BuzzSugar

Did the Writers' Strike Change Your TV Habits?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:30:44 -0800

One year ago today, Hollywood was rejoicing: The 100-day writers' strike finally came to an end! And just a few months later, our TV schedule returned to normal.

Or did it? Variety has an interesting rundown of many of the lingering effects of the strike, including severed deals, less money for development, and - maybe the biggest one of all - TV ratings taking a hit across the board. The theory goes that once our viewing habits are disrupted, as they were when shows were in repeats last Winter and Spring, we find we don't need our nightly TV fix as much as we thought we did.

So, on this one-year anniversary of the strike, I'm wondering: Did the strike do anything to change the way you view TV?

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Biggest Headlines of '08: The Writers' Strike Slows Down Hollywood

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:30:29 -0800

This month, as part of my Best of 2008 coverage, I'm going to look back at some of the entertainment world's big headlines. First up: the Writers Guild of America strike.

Though the strike started in November of 2007, it wasn't until early '08 that we really started to feel the effects. While the year started on a promising note - all of the late-night TV hosts returned to their shows on Jan. 2, with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert following soon after - the TV networks quickly started running out of new episodes, dooming us to week after week of repeats and reality shows. Check out this What to TiVo entry from January. It was pretty bleak!

Soon after actors announced they wouldn't attend the Golden Globes, NBC canceled the ceremony and replaced it with a news conference-style broadcast. The result was widely regarded as a disaster, with fewer than 6 million people tuning in.

In late January, after 12 weeks of striking, writers and producers tentatively started speaking to each other again, and the two sides drafted a new contract in early February. On Feb. 12, the strike was officially over, clearing the way for TV and movie writers to get back to work and for major award shows like the Oscars to proceed as usual. By late February, scripted TV was returning, with most shows back on the air by early April. But it hasn't been smooth sailing. To see how the strike is still messing with our entertainment options, just read more.

We heard early on that the strike could shake up TV for years to come, and that became clear when the networks announced their Fall schedules with fewer new shows. NBC made the most dramatic move by announcing its shows early and not ordering many pilots. ABC decided to keep many of its Fall '07 shows (including Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money) off the air in order to "relaunch" them in the Fall. Most of HBO's series were delayed till 2009. Some of you said you'd watch less TV than before the strike, and some of you broke up with a show.

TV felt the aftershocks most strongly, but movies were affected, too. Maybe the biggest example was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which had its release date moved from November '08 to July '09 in part because of the strike.

This Fall, many shows struggled to find an audience, especially the "relaunched" shows that many of you dropped - and which are now not being picked up for new seasons. But January '09 will see the return of many of the shows pushed back because of the strike, so maybe we'll soon be able to put it all behind us (barring an actors' strike, of course). And hey, at least a few good things came out of the strike - like an outpost for independently produced TV online, dubbed Strike.tv.

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Mindy Kaling, Kristen Wiig, and More Launch Strike.tv

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:32:02 -0700

Well, at least one good thing came out of last Winter's writers' strike. This week brought the launch of Strike.tv, a venture for comedy writers to put their own content on the Web without the interference of networks. (Think Dr. Horrible, but with even more people involved.)

Several of the web series are up now, including one called House Poor starring The Office's Mindy Kaling as a new homeowner who will stop at nothing (er, not even faking a pregnancy) to set up her dream house. Kaling also pops up in Global Warming, a series starring Kristen Wiig and The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi as two coworkers and possible lovers connected only by their online tech support chats. There's lots more to come; check out the whole list.

Not only is it good content, but it also has a good cause: Its ad revenue benefits the Actors Fund's Entertainment Assistance Program, which distributes money to Hollywood workers (camera crews, set decorators, carpenters, etc.) hurt by the writers' strike and the threat of an actors' strike. This year, the fund has already given $1.3 million dollars in aid. So, get clicking!

The shows will also appear on YouTube and other video sites. To check out the first episode of House Poor, just read more.

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Welcome to the Writers' Room, Thanks to the New York Times

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:30:16 -0700

Earlier this year, TV writers were in the news like never before - but, unfortunately, that's because they were on strike. So, what's it like when they're working? The New York Times has given us a peek, taking us inside the rooms where the writers come up with the dramatic scenes and witty one-liners that make television so great.

The story goes inside five different writers' rooms. Awesomely, each one belongs to a favorite show of mine: Flight of the Conchords, Weeds, Damages, How I Met Your Mother, and House.

Some fun facts: The Damages room includes a rescued puppy who barks every time a page comes out of the printer. The Mother staff chomps salt-and-vinegar potato chips, while the Weeds room is a sugar-free zone. House writers actually use a whiteboard a la their title character when he's working on a diagnosis, and the Conchords spend a large portion of their day looking up old music videos on YouTube.

I was impressed by the patchwork pattern of colored index cards in the Conchords room that reportedly tracks "every idea [they've] ever had in the last six months," as well as by the fact that Weeds writers aren't allowed to have their cell phones in the room. Overall, it's a cool glimpse into a side of the writing life that we viewers don't get to see very often. Go check it out, and then tell me: What TV show do you imagine has the coolest writers' room? (I've long thought it's probably The Office.)

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Buzz In: Did You Quit a Show Because of the Strike?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:30:55 -0700

TV ratings have been pretty miserable overall ever since scripted shows started returning to the air. It seems to be a little surprising to networks and advertisers, who expected viewers to come rushing back in a show of "absence makes the heart grow fonder"-style affection.

Today's New York Times notes that serial dramas have taken the brunt of the ratings hit and suggests several theories, one of which is that the strike gave viewers an excuse to quit shows that they just weren't that into anymore. I've noticed that myself, though the show I've quit is a comedy and not a drama: I've had trouble making time for Samantha Who? ever since it returned. I'm sure it's still cute and funny, but I'm not feeling the urge to get the episodes off my DVR.

A friend of mine recently told me that the strike gave her a chance to admit she was over Gossip Girl, and one of you even suggested yesterday that the strike could make people forget 24. So tell me: Did you quit a show because of the strike? What was it? And do you miss it at all?

Bad News for Fans of HBO Series: Everything's Delayed

BuzzSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:30:38 -0700

If you were eagerly looking forward to this Summer for new seasons of HBO favorites like Big Love, Entourage, and Flight of the Conchords, here's some bad news: You're going to have to keep waiting. As a result of the writers' strike, all of those shows have been pushed till Fall - if not beyond.

The strike delayed filming on several series, including Entourage and True Blood, the vampire series starring Anna Paquin and written by Six Feet Under's Alan Ball. Those two are now scheduled to start sometime in the Fall. Big Love and Conchords will likely start even later; the Conchords guys recently blogged that season two might not air till January '09. Boo!

What's a disgruntled HBO subscriber to do? Well, there are still a couple of exciting things coming up this summer, including the Iraq war miniseries Generation Kill, which was adapted from a book for television by The Wire's David Simon. That's set to premiere in July, while two comedies - an animated series called The Life and Times of Tim and an Australian import called Summer Heights High - are scheduled to start airing on Fridays in June. Summer Heights High, in particular, comes highly recommended by the Conchords guys themselves. To check out the first part of the first episode, just read more.

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Buzz News Roundup, 2/27

BuzzSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:30:07 -0800

USA Today has a gallery of images from the psychological thriller The Box, starring Cameron Diaz and James Marsden.
It's official: Hollywood writers approved their new contract with almost 94 percent of WGA members voting in favor of the agreement, the Associated Press reports.
Miss/Guided, the ABC comedy starring Judy Greer, will premiere in March, Zap2it reports.
The next Terminator movie, starring Christian Bale, will open Memorial Day weekend of 2009, Variety reports.
Billboard writes that Justin Timberlake, Lou Reed and Billy Joel are among the people who will induct members of the 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class next month in New York.
The New York Times reports that several networks are ready to claim Jay Leno once he's done with The Tonight Show next year.
The Martin Scorsese film Shutter Island, starring Leonardo Dicaprio, just added Emily Mortimer, Jackie Earle Haley and Max von Sydow to the cast, according to ComingSoon.
Variety has the news that Jonathan Rhys Meyers will join Julianne Moore in the supernatural thriller Shelter.

Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice Casts to Sing for Cash

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:30:37 -0800

Wondering how you're going to get your Shonda Rhimes fix before new episodes of Grey's Anatomy return in late April? Well, if you live in LA, and you have 85 bucks and no plans for Feb. 29, you can go see the casts of Grey's and Private Practice as they throw a singing benefit.

Yup, singing. The casts are putting on a variety show called Good Medicine to benefit crew members who were out of work during the writers' strike.

Now, some of these people have actually been paid to sing before - and they're even quite good at it. Sara Ramirez and Audra McDonald have five Tony Awards between them, Taye Diggs was an original cast member in the stage version of Rent, and Chandra Wilson has been a Broadway star, too. As for the rest of them, well, I guess we'll find out in a couple of weeks. Can you imagine TR Knight singing? Kate Walsh? McSteamy? Which cast members would you most like to hear belt one out?

BuzzSugar's Guide to Post-Strike TV

BuzzSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:30:00 -0800

So, the writers' strike is dunzo - but that doesn't mean we're getting our shows back right away. It generally will take between four and six weeks to get a comedy back on the air, while dramas will need six to eight. CBS became the first network to announce when its shows will return, and NBC followed soon after. Add that to the premieres and finales we already knew about, and we've got ourselves a calendar!

More than usual, this information is subject to change, especially for all the networks that haven't formally announced their dates yet. Furthermore, some of the shows currently marked as having finales might be returning later in the season - where possible, I've tried to note how many episodes are planned for them. I'll be updating this continuously as we get more info about biggies like Gossip Girl and Grey's.

Announced post-strike premieres and return dates, so far:

FEBRUARY 15
Finales: Las Vegas, Psych

FEBRUARY 17
Finales: American Gladiators, Cold Case (returns later this season), Brothers & Sisters (expected to return, date TBD)
Premieres: Knight Rider, Dexter (on CBS)

FEBRUARY 18
Premieres: My Dad is Better than Your Dad, Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious
Finales: Dance War, Prison Break

FEBRUARY 19
Finales: Nip/Tuck, Boston Legal (expected to return, date TBD)

FEBRUARY 20
Premieres: America's Next Top Model
Finales: Cashmere Mafia

Lots more - including return dates for The Office and How I Met Your Mother - so read more.

FEBRUARY 21
Finales: Supernatural (expected to return, date TBD)

FEBRUARY 22
Premieres: Amne$ia
Finales: 1 vs. 100, Monk

FEBRUARY 23
Returns: Saturday Night Live

FEBRUARY 26
Premieres: Quarterlife (special time)
Returns: Back to You (two episodes; more in April)

FEBRUARY 27
Returns: Men in Trees

MARCH 2
Returns: Aliens in America (first of eight episodes)
Premieres: Oprah's Big Give, Dirt, Quarterlife (regular time), Here Come the Newlyweds, Unhitched

MARCH 3
Returns: Everybody Hates Chris (first of 12 episodes)
Finales: Medium (expected to return, date TBA), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

MARCH 4
Premieres: The Real Housewives of NYC, New Amsterdam (sneak preview)
Finales: Millionaire Matchmaker

MARCH 5
Premieres: Ghost Hunters, Destination Truth, High School Reunion
Finales: Project Runway, Reno 911!

MARCH 9
Finales: The Wire, Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, Breaking Bad

MARCH 10
Premieres: New Amsterdam (sneak previews on March 4 and 6), Canterbury's Law
Finales: Millionaire Matchmaker, Welcome to the Captain

MARCH 11
Premieres: Beauty & the Geek, Human Giant

MARCH 12
Premieres: Top Chef, South Park, Lewis Black's Root of All Evil

MARCH 13
Premieres: Lil' Bush

MARCH 14
Premieres: The Return of Jezebel James

MARCH 16
Premieres: John Adams (miniseries)

MARCH 17
Premieres: The Bachelor, Dancing with the Stars
Returns: How I Met Your Mother (first of nine episodes), The Big Bang Theory (first of nine episodes), Two and a Half Men (first of nine episodes)

MARCH 18
Premieres: The Riches

MARCH 20
Finales: Lost (returns in April), Lipstick Jungle

MARCH 23
Returns: The Game (first of nine episodes)
Finales: The L Word

MARCH 24
Premieres: Greek
Returns: CSI: Miami (first of eight episodes)

MARCH 25
Returns: 'Til Death (one episode; more in April)
Finales: Jericho

MARCH 27
Finales: Make Me a Supermodel, The Celebrity Apprentice

MARCH 28
Premieres: Battlestar Galactica (specials)
Finales: In Treatment

MARCH 30
Premieres: The Tudors, Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
Returns: Cold Case (first of five episodes)
Finales: Quarterlife

MARCH 31
Finales: The New Adventures of Old Christine

APRIL 1
Premieres: Hell's Kitchen

APRIL 2
Returns: Criminal Minds (first of seven episodes), CSI: NY (first of seven episodes)

APRIL 3
Premieres: Step It Up and Dance
Returns: CSI (first of six episodes), Without a Trace (first of six episodes), My Name is Earl (first of eight or more episodes)

APRIL 4
Premieres: Battlestar Galactica (regular episodes)
Returns: Ghost Whisperer (first of six episodes), Numb3rs (first of six episodes)

APRIL 6
Premieres: Monk and Psych (on NBC)

APRIL 7
Returns: Samantha Who? (first of six episodes)

APRIL 8
Returns: NCIS (first of seven episodes), Boston Legal (first of six episodes)

APRIL 10
Returns: ER (first of six episodes), The Office (first of at least five episodes), 30 Rock (first of at least five episodes), Scrubs

APRIL 11
Returns: Moonlight (first of four episodes)

APRIL 13
Returns: Desperate Housewives (first of six episodes)
Finales: Dirt

APRIL 14
Returns: Rules of Engagement (first of six episodes), Bones (first of four or more episodes), One Tree Hill (first of six episodes)

APRIL 15
Returns: Law & Order: SVU (first of five or more episodes)

APRIL 16
Returns: Back to You, 'Til Death

APRIL 17
Returns: Smallville (first of six episodes)

APRIL 20
Returns: Brothers & Sisters (first of four episodes)
Finales: John Adams, Oprah's Big Give

APRIL 21
Returns: Gossip Girl (first of five episodes)

APRIL 23
Returns: Law & Order, Reaper (first of five episodes)

APRIL 24
Returns: Lost (first of five episodes), Supernatural (first of four episodes), Ugly Betty (first of five episodes), Grey's Anatomy (first of five episodes)

APRIL 28
Returns: House

APRIL 29
Finales: The Riches

MAY 1
Returns: Grey's Anatomy

JUNE 16
Premieres: Weeds, Secret Diary of a Call Girl

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When TV Comes Back, Will You Follow?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:30:00 -0800

With the writers' strike officially over, we can safely start looking forward to the return of our regular TV shows in the relatively near future. But when they come back, will you still be watching? One of the big questions right now is whether viewers will tune back in when the major shows return or whether they'll keep doing whatever they did for strike survival - say, reading or watching TV on DVD - instead.

So, I'm wondering: Are you itching for the return of TV? Or have you discovered you can get along just fine without it?

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