Writer's Strike

[Colorado girl]

I would like to know how others here feel about the writer's strike. From what I am hearing on the news, TV land is about to face a serious drought in the next few months. I do feel that the writers should get monetary credit for reruns and internet. If it wasn't for most of them, the shows we have loved would not be very good. ( I know that is a Duh! statement). Do you think that our national obsession with celebrities and reality shows make it that much harder for them? On CBS Sunday Morning, they were saying that during the last writer's strike is when Fox network began two of the very first unscripted reality series, Police and America's Most Wanted. They reported that they are still on the air. I wonder as long as they can produce these shows at a fraction of the cost of scripted series and as long as most folks will watch what ever is offered to them, this trend will continue. Anyone want to give your opinion?

[Kasman]

For some background on the strike from the writers' POV:

Doris Egan's Blog

[matilda]

Hey, what an interesting woman and great blog (Doris Egan). Thanks Kas.

I've been watching the saga with a bit of interest - I always watch strikes/industrial/employment issues with interest cos it's my day job - absolutley support the writers but all I can say having been a trade union offical is what a terrible place to be in right now.

I don't think anyone makes a decision lightly to ask their members to forfeit pay (the longest I ever asked anyone to do it for was half a day and I can honestly say it was with a heavy heart), and being painted into a corner is horrible.

I saw some celebrity or another on TV the other day, I think it might have been George Clooney, saying that right now people need to go into a room and negoitate and not come out until they've struck a deal.

I can honestly say that's what I'd be doing as an official given the strike's longevity - this is a big, big ask I reckon. How many weeks have they been out for now? Lots of mortgages, homes and families on the line by now - horrible.

M

[inuvik]

I guess I'm not terribly sympathetic because at least they do have the right to strike. Many people don't.

It doesn't really affect me because I only watch 2 American shows, the rest are Canadian. You Americans are going to start seeing Canadian shows crop up down there, like Corner Gas, because of the strike, I have heard.

I do wonder if in this age of TV on DVD, and on the Internet, if it really will matter. People can buy/rent/borrow from libraries DVD's of shows. They can either watch old ones or explore new ones, if they don't want to watch reality shows.

[shmeep]

I would love to get to see some good television from foreign countries. It always seemed strange to me that our TV shows are so often exported but that we only seem to import other shows when they're shown on PBS. Why is that?

I sympathize with the writers, of course. They really should be reimbursed for internet viewings of their shows and if they let this one thing slide, they could be completely ripped off once technology changes and everyone starts getting their programs in different ways (as will probably happen before too much longer). They're right to jump on it now, while this is still a new and relatively small problem. Still...I feel bad for all the other people who are affected. All the sound and lighting people and the cameramen and...just everyone who works on all the different shows. I think this is why the late night talk shows have gone back on without writers. I know Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are torn because they are writers on their own shows and they support their writing staffs, but they are also thinking about everyone else who works on their shows.

Also...this may seem sad, but a lot of people depend on Stewart and Colbert to help them dissect the news and an election season without them on the air is just tragic. Even without pre-written bits and fun graphics, it's nice to see Stewart and Colbert showing clips of what all the candidates are saying and doing and commenting on them. It's not as polished as it was before, but they're doing a great job. Stephen Colbert is still particularly funny. He's a far better ad libber than Jon is and the quality of his show is nearly the same as it ever was.

On the first Colbert Report (now pronounced with the "t's," much like how The Daily Show is going to be A Daily Show for the duration of the strike), Stephen did a hilarious bit showing how he (as his alter-ego) had always been against unions. He of course had several clips from previous shows of him saying ridiculous things against them. He pointed out that he's been consistent all along. Heh. I've missed all that satire.

I really do hope the strike ends soon. Getting half seasons of everything is frustrating.

[inuvik]

Here's a blog entry I found about it. The shows it names: Corner Gas, Little Mosque on the Prairie, and The Border, are ones I would have thought would get shown. CG and LM are HUGE hits here. The Border just started a week ago, but is of common concern (US/Cdn border) and is very slick and has high production values.

www.asiancanadian.net/2007/11/us-eyes-canadian-shows.html

[maggiethecat]

I read a Variety article online a few days ago, in which they said that ABC/Disney has canceled longstanding development deals with a number of top-flight writers, which can only be interpreted as spite and trying to make the writers cave in. The producers and the networks are bing just plain ridiculous when they say there's no way to police the Internet to see how many times something has been downloaded. Puh-leeeeze. We can tell here on this little message board how many posts have been made, but NBC or ABC or CBS can't tell how many people have downloaded episodes of their shows? Give me a break. Of course they can.

Everybody has been hit hard by this but I've yet to hear any sort of sour grapes from technicians, costume people, etc. toward the writers. It's all about intellectual property, and not getting ripped off: the networks and the actors get residuals from DVD sales and reruns, so why the Hell shouldn't the writers? It all starts on the page, after all. Duh.

I also think this has been going on long enough that maybe, just maybe, the producers need to realize that they're just hurting themselves by not sharing in the proceeds. The Golden Globes traditionally spark an upsurge at the box office, immediately after the awards ceremony, but I don't see that happening this year. I hope they get back to the bargaining table before the Oscars, which is a huge moneymaker for the entire industry.

I haven't heard anything about us getting Canadian shows in the States, however. My guess is the networks'll just keep trotting out the crappy reality shows that don't need writers, and rerun everything to death, like they do every summer.

[matilda]

maggiethecat said:

I read a Variety article online a few days ago, in which they said that ABC/Disney has canceled longstanding development deals with a number of top-flight writers, which can only be interpreted as spite and trying to make the writers cave in. The producers and the networks are bing just plain ridiculous when they say there's no way to police the Internet to see how many times something has been downloaded. Puh-leeeeze. We can tell here on this little message board how many posts have been made, but NBC or ABC or CBS can't tell how many people have downloaded episodes of their shows? Give me a break. Of course they can.

Everybody has been hit hard by this but I've yet to hear any sort of sour grapes from technicians, costume people, etc. toward the writers. It's all about intellectual property, and not getting ripped off: the networks and the actors get residuals from DVD sales and reruns, so why the Hell shouldn't the writers? It all starts on the page, after all. Duh.

I also think this has been going on long enough that maybe, just maybe, the producers need to realize that they're just hurting themselves by not sharing in the proceeds. The Golden Globes traditionally spark an upsurge at the box office, immediately after the awards ceremony, but I don't see that happening this year. I hope they get back to the bargaining table before the Oscars, which is a huge moneymaker for the entire industry.

I haven't heard anything about us getting Canadian shows in the States, however. My guess is the networks'll just keep trotting out the crappy reality shows that don't need writers, and rerun everything to death, like they do every summer.

My pick is that the producers are terribly, terribly backed into a corner and are now attempting to be as nasty and vindictive as they can without thinking which, it seems to me, large employer groups always do when they've been VERY badly advised by union- and employee- hating, ideologically driven law firms and it's all backfired.

I really don't think that they (emloyers) expected the union to be able to hold its people for this long, pretty silly and surprising in terms of tactics given the history and culture of unionism in the entertainment and creative industries and the nature of the dispute.

I haven't heard anyone else whinging either - the publicity about affecting everyone else would just seem to me to be a typical beat-up by employers - but I'd be worried as an official if it didn't look like settling by now. These things have a way of turning ugly once they go on for a long time (eg air traffic controllers).

And whatI want to know is - why can't we have Canadian shows?? Although I think we might be getting Little Mosque on the Prarie this year.

M

[Kasman]

matilda said:

maggiethecat said:

I read a Variety article online a few days ago, in which they said that ABC/Disney has canceled longstanding development deals with a number of top-flight writers, which can only be interpreted as spite and trying to make the writers cave in. The producers and the networks are bing just plain ridiculous when they say there's no way to police the Internet to see how many times something has been downloaded. Puh-leeeeze. We can tell here on this little message board how many posts have been made, but NBC or ABC or CBS can't tell how many people have downloaded episodes of their shows? Give me a break. Of course they can.

Everybody has been hit hard by this but I've yet to hear any sort of sour grapes from technicians, costume people, etc. toward the writers. It's all about intellectual property, and not getting ripped off: the networks and the actors get residuals from DVD sales and reruns, so why the Hell shouldn't the writers? It all starts on the page, after all. Duh.

I also think this has been going on long enough that maybe, just maybe, the producers need to realize that they're just hurting themselves by not sharing in the proceeds. The Golden Globes traditionally spark an upsurge at the box office, immediately after the awards ceremony, but I don't see that happening this year. I hope they get back to the bargaining table before the Oscars, which is a huge moneymaker for the entire industry.

I haven't heard anything about us getting Canadian shows in the States, however. My guess is the networks'll just keep trotting out the crappy reality shows that don't need writers, and rerun everything to death, like they do every summer.

My pick is that the producers are terribly, terribly backed into a corner and are now attempting to be as nasty and vindictive as they can without thinking which, it seems to me, large employer groups always do when they've been VERY badly advised by union- and employee- hating, ideologically driven law firms and it's all backfired.

I really don't think that they (emloyers) expected the union to be able to hold its people for this long, pretty silly and surprising in terms of tactics given the history and culture of unionism in the entertainment and creative industries and the nature of the dispute.

I haven't heard anyone else whinging either - the publicity about affecting everyone else would just seem to me to be a typical beat-up by employers - but I'd be worried as an official if it didn't look like settling by now. These things have a way of turning ugly once they go on for a long time (eg air traffic controllers).

And whatI want to know is - why can't we have Canadian shows?? Although I think we might be getting Little Mosque on the Prarie this year.

M

Well, we already get Canada Gas, 'Tilda, and let's face it, an awful lot of "American" shows are filmed in Hollywood North!

[maggiethecat]

Not that this has anything to do with our discussion, but Matilda, I have to giove you karma for using one of my favorite words in all of the English language: whinging.

And now I know how to spell it (always wondered if there was an e in there to help the pronunciation). Very useful word, whinging. ;D

[inuvik]

matilda said:

And whatI want to know is - why can't we have Canadian shows?? Although I think we might be getting Little Mosque on the Prarie this year.

Or we get Australian shows?

[inuvik]

kasman said:

Well, we already get Canada Gas, 'Tilda, and let's face it, an awful lot of "American" shows are filmed in Hollywood North!

That's Corner Gas, actually.

[doobrah]

I understand why the writers want a cut of the internet and DVD profits. It's like the residuals they get when a show is rerun. What I don't get is why the producers won't work it out.

I read recently that Desi Arnaz had to pay out of pocket to get "I Love Lucy" filmed because CBS didn't think people would want to watch it more than once. Guess we showed them!

The prolonged strike is just getting viewers used to finding other things to do instead of robotically clicking on the tube every night. When the strike is finally resolved and new shows start to air, do they really think everyone will come flocking back in droves singing "All is forgiven"?

That said, I would love to see more "furrin'" TV shows! I already gobble up the British stuff on BBC America, Sci Fi, and IFC (which showed the Paul Gross series "Slings and Arrows", thank u very much).

CBS, which owns Showtime, is going to gore-down the wonderful series "Dexter". It's really not all that gory, but has some sex and language that is verboten on broadcast TV.

I think it is about time they dusted off "Demons" and gave us something new to watch!

[Kasman]

inuvik said:

kasman said:

Well, we already get Canada Gas, 'Tilda, and let's face it, an awful lot of "American" shows are filmed in Hollywood North!

That's Corner Gas, actually.

Yeah, I knew that. Was just too lazy to get up and check the box. *blushes*.

[Kasman]

inuvik said:

matilda said:

And whatI want to know is - why can't we have Canadian shows?? Although I think we might be getting Little Mosque on the Prarie this year.

Or we get Australian shows?

Now let's see: that would be embarrassingly unfunny comedies, crappy cop shows and even crappier soaps...

Sorry, but I have a fairly low opinion of most Aussie shows.