Why We Love Tom Fontana
Because he is relentlessly creative and forever on his way to doing something impossible to ignore. In addition, we are convinced that he is one of the good guys, perhaps one of the 'goodest.'recently in the NY Daily News
Censors say 'Diaries'
too self-centered
The possibility of stiff fines and government scrutiny are making the WB, home of randy teens on "One Tree Hill" and "Gilmore Girls," a little skittish.
Veteran producer Tom Fontana ("Homicide," "Oz") is fighting a battle with network censors over the content of his upcoming drama "The Bedford Diaries," which revolves around college students in a sexuality class.
"I haven't had these kinds of fights since my early days in television," said Fontana.
The veteran producer faced content battles over "St. Elsewhere" and less frequently on "Homicide" before going to HBO to produce the graphic prison drama "Oz."
But the issues he's facing with "The Bedford Diaries" are less about depictions of sex than frank talk about it.
"The Bedford Diaries" revolves around students enrolled in a sexual behavior seminar at a New York college. Matthew Modine plays the unorthodox professor, with Audra McDonald as a fellow prof and Peter Gerety ("Homicide") as the dean. Milo Ventimiglia - Alexis Bledel's real-life boyfriend who plays her ex-boyfriend on "Gilmore Girls" - stars as one of Modine's students.
The "diaries" in the show's title are the students' video diaries, which they are required to keep. Their first assignment with their cameras is to examine their sexual past.
"We're not trying to be titillating," said Fontana. "It's not like our show is being irresponsible in terms of sexual relationships. The point of the show is to be honest."
Specifically, said Fontana, sending the broadcast standards folks into PC paroxysms is the word "masturbation."
In the episode "Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder," Modine's character asks the students who are abstaining from sex what they are doing instead. One student says he masturbates.
"The censors said, 'You can't say masturbate,'" said Fontana. "So we came up with some euphemisms."
Not good enough. Fontana said he is still in discussions about the episode, which was directed by Oscar-winning director Barbara Kopple ("The Hamptons").
"Now, the last time I looked," said Fontana, "masturbate was a clinical word. It was not an obscene word. So what they don't want is clearly the concept."
The WB had no comment about the content of the show. But a network spokesman said "The Bedford Diaries" is going forward and will premiere in January or March. The network has given the series an initial order of eight episodes.
"I haven't watched a lot of 'One Tree Hill,'" said Fontana, "but from what I've seen, these kids are [having sex with] each other all the time. But they don't talk about it. So as long you don't talk about it, [you can do it], and is that now more responsible?
"It's crazy to me," added Fontana. "Every network has their own rules. And from a creative point of view I couldn't be happier dealing with the WB. But we're not trying to pull anything over on anybody here. But you talk to the guy from broadcast standards and I'm Janet Jackson or something."
Originally published on November 21, 2005
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