Two Hollywood unions are scrutinizing worker safety and welfare on Lindsay Lohan’s TV movie “Liz & Dick” after the actress tweeted that she was exhausted because of long production days.
Larry A. Thompson, producer of the Lifetime movie starring Miss Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor, said Wednesday that no violations were found in one union’s review.
The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists confirmed to the Associated Press that its representatives visited the production. It said it “will continue to visit” to enforce guild rules.
“We have spoken with representatives from the company, and they are fully aware of their contractual obligations. We will ensure that all applicable penalties will be paid,” the guild said in a statement.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the stage employees union, said it is keeping a watchful eye on the production’s working conditions.
“We have had union representatives on the set since last Friday and will continue to monitor the hours and working conditions there,” said Mike Miller, IATSE’s division director for movie and TV production.
In a statement, Mr. Thompson said a SAG-AFTRA representative “was totally fine with everything” she found during shooting Tuesday at a Los Angeles estate. He was told there had been no complaints from guild members and that the visit was prompted by “tweets and comments in the media,” he said.
Miss Lohan was treated last week by paramedics for exhaustion and dehydration. She posted on Twitter: “Note to self … After working 85hours in 4days, and being up all night shooting, be very aware that you might pass out from exhaustion & … 7 paramedics MIGHT show up.”
News reports that two crew members also sought treatment for exhaustion were incorrect, said Stan Rosenfield, Mr. Thompson’s spokesman.
Curry’s time on ’Today’ may be running out
In the midst of the first prolonged challenge to its morning supremacy in 16 years, NBC News is discussing a plan to remove Ann Curry as co-host of the “Today” show with Matt Lauer.
Ms. Curry, who has been with “Today” since 1997, replaced Meredith Vieira last June as Mr. Lauer’s partner. Mr. Lauer agreed to a long-term contract this spring to stay with the show.
It’s still uncertain whether Ms. Curry, who has discovered a passion for international reporting in recent years, will remain with “Today,” according to a source with knowledge of the show who spoke on the condition of anonymity Wednesday because the source was not authorized to speak on the matter. The New York Times first reported discussions about the change Wednesday.
NBC News President Steve Capus and the “Today” executive producer, Jim Bell, did not immediately return requests for comment.
Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosts the show’s third hour, is at the top of the list of Ms. Curry’s possible replacements.
“Today” lost in the ratings this spring for the first time since 1995 after a string of 852 consecutive weeks. Since then, “Today” and ABC’s “Good Morning America” have been trading weekly wins.
The Times reported that Ms. Curry had hired Washington lawyer Robert Barnett to represent her in talks with NBC News about her future. Mr. Barnett said he would not comment on Ms. Curry Wednesday, and Ms. Curry did not return an email seeking comment.
Mr. Lauer, during a CNN interview last month, said he took responsibility for his show’s ratings troubles and that was one of the reasons he decided to sign another multimillion-dollar contract.
Bristol Palin’s show fails to draw audience
If “Life’s a Tripp,” not everyone is along for the ride.
Lifetime debuted its Bristol Palin reality series Tuesday night to very little fanfare. The premiere episode, airing at 10 p.m., brought in 726,000 viewers and a 0.2 rating among adults age 18 to 49. Both numbers mark a steep drop from the show’s lead-in, “Dance Moms.”
Though “Life’s a Tripp” didn’t come with the type of promotion seen by previous Palin reality efforts, it’s still a far cry from the family’s TV successes.
Ms. Palin’s mother, Sarah, a former governor and vice-presidential candidate, staged a successful foray in 2010 with TLC’s one-season “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” It raked in 4.96 million viewers in its first outing.
• Compiled from Web and wire reports
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