Writer Strike?

[ZetaVu]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071105/...ollywood_labor

So, if I had to pick a side I'd go with writers over the studio greedleaches. At least writers provide value to the equation. That being said, what's the impact going to be on us the poor tvaddicts? I hear Heros is done through episode 11, which wraps up chapter 2. Origins has already been canned by the strike. When do they run out of episodes, when are we forced to endure the hell of reality television/syndicated reruns?

At least Dr. Who won't be delayed, maybe Scifi will start running those concurrent to fill the dead air?

[Mamba]

May buy me more time until I can afford more tuners...been get'n by with one this season but it's been dicey.

[merrypig]

you mean doctor who's 4th series is airing already?

[ZetaVu]

The Christmas episode is out first, then sometime next year they'll be airing Torchwood season 2 and then Dr Who season 4. Considering how long the last writer strike was (and the backlog of written scripts the networks already have) around the time Torchwood and Dr WHo come out, we will be in tv famine, Scifi or BBC might be able to run these right away, rather than to wait until after they complete in England.

Sounds like shows like Daily Show are in real trouble, which might make the current administration happy. Sitcoms and movies will probably take a few months to be affected, but then expect a lousy winter season.

[pvrguy]

I have so much recorded and not watched that I'll be fine. Then there's always the movie network to catch up on if it lasts that long.

[ZetaVu]

Yeah, I've got a massive backlog so no worries about that, however I was really looking forward to a few shows next year (Battlestar, Lost) as well as the rest of Heroes, etc.

One thing I read, the strike should help some new shows which were on the bubble, as they will air all written shows, although whatever did not get a big enough contract for written episodes might have issues (not a lot of shows under the hood to air)

[Mistergq]

unfortunately, my backlog is no more then a couple of days, and I can get caught up. I am not taking a side, I just want a deal!

Any word if Lost is already written and that will be still airing after New Years? Also, this doesn't effect Battlestar, does it?

[myktek]

ya, get a deal done! ... i heard they are re-shooting episode 8 of Heroes just in case if it will be the season finale! ! ! ......

[cfaslave]

I think its pretty silly of the networks to pick on the writers right when their business model is shifting so much. They are dealing with the time-shifting, place-shifting, netflix, streaming video etc and they decide its a good idea to hold the writers feet to the fire? I'm obviously no expert there and I know labor relations is not an easy thing, but cmon!

Anyway I wrote a piece on the effect of the strike on the various television shows in this blog post. You can also find a lot of good info in this LATimes article as well.

I have a bit of a backlog of shows on my hard drive that will tide me over some. I'll also use Netflix and some other sources for shows & movies during the strike. Even better, I have a lot of sports I'm watching these days since I'm a Missouri Tiger fan, my wife is a KU Jayhawk fan and my daughter will be attending Arkansas next year - College Football and Basketball is on in our house a lot! Speaking of college football, a few weeks ago when I met with Rakesh he mentioned there are a few College Football fans at SS - I'm assuming mostly Texas Tech and Texas fans???

[RiderFan]

I will get slammed for this I am sure but I hate unions! Sure, they were great back in 1900 when miners had to work 18 hours a day with no safety protocols in place etc. People should be glad they have a job and aren't owed anything. Now, I own my own business so the more work I do, the more I get paid, the less work I do the less I get paid. I am a little biased I admit. I am not trying to start a union/non union debate, but anytime I hear of strikes, it makes me cringe. The time people take off work to strike, takes them years in the extra few dollars they get from striking to break even, seems counter productive to me.

[Fickey]

Originally Posted by RiderFan

...Sure, they were great back in 1900 when miners had to work 18 hours a day with no safety protocols in place etc...

Reminds me of this scene from The Simpsons:

[Mr. Burns is reminiscing about his grandfather's old Atom Smashing Plant, where atoms were smashed by hand]
Burns' Grandfather: Come on, men! Smash those atoms! You there, turn out your pockets.

[Two goons seize a waifish worker and turn out his pockets]
Burns' Grandfather: Aha - atoms! One, two, three, four... SIX of them! Take him away!

Waif: You can't treat the working man this way! One of these days we'll form a union, and get the fair and equitable treatment we deserve! Then we'll go too far, and become corrupt and shiftless, and the Japanese will eat us alive!

Burns' Grandfather: The Japanese? Those sandal-wearing goldfish tenders? Ha ha! Bosh! Flimflaw!

[Back to the present day]
Mr. Burns: Oh, if only we'd listened to that young man, instead of walling him up in the abandoned coke oven.

[ZetaVu]

Ok, only comment I have on unions is that any and all benefits we have now (overtime, hours, wages, healthcare) is because of unions. Beyond that, in many areas they may have outlived their usefulness, in this area they might still be valid. Whay, the writers are the creativity, without them there is no tv, period (reality tv sucks, period) So, they deserve their share of profits, residuals, etc, be it tv, movies, music, books, etc. The fact that they have to fight the money to do this is appalling, and for that the union is justified. As much as I hate to see delays in shows and a lack of the Daily show, I hope the Foxes and Viacoms lose not millions but billions in this strike, let them learn not to bite the hand that feeds them. They are battling because the money does not want to share a percentage of new media profit with the creativy that gave them a product. No excuse, if the execs make money, the creativity makes money. If this was just about how big a slice, then it would be a balanced argument, but this is about getting the slice, not how big.

Anyway, union arguments aside, here is a thread that updates which actors/producers are honoring picket lines and stopping production http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34700

The last new Office is this week. Heroes changed the ending of episode 11 so it will finish then. Lots of other shows seem to be grinding to a halt earlier than expected, they have scripts but no producers and writers. Other unions will not stop work because of contracts, but their members are allowed to picket in support of the writers without fear of recrimination, that's in their contracts.

[ZetaVu]

More of the drama, 24 is not running this season, comedies will wrapup filming this week, dramas next, writers and assistants are getting laid off.

http://www.reuters.com/article/indus...60052020071108

[Mistergq]

this is interesting, Battlestar and 4400 could be moved to Network TV.

http://www.syfyportal.com/news424341.html

problem is the final season will be delayed I have waited how long for the final season? If I wanted to wait forever, I would have watched the Sopranos!

[ZetaVu]

Many friends without cable actually benefit from this, they usually wait for the dvd release. In my opinion there are a lot of shows on cable that should have made it to tv and visa versa. Question is, what will cable tv channels show?