Frank Capra didn't have the 'A film by . . . ' credit, and he's practically forgotten. In both TV and film, the weaker party really just wants to be kept in the loop and have his or her contribution recognized. In case anyone is tempted to pause here and ask why any thinking person should remotely care, let us stress no one needs to hold bake sales for anyone involved. A fair agreement is the one you can negotiate. In other words, it's all about leverage.
Absolute power is kind of neat.
Brian Lowry's column appears on Wednesdays.