TVSquad

You have to admire the tenacity of writer Harlan Ellison. He filed a lawsuit against CBS Paramount accusing the company of not paying him for all the ancillary income the company earned from the episode of Star Trek he wrote in 1967, "City on the Edge of Forever." Yesterday, Ellison announced on his web site that he had settled with CBS Paramount and he was very, very pleased. He didn't reveal how much money he made, but he probably did quite well.

After all, CBS Paramount has done very, very well with that original Star Trek episode. It's regarded as -- and is -- the all-time best show in the entire original ST canon. Ironically, Ellison never liked what Roddenberry and company had done with his script.

As A&E's Dog the Bounty Hunter begins filming it's fifth season, Boris Krutonug sues the network for royalties, salary and other compensation for season four. The actor who appeared in The Hunt for Red October and Air Force One filed papers in Manhattan at the state Supreme Court and said he's the shows creator and co-executive producer. Furthermore, he wants $5 million in damages. Krutonug says that David Hout and his companies Hybrid Films and D&D Television Productions breached contract with him.

Apparently, in 1995, Krutonug introduced himself to Dog and, believing Dog's life and work would make a great film or TV show, signed papers for exclusive rights. According to the court papers, Krutonog developed the show between 1995 and 2003. And to get permission to produce and air the show, A&E agreed to pay Boris Krutonog as a co-executive producer for the duration of the program. Dan Silberman, the spokesperson for the network, said he could not comment at this time.

This is a very odd story, and not because it involves one-half of TV's most enjoyable sitcoms ever, The Odd Couple, but it's not about that show. It's about his other successful series. Jack Klugman has filed suit against NBC Universal over profits from Quincy, M.E. The oddity is that the show hasn't been in production for 25 years and this hasn't come up till now!