| The Beginning, 2001: Launched in September 2001, the 'Young Love Channel' or 'YLC', as it was known upon it's inception, blasted on to the landscape with it's first original series, Cumming Out. Which quickly became the most talked about series on all of TV. Helping the new network find carriage on both cable and satellite systems across the country. Despite the immediate success of Cumming Out, the young upstart net struggled mightily to find new programs with the same appeal and eventually lost their flagship series when it went out of production (after 5 highly rated episodes) following a contract dispute between then star Hilary Duff and 'YLC' executives.
The 'Inside Story' on the Hilary Duff Contract 'Cumming Out' Dispute
The following comes from a 'source' familiar with the negotiations in late 2001. It appears that after completing the fifth episode of her series, Cumming Out, Ms. Duff began demanding a larger salary. A pay hike that the producers of the show (Sam Anderson and Terri Van Martin) deemed extravagant. And made reasonable counter proposal. Which prompted Ms. Duff's representative's to respond with a rather nasty sounding letter. Forcing the show's producers to first delay and then cancel altogether episodes that had been planned to tape.
A Series of Unfortnate Events (The real reasons Hilary 'did' what she did)
- An on-going fued/romance had sparked between season one co-host Michelle Tractenberg and Hilary. Hilary wanted, according to sources, to keep her romance with Michelle private and Ms. Trachtenberg felt otherwise, compromising the relationship and leading directly to the fued. This culminated in an on-set screaming match that resulted in Michelle walking off the set prior to the taping of Episode 5 (w/ Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed). What would turn out to be the show's final 1st season episode.
- The rise in ratings brought a rise in demands. Hilary apparently watched the ratings closely and as the episodes garnered larger and larger audience shares and the networks other series continued to flounder she became convinced of her own star power. It was well known behind the scenes that Hilary wanted to be the primary star and suggested in negotiations that she be made the sole headliner of the show in Season Two.
Her Co-stars say...
- Hayden Panettiere: "She was always a bit of a bitch. After a few weeks, the only time Hilary wanted pussy was when she was being paid for it and when she wasn't she made it clear that it was off-limits. Michelle was horny for the girl from the first moment they met and for a while I think Hilary gave into that desire and explored it. Which Michelle took to mean that Hilary felt the same way. I felt sorry for Michelle then and now, but she's way better off without that nasty viper, Hilary I mean. You can print that too."
- Mackenzie Rosman: "Oh boy. I could literally talk for hours about Hilary and Michelle or just Hilary's ego. That girl is borderline psychotic. She screamed at me and Hayden for ten minutes one time for flubbing a line in rehearsal."
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The Down Years, 2002-2004 : Following the departure of 'Cumming Out' the network sunk into a ratings hole that threatened to bankrupt it. Fortunately, the company signed several syndication deals with providers and tried to remake itself as the home of America's favorite syndicated programs, first run (Xena: Warrior Princess, Highlander), off-network sitcom repeats (Home Improvement, Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and drama's (ER, NYPD Blue) all joined the nets daily schedule. Little (very little) ratings success followed. But this re-branding did work to a point, as it gave the network the much needed cash it needed to lure back the stars of it's former flagship series, Cumming Out. In August of 2004 the much anticipated second season of Cumming Out began. Ratings success finally returned but so did the problems with Ms. Duff and her associates, eventually forcing the series off the air for the second time. And prompting Ms. Duff's permanent exit from the net. Along with the series went a host of the companies Executive's. The sell of the company was stated as the main reason for both.
Sell Out; Re-branding; Success at Last: Officially the sell of the 'Young Love Channel' was completed in early January 2005 to American Media Entertainment (AME). Former 'Cumming Out' Executive Producer, Terri Van Martin, was named as Executive Vice President and given the reigns of the company. What followed was a dizzying array of deals and activity that had the network back on the front pages of every newspaper in the country. Among those, the re-acquisition of the soapy Australian Teen drama, 'Summer Love', (which had previously aired on the net in 2001) quickly became a daily stable on the net and pumped ratings and advertising dollars into the networks pockets. In May 2007, Terri Van Martin announced the 'Young Love Channel' was no longer and the network was to be re-branded as 'Taboo TV'. The news also broke that 'Cumming Out' with new star Hayden Panettiere would return and with it bring a host of new series (Scent of a Girl, Willa's Wild World).
2007
Monday: With backing from AME Corporate, Taboo Tv launched an agressive advertising campaign touting the return of Cumming Out and the launch of a number of new series. Creating buzz was the objective and it certainly translated into ratings success as on Premiere night, 'Scent of a Girl', 'Kiss My Ashlyn' and 'Hey Mickie, Hey Mickie' all set network records for total audience. The proceeding showed that the net was back on the map and for the first time it wasn't only 'Cumming Out'.
Tuesday: Monday night's drama success was sure to lead to an uber successful launch for the ALL NEW 3rd season of 'Cumming Out' and you'd be right. Series high audiences joined us premiere night to sample the new 'CO', now in 'Hawaiian Style' with a new Executive Producer (Mackenzie Rosman) and Star (Hayden Panettiere). Also introduced to sizeable sampling was the other Mackenzie Rosman project, 'Willa's Wild World' a star vehicle for Willa Holland. 'My First Time', an anthology and a new scripted drama/novel by CJ Ames, Bad Girl, also premiered. But again production delays due to weather, on-set fueds and a number of other factors, forced 'CO: HS' and 'Willa' off the air for much of 2007 despite the ratings success both programs experienced. 'First Time' and 'Bad Girl' didn't join the success party, both though are expected to return to the Taboo Tv schedule soon. |
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