Spike's mo' better Studios USA deal

-- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/23/2000

So what is Spike Lee going to bring to television? "I wouldn't rule anything out," says Studios USA President David Kissinger, who signed the film director to a one-year development deal. "I could see him doing a great single-camera half-hour comedy, but obviously a drama is also something that he could do extraordinarily well."

Lee, who has produced a number of HBO documentaries and specials, is developing several projects that could go to network prime time or possibly cable, Kissinger says. Won't Lee's outspokenness cause friction at the major networks? "I wouldn't be surprised if some people are a little bit concerned. But I think they'd be making a great mistake. I think the lesson that audiences are telling us is that they want shows with a strong point of view."