The Writer's Strike: Runnin' On Empty?

As members of the Writers Guild of America continue to walk the picket lines outside the studios and network headquarters, the available supply of scripted series already in the can has dwindled--fast. Here's the latest on the viewing front:

DAYTIME DRAMAS ("The Young & The Restless;" "General Hospital;" "Days of our Lives" and others): All three major networks say they expect to produce original episodes through February. After that....?

ALL LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS: In reruns.

NEWS PROGRAMS AND REALITY SERIES: Most work under separate contracts and are not affected.

PRIME TIME: From "Media Life" magazine:

"The TV industry is fast shutting down. Shows that shut down earlier this week include ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” “Big Bang Theory” and “Rules of Engagement,” and Fox’s “’Til Death” and “Back to You.” NBC’s “The Office” and “30 Rock” are also shutting down this week, with only two fresh episodes of “Office” left to air, taking NBC’s No. 1 comedy through next week. The show was hurt by stars, including Steve Carell, refusing to cross picket lines this week to wrap up filming. Fox has postponed the spring run of the seventh season of “24,” saying it only had less than a third of the new season’s episodes filmed. The network wants to run all 24 episodes uninterrupted, as it has the last few seasons, and thus pushed the start date of the show back to next fall or even spring 2009.
Filming for “24” had already been disrupted by disagreements over the show’s central storyline, fires in Southern California that delayed shooting, and star Kiefer Sutherland’s upcoming jail sentence. There’s also a rumor floating about that ABC will similarly delay “Lost,” which has filmed eight episodes of the new season. The network does not want to go forward with an abbreviated season, fearing another ratings plunge that occurred last year when the show went on an extended hiatus. Even shows that have additional episodes filmed could be off the air soon. Some show runners, the producer-writers who oversee production on dramas and sitcoms, are refusing to edit the already-shot footage of their shows, saying that they are on strike entirely from every aspect of their jobs, although the WGA has not mandated such a move. Meanwhile, stars of talk, drama and comedy programs have been showing solidarity with writers, leading into next year’s Screen Actors Guild contract negotiations. The casts of “ER” and “Grey’s Anatomy” visited picket lines in Hollywood, “New Adventures of Old Christine” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus walked the line, and late-night host Jay Leno handed out Krispy Kremes to WGA members. Syndicated talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who refused to cross the line Monday to tape her show, was back on the set in order to honor her contract, but she skipped her usual opening monologue as a salute to her writers."

All this means more pressure on the studios/networks to work out a settlement. And the WGA is also under pressure to get a good deal. Can both go hand-in-hand? We'll find out. For now, a trip to the library may be a wise use of time. Or maybe it's a good time to catch up on those DVD collections....!

Until next time, here's hoping--and happy viewing!

Mike Spadoni

There May Be A Strike, But I'm Still Writing

The writer's strike is on.
As of Monday morning 11/5, members of the Writers Guild of America are off the job and on the picket lines, demanding more residual money for home video and Internet content. Something tells me this will not end well...but rest assured, this non-union Yank will continue to write, WGA strike or not.
The most immediate fallout from the walkout is the late night shows that rely on topical humor. "The Tonight Show;" "Late Show With David Letterman;" "The Daily Show;" "The Colbert Report," "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" are in reruns. "Ellen" is a question mark (new shows will air on Tuesday and Wednesday); the daytime dramas on the Big Three networks could either go into reruns or continue with the producers writing the scripts. Most prime time scripted series are expected to have enough episodes to get them through January or February--if the strike continues. (Reality shows such as "American Idol" and "Survivor" won't be affected; writers are covered under a separate contract as are writers for news and sports programs.)
Some series with already produced scripts have stopped production because their stars/producers are showing support for the WGA ("30 Rock's" Tina Fey and "The Office's" Steve Carell are among them). Other sitcoms, such as "Two and a Half Men" and "Back To You"--which do rewrites if jokes fall flat before a live audience--probably won't be in production either. And scripted shows that are set to return in midseason--"24" and "Lost," for instance--will not have enough episodes for a complete season IF the strike goes on.
ABC has postponed the premiere of its new series "Cashmere Mafia;" it was set to premiere November 27th but won't air until a future date. And NBC has scrapped plans for its miniseries "Heroes: Origins," which was set to air for six episodes to bridge the gap between new "Heroes" episodes; the network says the strike has made the short-run series unfeasible this season.
I'll keep you posted on the latest strike news in this space.

PHILO FARNSWORTH GETS HIS DUE: One of television's early pioneers in the United States will get his due on Broadway later this month--and you won't believe who's saluting him. The story of Philo Farnsworth, whose work on television led to legal clashes with General David Sarnoff, the founder of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA)--will be told in a new play called "The Farnsworth Invention"--which is scheduled to open November 14th at New York City's famed Music Box theater. "Invention" was written and produced by a man you may be familiar with--Aaron Sorkin, the man behind such TV series as "The West Wing," "Sports Night" and the late "Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip" (see Teletronic for more on that short-lived series). Jimmi Simpson plays Farnsworth; Sarnoff will be portrayed by Hank Azaria. We'll have to see what the critics think, but cheers to Sorkin for turning a book by Farnsworth's widow into a play--and for honoring one of television's pioneers and giving him his due.

Until next time, happy (strike-impaired) viewing!