The Writer's Strike

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

SNL w/ Michael Cera will be "unplugged" at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater with proceeds to go to the Writers Strike Emergency Fund.

 

-Courtesy of Yahoo!

 

30 Rock is doing the same thing two nights later. I hope some of it ends up on YouTube. I'd be tempted to go to NYC this weekend for either of them but tickets sold out in seconds.

 

 

I hope someone tapes it, sells it online, and gives some of the profits to NBC but none to the writers for the ultimate fuck you.

[King Kamala 0]

Seeing how they're both WGA benefits. Highly unlikely.

[Hank Kingsley 0]

http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/2007/1...k-to-table.html

 

Negotiations reopen November 26th. Of course, I'm not getting my hopes up just yet.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

I just called the UCBT and they said 30 Rock is sold out. Fuck that noise.

[King Kamala 0]

I just called the UCBT and they said 30 Rock is sold out. Fuck that noise.

 

Dude, it sold out in seconds. Have you been to the UCBT? It fits like 200 people. 300 max.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

Website said limited tickets on sale night of the show. I called to see if that was true and it wasn't.

[King Kamala 0]

30 Rock is on Monday not tonight and I think you have to go down there and stand in line to get the tickets.

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In the first big-screen casualty of the Hollywood writers strike, Columbia Pictures said on Friday it had postponed production on "Angels & Demons," a prequel to its box-office hit "The Da Vinci Code" starring Tom Hanks.

 

The Sony Corp.-owned film distributor also said the planned release date for the Ron Howard-directed religious thriller, originally set to open during the 2008 holiday season, has been pushed back to 2009.

 

"With the strike nearing its third week, Columbia Pictures has postponed production of 'Angels & Demons'," the studio said in a statement, adding that the script by Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldman needed further work.

 

Goldman, a member of the Writers Guild of America, is barred by the WGA's strike rules from editing or polishing scripts for the duration of the walkout.

 

In addition to his work on "Da Vinci Code," Goldman's writing credits include boxing drama "Cinderella Man" and "A Beautiful Mind," for which he won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.

 

"While the filmmakers and the studio feel the screenplay is very strong, we do not believe it is the fully realized production draft required of this ambitious project," Columbia said. "At this time, there is no new start date, but we are setting a release date of May 15, 2009."

 

The Writers Guild went on strike against major film and TV studios on November 5 after negotiations on a new contract for its 12,000 members reached an impasse in a dispute over higher fees the union is seeking from Internet revenues.

 

The strike immediately threw the television industry into disarray, as work on numerous late-night talk shows and prime-time comedies and dramas ground to a halt.

 

HANKS SIGNS ON FOR PREQUEL

 

"Angels & Demons" marks the first major Hollywood film set for release in 2008 to be delayed by the walkout.

 

Columbia said it did not expect the strike to affect any other film in its 2008 slate, which also includes the next James Bond film, a Will Smith action drama titled "Hancock" or the Adam Sandler comedy "You Don't mess with Zohan."

 

"Angels & Demons" is being adapted from the bestselling book of the same name by author Dan Brown.

 

Published in 2000, it was Brown's first novel to introduce the character of Robert Langdon, the crime-solving Harvard professor of iconography and religious art played by actor Tom Hanks in the big-screen adaptation of "The Da Vinci Code."

 

Hanks is on board to return as Langdon for "Angels & Demons," which the studio optioned as part of its 2003 acquisition of film rights to Brown's "Da Vinci Code."

 

Despite mainly negative reviews after its premiere at the Cannes film festival in May 2006, "Da Vinci" went on to tally more than $753 million at the box office worldwide.

 

That film, like the book, teamed up Langdon with a young French cryptologist to solve a murder entwined with the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and a supposed alternate history of Christianity.

 

A central premise of the story was that Jesus fathered a child by Mary Magdalene, and that a clandestine society has for centuries protected the identity of Christ's living descendants from agents of the Catholic Church.

 

In "Angels," another murder investigation leads Langdon on a quest to thwart a plot by an ancient group, the Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican during a papal conclave.

[bob_barron 0]

The SNL thing wasn't a real benefit. It was never meant to leak out, but accidentally did.

 

30 Rock sold out rather quickly- in about an hour.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Dare We Hope A Deal Has Been Struck...?

By Nikki Finke of LA Weekly in her deadlinehollywooddaily blog Nov. 27, 2007

 

As the WGA strike begins its 4th week, I've been told positive news about today's resumption of contract talks between the writers and the producers. So positive, in fact, that I'm almost fearful to post it.

 

But here goes: a very reliable source tells me that there appears to be a deal seemingly in place between both sides.

 

"It's already done, basically," the insider describes. That's because of the weeks worth of groundwork by the Hollywood agents working the writers guild leadership on one side, and the studio and network moguls on the other. I was told not to expect an agreement this week. But my source thought it was possible that the strike could be settled before Christmas.

 

Look, I don't want to raise false hope here. But this source has been very accurate in the past. The negotiations starting today will have a news blackout, so don't expect any significant leaks. But consider the real possibility there's been a breakthrough. Still, I must caution that this is Hollywood -- where defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory nearly every time.

 

Dont get your hopes up apparently.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Supposing the strike ends, will the season of the TV shows resume as normal or will they still go on hiatuses and just start planning for next season?

 

[Jaxxson Mayhem 0]

Good question.

[bob_barron 0]

The shows would just resume production

[Cartman 0]

Oh PLEASE let this be true. I hate that Heroes is rushing to the finish in these next 2 eps. I need my weekly fixes of Reaper, Chuck, Bionic Woman, FNL, Big Bang Theory, etc!

[BlackFlagg 0]

Oh PLEASE let this be true. I hate that Heroes is rushing to the finish in these next 2 eps. I need my weekly fixes of Reaper, Chuck, Bionic Woman, FNL, Big Bang Theory, etc!

They're not really rushing, the season was gonna be two different volumes, just if the strike doesn't end we won't be seeing the second vol this season.

[Cartman 0]

I thought I read that they re-wrote next weeks episode some to make it the season finale? Probably didn't change a whole lot i'm sure but still it sucks.

[milliondollarchamp 0]

Looks like were in for a long strike.

 

Talks have broken down. The AMPTP has walked away from the negotiating table.

 

[bob_barron 0]

Meanwhile, a group of more than 300 filmmakers, most of whom are Writers Guild members, have asked the Directors Guild of America to hold off on launching its own contract talks with studios while the WGA remains in negotiations.

 

The Directors Guild is widely seen as more sympathetic to the studios and less militant than the Writers Guild, whose negotiating position could be undermined if the AMPTP strikes a deal first with the directors. The DGA contract expires next June.

 

A union spokeswoman said the writer-directors made their request in a letter delivered on Thursday. Signatories included such leading filmmakers as Joel and Ethan Coen, Ed Zwick, Lawrence Kasdan and Sean Penn.

 

The DGA spokeswoman said the AMPTP had not approached the Directors Guild about starting early contract talks.

 

(from a Reuters article)

 

The DGA fucking over the WGA would be hilarious

[Prophet of Mike Zagurski 0]

I read an article that the other union that represents pretty much everyone else (grips, etc.) are upset with WGA because they keep adding on to their list of demands.

[Jericholic82 0]

this sucks, now we will get no meatball on the pizza on the tree at Letterman, or worlds fastest baby jesus on conan (or the holiday party pictures of conan, max, and joel)

[CanadianChris 0]

Things are getting interesting now...

 

http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/p...over_sooner.asp

 

The writers' strike may be over sooner

 

If Letterman cuts a deal to get back on the air

 

By Vanessa Arrington

Dec 17, 2007

 

Last week it looked like the writer's strike could go on forever, with both sides again sniping publicly at one another.

 

That all changed over the weekend. Now it's looking like the strike could be settled by January, if not sooner.

 

Everything is again back in play, but the action has moved beyond the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and it's being led by other cooler heads in their exasperation over the collapse of negotiations.

 

Key is a move, announced over the weekend, by David Letterman to strike an independent deal with the WGA to spring his writers and get his show back on the air.

 

Letterman's Worldwide Pants produces "Late Show with David Letterman" and also the "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," two of the late night shows most hurt by the strike. The WGA will meet with Letterman and has vowed to open negotiations with other production companies as well.

 

A Letterman deal could break loose a flood of similar deals. Letterman going back would open the way for Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien.

 

As it is, just this morning NBC announced that "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" will return to the air on Jan. 2 without writers.

 

But that's hardly the only force that could bring a fast resolution to the strike.

 

Always looming in the background were the pending talks with the Director's Guild of America, whose contract runs out in the spring. Now the latest word is that the DGA will begin talks with the studios in early January, and a quick settlement would seem likely.

 

That becomes a real problem for the WGA. A DGA deal would all but eliminated any hope on the part of the WGA of gaining the concessions it has been seeking from the studios regarding fees for content its member writers create for internet, a key area of contention.

 

Whatever deal the DGA reached with the studios would become the template for the other unions, and that deal would likely offer little any concessions in the area of new media, which is a low priority for directors.

 

All of this boxes the writers, of course. If they don't get back to the negotiating table and make major concessions, they'll get frozen out. And while they had won a lot of support early on from the public and other unions, that's all grown quite thin by now, especially among the unions, whose members have now been out of work a month a half over a beef that is not theirs.

 

The WGA has said its stand will not be affected by a DGA deal but few believe that.

 

But the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers isn't is particularly good shape either. Its member studios released a statement of unity over the weekend, a direct response to the WGA vow to negotiate with individual studios directly.

 

But it's not particularly convincing. If Letterman should break away, cutting his own deal, the floodgate would be open. And Letterman seems very committed to doing just that.

 

Letterman is hoping to reach an interim agreement this week, and that would have him back on the air in January.

 

Further, Letterman is a member of the guild and supportive of writers, so odds are he'll concede in the very areas of new media where the AMPTP has been most resistant. The Letterman deal would then become the template for deals between the WGA and other studios.

 

Which way will it go? Will the WGA get boxed out? Or will it be the AMPTP?

 

It almost doesn't matter.

[Guest My Pal, the Tortoise]

I read an article that the other union that represents pretty much everyone else (grips, etc.) are upset with WGA because they keep adding on to their list of demands.

What happened to Solidarity Forever?

 

I still just can't trust these kinds of unions. Look at the shit going on in baseball. These aren't the unions that protect their workers from being exploited till they die. I don't know what they are.

[King Kamala 0]

Conan and Leno are coming back January 2nd

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071217/ap_en_...te_night_return

[CanadianChris 0]

I read an article that the other union that represents pretty much everyone else (grips, etc.) are upset with WGA because they keep adding on to their list of demands.

What happened to Solidarity Forever?

 

I still just can't trust these kinds of unions. Look at the shit going on in baseball. These aren't the unions that protect their workers from being exploited till they die. I don't know what they are.

They're the unions that pad the pockets of their leaders till they die.

[Jericholic82 0]

conan, leno, letteran, and kimmel are back in jan. hurrah.

 

Im mostly happy for kimmel and conan cant wait to see these two just improvise.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Just read that Stewart and Colbert are coming back on the 7th. Excellent news.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071220/ap_en_tv/hollywood_labor

[Perfxion 0]

Here is the most recent update to the strike chart:

 

[UPDATED 12/20/07] There seems to be little doubt that the writers' strike will result in a shorter TV season, but just how short are we talking? Well, as you might've guessed, it varies from show to show. Those programs that are either highly efficient (Friday Night Lights) or have entered the season with a backlog of episodes (Men in Trees, Law & Order: SVU) will be in originals well into the new year. But series with tighter production schedules (i.e., nearly every half-hour comedy) will go dark almost immediately. Of course, figuring out how many episodes remain in your favorite shows' arsenals requires a lot of numbers crunching — and as I've come to learn, the only thing you Ausholes despise more than a Wednesday without AA is mathematics. With that in mind, I pulled together this incredibly handy (and 85 percent complete) cheat sheet. Keep in mind: The information below is subject to change, particularly if both sides get back to the bargaining table and resolve this frakkin' thing! (For ongoing WGA strike coverage, read TVGuide.com's Strike Watch blog.)

 

30 Rock: Ten episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there is one left.

 

Aliens in America: Seventeen episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are seven left.

 

Back to You: Nine episodes will be produced. Seven episodes have aired, so there are two left.

 

The Big Bang Theory: Eight episodes were produced. Eight episodes have aired, so there are zero left.

 

Bionic Woman: Eight episodes will be produced. Eight episodes have aired, so there is zero left.

 

Bones: Twelve episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

Boston Legal: Fourteen episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are four left.

 

Brothers & Sisters: Twelve episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

Carpoolers: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Six episodes have aired, so there are seven left.

 

Cavemen: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Six episodes have aired, so there are seven left.

 

Chuck: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there are two left.

 

Criminal Minds: Roughly twelve episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there is roughly one left.

 

CSI: Eleven episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there is one left.

 

CSI: NY: Fourteen episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

Desperate Housewives: Ten episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there is one left.

 

Dirty Sexy Money: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

ER: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are four left.

 

Friday Night Lights: Fifteen episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are six left.

 

Gossip Girl: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there are two left.

 

Greek: Eight new episodes will be produced. None have aired yet, so there are eight left.

 

Grey's Anatomy: Eleven episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there is one left.

 

Heroes: Eleven episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there is zero left.

 

House: Twelve episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

How I Met Your Mother: Eleven episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there are zero left.

 

Jericho: Seven episodes will be produced. None have aired yet, so there are seven episodes left.

 

Las Vegas: Nineteen episodes will be produced. Eleven have aired, so there are eight left.

 

Law & Order: SVU: Fourteen episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are four left.

 

Life is Wild: Twelve episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

Lost: Eight episodes will be produced. None have aired yet, so there are eight episodes left.

 

Medium: Nine episodes will be produced. None have aired yet, so there are nine episodes left.

 

Men in Trees: Nineteen episodes will be produced. Eight episodes have aired, so there are 11 left.

 

My Name is Earl: Thirteen episodes will be produced (that includes two one-hour eps, which count double). Twelve episodes have aired, so there is one left.

 

The New Adventures of Old Christine: Eight episodes have been produced. No episodes have aired, so there are eight left.

 

Numbers: Twelve episodes will be produced. Ten have aired, so there is two left.

 

The Office: Twelve half-hour episodes will be produced. Twelve half-hour episodes have aired, so there are zero half-hour episodes left.

 

One Tree Hill: Twelve episodes will be produced. None have aired yet, so there are twelve episodes left.

 

Prison Break: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Eight episodes have aired, so there are five left. (On hiatus 'til Jan. 14)

 

Private Practice: Nine episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are zero left.

 

Pushing Daisies: Nine episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are zero left.

 

Reaper: Twelve episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are two left.

 

Samantha Who?: Twelve episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

Scrubs: Eleven episodes will be produced. Six episodes have aired, so there are five left.

 

Shark: Twelve episodes will be produced. Eleven episodes have aired, so there is one left.

 

The Shield: All 13 season-seven episodes will be completed. None have aired (the final season gets underway in '08), so there are 13 left.

 

Smallville: Fifteen episodes will be produced. Nine episodes have aired, so there are six left.

 

Supernatural: Ten to 12 episodes will be produced. Seven episodes have aired, so there are two to four left.

 

Ugly Betty: Thirteen episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are three left.

 

Without a Trace: Twelve episodes will be produced. Ten episodes have aired, so there are two left.

 

• If your favorite show isn't included above, don't panic — it's not because I hate you. It's because I'm still trying to track down the info. As soon as I get it, I'll add it to the list.

 

credit: http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TV...Chart/800026937

[CanadianChris 0]

I wonder what this will do to planned DVD season sets. Will they combine this season's episodes with next season's set, or sell half a season at a reduced price?

[Youth N Asia 0]

Nice to see that The Shield won't be messed up by this

[Guest Smues]

There's an episode of Shark left? Awesome I thought it was already done.