Daily Variety says fewer writers are being employed on TV shows as network and studio executives push to cut the cost of creating series. While a show may have once had as many as 12 writers, now it’s more common to see six to eight, Variety says. The trade paper looks at NBC’s “Southland,” which began its six-episode run with four staff writers and which isn’t planning to add many more even though it’s been picked up for a second season.
—Aimee Picchi