Writers' strike claims first victim

Message

earendel · #1 Post by **earendel** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:44 am

The likelihood of a writers' strike has been cited as one of the reasons why NBC has canceled its Heroes spinoff series, Heroes: Origins. The six-episode series was scheduled to air during the time that the parent series was on hiatus. NBC says the concept isn't totally dead.

mrkelley23 · #2 Post by **mrkelley23** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:46 am

Television's about to get real boring, isn't it. Jon Stewart basically told us to get ready for a bunch of reruns last night.

peacock2121 · #3 Post by **peacock2121** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:46 am

I want to know if we are going to see more game shows!

earendel · #4 Post by **earendel** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:52 am

peacock2121 wrote:I want to know if we are going to see more game shows!

Possibly. The Writers' Guild includes game-show question writers, IIRC, so they would be out on strike as well, so that would preclude shows like SuperBAM. But there could be additional "realty" shows or shows like "Don't Forget the Lyrics" or "Dancing with the Stars" (but aren't the hosts' scripts written by guild members, too?)

Bob Juch · #5 Post by **Bob Juch** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:52 am

The writers' strike is on.

Don't worry though; I'll still contribute here.

minimetoo26 · #6 Post by **minimetoo26** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:53 am

mrkelley23 wrote:Television's about to get real boring, isn't it. Jon Stewart basically told us to get ready for a bunch of reruns last night.

ABOUT to get?

Rexer25 · #7 Post by **Rexer25** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 8:56 am

Bob Juch wrote:The writers' strike is on.

Don't worry though; I'll still contribute here.

So much for the silver lining to this cloud.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #8 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:07 am

peacock2121 wrote:I want to know if we are going to see more game shows!

I think that we will!

Bob Juch · #9 Post by **Bob Juch** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:23 am

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
peacock2121 wrote:I want to know if we are going to see more game shows!
I think that we will!

Maybe more "reality" shows, but I believe the game show writers are WGA members.

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #10 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 9:24 am

Bob Juch wrote:
PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
peacock2121 wrote:I want to know if we are going to see more game shows!
I think that we will!
Maybe more "reality" shows, but I believe the game show writers are WGA members.

I am not sure about that. Jeff and I had a discussion about the writers strike with some people that we met on Friday. They said that they were WGA members but it didn't apply when they were doing game shows. They hoped for a strike because it would give them more money when they were no longer doing game shows.

#11 Post by **eyégor** » Fri Nov 02, 2007 10:15 am

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:
Bob Juch wrote:
PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote: I think that we will!
Maybe more "reality" shows, but I believe the game show writers are WGA members.
I am not sure about that. Jeff and I had a discussion about the writers strike with some people that we met on Friday. They said that they were WGA members but it didn't apply when they were doing game shows. They hoped for a strike because it would give them more money when they were no longer doing game shows.

I know they weren't back in '01, the last time the contract was up, but there was talk about bringing them into the fold, since gameshows were big at that time in primetime. I don't know if anything came of this after WWTBAM was 'celebritied' to death.

silverscreenselect · #12 Post by **silverscreenselect** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:29 am

Most scripted shows have enough episodes already in the can to last until January or so, assuming the writers were to go on strike today.

Talk shows like Leno and Letterman would be off the air within a week. Soap operas have about a month of episodes taped ahead.

Movie production would be affected but that would be long term; we wouldn't see any effects until next summer at the earliest.

One theory going around is that the writers may wait until the spring when the directors and actors would be joining them. That would completely shut production down on virtually every TV show and movie.

From the stances the two sides are taking in this dispute, it could be a long time before it's resolved unless one or the other gives in on the major sticking point which is royalties for various types of secondary rights (internet broadcast, video, etc.) It's a significant source of income for the studios and they don't want to share it with the creative people who make it possible.

UPDATE

The writers have now voted to go out on strike which will begin midnight Sunday night. There will be picket lines at the studios and all the other goodies.

#13 Post by **tubadave** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 6:45 am

minimetoo26 wrote:
mrkelley23 wrote:Television's about to get real boring, isn't it. Jon Stewart basically told us to get ready for a bunch of reruns last night.
ABOUT to get?

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that had that particular reaction to that statement. LOL

PlacentiaSoccerMom · #14 Post by **PlacentiaSoccerMom** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 6:19 pm

I read this morning that the Teamsters were going to honor the Writer's Strike.

SportsFan68 · #15 Post by **SportsFan68** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:31 pm

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:I read this morning that the Teamsters were going to honor the Writer's Strike.

Does mean they won't cross picket lines?

SportsFan68 · #16 Post by **SportsFan68** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 8:33 pm

I'm confident they'll figure something out by the time January rolls around. In the meantime, Leno and Letterman will go to reruns.

And if they don't have things worked out -- movies! Not those crummy eight and ten-year-old losers, either.