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Strike Update: What Happens Now?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:33:14 -0800

If all goes as planned today, the Writers Guild of America will formally announce its decision to call off the 100-day-old writers' strike, putting writers back to work as soon as tomorrow. But what happens then? How long must we wait to see new TV? And did the strike resolve all the issues at hand? Here's a roundup of the latest news:

For viewers, the big questions are: When do my shows come back? And how many episodes will we get? In general, comedies could be back on the air in four to six weeks and dramas in six to eight. Some shows - including Heroes and Pushing Daisies - will be off the air till fall, but in general, the May sweeps period will look as packed as ever.
For specific, show-by-show information, I'm partial to this constantly updated chart of network shows from the New York Times that pulls together the latest from various news sources. E! spoke with a number of executive producers about the status of their shows, and their comments are definitely worth a read. TV Guide has its own chart of show returns which, unlike the NYT chart, includes some cable series too. And just in case that's not enough, here's yet another chart with information on the likes of Big Love and Weeds.
Speaking of cable, the NYT has a pretty good rundown of what's going on with series like Army Wives (which has been delayed).
As for some specific network shows: Gossip Girl could return in the summer, Lost is planning five additional episodes for this season, Scrubs will end its run with six episodes but it's unclear if they'll air on TV or go straight to DVD, and 24 won't return till 2009.

There's more, including what's next for late-night shows, so just read more.

Late-night shows that have been working without writers will get them back tomorrow, and Saturday Night Live has set a Feb. 23 return.
Was it all worth it? Sentiment among writers has been mostly positive, though most acknowledge the deal could have been more perfect. If you're interested in the nitty-gritty of the contract, here's a story listing the provisions, and here's some detailed analysis. On the purely financial front, the strike is estimated to have cost Hollywood $2 billion.
Are writers right to declare victory? The LA Times has its take on the strike's winners and losers, and the Hollywood Reporter has some analysis, too.
Has the strike harmed TV forever? Some are saying it's hard to know whether viewers will come back to TV, given the sharp drop in TV ratings (and rise in online video watching) over the months of the strike.
And this may not be the end of labor unrest in Hollywood: The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists start contract negotiations soon.

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Today's the Big Day for the Writers' Strike

BuzzSugar — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 09:00:00 -0800

Want to see your movies back in production, series back on TV, and writers back at work? Then cross all your fingers and toes today: Members of the Writers Guild of America are meeting to chat about the status of negotiations in the writers' strike. Word as of yesterday was that an agreement between writers and producers was being drafted, and if it's done -and the WGA membership supports it today - the union's board could approve it on Sunday and writers could be back at work on Monday.

Of course, nothing's over till an agreement is signed - but all signs point to a resolution. And by "all signs," I mean Disney's Michael Eisner and Fox's Peter Chernin, both of whom have been telling their buddies (and reporters) that the deal is done. Even United Hollywood, the pro-writer blog, has been sounding more optimistic lately - and one of its founders is is being recognized as a key peacemaker.

Would the end to the strike bring TV back right away? Not exactly. Most shows will take between four and six weeks to get new episodes on the air, and some - including Heroes and Pushing Daisies - probably won't return till fall. TV Guide has a handy chart of when shows could return, and how many episodes they might complete, if the strike really does end this weekend.

The East Coast WGA meets this morning, while the West Coast meets at 7 p.m. With any luck, we'll get news shortly after that. Until then, I mean it: fingers and toes.

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Cross Your Fingers: Writers' Strike Could End This Week

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:30:00 -0800

Our long Winter of repeats, reality shows, and terrible awards show press conferences may be coming to an end -and sooner rather than later. The entertainment world is buzzing with the news that "major roadblocks" to a new contract between writers and producers have been eliminated, meaning the writers' strike could be over as early as this week.

There's no official contract as of now, and the Writers Guild of America would still have to vote on whatever deal is reached. But several reports said the major sticking points were nearly resolved - including the thorny issue of how (and how much) to pay writers for programs broadcast online.

What would a deal mean for the TV season? It depends on the show. But some shows, including Grey's Anatomy, are preparing to go back into production within a month or so, while others such as Pushing Daisies are more likely to be off the air until Fall. But hey, at least we're talking about this Fall, not Fall of 2010, right? Let's keep those fingers crossed until a deal is official.

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Writers and Producers Inch Toward Talking Again

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 06:30:30 -0800

It's not a contract. Heck, it's not even official negotiations. But as the Hollywood writers' strike enters its 12th week, at least there's a little bright spot out there on the horizon: The writers' union will hold informal talks with studio executives this week, in the hopes of eventually getting back to the table for a formal bargaining session.

At least they're speaking at all - something that hasn't happened since early December. When the producers and the Directors Guild of America struck a deal last week, the producers signaled they were open to meeting with the writers again, too. The Directors Guild deal also started with informal chats, then progressed to official negotiations and - after just a few days of talking - a contract.

Could this be the light at the end of the reality TV-filled tunnel? The leaders of the WGA sent a statement to writers urging them to be patient. I'm trying to be patient, too, but really, I just want my Oscars to go on and my favorite series to come back. Is that too much to ask? My fingers are crossed that we get an answer soon.

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Golden Globes to be Picketed by Striking Writers

BuzzSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:35:29 -0800

Bad news for the Golden Globes: The striking Writers Guild of America has turned down a request from the producers of the Golden Globes to allow a union writer to work on the January show. That means the ceremony will be treated like any other Hollywood production or studio being picketed by the writers.

Well, not just any production. It's still a fancy awards ceremony, after all, so the writers plan to strike in their red-carpet-ready gowns and tuxes. As for how to deal with nominees who want to accept their awards without crossing the picket line, the current strategy is to offer winners the chance to accept their award outside, with their speeches broadcast on the Internet. (For its part, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers struck back by nominating the WGA for Worst Supporting Union. No, really, that's what they said.)

It's going to be interesting to see how the nominees decide to deal with this. Katherine Heigl has said she won't cross the picket line, while Tina Fey sounded ready to attend. Will anyone even go inside the theater? Will there be anything for NBC to broadcast? (The LA Times says the show might not be televised at all.) Or will the sides be able to work something out before the Jan. 13 ceremony? And what will this mean for the Oscars? One thing's for sure: It's going to be an interesting Winter in Hollywood.

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More Awards! The Writers Guild Announces Its Nominees

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:15:47 -0800

It's award central around here today: First the Golden Globe nominations, and now the first set of nominees for the Writers Guild Awards. Yup, that's the same Writers Guild that's on strike right now. It's nice to have some positive news coming from them these days!

Today's nominations covered television and radio, and just like the Golden Globes, cable dominated the television categories. A lot of the nominees are shows that I've complained about not getting enough recognition from the mainstream awards ceremonies (Friday Night Lights, The Wire) and so it's great to see them mentioned here. Plus, Flight of the Conchords, your favorite new cable series of the year, got some nominations. Binary solo!

Nominations in the movie categories will be announced in January, with the award ceremony scheduled for Feb. 9. Here's the full list of nominees, and to see the highlights in the television categories, just read more.

DRAMATIC SERIES
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Mad Men
The Sopranos
The Wire

COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
30 Rock

NEW SERIES
Damages
Flight of the Conchords
Mad Men
Pushing Daisies
The Sarah Silverman Program

EPISODIC DRAMA (single airing)
"Final Grades" (The Wire), Teleplay by David Simon; Story by David Simon & Ed Burns
"The Second Coming" (The Sopranos), Written by Terence Winter
"The Round File" (The Closer), Written by Michael Alaimo
"Flashes Before Your Eyes" (Lost), Written by Damon Lindelof & Drew Goddard
"The Hobo Code" (Mad Men), Written by Chris Provenzano
"The Dark Defender" (Dexter), Written by Tim Schlattmann

EPISODIC COMEDY (single airing)
"Pie-Lette" (Pushing Daisies), Written by Bryan Fuller
"The Job" (The Office), Written by Paul Lieberstein & Michael Schur
"Negotiation" (30 Rock), Written by Matt Hubbard
"Local Ad" (The Office), Written by B.J. Novak
"Phyllis's Wedding" (The Office), Written by Caroline Williams
"Sally Returns" (Flight of the Conchords); Written by James Bobin & Jemaine Clement & Bret McKenzie

LONG FORM - ORIGINAL
Pandemic, Written by Bryce Zabel & Jackie Zabel
The Lost Room, Night One Teleplay by Laura Harkcom & Christopher Leone; Story by Christopher Leone & Paul Workman. Nights Two and Three, Written By Laura Harkcom & Christopher Leone

LONG FORM - ADAPTATION
The Company: A Story of the CIA, Teleplay by Ken Nolan, Based on the novel by Robert Littell
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, Teleplay by Daniel Giat, Based on the book by Dee Alexander Brown
The Starter Wife (Nights 1&2), Teleplay by Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon, Based on the book by Gigi Levangie Grazer

ANIMATION (single airing)
"The Haw-Hawed Couple" (The Simpsons), Written by Matt Selman
"The Homer of Seville" (The Simpsons), Written by Carolyn Omine
"Kill Gil Volumes 1&2" (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook
"Stop or My Dog Will Shoot!" (The Simpsons), Written by John Frink
"The Passion of the Dauterive" (King of the Hill), Written by Tony Gama-Lobo & Rebecca May
"Lucky's Wedding Suit" (King of the Hill), Written by Jim Dauterive

COMEDY/VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) SERIES
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
The Colbert Report
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Penn & Teller: Bullsh*t!
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

DAYTIME SERIALS
All My Children
As the World Turns
General Hospital
The Young & The Restless

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Strike Update: Producers Present a New Proposal

BuzzSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:30:25 -0800

There's a recess in writers' strike talks today, as the writers' side considers a new proposal presented yesterday by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

The producers say the proposal, dubbed the New Economic Partnership, would offer writers more than $130 million beyond what they already receive for broadcasts of their work over the Internet and other "new media" methods. The Writers Guild of America, on the other hand, said the proposal is actually a massive rollback that would hurt writers in the long run. Full details of the proposal have not been made public.

It's hard to say what it all means, at this point, other than that negotiations are on hold till Tuesday while the writers study the proposal. The memo from the WGA makes it sound like this isn't a deal the writers are ready to accept - but maybe it's a step toward new proposals and ultimately a good deal? Let's hope.

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Actors Go Speechless to Support Writers

BuzzSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 10:32:16 -0800

Negotiations in the writers' strike are resuming today, but for the moment, pencils are still down in Hollywood. What would a writerless TV and movie season look like? Several A-list actors are offering up their interpretations in a series of videos called Speechless.

The videos, which feature the cast of Ugly Betty, Harvey Keitel, Kate Beckinsale, Holly Hunter, David Schwimmer, and many more, premiered on the Deadline Hollywood Web site over the weekend and have now spread to various online video sites. Eleven have been posted so far, but there are many, many more to come.

The videos range from just a few seconds to several minutes long. Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy whistle in theirs, while Holly Hunter acts out a scene about the outsourcing of scripts to a call center in India. One of my favorites features David Schwimmer and Kate Beckinsale as a couple on the phone with nothing to say; another finds Laura Linney using Scene It cards as inspiration for a scene she decides to write herself. To watch a few of my favorites, just read more

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Strike News: Planned Talks, a Pencil Drive, and More

BuzzSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:30:06 -0800

Though talks are scheduled between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the Hollywood writers' strike has rolled into its third week. Those of you who watched the American Music Awards on Sunday saw Jimmy Kimmel host the ceremony without a single prewritten joke, while fans of The Office have already bid an indefinite farewell to their show. Here are some of the other strike-related developments:

The Pencils 2 Media Moguls campaign, an effort to bombard top executives with unsharpened pencils all Jericho-style, has already raised money for more than 150,000 pencils. Every $1 donation buys a box of 12 pencils, which the writers hope will be donated to organizations that teach kids to write once their symbolic purpose has been served.
Actors on 30 Rock, The Office, and Bionic Woman have been suspended, and most of Saturday Night Live's production staff has been fired.
A recent survey says people will read more books or magazines if the strike knocks their favorite shows off the air.
The Office staff has spoken out about the strike: The writers wrote a letter to fans last week, and Mindy Kaling (aka Kelly Kapoor) has blogged about her experiences.
CBS News writers are striking now, too.

The writers of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart already recorded their take on the strike, so it was only a matter of time before the good folks at The Colbert Report got in on the action. To watch their video (the closest we'll be getting to a Threatdown for a while), just read more

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Which Side Do You Support in the Writers' Strike?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:30:29 -0800

The results of the first public poll about the Hollywood writers' strike are in, and so far, 63 percent of Americans side with the writers. Just 4 percent said they supported the studios, and the rest were undecided. What about you? Whose side are you on?

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