WHAT  A  MESS!!

‘Sordid Lives’ writer Del Shores goes public with his financial crisis and attacks third parties involved with the show.  Shores announced  to his facebook fan club this week,  that the product of Season 2 of ‘Sordid Lives: The Series’ will be at a standstill because parties  failed to pay.

Many fans have reacted negatively to the word and began a boycott of LOGO. A facebook group has been set-up with email addresses — some personal — of the executives in charge at LOGO, asking supporters to carry the net to pay up so that Shores can stay on with Season 2. But it’s complicated. Logo is not really at fault.

Shores published a letter Tuesday which goes into details about his kinship with LOGO and his financial situation. Shores says his family has gone into foreclosure and the producers still refused to pay his residuals.

Shores credits his husband Jason Dottley (singer) for getting him through a difficult period: “I live daily with gratitude. Jason told me it would be fine and indicate that I start teaching and to get back on stage to state my stories. I did and it saved me.”

A public letter  says:

I’m tired of being told to be silent.

First of all, I wish you all to acknowledge that this has been an awesome experience for me, for the cast. We know each other, we love working together. AND WE Know OUR FANS.

When the show premiered July 23rd, according to the executives and marketing team at LOGO, “SLTS” was in a conference of its own. We were told that it was off the charts for them. That it was 20 times larger than any point they had ever aired. I brought them stars and beloved characters and they got mainstream press — and  RAVE REVIEWS across the board! Whoopi Goldberg even called me personally and told me that she wanted me to save her into Season 2. I did!

Viewers were changing their cable companies (Direct TV, you owe me money! LOGO was in more households than ever. Not just gay. We had crossed over! We were flying high and bound to many seasons to come! I took a big chance and it paid off.

See, usually, when you get a network a hit, you are rewarded! And we were. LOGO ordered the 2nd season 2 weeks later we premiered. BUT, LOGO doesn’t own the show. Our production company owns the series. In fact, there are three financial partners.

LOGO, our production company and IMG International, who is our foreign distributor. LOGO ordered the show CONTINGENT on the former partners also order the show. IMG did not. They were still selling the point — and static are. They appear to be doing very well — France, Germany, Austria, Israel, Canada, Sweden and more in the wings — so they could even occur in.

But a larger problem arose. The 12 episodes have now aired 262 times collectively (in America alone). Each time SLTS airs, the writer, director and actors are to obtain compensation — residuals. The production company is the signatory with all the Guilds, meaning they have agreed to pay the residuals. To this date, WE HAVE BEEN PAID NOTHING!

I wrote and directed all twelve episodes and am personally owed hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have been paid nothing! I took a huge pay cut to do this show. I made less money in 4 years working on SLTS than I made in one season on “Queer As Folk”. The actors, who worked for minimums or somewhat above, have likewise BEEN PAID NOTHING. The Guilds have stepped in, but these claims takes months.

Actors have lost health policy and okay, now I’m going to truly get good and stripped all. I worked exclusively on “Sordid Lives: The Series” for over 4 years. I was contractually bound to the record and turned down many opportunities — because I was doing what I loved — writing, creating, directing my own show, with amazing creative control (thank you LOGO). It was my selection and my extreme pleasure. But I took a hit. A big hit. It was a gamble. A risk. I thinking I had won.

In January, our family went into foreclosure — and yes, the producers knew about my financial situation — still refused to pay me my residuals which would have protected the theatre and a lot of stress. I informed the executives of LOGO, hoping they would at least step in and pay me for the scripts of Season Two (which I had written). No reply from the network.

Thank G-d for friends. Thank G-d for C.R. for N.A and R.A, for B.B. For Jason’s amazing family, for my kids, my ex-wife — and for the back of you, my friends and fans. You get no thought how much strength you gave me… make that — give me.
It was a wild time. It nevertheless is.

But you know, I learned so much. I knowing that things are things — and health, family, friends, and my adoring fans, are important. I am loved and I’ve had a safe ride. I’m lucky and I am BLESSED.

I live daily with gratitude. Jason told me it would be fine and indicate that I start teaching and to get back on stage to say my stories. I did and it saved me. Yet, I was still fighting for “Sordid Lives: The Series”. I even tried to buy the record back from the producer — knowing, I could put together the money.

But negotiations came to a screeching stop. The cost was too high.
We reached an impasse — and now, I take a gleam of hope — but yes, it has faded.

And as often as I know my friends at LOGO, it did sting when they picked up a moment run (reruns) of “The Sarah Silverman Program” for more money per episode than they paying for SLTS. That money could have protected our show. And no disrespect to Ms. Silverman. I Bang her show, but that’s not the point. My interpretation — “Sordid Lives: The Series” was just simply not that important for LOGO to save.

So, I must act on. I let other stories to tell. I wish to see “Southern Baptist Sissies” on the big screen. I love the result of the play. The healing. The salvation. {Anybody with a pair of mil want to give a difference, be a film producer? } I take other plays in me, other TV shows. Caroline Rhea, Leslie Jordan and I will get our “A-Sordid Affair Comedy Tour” to you real soon. It’s all good.

But I do get more “Sordid Lives” in me… the 2nd season was written before it all went down. I own the stage rights and the publishing — so someday, someway, you’ll know how Noleta fares in the loony bin, where Brother Boy winds up… what happens to Ty and Jacob, to Latrelle, Wilson and Tomeka. You’ll know if Sissy gets out of jail. And who set the attack at Bubba’s? And how dear LaVonda works her wizard on the masses! And how “Juanita” has at least has one clear moment.

I know you all — and if I get in trouble — I better make some lawyer fan (hopefully really cute) who will keep my ass.

And as my Mama Merck used to say — “You can’t get blood from a turnip.”

And yes, as Sissy says, “It’ll all go out…”

And as the Scripture says, “The truth will set you free!”

Del Shores

IN THE MEANTIME -  CATCH  DEL SHORES LIVE - ON TOUR – Telling  Stories!

April  24th,nbsp; Atlanta, GA nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Actors Express
May  15th,nbsp; Dallas, TX nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; KD Studio / Lifewalk benefit
May  16th,nbsp; Dallas, TX nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; KD Studio
May 21st,nbsp; Los Angeles, CA nbsp;nbsp; Zephyr Studio

DEL SHORES WEBSITE

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