Wolf's Freeze-Frame Inflames Kelley Camp

[John]

Wolf's Freeze-Frame Inflames Kelley Camp
Tue Feb 4, 2:27 AM ET
By Michael Schneider

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Just when you thought the bad blood between ABC and David E. Kelley couldn't get any worse, some members of the producer's camp were seeing red again Monday.

Already frustrated by ABC's decision to move his legal drama "The Practice" from Sundays to Mondays, Kelley and company weren't too pleased this Sunday after watching the new show that replaced it -- Dick Wolf's "Dragnet."

At the end of "Dragnet," as the episode faded to black, but before the final commercial break, the credit "Executive Producer Dick Wolf" flashed on the screen.

That's all fine and dandy, say Kelley's people -- except that Kelley has been told for years that ABC doesn't allow its shows to put an "executive producer" freeze frame at the end of an episode.

Kelley was denied the screen grab as recently as two years ago, when the network struck a new deal for the 20th Century Fox TV-produced series. Kelley's reps have now asked ABC to allow the exec producer a credit at the end of "The Practice."

Still, it's not clear from the Kelley camp whether he'll actually take it; insiders said he was more taken aback that he wasn't contacted when the network opted to change precedence by giving Wolf a credit.

"This is a matter of negotiation, and we don't discuss these matters publicly," an ABC spokesman said.

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[John]

Every new article that comes out lately drops my respect for David Kelley just a little bit. He's really acting petty these days.

[LG.]

well that, and Girls' Club was his idea