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tv and movie writers on strike

furcalchick

furcalchick

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Dec 19, 2006
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found this today through my bbc rss feed. haven't seen this news anywhere else though, but we could be in for alot of repeats soon if things don't get sorted out by tomorrow.

US TV shows threatened by strike

The screenwriters' current contract runs out at the end of October
Hit US television series such as Heroes and Grey's Anatomy could be threatened by a strike of Hollywood screenwriters.

Los Angeles-based writers are poised to take action over the terms of a new three-year contract, with the current agreement running out on 31 October.

The Writers Guild of America wants its members to receive payment when their work is featured on the internet and via mobile phones.

Broadcasters are preparing to screen reality shows if the strike goes ahead.

Screenwriters last took industrial action in 1988, delaying TV series and costing a reported $500m.

Film production

If writers walk out, the effect would not be felt immediately as TV networks have enough episodes of shows written and in production to last until the end of the year, industry executives and analysts said.

But after that, schedules will run into trouble.

US viewers could start seeing an onslaught of repeats, game and reality shows when TV shows run out of new episodes.

A prolonged writers strike could also affect next year's TV season as pilots for next autumn are being written now.

Hollywood film production is also expected to be hit, but would not suffer the effects of even a prolonged strike immediately because of the long time required to make films.

But movie studios could soon be wrestling with plots and endings for unfinished 2008/9 blockbusters such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the next James Bond instalment.

Negotiations are set to resume later at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers offices in Los Angeles.

The outcome of any talks between writers and the studios will set the stage for discussions with actors, whose deal runs out at the end of June 2008.
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7068955.stm

here are some strike news resources to check on a regular basis

variety.com writers strike coverage
variety's writers strike blog
unitedhollywood.com blog: wga's strike coverage
wga's youtube channel
the tv grid: production status on tv shows (updated regularly by the la times)
wikipedia page on writer's strike
wikipedia's page on shows affected by the strike
 
M

MacHipster

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Sep 11, 2007
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While I hope that they continue to work out their grievances with the AMPTP, I support them if they do go on strike. Screenwriters always get the short end of the stick compared with the SAG and the DGA. I admit that I'm indifferent to the DGA, but SAG is so damn greedy that I can never support them.
 
paddy

paddy

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Jun 25, 2005
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A few less excuses to watch tv would do some of us (myself included) no harm. ;)
 
Abstract

Abstract

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Dec 27, 2002
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24 fans need not worry. The show can just re-use the script from Season 2, 3, or 4. Or 5. Possibly Season 6 as well.


Does anyone else here think that screenwriters would be VERY easy to replace? They don't exactly come up with many original ideas, do they.
 
Rodimus Prime

Rodimus Prime

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Oct 9, 2006
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Abstract said:
24 fans need not worry. The show can just re-use the script from Season 2, 3, or 4. Or 5. Possibly Season 6 as well.


Does anyone else here think that screenwriters would be VERY easy to replace? They don't exactly come up with many original ideas, do they.
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ah but you forgot there are laws controlling how a strike works. Effectively they would have a hiring freeze put on them. So they could not outsource the writing somewhere else.
 
MacNut

MacNut

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Jan 4, 2002
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This also affects comedy writers, so late night TV will grind to a halt.
 
furcalchick

furcalchick

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Dec 19, 2006
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update

tv and movie writers going on strike as soon as monday.

The Writers Guild of America is going on strike as early as Monday.

In a lively meeting of 3,000 guild members Thursday night, the WGA's negotiating committee announced its unanimous strike recommendation, a pronouncement that generated an enthusiastic response from the SRO crowd at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The decision also is sure to cause ripple effects within the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild as they negotiate their contracts within coming months.

A final decision on striking could come as early as today via meetings of the WGA West board and the WGA East Council. Leaders stressed throughout Thursday's meeting that they could not specify how soon a strike will start. Attendees were instructed that they should go to work today and wait for a call or email from strike captains.

But it's a foregone conclusion that the WGA panels will OK a strike and the consensus is that they'll probably select Monday as the starting day.
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http://www.variety.com/VR1117975247.html

not sure if i said this here or not, but if this strike ends by new years, most tv viewers won't notice the damage with the holidays coming up.
 
P

PlaceofDis

macrumors Core
Jan 6, 2004
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meh. i don't watch tv in the first place so its not really going to affect me at all but they gotta do what they gotta do, right?
 
0098386

0098386

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Jan 18, 2005
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I only watch Heroes and Lost from the US, will it affect them?

Hopefully it'll make them shorten Lost and we get some real answers :rolleyes:
 
Unspeaked

Unspeaked

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Dec 29, 2003
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Stella said:
I can't believe reality TV has lasted so long. Its no more than dumbed down cheap trash.
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Yes, it's been almost eight years now since "Survivor" kicked off the golden age of reality-television and I would have guessed it would have lost steam by now.

I realize the shows are just so cheap to produce that networks can't resist them, so even average ratings mean a better profit for them than a much-watched, super-expensive show like "Heroes," but still - there's just so many of them that I can't believe the ratings they still manage to get. I never thought they'd go away entirely ("reality TV" has pretty much established itself as a legitimate TV genre) but I just didn't think it would make up as large a percentage of what's aired as it does eight years later...

And things like the impending strike only give the networks more reason to produce them in the future...



raggedjimmi said:
I only watch Heroes and Lost from the US, will it affect them?
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Heroes will probably only run the first 11 episodes of this season and the remaining half (Story Arc 3) will either be delayed or cancelled - depending on how long the strike is.

Lost, which wasn't set to air until 2008 anyway, had a greater chance of having the season cancelled entirely.
 
Pani

Pani

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Jul 30, 2007
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Better Off W/O It!

One of the best things to happen to the US public would be less t.v. Content is so influenced by sponsors these days, it is hard to tell when the "entertainment" begins and the commercials let off. I am down to one show, Ugly Betty, which is delightfully subversive. I can't even stand the charade that has become network news anymore! I bet we would be much happier if people started developing their own talents and entertaining themselves again! Long live muscians, poets, playwrights who may never see their name in lights, but live for their art anyway!
 
P-Worm

P-Worm

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Jul 16, 2002
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Pani said:
One of the best things to happen to the US public would be less t.v. Content is so influenced by sponsors these days, it is hard to tell when the "entertainment" begins and the commercials let off. I am down to one show, Ugly Betty, which is delightfully subversive. I can't even stand the charade that has become network news anymore! I bet we would be much happier if people started developing their own talents and entertaining themselves again! Long live muscians, poets, playwrights who may never see their name in lights, but live for their art anyway!
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What about aspiring film makers? I guess they aren't important like poets are? :rolleyes:

P-Worm
 
furcalchick

furcalchick

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Dec 19, 2006
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Unspeaked said:
Heroes will probably only run the first 11 episodes of this season and the remaining half (Story Arc 3) will either be delayed or cancelled - depending on how long the strike is.

Lost, which wasn't set to air until 2008 anyway, had a greater chance of having the season cancelled entirely.
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i think lost and 24 will have their season postponed indefinitely, so we won't see them until 2009.

and expect lots of repeats come new years. but it doesn't matter, i hope to be hooked on wii by that time. and i only really watch heroes and 24 anyway, so i'll just play more video games and watch youtube.
 
Rodimus Prime

Rodimus Prime

macrumors G4
Oct 9, 2006
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while this stick will effect some of the shows I watch the ones I care about will not be effected at all since this season is already completely written and most if already filmed.
 
furcalchick

furcalchick

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Dec 19, 2006
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South Florida
Rodimus Prime said:
while this stick will effect some of the shows I watch the ones I care about will not be effected at all since this season is already completely written and most if already filmed.
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depends on the shows you watch. some shows are finished or nearly finished, while others only have enough shows to last through the new year.

here's a guide of how many shows will be affected by the strike: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-striketvgrid-html,0,7606966.htmlstory?coll=la-home-center
 
D

Dany M

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Jun 18, 2007
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Lost already has 14 of 16 scripts written. 24 would have the same amount expect they started to late.
 
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