The most recent M,SW that I wrote was a ghost story set in Ireland, which
aired about a month or so ago, maybe two. The last one that I wrote for the
current season will air sometime this month, I believe; it's about an old
friend of Seth's, an actor, who returns to Cabot Cove to begin his theatrical
career again. I think Peter Donat is the guest star; it was shot after I'd
left M,SW, so I have *no* idea how it turned out. The title of the episode is
"Final Curtain," apt since it was my last for this season.

The pay differential between live-action and animation is QUITE
substantial, starting with the fact that there are no residuals in animation.
If I got residuals on all the animation I've written, I could retire tomorrow.
Also, there's no one set fee in animation, whereas the fees in live-action are
mandated by the WGA. Animation scripts can pay as little as $1500 or $3000,
and again, no residuals. My going price is $6,000 to $10,000 per script in
animation. (That's half-hour.) The price for a one-hour network show is
about $20,000 and with residuals, that can add up fast (the second rerun on a
network brings in about another $13,000, and it scales down bit by bit from
there).

jms