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Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike

Playaa

By Playaa, Member
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For anyone who actually doesn't know...the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is currently on strike because they feel there needs to be a contract change to include alternate forms of selling shows after they've aired that aren't covered in their current contract. So basically, they write an episode of a tv show, they get paid. It gets put on DVD, they get paid for each time it's purchased. However, if it gets sold on iTunes or even viewed on free websites like Hulu.com, they get jack squat. I believe they're asking for 2% of all digital media sales. (more detailed info here)

I fully believe that they deserve this in their contracts. Writers (the average ones) are some of the lowest paid people whose creativity is required for creating the tv shows and movies we all know and love. If they deserve money for DVD sales (which the industry clearly says they do) then they deserve money for iTunes sales as well.

 

here's a list of the shows affected (currently as of 11/16/07):

ABC

Big Shots: 9 episodes completed; production on 4 more scripts winding down. Episode 8 scheduled to air November 29, leaving 1 new episode remaining before hiatus. Season order was for 13 episodes.

Boston Legal: 15 episodes completed out of 22 episode order. Episode 7 to air tonight; episode 8 to go out December 4.

Brothers and Sisters: 12 episodes recorded. Episode 9 to air December 2.

Cashmere Mafia: Launch held back until end of strike.

Carpoolers: 13 out of 13 in the can.

Cavemen: 12 episodes out of 13 ordered taped. Episode 6 to air tonight.

Dancing with the Stars: Production continues.

Desperate Housewives: Production shut down. 10 episodes recorded; episode 9 to air December 2. Show expected to go on hiatus with 1 episode held back.

 

 

Dirty Sexy Money: 11 of 13 episodes taped. Next new episode goes out November 28.

Grey̢۪s Anatomy: 11 episodes recorded; production shut down. Episode 10 to air December 6.

Jimmy Kimmel Live: On hiatus.

Lost: 8 episodes out of 16 ordered taped. In event of protracted dispute, the 8 in the can could run as a mini-season starting in the New Year with remaining shows held back for 2008-09.

Men in Trees: 19 episodes taped, some held back from last season. Episode 8 to air December 7.

Private Practice: 11 episodes taped. Production shutdown. Episode 7 to air November 21.

Samantha Who?: 12 episodes taped out of 22 episode season order. Episode 7 to air December 3.

Ugly Betty: 13 out of 24 episodes taped. Episode 10 to go out December 6.

 

CBS

Cane: Production on 13 episodes expected to be completed successfully. CBS plans to air episode 10 on November 27.

Cold Case: 10 episodes out of 24 ordered taped.

Criminal Minds: 12 episodes of 22 episode order taped. Episode 10 scheduled for December 12.

CSI: 9 episodes of 24 episode order taped. Episode 9 currently scheduled for December 6.

CSI: Miami: 13 episodes of 24 episode order taped. Episode 10 scheduled for November 26.

CSI: New York: 14 episodes of 24 episode order taped. Episode 10 scheduled for November 28.

Ghost Whisperer: 9 episodes out of 22 ordered taped. Episode 9 scheduled for November 23.

Jericho: Production completed on 7 episode order.

NCIS: 10 episodes out of 24 ordered taped. Episode 10 to air November 27.

Numb3rs: 12 episodes out of 24 ordered taped. Episode 9 to air November 23.

Rules of Engagement: Production shut down with 9 episodes completed. Episode 9 scheduled to air November 19.

Shark: 11 episodes of 22 episode order taped. Episode 10 scheduled to air November 25.

The Big Bang Theory: Production shut down with 9 episodes in the can.

The Late Show with David Letterman: On hiatus.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: On hiatus.

The New Adventures of Old Christine: Production shut down.

Two and a Half Men: Production shut down. Show expected to go on hiatus November 26.

 

Fox

24: Production shut down with 8 episodes taped. Show on hiatus.

Back to You: Production shut down with 9 episodes taped. On hiatus.

Bones: 12 episodes of 22 episode order taped. Episode 9 scheduled to air November 27.

Family Guy: Production shut down.

House: Repeats to air after American Idol in January.

K-Ville: Production shut down. 5 episodes aired, 3 more first-run episodes scheduled; however, show̢۪s future uncertain and it is not scheduled for spring.

Prison Break: On hiatus until January 14.

‘Til Death: Production shut down.

 

NBC

30 Rock: 10 episodes of a 22 episode season taped. Production shut down. Episode 7 scheduled for November 29.

Bionic Woman: 9 episodes of 13 episode order completed. Episode 8 scheduled for November 28.

Heroes: Heroes: Origins spinoff suspended. December 3 episode to serve as finale of volume two.

Journeyman: 13 episodes of 13 ordered taped. Episode 11 scheduled for December 3.

Law and Order: SVU: 14 episodes taped. Episode 9 to air November 27.

Medium: 9 episodes out of a 22 episode order completed.

My Name Is Earl: All season 3 episodes completed.

Saturday Night Live: On hiatus.

Scrubs: 11 episodes shot. Non-WGA staff editing 12th episode. NBC rumoured to have wanted 12th episode to serve as series finale; creator Bill Lawrence refuses to wrap series early.

The Office: Production shut down - actors refused to cross picket lines. Show to go on hiatus effective November 15.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: On hiatus. NBC considering plan to bring show back with guest hosts beginning November 19. Jay Leno refuses to cross picket lines.

 

The CW

Gossip Girl: 13 episodes of 22 episode order taped. Episode 8 scheduled to air November 28.

Smallville: 15 episodes of 22 episode order taped. Episode 8 scheduled to air November 15.

Supernatural: 11 episodes in the can; 5 scripts available for production. Episode 8 scheduled to air November 15.

 

Comedy Central

South Park: Writers not members of the WGA; production continues.

The Colbert Report: On hiatus.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: On hiatus.

 

HBO

Real Time with Bill Maher: On hiatus.

 

FX

Dirt: Second season expected to be truncated.

Nip/Tuck: 14 episodes in the can; filming on 8 more postponed. Episode 5 scheduled to air November 27.

Rescue Me: 22 episodes ordered; production had been scheduled for early 2008 start.

 

13 episodes have been produced for ‘Chuck’

 

————————————————-

 

The fourth season of Sci Fi Channel’s “Battlestar Galactica,” which was set to shoot through till March 10, will wrap today because “they will have completed shooting on all existing scripts,” a network spokesman said.

 

————————————————-

 

Pushing Daisies creator extraordinaire Bryan Fuller informs me that the show’s ninth episode — the last one for which a script is written — can function as a season finale in the event the strike extends into the new year and beyond.

 

“As we were scrambling to rewrite [Episode 9],” he reveals, “we added several elements that will put many balls into the air and hopefully encourage the audience to come back and see how they land.”

 

Fuller confirms that production on the potential season finale got under way today, which means “our crew will now be able to work through Thanksgiving.”

 

————————————————-

 

Monday, November 12 is the last day The Unit will be shooting new episodes until the Writers Strike is over. Whether or not you support this strike, some very good, hardworking and dedicated staffers will be out of work. :’( Below is a list of sites to visit for support, activism and venting.

 

This also means that we are probably going to have alot of reality tv next year :( (and that movie season isn't going to be as good)

Edited by Playaa/Pselus
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boiler Newbie

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movie season in 2009 will be the one that sucks (at least the big blockbuster type ones), most of the stuff coming out in '08 has probably already been written and is being produced/shot now.

 

I am the most upset about 24's season being "postponed indefinitely" and no new Family Guys for lord knows how long. That and Heroes will have a much shorter than expected season 2.

 

This sucks. Transformers 2 is probably going to be delayed now too so it might not even be out in 2009 now :(

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anonymo Newbie

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movie season in 2009 will be the one that sucks (at least the big blockbuster type ones), most of the stuff coming out in '08 has probably already been written and is being produced/shot now.

I would go as far and say that many hollywood films won't be affected until the 2010 season. Most blockbusters get filmed anywhere from a year to five in advance. Also, scripts for many films for the 09/10 seasons have already been sold and contracts signed, so this strike (depending on the contracts) won't affect them.

 

I tried desperately to find the picture I stumbled across yesterday of WGA strikers with blank picket signs...I lol'd

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[LaW]Maverick Newbie

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umm...

 

Haven't you guys noticed that the movies (for the most part) have all sucked lately? Personally, I don't think it's the writers screwing things up, I think it's the producers and directors:

 

Producer: "Ohh yeah, this is great stuff, but let's change this and this so it's more intense"

Writer: *hangs his head in defeat mixed equally with a healthy dose of disgust*

 

:boo:

 

It just means that the already bad movies are going to get worse. Hollywood doesn't know what they're doing anymore.

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anonymo Newbie

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Hollywood doesn't know what they're doing anymore.

Oh they know what they're doing, they're trying to make every single "blockbuster" appeal to the widest audience possible, which pretty much breaks every rule in creating artistic content.

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ZeroDamage Newbie

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I see nothing on "The Shield" which is the one show that I've been waiting for. Goes to show how selfish most everyone in Hollywood is. They get paid to write the shows so write the damn shows and stop your whining. I am getting old and enjoy my mindless TV entertainment. Screwing with my Heroes, The Shield, 24, Lost, BSG, and my other shows makes me mad as hell.Looks like "The Shield" with their ridiculously short seasons will be good (I hope) as it is the final season of the series. (Best cop show ever, period).BSG has 20 planned and only 10 are good to go at the moment. See the full list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_the...e_on_television

 

I am not fixing the formatting. Someone needs to fix this problem on the forums.

Edited by ZeroDamage
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shaftiel Newbie

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I see nothing on "The Shield" which is the one show that I've been waiting for. Goes to show how selfish most everyone in Hollywood is. They get paid to write the shows so write the damn shows and stop your whining. I am getting old and enjoy my mindless TV entertainment. Screwing with my Heroes, The Shield, 24, Lost, BSG, and my other shows makes me mad as hell.

 

 

I hell really mad? Perhaps its only dispondent, or just depressed. I've also heard, 'its fun as hell!' Seems like hell has emotional issues. Maybe hell is a woman? Hmmm

 

 

 

Shaftiel

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mookie Newbie

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So what is Conan doing? I heard that he is going to truck on. But that was only a rumor.

Don't they have NBC in Minnesota?

 

I heard it was in New York. Mookie must be having "How I met your mother" withdraws.

Hmmm, too bad you don't live in the broadcast area of an NBC station; you'd be able to figure out which episodes are re-runs about 30 seconds into the monologue.

 

"How I Met Your Mother" ... will run dry by month's end.

 

Oh, and: http://slapcountdown.com

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Saris Newbie

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Being a writer myself probably gives me a bias towards the issue, but the script of movies and tv shows is the most important part of the process. Even if directors didn't butcher scripts sometimes, if the script was horrible in the first place, the show would still suck. Seriously, the way people should judge movies that are worth seeing is by first noting the writer(s) behind it and then who directed it. Actors mean jack all and yet they get the millions for a few days of work and their name all over the project. Though I don't really haver a stand on the issue because I'm sure the situation is pretty crappy but I can't care for someone else's fight for more cash. If they were fighting for more recognition, I still wouldn't care, because I don't think it would change.

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