Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

it's not all filmed. I'm pretty sure the producer said something like he'd go back and do a DVD finale eventually.

[elicoleman]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Strike Causes Trouble For Scrubs’ Farewell

Scrubs has had a weird network history since it debuted on NBC in 2001. It’s never really had a steady home on the schedule, it’s nearly been cancelled twice, and it almost ended up on another network altogether (ABC) before it was renewed at the last minute. So it’s no surprise that its planned farewell from television would have some drama attached as well.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Scrubs currently only has twelve of its planned eighteen episodes written. This leaves the sitcom’s final show up in the air if the writers strike goes into the New Year. Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence said, “On a personal level, yeah, it would be nice to finish work on 'Scrubs' the way I wanted to. It looks like it's not happening is certainly disappointing, I can't lie.”

NBC has made a lot of the fact that it is Scrubs’s last season on the air. Almost every promo for the show has some dramatic music behind it, or slomo footage from the show like the viewer would be foolish to miss a single second of the show. Although the show never was a real rating winner, it does have a devoted following, and most fans of the Braff-fronted show I know were happy that the show is being tied in a nice little bow in the end, instead of being unceremoniously dumped without saying good-bye.

The good news is that it would take a work stoppage of a considerable length for the show the affected. But Lawrence says the concern is that no one knows how long this will last. “Right now, I fear that a lot of the writers have no real clue just how tough this is going to be. I'd imagine things will get very grim sometime after Christmas," Lawrence said.

[bkfount]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

I'd imagine things will get very grim sometime after Christmas," Lawrence said.

yep, for this strike to work, they had do it early enough to affect shows down the line, but they'll also have to hold out long enough for it to matter. I don't really see how it can end in a few weeks. Stuff like 24 will be f'd in the a.

Even then, the networks have american idol and all kinds of reality shows to roll out, which require no writers at all.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

yep, for this strike to work, they had do it early enough to affect shows down the line, but they'll also have to hold out long enough for it to matter. I don't really see how it can end in a few weeks. Stuff like 24 will be f'd in the a.

Even then, the networks have american idol and all kinds of reality shows to roll out, which require no writers at all.

I'd imagine "reality" shows are the shows that take the most writing to make it to the air.

[Double Eights]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

I will be absolutely pissed if any of the shows I watch are "seriously" hurt. I can live if some of the shows I watch are hurt, but if Prison Break and Scrubs get screwed up, I may kill someone.

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Boo. Re-runs.

[Psyblast]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

http://tv.ign.com/articles/832/832730p1.html

Heroes: As we reported Friday, Heroes is likely going to turn their December 3rd episode, the eleventh of the season, into the season finale. It was always intended as the end of the "Generations" arc, and a new ending has been written in order to turn it into a more solid conclusion for now.

Lost: ABC's big mid-season show was meant to be Lost, which was to return to begin a 16 episode fourth season early next year. Last week Eonline reported that Lost had been written up through episode 14, so that the majority of the season could be shot.

However, IGN spoke to Lost star Michael Emerson this past Friday and he said, "You know, I know that's out there but I don't think that's true. I think that story is not true. To the best of my knowledge, they never have more than one episode beyond what we're shooting." Emerson told us he was currently shooting the seventh episode of Season 4 and that "We probably have enough material to complete the first half of their season." It's assumed that ABC will likely decide to at least air the completed eight episodes in the spring.

Jericho: Fans of serialized drama should take note of this one. Jericho's last minute resurrection after cancellation led to it getting an abbreviated seven episode season, which has already completed production. If the strike continues CBS will be able to program Jericho at a time when few other serialized series are on the air and with the huge added bonus of offering a complete story told over its brief season, rather than the abrupt cut off most other serialized shows will have to endure.

Prison Break: Also a bit luckier than many other serialized dramas, Prison Break has enough scripts completed to get them through episode 13. That episode had always been intended to be a mid-season cliffhanger, so it can easily function as a full season cliffhanger under these new circumstances.

24: Fans won't be happy about this. The promotional push for Season 7 had already begun, but given the situation, the show might not debut at all this TV season. Because of the heavily serialized nature of the series and the specific 24 hours over 24 episodes format, FOX and the producers are debating whether it's worth airing only the first few episodes of the season, only to have the storyline be cut off for an unknown amount of time. Sources IGN spoke to have heard that the show has enough scripts completed to only get them through around episode 10 of the season. Beyond that, if production can't resume within a month, it's almost certain to ensure that the show won't be able to complete 24 episodes this season and thus won't be airing at all. Presumably the completed episodes would be held for whenever production does resume and air together during the 2008 - 2009 TV season.

South Park: Good news, South Park fans. This show will go on. Comedy Central informs us that South Park is a non-Union show and will continue as scheduled, including new episodes this week and next. It will then return in the spring with another batch of new episodes. Given how quickly the show is created and how topical it is, could a strike oriented episode be in the cards for next week's finale? (this week is scheduled to be Guitar Hero-centric).

The Simpsons / Family Guy: Like most animated series (besides South Park of course), these shows are written far in advance of their air date, due to the long process of animating them. That being the case, it's likely these shows (and King of the Hill and American Dad) will have new episodes for most of the season, if not the full 22. Still, Simpsons producer Al Jean has cautioned that there are typically rewrites done during the process that can no longer take place, meaning some of the episodes for later in the season could remain unfinished for now.

The Daily Show / The Colbert Report: Along with most daily talk shows -- Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel -- The Daily Show and The Colbert Report will be shutting down immediately. It's believed that if the strike goes on for a long time, eventually many of these shows will return, as Letterman and Johnny Carson did during the 1980s strike. Not having their writing staff for usual monologues and bits, there will likely be format changes, such as having the hosts simply sit and chat about the day's events at their desks.

The Office: While the show had one more completed script, it won't be filmed while the strike is underway. Not only is the series' showrunner Greg Daniels honoring the strike, but Daniels has told TVweek.com that most (if not none) of the cast are likely crossing the picket lines. Three of The Office's cast members -- B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling and Paul Lieberstein -- are also staff writers. In addition, star Steve Carell is a WGA member and is not going to work as well.

Battlestar Galactica: This is one of the more frustrating situations for fans. Galactica is currently filming their fourth and final season, and have passed the half way mark. However, the final batch of episodes are not written and so production can not be done on the end of the series. Even if a couple of episodes more are shot, SCI FI was already planning on a mid-season split, so fans should expect a ten episode run of the show beginning in April. The rest of the episodes will be held until the time when the final episodes can be shot.

The Shield: Production on the final episode of The Shield begins this week. The script is completed and barring any last minute changes, it should be filmed as intended. The big news is that the show's creator, Shawn Ryan, has vowed not to cross the picket line and thus won't be on the set or in the editing room to work on the show. It's likely that others working for the show will complete the post production work on the final episodes, but the fact that they will not be overseen by the man responsible for the show's existence is notable.

I think I'll go jump off a cliff.

[Beantown]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Anything about House?

[elicoleman]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Damn, sucks for viewers of those shows.

[Cebby]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Meh, The Wire and The Shield are unaffected, and Scrubs is going downhill anyway.

I still don't understand how these strikes can possibly work. I can understand a few like The Office, but for something like 24, as long as the main plot is done, me and 10 friends can think up some witty dialog and nifty action scenes.

[CMH]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Meh, The Wire and The Shield are unaffected, and Scrubs is going downhill anyway.

I still don't understand how these strikes can possibly work. I can understand a few like The Office, but for something like 24, as long as the main plot is done, me and 10 friends can think up some witty dialog and nifty action scenes.

There are a lot of struggling writers out there but how many would want to be scabs and eventually see their careers halted once the writers return? I'm guessing not many at all.

[mgoblue]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

There are a lot of struggling writers out there but how many would want to be scabs and eventually see their careers halted once the writers return? I'm guessing not many at all.

Exactly...It's funny how people say "TV writing is crap, I could do better"...you gotta think that with all the people who can do better, shouldn't tv not suck like they say?

Also, look at past pro sports strikes...most people who were scabs end up getting blacklisted...I wouldn't want to ruin my career just to get a shot writing crap dialog for Dr. Steve-O or something.

I don't think shows would be quality without the writers. A lot of you forget that a lot of the writers are also the creators of a show. You can't pull Aaron Sorkin away from one of his shows and expect the show to keep the same level of quality.

I also agree with the writers, if they don't take a stand then with the changing way shows are distributed (online, DVD, etc) the writers won't get anywhere near what they deserve.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

I'm going to go commit suicide. See ya.

[CMH]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

Exactly...It's funny how people say "TV writing is crap, I could do better"...you gotta think that with all the people who can do better, shouldn't tv not suck like they say?

Also, look at past pro sports strikes...most people who were scabs end up getting blacklisted...I wouldn't want to ruin my career just to get a shot writing crap dialog for Dr. Steve-O or something.

I don't think shows would be quality without the writers. A lot of you forget that a lot of the writers are also the creators of a show. You can't pull Aaron Sorkin away from one of his shows and expect the show to keep the same level of quality.

I also agree with the writers, if they don't take a stand then with the changing way shows are distributed (online, DVD, etc) the writers won't get anywhere near what they deserve.

They already don't get what they deserve.

It's tough being a writer or wanting to be a television/film writer. Just think about the times they get rewritten and don't get credit for their original work. The pay system is out of whack and has so many holes in it that young writers are basically doing numerous rewrites for the price of one. They get jerked around.

[RubenDouglas]

Re: Will This Television Season Be Cancelled?

why dont others go the south park un unionized route?

that seems to be the logical choice as theyll be getting tons more viewers with new content.

other shows need to jump on it and take advantage