift and ear for music too for language," she states. "He did an admirable job, and every from time to time I'd think about the translator and hope that we was fulfilling the pronunciation properly. Knowing within the expressions round the translators' faces, it absolutely was really kind of funny, however was certainly problem Romanians left and right. I don't think many audiences who watch speak the text, and so i am kind of depending on that." Fortunately, Contractor had the help and support of series stars Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, whom she can't seem to praise enough. "They were ready to endure our signal cards for people once we required to do our Romanian," she states. "They were so cooperative and therefore helpful. You always hope people at your job will probably be nice, nonetheless they were just crazy. Which I truly loved seeing them interact. They have great chemistry together and so they were individually themselves very gifted. In this episode, Jensen had plenty of humor. He's that psychobabble speech he shipped that was really funny." With techniques, she will get that you've a certain kinship between Supernatural as well as the Buffy/Joss Whedon-verse. "You will discover parallels: They have that very unique model of humor and supernatural, drama and effects. In my opinion that there are confirmed understanding or appreciation for one another because of it." Supernatural airs Fridays at 9/8c round the CW. Can you still love Charisma Contractor and James Marsters? Would you like to uncover their location return to Supernatural?

eOne nabs 'Comedown' in France

LONDON -- eOne has clicked up French privileges to Menhaj Huda's horror pic "Comedown," that is lensing working in london. Huda ("Kidulthood") directs the pic, that was formerly acquired by Studiocanal for that U.K., from the script composed by Steven Kendall. Story follows six buddies who've known one another from childhood and enter the tower block they resided in as kids. When one of these gets lost, they soon realize that they're not by yourself within the building and someone within the shadows starts to search them lower. It stars Jacob Anderson ("Chatroom"), Jessica Barden ("Hanna"), Sophie Stuckey ("The Lady in Black"), Duane Henry ("W.E."), Calum MacNab ("The Firm"), Adam Deacon ("Anuvahood") and Geoff Bell ("RocknRolla"). Audio-video Pictures is handling worldwide sales, while Serotonin Films' Dominic Norris and Phoenix Wiley's Gareth Wiley produce the pic. Contact Diana Lodderhose at diana.lodderhose@variety.com

Why Hollywood Is Flocking to the Bird Streets Neighborhood

This story first appeared in the Oct. 21 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.our editor recommendsScientology's Hollywood Real Estate EmpireCelebrity Scientologists Weigh in on the Church's Real Estate Program'Real Housewives' Face Real Estate Troubles On a recent afternoon, Blue Jay Way was buzzing with activity. A caravan of mammoth 12-wheeled trucks lumbered down the steep street, hauling tons of dirt from the excavation site where a multimillion-dollar house is being built. Construction workers nearby unloaded a cargo van and chatted idly. The workday din was interrupted -- but only briefly -- when a two-tone Rolls-Royce blasted up the half-mile-long street, the sedan's bleating exhaust note catching the attention of the laborers. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Real Estate Deals: Matthew Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, Sacha Baron Cohen The scene says a lot about the bird streets neighborhood, one of Los Angeles' most exclusive and sought-after enclaves. On Blue Jay Way, for example, three residences are under construction; nearby on Thrasher Avenue, another two are being built. The neighborhood -- known for its stunning views and extreme privacy -- became exceedingly popular during the real estate boom of the past decade, and prices soared. Property values have taken a hit during the economic downturn, but because the neighborhood includes only a few hundred properties, it remains pricey and in serious demand among producers, actors and moguls alike. Still, those who are now buying in the area -- there are a handful -- are scoring deals as houses routinely sell for less than their asking prices. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Real Estate Deals: Rupert Murdoch, Kate Walsh, Jonah Hill, Erwin Stoff Residents in the neighborhood, which is named after its many avian-themed streets, include A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Jodie Foster and Keanu Reeves; musician Herbie Hancock; talk show host Byron Allen; producer Megan Ellison; The Big C showrunner Jenny Bicks; Hustler publisher Larry Flynt; and Sunset Tower Hotel owner Jeff Klein and producer John Goldwyn. In August, Matthew Perry ($8.65 million for a sleek custom home) and Gateway Inc. co-founder Ted Waitt ($11.53 million for a residence with an indoor/outdoor pool) purchased in the community; Christina Aguilera sold a four-bedroom residence for $4.65 million; and Jennifer Aniston and boyfriend Justin Theroux inked a deal for a rental that costs roughly $17,000 per month. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Biggest Real Estate Deals: Jennifer Lopez, Jim Wiatt, Brad Grey "Five years ago it was hot, but it wasn't as hot as it is today. There is no disputing this is one of the most valuable areas in the city," says luxury home developer Steve Hermann, who has built several residences in the area. Two of these, on adjacent properties, are now owned by Ellison, a True Grit producer and daughter of Oracle Corp. co-founder Larry Ellison. She owns a third adjoining residence and has spent nearly $33 million to acquire the properties. Her dealmaking has been the subject of great speculation as residents wonder about her plans for the compound; she declined comment. Brokers and residents say the neighborhood's superior "jetliner" views of the city and proximity to the Sunset Strip -- a drive from Soho House to the top of Blue Jay Way takes less than five minutes -- make it more desirable than other tony hillside enclaves, such as Outpost Estates or parts of Bel-Air. Ben Bacal, a Keller Williams Realty agent who represented the sellers in the Perry and Waitt deals, says homes that are considered teardowns can fetch as much as $7 million if the lots offer "10 out of 10" views. And homes without views can be valued at half of what comparable homes with views are worth. Indeed, residences with superb views fetch among the highest prices in L.A. on a per-square-foot basis. Perry purchased his home for $2,162 per square foot; Waitt bought his for $2,026 per foot. Those prices are typically achieved only in neighborhoods such as Malibu's Carbon Beach. It may be surprising to some, but the bird streets neighborhood is not without its sense of community. "It's a really nice feeling in a city where there is much more anonymity than you would really like," says Hollywood divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who has represented Aguilera and Angelina Jolie. The neighborhood's most obvious expression of communal togetherness is its Doheny Dining Club, an open group that meets roughly twice a year for progressive dinners that have drawn up to 50 people. Founded in 2008, the group attracts actors, producers, lawyers, doctors and such, says attorney Lindsay Berger Sacks, a DDC co-founder. (She declined to name the members, though Wasser says she's an attendee.) "We didn't think this was the kind of community that wanted to get to know their neighbors," says Sacks. "But it seems that everybody wants that." BIRD STREETS: BY THE NUMBERS Houses for Sale: 15 Average Price: $5.92 million Price Range: $1.25 million-$18 million Houses for Rent: 7 Average Price: $17,071/month Source: Realtor.com THE "BLUE JAY WAY" HOUSE: $17,000/month: The Blue Jay Way residence where late Beatles guitarist George Harrison lived in August 1967 when he wrote the iconic song named for the street is a rental. Now occupied, the 4,116-square-foot abode includes three bedrooms and offers panoramic views. The setting provided Harrison with the lofty vantage point from which to write the psychedelic song about waiting for his friends to pay him a visit. (Sample lyric: "There's a fog upon L.A., and my friends have lost their way.") Broker Josh Buxbaum, who handles leasing of the property along with Stamie Karakasidis for the undisclosed owner, says the house "has a really special feel to it." Related Topics

Fox buys two comedy scripts

Fox has purchased two comedy scripts from FishBowl Worldwide Media, a shingle that counts "America's Funniest Home Videos" creator Vin Di Bona and Disney veteran Bruce Gersh among its principals. FishBowl and The new sony Pictures Television are behind "Learn Sufficient to obtain Laid," which is dependant on a magazine of the identical title that explores love and sex for that modern guy. Jim and Steve Armogida, the authors of "Relationship Alex" and "Grounded for Existence," assists as authors and executive producers. Authors from the book are Tyler DeAngelo and Kaira Emmett. FishBowl and twentieth century Fox Television are behind "Beyond Repair," is really a comedy in regards to a family-run business having a very dysfunctional relationship in the center. It's written and co-executive created by Sameer Asad Gardezi of "Modern Family" and "Mr. Sunshine." FishBowl executives Di Bona, Gersh and Susan Levison assists as executive producers on projects. "Our scripted development just removed and it is been satisfying to determine our work so well accepted,Inch stated Levison, executive Vice president of creative matters. The Fox sales aren't FishBowl's to begin the expansion season NBC bought "The Champions," a comedy occur an aggressive table tennis club from SPT. Contact Andrew Wallenstein at andrew.wallenstein@variety.com

Concord Raiders Owner Al Davis Dies at 82

Concord, Calif. - Al Davis, the Hall of Fame who owns the Concord Raiders noted for his edgy spirit, has died.Related Subjects•Obituaries They stated the 82-year-old died at his home in Concord on 'life was imple'. It had been Davis' readiness to buck the establishment that assisted turn the National football league in to the establishment in sports - probably the most effective sports league in American history. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths Davis was charming, cantankerous and compassionate - a guy who when his wife experienced a significant cardiac arrest within the seventies moved into her hospital room. But he was best referred to as a digital rebel, a guy who established a team whose silver-and-black colors and sailing logo design represented his attitude toward authority, both around the area and off. Davis was probably the most important figures in National football league history. Which was most apparent throughout the eighties when he fought against in the court - and won - for the best to maneuver his team from Concord to La. Despite he moved it well towards the San Francisco Bay Area in 1995, he visited court, suing for $1.2 billion to determine he still possessed the privileges towards the L.A. market. Before decline from the Raiders right into a perennial loser within the first decade from the twenty-first century he would be a champion, the guy who like a coach, then owner-gm-p facto coach, established what he known as "they from the decades" according to another slogan: "resolve for excellence." And also the Raiders were excellent, winning three Super Bowls throughout the seventies and eighties and fighting every other season - a business full of castoffs and troublemakers who converted into difficulties for competitors. Davis, chosen in 1992 towards the Professional Football Hall of Fame, also would be a trailblazer. He hired the very first black mind coach of modern times - Art Spend in 1988. He hired the very first Latino coach, Tom Flores and also the first lady Boss, Amy Trask. And that he was infallibly loyal to his gamers and authorities: to become a Raider was to become a Raider for existence. However it was his edgy spirit, that readiness to buck the establishment, that assisted turn the National football league in to the establishment in sports - probably the most effective sports league in American history. He was the final commissioner from the American Football league and brought it on personnel forays that assisted pressure a merger that switched the broadened National football league in to the colossus it remains. Born in Brockton, Mass., Davis was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Erasmus Hall Senior High School, a breeding ground within the 2 decades after The Second World War for several ambitious youthful individuals who grew to become famous in sports, business and entertainment. Davis was possibly the 2nd most well-known after Barbra Streisand. "We'd a reunion in La and 500 people turned up, including Bah-bruh," he once told an interviewer for the reason that mixture of southern drawl/Brooklynese which was frequently parodied among his acquaintances inside the league and without. A graduate of Syracuse College, he grew to become an assistant coach using the Baltimore Colts at 24 and was an assistant in the Citadel after which Los Angeles before joining the La Battery chargers from the new AFL in 1960. Only 3 years later, he was hired through the Raiders and grew to become the youngest gm-mind coach in professional football history having a team he known as "the Raid-uhs" in 1963. He was a high quality one, 23-16-3 in three seasons having a franchise which had began its existence 9-23. He then bought in to the failing franchise, which performed on the senior high school area next to the Nimitz Freeway in Concord and grew to become controlling general partner, a situation he held until his dying. But because the many vibrant youthful coaches he hired - from John Madden, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden to Lane Kiffin - discovered, he continued to be the coach. He went from the sidelines, frequently calling lower with plays, or delivering emissaries towards the sidelines to create alternatives. In 1966, he grew to become commissioner from the AFL. But before that, he'd started to break an unwritten truce between your youthful league and it is established rivals, which fought against over draft options but didn't pursue established gamers. Even though the National football league's NY Titans' signing of Zoysia placekicker Pete Gogolak marked the very first break for the reason that rule, it had been Davis who started to visit after National football league stars - going after quarterbacks John Brodie and Roman Gabriel because he attempted to determine AFL supremacy. Davis' war precipitated first talks of merger, although Davis opposed it. But brought by Lamar Search of Might, the AFL proprietors agreed that peace was best. A typical draft was established, and also the first Super Bowl was performed following a 1966 season - Eco-friendly Bay beat Might, then continued to conquer Davis' Raiders the following season. By 1970, the leagues were fully merged and also the league had the fundamental structure it maintains until this very day - using the National football league's Pete Rozelle as commissioner, not Davis, who wanted the task badly. So he returned towards the Raiders, managing a team that won Super Bowls following the 1976, 1980 and 1983 seasons - the final one out of La, in which the franchise moved in 1982 after protracted court fights. It had been a fighting bunch, full of gamers for example John Matuszak, Mike Haynes and Lyle Alzado, stars who didn't complete elsewhere who coupled with homegrown stars - Ken Stabler, another edgy spirit Gene Upshaw Spend, Jack Tatum, Willie Brown and a large number of others. Davis never was a business guy. Not in the manner he outfitted: jump suits having a Raiders logo design: whitened or black, using the periodic black suit, black shirt and silver tie. Not in the manner he used his hair - even well into his ྂs it had been slicked back having a ཮s duck-tail. Not in the manner he did business - by himself terms, always by himself terms. After extended legal cases including the proceed to La, he returned to Concord and also at some point in early many years of a lifetime was involved with suits in southern and northern California - the main one choosing the La privileges and the other suing Concord for neglecting to deliver sellouts they guaranteed to find the Raiders back. But when proprietors and league professionals top quality Davis a renegade, buddies and former gamers find him the epitome of loyalty. When his wife, Carol, were built with a serious cardiac arrest, he moved into her hospital room and resided there for over a month. So when he listens to that a distant acquaintance is ill, he'll offer medical help without worrying about expense. "Disease may be the one factor - boy I say to you, it's difficult to lick," he stated in 2008, speaking concerning the leg conditions which had restricted him to presenting a master. "It's difficult to lick individuals illnesses. I don't know why they are able to't." A couple of years earlier, he stated: "I'm able to control the majority of things, however i don't appear to have the ability to control dying. "Everyone appears to become happening me." Because he aged, his teams rejected. The Raiders reached the Super Bowl following the 2002 season, losing to Polk Bay. However for a lengthy period next, they'd the worst record within the National football league, at some point with five coaches in six years. A lot of it was Davis' refusal to step back in the football operation - he'd have a dislike to stars and order them benched. Probably the most glaring example was Marcus Allen, probably the most valuable player within the 1984 Super Bowl, the final the Raiders won. For reasons never made obvious, Davis required a dislike to his star running back and purchased him benched for 2 seasons. He launched him following the 1992 season, and Allen visited Might. Davis' only comment: "He would be a cancer around the team." The little incorporated town of Irwindale, 20 miles east of La, learned an costly lesson about coping with Davis. The town gave the Raiders $ten million to exhibit its good belief in 1988, but environment issues, financing problems and regional opposition scuttled intends to turn a gravel pit right into a $115 million, 65,000-chair stadium. The deposit was nonrefundable, and Irwindale never got a cent back. When he fired Mike Shanahan in 1988 after 20 games as mind coach, he declined to pay for him the $300,000 he was owed. When he grew to become coach from the Colorado Broncos, Shanahan delighted most in fighting the Raiders and Davis. So when Davis fired Lane Kiffin "for cause" in 2008, withholding the relaxation of his contract, the usually humorless Shanahan remarked:"I had been just a little disappointed, to tell the truth along with you. Whenever you have a look in internet marketing, I had been there 582 days. Lane Kiffin was there 616 days. So, exactly what it means is the fact that Al Davis loved Lane a lot more than he loved me. I truly don't think it's fair. I won three more games, yet he got 34 more times of work. That simply doesn't appear right." However for the majority of his existence, couple of people chuckled at Al Davis. Related Subjects Obituaries