NBC Executive, Fisher Spokesman Trade Shots in ‘L.A. Law’ Dispute

Responding to a trade paper report, NBC has charged that a $50-million suit by “L.A. Law” co-creator Terry Louise Fisher contains the “erroneous” claim that executive producer Steven Bochco could not get the network to commit to the series until Bochco teamed up with Fisher.

A representative for Fisher, however, responded that Fisher’s suit, filed Wednesday, contains no such claim and that NBC’s statement to the press is part of an attempt by Bochco’s supporters to cloud the real issues in Fisher’s complaint.

Fisher’s suit seeks punitive damages from Bochco and 20th Century Fox for prohibiting her from performing her duties as supervising producer after contract disputes with Fox and personal disagreements with Bochco. On Dec. 4, she was barred by Fox from further participation in the hit series.

Warren Littlefield, NBC vice president of prime-time programs, said he issued a formal statement to the press in response to a report of the suit that he read in Daily Variety.

Variety reported: “(Fisher) claims Bochco was unable to develop a concept and write a teleplay for a project acceptable to the network (NBC) and 20th for four months.”

Littlefield said that he had not seen Fisher’s suit, but thought that the Variety article contained information he believed “would be perceived” as confirming that NBC’s acceptance of “L.A. Law” was dependent on Fisher’s participation.

“When we read things in the industry newspapers that are just not accurate representations of what happened, I feel the obligation to set the record straight,” Littlefield said in a telephone interview.

Littlefield’s statement says: “On June 6, 1985, Steven Bochco met with us at NBC and presented a series idea that is now called ‘L.A. Law.’ On the basis of that presentation, we proceeded with a firm series commitment. It’s our understanding that at that time he had no working relationship with Terry Louise Fisher. It is simply not true that Mr. Bochco was unable to obtain our commitment until Miss Fisher became his collaborator. That is the NBC version of the creation of ‘L.A. Law.’ ”

A spokesman for Fisher, who asked not to be named, said that neither the suit nor anything he read in Daily Variety made such a claim.

“Obviously, Warren Littlefield hasn’t read the complaint,” he said. “I don’t understand there to be anything inconsistent with the complaint. We never claimed that NBC wouldn’t give Bochco a commitment without Terry Fisher.

“They are focusing on every straw-man issue they can get their hands on. That’s what Fox, and Bochco, and now NBC are trying to do. The dispute and the subject of the lawsuit is not who created (the series); the dispute is over the fact that because Bochco’s feathers were ruffled, he has insisted--and Fox has acquiesced--in his demand that Terry not be allowed to perform her contractual function.”