October 22, 2007 - Could 24 be turned into 9? Will Law and Order fans have to be content with only the (seemingly endless amount of) reruns of their favorite show? What will happen to new shows like Chuck, Pushing Daisies and Bionic Woman? Will they simply vanish, never even having a full season of episodes? If the Writers Guild of America union decides to go on strike after October 31st - that might be exactly what happens.
Without getting too bogged down in industry details (most of which are difficult for even insiders to explain), the WGA (Writers Guild of America) wants a larger share of the profits on DVD sales, as well as establishing a plan for sharing in profits from "new media" - which encompasses all of those download and Internet distribution methods that haven't yet come into their own. The Studios, in the form of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, want to actually rollback some financial participation writers have enjoyed, and they are standing firm against increasing residuals. The two groups have been in tense negotiations with no real progress seen by either side.
What this means is that, after the writers' current contract is up on October 31st, they might walk off the job and strike. That means no meetings, no writing, no new scripts for TV shows or movies, no polishes, no on set changes - nothing. Shows will have to produce what scripts they have on hand - and then most likely stop working, thereby cutting the seasons short. This will likely lead to a massive influx in non-scripted programming; meaning lots more game and reality shows.
According to journalist Nikki Finke (who writes for LA Weekly and the website Deadlinehollywood.com), some of the executives like the idea of the TV season ending prematurely. With no clear hits, production and budget problems abound, and even returning shows failing to meet expectations (like Heroes), studio heads are looking for a "do-over." That means new shows may end their run prematurely and never be heard from again. It also means that late comers like Jericho and 24 could find themselves in strong positions when they premiere in the new year, gaining viewers starved for scripted content.
Some of the hardest hit shows could be the serialized programs like Heroes and Lost, that depend on momentum and retaining the involvement of their fans. Then there's Scrubs, which is going into its final season. Scrubs producer Bill Lawrence recently told reporters that if the strike does stretch on, he's already discussed with the studio that, when the strike is over, he can produce a finale for DVD release. He's primarily concerned with providing a satisfying ending for the fans.
The last time there was a significant work stoppage was 1988, when the writers went on strike for 22 weeks. The New York Times, in a recent article, recounted how shows had to wing it because their writers were on strike. Johnny Carson spent an entire show going through snap shots taken by Ed McMahon. An episode of Moonlighting featured a musical number with striking writers dancing with picket signs.
Some shows that will be safe include most animated programs like The Simpsons and The Family Guy, which are written far in advance to account for the production schedule of animation. It's unclear what will happen to South Park if a strike were to stretch on, as that show is produced much more quickly than more traditional animated programs.
There are seemingly dozens of factors at play that could determine whether a strike happens, and how long it might be if it did. The one thing that seems to be true for both sides, is that neither one wants a strike. They recognize that viewership on television and attendance in theaters is down overall. It's also hard to ignore that more and more people are looking towards other avenues such as videogames and the Internet for their entertainment. The massive success of Halo 3 is testament to that. And, as The New York times pointed out, with a quote from former NBC head Warren Littlefield: "There is tremendous fear in the industry about breaking a habit," Mr. Littlefield said. "During the last strike, the audience wandered and a lot of people didn't quite come back."
Without getting too bogged down in industry details (most of which are difficult for even insiders to explain), the WGA (Writers Guild of America) wants a larger share of the profits on DVD sales, as well as establishing a plan for sharing in profits from "new media" - which encompasses all of those download and Internet distribution methods that haven't yet come into their own. The Studios, in the form of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, want to actually rollback some financial participation writers have enjoyed, and they are standing firm against increasing residuals. The two groups have been in tense negotiations with no real progress seen by either side.
What this means is that, after the writers' current contract is up on October 31st, they might walk off the job and strike. That means no meetings, no writing, no new scripts for TV shows or movies, no polishes, no on set changes - nothing. Shows will have to produce what scripts they have on hand - and then most likely stop working, thereby cutting the seasons short. This will likely lead to a massive influx in non-scripted programming; meaning lots more game and reality shows.
According to journalist Nikki Finke (who writes for LA Weekly and the website Deadlinehollywood.com), some of the executives like the idea of the TV season ending prematurely. With no clear hits, production and budget problems abound, and even returning shows failing to meet expectations (like Heroes), studio heads are looking for a "do-over." That means new shows may end their run prematurely and never be heard from again. It also means that late comers like Jericho and 24 could find themselves in strong positions when they premiere in the new year, gaining viewers starved for scripted content.
Some of the hardest hit shows could be the serialized programs like Heroes and Lost, that depend on momentum and retaining the involvement of their fans. Then there's Scrubs, which is going into its final season. Scrubs producer Bill Lawrence recently told reporters that if the strike does stretch on, he's already discussed with the studio that, when the strike is over, he can produce a finale for DVD release. He's primarily concerned with providing a satisfying ending for the fans.
The last time there was a significant work stoppage was 1988, when the writers went on strike for 22 weeks. The New York Times, in a recent article, recounted how shows had to wing it because their writers were on strike. Johnny Carson spent an entire show going through snap shots taken by Ed McMahon. An episode of Moonlighting featured a musical number with striking writers dancing with picket signs.
Some shows that will be safe include most animated programs like The Simpsons and The Family Guy, which are written far in advance to account for the production schedule of animation. It's unclear what will happen to South Park if a strike were to stretch on, as that show is produced much more quickly than more traditional animated programs.
There are seemingly dozens of factors at play that could determine whether a strike happens, and how long it might be if it did. The one thing that seems to be true for both sides, is that neither one wants a strike. They recognize that viewership on television and attendance in theaters is down overall. It's also hard to ignore that more and more people are looking towards other avenues such as videogames and the Internet for their entertainment. The massive success of Halo 3 is testament to that. And, as The New York times pointed out, with a quote from former NBC head Warren Littlefield: "There is tremendous fear in the industry about breaking a habit," Mr. Littlefield said. "During the last strike, the audience wandered and a lot of people didn't quite come back."
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