The Writer's Strike

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

If Writers Go on Strike, Viewers Can Expect More Shots of Reality

By Brooks Barnes The New York Times October 20, 2007

 

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 19 — During the last Hollywood writers strike, in 1988, David Letterman gave a blunt assessment of the quality of his show.

 

“We have nothing to do, the writers aren’t here,” he intoned at the opening of one show. “So a guy’s gonna come in and shave me. Fifty-five minutes, ladies and gentlemen! Fifty-five minutes to go!”

 

Viewers may want to brace themselves for a lot of similarly jury-rigged entertainment if writers and producers do not come to an agreement on a new contract by the end of the month.

 

A strike by the Writers Guild of America, which could begin as soon as Nov. 1, would cut a ragged edge across the entertainment industry, with television and movies affected in different ways. Depending on the timing and length of a strike, some television shows would grind along just fine, while others would jerk to a halt. “The Simpsons” is safe, for instance, but light a candle for “Lost.” And reality shows, whose writers are nonunion, will become even more of a television staple than they are now.

 

Meanwhile, moviegoers would not feel any immediate impact, because studios work a year or more in advance and have been stockpiling scripts to shoot in case writers walk the picket line. But some big franchise films, like the “Transformers” sequel, are likely to be delayed. And fans could suffer later on, as films pushed earlier into production surface with poor results in 2009.

 

“Any time you rush movies, you disrupt the rhythm, and I can promise you the result isn’t as good,” said John Davis, a producer of “Norbit,” “I, Robot” and other movies.

 

If a work stoppage lasts for just a few days or even a few weeks, there would be relatively little impact on the overall entertainment pipeline, producers say. Networks have between four and five episodes for many prime-time shows ready to go, while studios are wrapping and rushing into production already written movies that are not scheduled to arrive in theaters until the end of 2008 and into 2009.

 

But one sliver of the business in particular faces immediate disruption. Late-night shows from “Late Show With David Letterman” on CBS to “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central are produced daily, with writers massaging the news of the day into comedic segments and monologues.

 

For a time, fans should expect to see repeat episodes, as if the hosts had departed on some kind of joint vacation, networks say. In the longer term, hosts like Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” could just wing it, as Mr. Letterman and Johnny Carson did after several months of reruns in 1988. (At one point during that five-month industrywide strike, Mr. Carson filled time by looking at snapshots brought in by Ed McMahon.)

 

Networks say some late-night hosts could return to work without violating guild strike rules: while contracts vary, a performer writing for himself is covered by a separate agreement with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. A spokeswoman for the Writers Guild of America East said hosts could not write any more material than they personally handled pre-strike.

 

Daytime shows would suffer next. Soap operas like “The Young and the Restless,” viewed by some six million people a day, typically have a monthlong backlog of episodes. Because of their serial nature, soap operas do not perform well in repeats. Networks say they would try to maintain ratings during the day in the event of a strike by substituting more news and sports programming.

 

The rest of daytime is a jumble. News writers are represented by a different union, so “Today” on NBC and the cable news channels will be unaffected — except for the bags that will form under the eyes of anchors as they are pressed to fill more airtime. But talk shows are all over the map: “The View,” which uses union writers, would be thrown into more chaos than normal, while “The Martha Stewart Show” would continue cooking right along.

 

Of course, most viewers care about prime time. Although each network is different — with only two hours to program each night, and “American Idol,” which would be unaffected, on the way, Fox is sitting pretty — network executives say a couple of general rules apply.

 

Long-running shows like NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” are likely to stay in original episodes longer because they are further ahead in production than new programs like ABC’s “Pushing Daisies.” And the so-called sweeps periods in November and February, when advertising rates are set for local stations, still matter. So networks will keep what originals they have for those months and leave December and January more barren than usual.

 

Genre matters, too. Animated series like “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy,” completed up to a year in advance, are strike-proof for this season at least. Much more problematic are complicated serial dramas like “Lost,” which networks typically broadcast without repeats. With the next season of “Lost” (which begins in February) only half finished, ABC has a big decision to make: Should it show the episodes that are done? Or delay the program’s return until all episodes can be completed?

 

Of course, reality shows are not affected at all. Networks have been stockpiling reality material in the event of a strike. The CW network alone has five completed reality series ready to go: the returning shows “America’s Next Top Model,” “Beauty and the Geek” and “Pussycat Dolls Present,” and the new entries “Farmer Wants a Wife” and “Crowned,” about beauty pageants.

 

Warren Littlefield, an independent producer and the former president of NBC, who was that network’s executive vice president of programming during the last writers strike, said the news divisions would be pushed to deliver spicy specials to plug holes. He noted that the CBS newsmagazine “48 Hours” rose to prominence in 1988. Sports, concerts and shows produced in Britain and Australia are also likely to pop up in prime time, depending on the length of a strike. NBC is already looking at the possibility of broadcasting the British version of “The Office.”

 

The lack of a clear road map for consumers is a worry for entertainment executives. After all, movie and television fans, their allegiance already weakening as video games and the Internet eat up more leisure time, don’t need additional prodding to find something else to do.

 

“There is tremendous fear in the industry about breaking a habit,” Mr. Littlefield said. “During the last strike, the audience wandered and a lot of people didn’t quite come back.”

 

On the bright side, the 1988 strike played a big role in introducing at least one guilty pleasure to a national audience. Desperate for programming, Fox plucked “Cops” from a local station and placed it on Saturday night, where it continues to run.

 

I wonder if WWF's writers are in the guild? That would be awesome. Otherwise, its gonna be ugly because if theres a prolonged strike, television (and movies..if it lasts longer) as we know it could change..and people will find entertainment in other places (see Internet).

[King Kamala 0]

I imagine most of WWE's writers are in the union because most of them wrote for shitty sitcoms and soaps before they wrote for WWE. It'd be pretty cool if they aired some old episodes of RAW and Smackdown! But most likely, they'll either carry on without said writers or they'd air lame clip shows.

 

I imagine SNL would be really impacted by this as well. I think they've had to cut to one or two seasons short due to writers strikes.

[Hawk 34 0]

Wrestling shouldn't be hurt given the knowledge of running a show from various people within those promotions. How far into the seasons are most shows completed?

[Mik 0]

Fuck wrestling. If Lost doesn't premiere in February I'll go insane.

[The Buzz 0]

Maybe they'll have guys like Dusty, Steamboat, Hayes, Vince, etc put the shows together and realize they don't need the damn writing team.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Fuck wrestling. If Lost doesn't premiere in February I'll go insane.

 

Ditto that. I could deal with them airing the episodes that have been completed earlier though, then the eps that haven't been completed being aired soon after they're finished.

[Obi Chris Kenobi 0]

Fuck wrestling. If Lost doesn't premiere in February I'll go insane.

 

[The Metal Maniac 0]

Fuck wrestling. If Lost doesn't premiere in February I'll go insane.

 

Fucking unions. I want my LOST!!!!!

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Fuck Wrestling and Fuck Lost this better not mess with Heroes

[Jingus 0]

I seriously doubt the WWE employs ANY union workers, period. Remember, Vince is Mr. Anti-Union.

 

 

More reality TV? ARGH.

 

Why the fuck does something like The View have writers, anyway? It's just a bunch of women sitting and talking. That's it.

 

“Any time you rush movies, you disrupt the rhythm, and I can promise you the result isn’t as good,” said John Davis, a producer of “Norbit,” “I, Robot” and other movies.

That's goddamned ironic, since this fucking neanderthal is responsible for some of the worst movies of the modern age. This one cocksucker produced Waterworld, Richie Rich, Behind Enemy Lines, Dudley Do-Right, Garfield, Alien vs. Predator, Fat Albert, Eragon, and that Jesse Ventura tv movie. Tha fuck would he know about good results.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

As I understand it,w hat the strike is about, is royalties/residuals on "new media", ie sales of shows on iTunes, other online sites, possibly DVDs also... writers get no royalties off of those.

 

frankly they should extend whatever the percentages are for existing contracts, to digital ones.

[godthedog 0]

i'm wondering if this will affect 'the office', where a number of the writers wear 2 or 3 different hats.

 

i'm also sort of disturbed that the story quoted goes into great detail about the changes in programming, but doesn't say anything about WHY the writers might strike, what the terms of the disagreement are, etc.

[starvenger 0]

I believe that reality television has something to do with it. Probably shows that are filmed outside of the US and use non-US writers too.

[Ravenbomb 0]

As I understand it,w hat the strike is about, is royalties/residuals on "new media", ie sales of shows on iTunes, other online sites, possibly DVDs also... writers get no royalties off of those.

 

frankly they should extend whatever the percentages are for existing contracts, to digital ones.

 

 

Agreed.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

i'm wondering if this will affect 'the office', where a number of the writers wear 2 or 3 different hats.

 

i'm also sort of disturbed that the story quoted goes into great detail about the changes in programming, but doesn't say anything about WHY the writers might strike, what the terms of the disagreement are, etc.

Writers Guild votes overwhelmingly to authorize a strike

 

By Richard Verrier Los Angeles Times Staff Writer October 20, 2007

 

Hollywood's film and TV writers are ready to trade their pens for picket signs if they can't reach a deal with their employers by Halloween.

 

Members of the Writers Guild of America voted by an overwhelming margin to authorize their leaders to call a strike if they can't negotiate a three-year contract with the major studios to replace one that expires Oct. 31. Of 5,507 members who voted, 90% favored granting a strike authorization. Guild officials said the turnout was a record for the union, which has nearly 12,000 members.

 

"Writers do not want a strike, but they are resolute and prepared to take strong, united action to defend our interest," said Patric M. Verrone, the guild's president. "What we must have is a contract that gives us the ability to keep up with the financial success of this ever-expanding global industry."

 

...

 

Writers have rallied behind a theme that might best be summed up by the Who's hit song "Won't Get Fooled Again." Writers maintain they were shortchanged years ago when they agreed to a discounted pay formula for home video sales, only to see that business take off. And they're determined not to make the same mistake again as the digital revolution upends the entertainment industry.

 

"The guild made a bad deal 20 years ago and they've been angry ever since and they don't want to do it again," said Jonathan Handel, an entertainment industry attorney with TroyGould in Los Angeles and a former associate counsel for the Writers Guild. "That's why we're seeing a line drawn in the sand."

 

For their part, the studios maintain that DVD sales are needed to offset rising marketing and production costs, and they contend that it's too early to lock into pay formulas for shows distributed online because technologies are rapidly changing and they're still grappling with uncertain business models.

 

....

 

Until recently, conventional wisdom was that the guild would not walk out immediately but would work without a contract until early next year, to line up its negotiations with the more powerful Screen Actors Guild, whose contract expires June 30. SAG representatives have been sitting on the sidelines of the writers' talks, and both unions have been closely aligned on a number of issues, especially concerns about Internet pay. As is often said, writers can't shut down production, but actors can. For that reason, many studio executives have been more focused on preparing for a possible actors' strike next summer.

 

In an effort to shift the spotlight back on their union, Writers Guild leaders have declared in recent weeks that members are prepared to walk out as early as Nov. 1. The change in strategy was partly an effort to jump-start negotiations that were going nowhere, according to guild insiders. Guild leaders also reasoned that they could inflict more damage by striking during the middle of the fall TV season than by waiting until early next year, when studios would have stockpiled more scripts.

 

Although networks have enough shows to carry them through the fall season, a strike next month would disrupt midseason programs that begin airing in January and next year's TV pilot season. A prolonged walkout could force the networks to cancel a number of series in advance of the key February sweeps period, when the networks showcase their best shows to drive up ratings that help establish the advertising rates for television stations.

 

Writers Guild leaders also were said to be concerned that the Directors Guild of America would negotiate an early deal, setting a framework for the other talent unions and potentially undercutting the Writers Guild's own goals. The Directors Guild has laid the groundwork for negotiations to begin this year, well before its contract expires in June.

 

Walking out next month, however, poses a considerable risk for the Writers Guild. Today's studios are better able to withstand a strike than in 1988 because they're owned by media conglomerates with deep pockets.

 

For their part, network executives have been preparing for a strike for months and say they will be ready should a walkout happen. They've ordered an unusual number of pilots for next year and have lined up a plethora of reality TV shows, sports programs and shows culled from their libraries to fill the airwaves during a strike.

 

Writers are rushing to finish scripts by Oct. 31, the deadline many studios have imposed. Some feature film studios have put a moratorium on signing deals with writers until the contract dispute is resolved.

 

Writers also are trying to grapple with far-reaching strike rules the guild recently announced. The rules could prove especially nettlesome for so-called hyphenates, writers who also work as producers and directors, who find themselves caught between two warring groups. To keep working, and to avoid possible fines and sanctions by their unions, some writers have signed contracts to work as "producer consultants," said one entertainment industry attorney, an arrangement that would allow them to cross picket lines.

 

A SAG Strike on the heels of (or if this strike lasts into June..doubtful but..) would cripple Hollywood.

[luke-o 0]

Fuck Lost this better not mess with Heroes

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Last-minute Hollywood labor talks break down

 

Writers and producers are still far apart, making a strike more likely. The current contract expires at midnight.

By Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

November 1, 2007

It's a script many had hoped would not be written: Hollywood's film and TV scribes and their employers failed to reach an agreement on a new contract today, setting the stage for a possible showdown that could ripple across the streets of Los Angeles and into America's living rooms. Despite the presence of a federal mediator and more than a dozen bargaining sessions since July, negotiators for the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke off talks before hashing out a last-minute deal on a new three-year contract.

 

Talks ended after several hours tonight, about six hours before the current contract expires at midnight.

 

In a statement, the alliance said talks broke down after its chief negotiator, Nick Counter, outlined the producers' opposition to raising the pay writers receive when their work is released on DVD -- a key guild demand.

 

"We want to make a deal," he told WGA negotiators. "We think doing so is in your best interests, in your members' best interests, in the best interests of our companies and in the best interests of the industry. But, as I said, no further movement is possible to close the gap between us so long as your DVD proposal remains on the table."

 

The alliance said WGA members refused to meet Thursday. "When they were asked about Friday, they advised they would call us."

 

Guild officials were not immediately available for comment.

 

The development doesn't guarantee an immediate walkout by writers but certainly heightens the prospect of Hollywood's first major strike in nearly two decades.

 

Writers could work without a contract until a new deal can be reached, as the guild has done in previous negotiations. If a strike occurs, it would probably happen within a week and possibly as early as Friday, according to people close the guild.

 

The writers' previous strike, in 1988, lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry an estimated $500 million. Economists estimate that a strike could have a more powerful punch on the local economy this time around because of the entertainment industry's expansion.

 

Writers Guild members already have voted by a 90% majority to authorize their leaders to call a strike any time after their contract expires. However, the guild was expected to wait to strike at least until after a general membership meeting Thursday night. Guild leaders are expecting a large turnout and have booked space at the Los Angeles Convention Center to accommodate the crowds. About 12,000 writers are covered under the contract, but only a fraction of them work regularly.

 

The purpose of the meeting is to "update everyone in person on negotiations and what our next options will be from that moment on," President Patric M. Verrone told guild members in a recent e-mail message.

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-writ...1,1210749.story

[Guest Smues]

I'm probably in the minority, but I want them to strike and I want it to be a long one. I'm curious to see what would actually happen.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

There will be a strike

 

From the L.A. Times

 

"A few minutes into the gathering, there is no more uncertainty: There will be a strike, leaders tell the thousands of WGA members in attendance. Leaders will send out a press release tomorrow afternoon, telling members precisely when the strike will begin. The Screen Actors Guild president says the actors guild is in full support of the strike and will stand by the writers for as long as it takes."

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I saw that for example Heroes, which was in the midst of shooting episode #12, they went and reshot the ending to #11 to make it a season ending episode which doesn't seem too promising.

 

Also, the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) are supporting the writers right now but for how long (due to contracts) remains to be seen.

 

 

[MrRant 0]

I'm probably in the minority, but I want them to strike and I want it to be a long one. I'm curious to see what would actually happen.

 

Game/reality shows.

 

Lots of them.

 

And animals attacking people.

[starvenger 0]

Hey now, the world NEEDS a rematch between Joey Chestnut and Kobayashi, no?

[slimm44 0]

I'm probably in the minority, but I want them to strike and I want it to be a long one. I'm curious to see what would actually happen.

 

Game/reality shows.

 

Lots of them.

 

And animals attacking people.

 

 

and a helluva lot of reruns.

[ZGangsta 0]

So would this affect stuff on the cable networks like HBO, cause if this stops The Wire from coming back in January someone goin' die.

[JN News 0]

As long as I'll still get "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" & The Top Ten, I'm ok.

[Jorge Gorgeous 0]

i'm wondering if this will affect 'the office', where a number of the writers wear 2 or 3 different hats.

 

Yes, yes it will.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Heroes might be cut to 11 episodes due to writers' strike.

 

Re-shoot has been requested to make the 11th episode the season finale.

[Man Who Sold The World 0]

Looks like I'm in for a looong vacation at work...

[bob_barron 0]

As long as I'll still get "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" & The Top Ten, I'm ok.

 

You won't. All the late-night shows will be the first ones to go off the air.

 

This sucks, SNL was on my birthday this year.

[AntiLeaf33 0]

I had a good laugh at my girlfriend last night when she found out her daytime soaps will have to go off the air if a strike happens. She honestly didn't have a sweet clue what to do about it. But what was really funny was when she called her mother. I'm pretty sure I heard a sob or whimper.