The Writers' Strike

[Atreides]

If the strike were to miraculously end tomorrow, how soon would we see new episodes of shows or is the remainder of this TV season already a wash?

[canuckcutie]

From deadline Hollywood Daily

"So I've just been told that Peter Chernin did make it to Super Bowl XLII after all. (Heck, it's News Corp's Fox Sports televising it, and Phoenix is only an hour's corporate jet ride away.) And the mogul is telling Hollywood folk there that "the strike is over", according to emails coming fast and furious out of that venue."

Chernin is the President & CEO of News Corp & Chairman & CEO of the Fox Group.

I hope this is true if for no other reason than I want the oscars to go ahead this year.

From what I've read even if the strike did end today then it is doubtful that we would get any new TV shows this season - they'd just come back in Sept. I think pilot season is pretty much a was as well.

[susyhomewrecker]

It depends on the show. I think hourlong dramas are a no-go at this point, because there is a lot more prep time needed for them. Some sitcoms, however, might be able to churn out a handful of new episodes before the traditional end of the season. IIRC, The Office was in the middle of filming when the set shut down (Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson, as well as the actor-writers, walked off the set) so it's possible they would pick up where they left off, completing that episode and then filming the ones that had already been written when the strike started. This might be the case with 30 Rock as well (writer/star), although I'm not sure how many shows have completed, unproduced scripts.

[berrybearie]

I saw Mary Murphy (?) [she used to be with TVGuide not sure if she still is] interviewed on one of the nightly news shows. She said if the strike ends *this week* we can expect 6-8 new episodes of shows, potentially beginning in later March.

Fingers crossed.

[kostgard]

I really hope that the strike ends - I really don't care for reality televison.

As for what shows will do, I think it depends on the show. Some will get back to work as soon as they can. Some are going to be saved for next season because the networks believe that it will either best serve the story to have an entire season (for shows like 24) and some new shows may be relaunched next season - from what I understand this is what will be happening with Pushing Daisies. The EP of that show has said that the network thinks they will be better off relaunching in the fall with a big media push than trying to come back in the spring. So they will get back to writing right away, but no episodes will actually air until the fall.

[susyhomewrecker]

Boo, I wish I could get new Pushing Daisies now! I miss Ned and Chuck (and Digby).

Then again, if it's a choice between a full second season and getting lost in the shuffle and cancelled, I'll take the full season.

As far as other shows go, if the writers have been working on scripts over the last four months on their own, they might be able to get the ball rolling quicker. I don't know what the protocol on that is, though, and I'm pretty sure no show's writing staff has been working together.

[ishtarzana]

Well this morning Itunes refunded the remainder of my season pass for the ONE show I bought. I'm not sure if it's because they just finally gave in (claimed they had to have word from the networks) or if my last email saying "when are you going to admit this season is OVER and start the refunds"
now mr. ish and I have been discussing cancelling our cable because without new shows all thats left are game shows and 'reality' shows.
What exactly is the dang hold up w/ the writers strike? The suits just can't give in and pay the writers that tiny little amount of money? Pathetic.

[NappingAthena]

My opinion has always been that the Mogals assumed going in that the average person would be on their side. They assumed people would be like "oh, wow, look at the evil writers going on strike." When it wasn't like that, they just simply dug in their heels furter rather than look for a compromise.

[aibohphobia]

An End to the Strike?

[huntergrayson]

Slate has their take here. In a stunning case of stupidity, the percentage of revenue they get in the third-year (2%) is calculated from a fixed revenue (assumed to be 40k), so it ends up being a flat rate regardless.

And the studios get three weeks of streaming stuff online before they have to pay anything from it. Isn't that period when most people will watch it anyways?

So, this is all going to be re-negotiated three years from now. But then the WGA & SAG contracts will expire simultaneously, so they'll hopefully have more leverage.