Crix decry no-shows at press tour
Hot skeins, stars absent from Synditel
Critics grumbled throughout the day Friday over the fact that several upcoming syndie skeins and stars thereof were no-shows at the event.
Paramount's "Dr. Laura" and MGM's "Sex Wars," both previously scheduled to be presented to the critics, pulled out due to scheduling conflicts a few weeks ago.
Cancellation, also due to scheduling conflicts, of the afternoon session for "The Cindy Margolis Show" was announced Friday morning.
Buena Vista Television and Columbia TriStar Television did not sked any Synditel sessions this year.
Among the shows that were pitched with some sort of talent missing were Pearson's "To Tell the Truth" -- sans host John O'Hurley -- and Twentieth Television's "Power of Attorney" -- without featured attorney Christopher Darden. Darden was stuck in court but was expected to attend the evening cocktail party.
Also absent from "Power" was F. Lee Bailey, who was initially announced as part of the cast, although not skedded to be part of the Synditel presentation. Bailey is facing disbarment proceedings in Florida over allegations that he accepted millions of dollars in stock intended for the government and lied about it under oath.
Bailey's future involvement on the show is unclear, as Twentieth has not said whether it will keep him on the roster should he be disbarred.
"He's busy with much more important things than our show right now," "Power" exec producer Jill Blackstone told Daily Variety. "We've been taping shows, and he's not in them so far."
Dick Wolf, exec producer of "Arrest & Trial," which is distribbed by Studios USA Domestic Television, did not make it to the gathering, either. But Wolf did appear via satellite from New York, where he was overseeing the first day of principal photography on his upcoming NBC drama "Deadline."
