CAA on Fire!; Paramount and Yahoo Exiles, and former rivals, Team Up

CAA: On fire!
Is there a hotter talent agency in Hollywood than CAA? Apparently not. It's was on fire - literally. The talent agency's new headquarters was evacuated, reportedly because of a kitchen fire. The biggest tragedy for the hundreds of agents and assistants who work in the building: The phones weren't working! Thank god for cell service.

Just a few weeks ago CAA moved into its behemoth new Los Angeles headquarters -- nicknamed "the Death Star" after the so-called "evil empire's" spaceship in Star Wars. Was it a kitchen fire or did a suicide bomber from Paradigm (another agency) get past security?

Paramount and Yahoo Exiles, and former rivals, Team Up

Paramount

Gail Berman, recently departed as Paramount Pictures' President and former Yahoo! Media/entertainment chief Lloyd Braun are teaming up to launch BermanBraun, a TV-focused production company, with it's eye also on film and the Internet. The irony, is that these two used to be total rivals fighting for ratings. Years ago, before going to Paramount, Berman ran Fox while Braun, in his pre-Yahoo years, headed ABC.

Apparently, the two are already meeting with networks and studios to make some production deals, but that doesn't mean that they're trying to tie themselves to just one studio. The word on the street is that they're looking for several strategic alliances, maybe one with an Internet company, one with a studio, another with a TV network. Not tying themselves down to working with just one company. Braun is pals with CNBC's Parent Universal's chief Jeff Zucker, could that mean that the two are talking about a deal? Jeff?

Questions? Comments? [e-mail]