Sep 20, 2013

Live Action TV Director Sues "Johnny Test" Producer for Creator Credit

Veteran primetime TV director David Straiton ("House," "Grimm," and Marvel's upcoming series "Agents of SHIELD") is demanding that his former writing partner Scott Fellows, who co-produced the animated series "Johnny Test Deadline reported that Fellows is demanding compensation for his work on the animated series "Johnny Test. The animated series, in which Fellows is credited as sole creator and executive producer, is about a suburban kid who is frequently used as a test subject for scientific experiments by his genius-level twin sisters. Fellows is also the creator of the early Cartoon Network series "The Moxie Show" and Nickelodeon's live-action series "Big Time Rush," and was previously a staff writer on "Fairly Odd Parents."

Straiton claims that he and Fellows created the concept together in 1995 and, after a failed pitch to Nickelodeon, went their separate ways, although they never ended their collaboration on the project. Then, in 2005, Fellows sold the series to Kids WB, without informing or including Straiton.

According to the complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court (download PDF here), there is a reason Straiton has waited eight years to file his claim. This is because he is "the director of an adult, primetime drama." Furthermore, he has a daughter, but she did not watch the show because "his children were not allowed to watch television or movies until this year, in accordance with the rules of her preschool and elementary school, which adhere to Waldorf educational philosophy."

Last November, Straiton, who had just started showing his young daughter television, noticed the show on a digital cable directory. He contacted Fellows and requested an accounting of the income he received from Johnny Test. When Fellows failed to comply, Straiton filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court charging Fellows with constructive fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and accounting irregularities.

Straiton seeks a 50 percent share of all proceeds and fees received by Fellows in connection with Johnny Test, co-producer credit, punitive damages, and court costs. Straiton, who is requesting a jury trial, is represented by Thomas Blackie and Derek Lemkin of Freund & Blackie LLP.