Strike Watch

Welcome to Strike Watch!

2010-01-01T22:26:00.000-05:00

With all the confusion around the writer's strike and what it's doing to popular television shows, I decided to create a site for fans of all shows to come and find out important information regarding their favorite programs.

First off, as an aspiring screenwriter and avid television fan, let me say I am behind the writers 100%. If you wish to find out ways to support the writers, check out Fans for Writers.

Secondly, I encourage anyone to send me any news regarding the strike to will.ohargan@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post. I will do my best to update this as often as I can.

Ari Gold--er--Emanuel talks on the strike

2007-11-15T14:22:00.000-05:00

You can't help but feel sorry for Ari. He seems to be one of the few people addressing this from a neutrel point of view and understands that people need to be at the table.

DGA to begin talks with AMPTP

2007-11-15T12:57:00.001-05:00

If the AMPTP treats directors like it did writers, at least the directors will have time before they go on strike. The director's contract ends in June, but the WGA strike may have some effect on how the DGA conducts itself in the upcoming talks. While the DGA talks won't have a direct effect on the outcome of the WGA strike, the writers could show just how much the AMPTP is willing to budge, hopefully avoiding a DGA strike.

However, if the DGA gets a deal before the WGA, what does that mean for the writers? Well, it depends on what the producers get.

Spoilers may slow down

2007-11-15T12:44:00.000-05:00

Spoilers from your favorite television program may slow down, according to those closest to the rumor mill biz. TVSquad is saying that shows will only have "exclusive" spoilers for as long as the show is in production. So those of you who have to hear what's going to happen next on LOST may have to wait a little while.

Note that you're talking about long term spoilers here. The spoilers that come a few days before the episode airs are from post-production people, as well as shows that are airing in the spring such as LOST, Monk, Psych and The Shield. Otherwise, the spoiler well will be drying up soon.

WGA strike may effect award shows

2007-11-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

This article takes the position that this is a bad thing. Honestly, most of the prewritten stuff for the award shows is trash anyway. Think of the last Oscars. Of all the prewritten segments, only the best director introduction where Lucas was made to feel bad and the musical number with Will Ferrell and Jack Black were worth the time. Jon Stewart isn't commenting on how it will effect him. And Bruce Vilanch is, well, however you feel about Bruce Vilanch won't be changed here.

Sorry for the vacation

2007-11-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

As a student who also works and is very sick, it sometimes is hard to keep up with everything. On top of that, I can not effectively blog from home because my laptop is, at best, slow. So, for the rest of the day I will be providing all the updates I can.

CONFIRMED: LOST to be split in half.

2007-11-09T14:17:00.000-05:00

It seems that, unless the strike ends quickly and abruptly, Season 4 of LOST will be eight episodes, half of the original order, and 24 episodes will air in 2008 in a fashion not unlike, say, '24', according to Kristin on E! Online.

Damon Lindelof had this to say:

"It's as much of a conclusion as, say, Ana-Lucia and Libby getting shot. An eight-episode season is an incomplete season, and I am not going to try to spin it any other way."

So there you have it, it seems pretty much certain that LOST will be broken up and the more days pass the less likely it is '24' will be on before September.

Governator tries to end strike

2007-11-09T12:19:00.000-05:00

The BBC (among others) is reporting that Arnold is working behind the scenes to put an end to the strike. This on top of rumors and reports of everyone from John Edwards to Bill Clinton offering to help and pretty much every politician in the game is getting their hands dirty in this.

"Below the Line" employees hurt first

2007-11-09T12:02:00.000-05:00

A story on M&C pretty much lays out what the strike means from those who work in "below the line" work: an immediate loss of jobs. Those who work the jobs that are listed in the little box of the credits while you're seeing a promo are losing jobs as shows across Hollywood and elsewhere are shutting down. With no end in sight for the strike and the extreme cost of living in LA, there's going to be a lot of car payments missed if this strike continues. And remember for some of these people a car payment is a house payment, too. While the writers are getting a rough deal on this, these folks will probably get hit even worse.

Ellen under fire

2007-11-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

Ellen DeGeneres is coming under fire for crossing picket lines, according to a report on several news stations and this story on WSYR. Ellen crossed picket lines to produce a new episode of her show, which many writers felt as an insult. While Letterman, Leno, O'Brien, Stewart and Colbert all declined to return to the air, DeGeneres is the first major cross of the line as far as comedian talk show hosts go. In the end, Ellen's move seems rather meaningless. If she continues to go with it should could pull the "only game in town" routine, but she may alienate more people that she gains by this move. Time will tell.

Some writers may be out of work after strike

2007-11-09T01:30:00.000-05:00

The networks may be using the strike to end deals with producers they feel to be "non-productive", according to Hollywood Today. The very well written story explores the possibility that the producers may have planned this from the start and, while not completely convincing, it is interesting and worth reading.

Show runners get nasty letters

2007-11-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

According to an article in the New York Times, CBS and Fox have sent out letters to show runners informing them of a breach of contract for not continuing thier producing work on the TV series. What it does NOT include are the possible consequences for not showing up. The article only mentions no pay, which I assume they expected. If, however, they could be fired for this offense, that would change the landscape of television as we know it

Eisner calls strike "stupid"

2007-11-08T12:09:00.000-05:00

For some reason, Michael Eisner is still giving speeches. He addressed the WGA strike in his latest speech, calling the strike stupid, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Not unexpected for a former studio head... but here's the twist: he blames Apple. It doesn't take a genius to connect the dots here. Eisner's exit from Disney was, in large part, due to his falling out with Pixar a company Apple head Steve Jobs founded. Eisner says that writers should "wait a few years" before asking for digital revenue. Maybe if they hadn't been screwed on home video sales by people like Eisner, they would have.

Some WGA members uneasy about Rule No. 8

2007-11-08T01:27:00.001-05:00

A new story from Variety suggests that some WGA members may fall out of line--though not go back to work--Thursday. The WGA requires all writers to submit drafts of everything they were contracted to be working on for 'validation.' However, the networks could launch a lawsuit against the writers for handing over company property to the WGA. Most writers--and their lawyers--feel that the wrath of the WGA is better than lawsuits from the networks.

The most severe consequence would be expulsion--though if enough writers do it, it will likely be dealt with a slap on the wrist. Either way, the rule puts writers in an uncomfortable situation when they--well, are already pretty uncomfortable.

News Roundup for 11/7/07

2007-11-07T22:57:00.001-05:00

A show by show roundup of today's news involving popular TV shows:

24 became the first non-talk show to be officially delayed by the strike. According to a press release reported on in Broadcasting and Cable, "24" has been forced to delay its season premiere. Worse yet, ODI is reporting that, if the strike does not end by the end of this month, Season 7 could be canceled. Apparently, Janeane Garofalo is on the picket line and may not show up for work.

Meanwhile, B&C is also reporting that LOST will go ahead with a truncated eight episode season in 2008, much to displeasure of almost everyone involved on the show. Take this quote from Wednesday's Ask Ausiello:

"Damon [Lindelof] and my concern about running the [eight] episodes we will have made is that it will feel a little like reading half a Harry Potter novel, then having to put it down. There is a mini-cliff-hanger at the end of Episode 8, but it's like the end of an exciting book chapter; it's not the end of the novel. Damon and I didn't write [the ending of Episode 8] differently [with the looming strike in mind]. We wrote it to be the ending of Episode 8." - Carolton Cuse

With that in mind, we turn to Heroes, which was planing on ending a 11-episode arc anyway. So will NBC be stopping the series there? No, says Greg Grunberg in an interview with BuddyTV. It seems that the scripts are 100% finished through episode 13, and that they are finishing 11 right now. While Grunberg says that the network has the choice when to show the next two episodes, but the last hiatus didn't do Heroes any favors...

Also, don't expect the web-comic to continue during the hiatus, either, says TVBlend.

Perhaps the worst news of all come from The Shield where The Mercury News is reporting that Shawn Ryan, the creative force behind the show, will not participate in the filming of the series finale due to the strike. Ryan, who also created The Unit, was a member of the WGA negotiation team.

Also on Day 3, show-runners of several hit shows including LOST, CSI, Desperate Housewives, Grey's, Law and Order: SVU, Six Feet Under--as well as Joss Whedon and and Ryan all joined the picket lines, according to Variety. The story also says that Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy is refusing to do any work on his show but Fox is trying to continue without him--which should be interesting as he does many of the voices on the show. (For you Grey's and PP fans, there are three or four episodes of each written and ready to shoot).

The Office also came to a halt because Steve Carrell refused to cross lines. (NC Times)

And producers looking for scabs won't be able to look to Canada. The WGC said it will not accept work on US productions, according to The Globe and Mail.

Meanwhile, Ellen will go back to work for her show, sans writers, EW reports. If there's anyone who could wing it, it'd be Ellen, but this will be a test for other daytime hosts to see if they can be successful without writers. Meanwhile, EW is also reporting that you should expect studios other than Paramount to stop renewing and ordering episodes of shows... which means that even when the strike is over, there will be a scramble to fill the schedule with something other than Big Brother and Skating With Celebrities.