Making Waves

Fascinating story about Dottie Dartland, the one-time MIT economics major and former Wall Street 9-to-5er who became a writer-producer of TV sitcoms, most recently co-creating “Dharma & Greg,” which she will be leaving soon to start her own new show (“At Home in the Tube,” by Brian Lowry, May 30).

I first became aware of her work with “Caroline in the City,” at its start a magical show with a strong, albeit skewed, point of view. Unfortunately, “Caroline” seemed to lose its direction around the beginning of its third season. I never knew why.

Looking at Dartland’s curriculum vitae, however, I see that she has been involved in three sitcoms that all started strong and then lost direction in their second or third seasons. They all fumbled along, going through the motions, until they got mercifully canceled: “Grace Under Fire,” “Cybill” and, as of last month, “Caroline.”

I would infer that Dartland’s strong need to express herself in the sitcom format is combined with an even stronger need to cash out and move herself up the ladder as soon as the next opportunity presents itself. She may have left Wall Street, but it looks like part of it stuck with her.

CARLO PANNO

Tarzana

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Did the fact that sitcom scribe Dartland is going solo warrant so much space? Perhaps future articles could be devoted to other momentous occasions in TV writers’ lives, such as Steven Bochco’s decision to get a haircut or David E. Kelley’s desire for a nap.

I’m glad Dartland is devoted to surfing. Personally, I’m committed to surfing away from some of the shows she’s been involved with.

LARRY CORNELL

Beverly Hills

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Lowry writes of the milestone that Dartland would reach by going solo to develop a new show and mentions that some of the most influential female sitcom writers have been part of a team.

While it would indeed be ill-advised to bet against Dartland, she is not entering uncharted creative territory. In 1992, Yvette Lee solely created “Living Single” for the Fox network and executive produced it for its five-season run.

Not only did “Living Single” help launch a network, Yvette Lee, now Yvette Lee Bowser, has become, to quote the article, a “commodity more scarce than writers with a hit series in them is one capable of capturing lightning in a bottle twice.” This September, “For Your Love”--created solely by Bowser, who again serves as executive producer--will begin its third season on network television, its second on the WB.

At only 33, Bowser has already experienced more success than most in our industry do in an entire career. It will be exciting to see to what levels her talents take her to next.

FRANK PACE

Producer, “Suddenly Susan”/ “For Your Love”

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Thanks to Lowry for bringing to light how writers and actors are championed by smaller agents and managers in the early stages of their careers, only to be told to drop them. We have lost many clients (Leo DiCaprio, Lisa Kudrow, among others) due to the “grass is greener” concept.

Today, Hollywood has bred a new kind of talent representative, “sharks” that only sign artists, instead of “talent scouts” who build careers from the ground up.

DARRYL MARSHAK

Agent/Partner, Gold Marshak Liedtke Associates, Burbank