View Poll Results: How long will the WGA strike last from 11/12/07.
less than two weeks
1
0.74%
more than two weeks
2
1.48%
a month
6
4.44%
Christmas '07
7
5.19%
First month of '08
27
20.00%
Three months or longer.
92
68.15%
Voters: 135. You may not vote on this poll
How long do you the the WGA strike will last?
11-13-07, 01:52 PM
#51
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by Jimmy James
The chart above makes it pretty clear that there was a decline in households well before the last strike happened.
11-13-07, 01:58 PM
#52
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The only thing that chart really proves is that the '88 strike was only one factor in the declining viewership for the major networks. The decline had already started before the strike. True, the strike most likely accelerated it, but the eventual result would have been the same.
[Edit]
Doh! I see that while I was reading the thread, others posted the same points I raised... Always a post late and a byte short...
[Edit]
Doh! I see that while I was reading the thread, others posted the same points I raised... Always a post late and a byte short...
Last edited by RoboDad; 11-13-07 at 02:01 PM.
11-13-07, 02:06 PM
#56
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Originally Posted by RoboDad
Plus, UPN and the WB launched around that time, so I'm sure some of the other network's viewers went there.
12-23-07, 01:35 PM
#58
DVD Talk Legend
Don't forget that the introduction of VHS and cable would've affected network TV viewing. DVD has likely hastened the drop since 1996. Direct broadcast satellite TV also was introduced in the mid 90s.
Also note that the chart is only for network TV. I don't know about anyone else, but a good amount of my viewing these days is cable, even during prime-time. I wonder if overall TV viewing has actually dropped, or if more people are watching scripted shows on cable networks now.
Also note that the chart is only for network TV. I don't know about anyone else, but a good amount of my viewing these days is cable, even during prime-time. I wonder if overall TV viewing has actually dropped, or if more people are watching scripted shows on cable networks now.
Last edited by Jay G.; 12-23-07 at 01:39 PM.
12-23-07, 02:02 PM
#59
DVD Talk Limited Edition
The chart is pretty meaningless to the matters at hand. Viewers may have switched transitioned a bit to cable options, but those cable outlets are almost all owned by the same major companies that run the networks and are all covered by the ATMPS/WGA strike.
12-23-07, 10:06 PM
#60
Originally Posted by Ronnie Dobbs
According to CNN the WGA strike has "No end in sight". Wow.
1) This WGA strike will be at least just as long as the last WGA strike in 1988, which started the trend in "reality" television programming (remember Cops dates from the late 1980's).
2) The prospect of a combined "general strike" by WGA, DGA and SAG is no longer far-fetched.
12-24-07, 07:14 AM
#61
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Jay G.
Don't forget that the introduction of VHS and cable would've affected network TV viewing. DVD has likely hastened the drop since 1996. Direct broadcast satellite TV also was introduced in the mid 90s.
12-24-07, 10:05 AM
#62
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Originally Posted by Jay G.
Don't forget that the introduction of VHS and cable would've affected network TV viewing. DVD has likely hastened the drop since 1996. Direct broadcast satellite TV also was introduced in the mid 90s.
Also note that the chart is only for network TV. I don't know about anyone else, but a good amount of my viewing these days is cable, even during prime-time. I wonder if overall TV viewing has actually dropped, or if more people are watching scripted shows on cable networks now.
Also note that the chart is only for network TV. I don't know about anyone else, but a good amount of my viewing these days is cable, even during prime-time. I wonder if overall TV viewing has actually dropped, or if more people are watching scripted shows on cable networks now.
Another possible thing that could be the culprit for the drop, primetime TV isn't what it used to be. The ratings haven't been horrible up until a couple of years ago, a lot of that has to do with the fact that primetime TV can't create "memorable" shows anymore. I'm not saying primetime is %100 garbage, shows like 30 Rock, Pushing Daisies, Scrubs, The Office (don't watch, but it's well written) and a few others show that primetime TV hasn't gone down the toilet all the way, yet.
Like I said, I don't think primetime is garbage all the way, but I don't think we'll see shows like M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O, The Fugitive, Cheers, ER (old ER, not the shame of a show it is now), Sanford and Son, All in the Family, Soap, The Golden Girls, etc...
I could go on all day, but the fact is primetime (just like a show that has 'Jumped the Shark') is a shell of its former self, IMO.
12-24-07, 11:47 AM
#63
Add the internet. It has eaten a tremendous amount away from TV ... I spend more time at DVD Talk than I do watching DVD's ... Online gaming and chatting are huge time sinks.
I think the quality of TV is better than ever, attracting big stars and high production value. The writing rivals the movie industry. The competition between Cable, DVD's and the internet have altered the market place permanently and only time will tell if commercial TV can re-invent the business model enough to survive.
I think the quality of TV is better than ever, attracting big stars and high production value. The writing rivals the movie industry. The competition between Cable, DVD's and the internet have altered the market place permanently and only time will tell if commercial TV can re-invent the business model enough to survive.
12-24-07, 08:05 PM
#65
DVD Talk God
Originally Posted by kenny79
At what point in the strike would it be safe to say the regular spring schedule is scrapped?
12-24-07, 09:42 PM
#66
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My guess is that we're actually only a month or two away from this having a serious impact on development season (and, with it, fall schedules).
12-25-07, 03:15 AM
#67
DVD Talk God
It's already impacted pilot season. Hardly any pilot scripts have been written & shot yet. Your talking about a long process to write a script get it green lighted, hire all production staff & cast which takes several weeks to a couple of months. Most of them aren't shot until January-March or April. The pilot season IMO is DOA.
12-25-07, 07:31 AM
#68
Originally Posted by DJariya
Hardly any pilot scripts have been written & shot yet.
12-25-07, 01:09 PM
#69
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by kenny79
At what point in the strike would it be safe to say the regular spring schedule is scrapped?
12-25-07, 01:29 PM
#70
DVD Talk God
And pretty much all the new scripted mid-season shows were cut short because of the strike. One of the exceptions is Eli Stone on ABC, which actually finished it's entire 13 episode order.
12-25-07, 08:43 PM
#71
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Originally Posted by DJariya
It's already impacted pilot season. Hardly any pilot scripts have been written & shot yet. Your talking about a long process to write a script get it green lighted, hire all production staff & cast which takes several weeks to a couple of months. Most of them aren't shot until January-March or April. The pilot season IMO is DOA.
12-26-07, 05:57 PM
#72
Originally Posted by DJariya
The spring schedules for all the networks have essentially been scrapped. Every network is shuffling shortended seasons of current shows, re-runs , and reality TV to fill the void until May.
12-27-07, 01:02 PM
#73
DVD Talk God
Originally Posted by kenny79
But if the strike ended tomorrow, wouldn't it be possible to write and shoot episodes that would air in April and May?
12-27-07, 04:01 PM
#74
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Got this from Comic Book Resources
WGA STRIKE WATCH: DAY FIFTY-TWO
According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, attempts to restart talks and work towards an amicable settlement are not likely. Nikki Finke wrote, "I have learned that last week Jeffrey Katzenberg tried and failed to backchannel a compromise that would have brought both the WGA and the AMPTP back to the bargaining table. It was an effort that was laudable. But the fact that it was unsuccessful dramatically points up disturbing realities, I have learned: that the CEOs are deeply entrenched in their desire to punish the WGA for daring to defy them by striking and to bully the writers into submission on every issue, and that the moguls consider the writers are sadly misguided to believe they have any leverage left. I'm told the CEOs are determined to write off not just the rest of this TV season (including the Back 9 of scripted series), but also pilot season and the 2008/2009 schedule as well. Indeed, network orders for reality TV shows are pouring into the agencies right now. The studios and networks also are intent on changing the way they do TV development so they can stop spending hundreds of millions of dollars in order to see just a few new shows succeed. As for advertising, the CEOs seem determined to do away with the upfront business and instead make their money from the scatter market."
This comes after 127 writers with pilots pending wrote a plea to get negotiations restarted.
Late night host Carson Daly told the Associated Press that NBC put a figurative gun to his head. "An ultimatum was put in front of me," Daly said. "It was, 'Put a new show on Dec. 3 or 75 people are fired. What's your answer?'"
According to Deadline Hollywood Daily, attempts to restart talks and work towards an amicable settlement are not likely. Nikki Finke wrote, "I have learned that last week Jeffrey Katzenberg tried and failed to backchannel a compromise that would have brought both the WGA and the AMPTP back to the bargaining table. It was an effort that was laudable. But the fact that it was unsuccessful dramatically points up disturbing realities, I have learned: that the CEOs are deeply entrenched in their desire to punish the WGA for daring to defy them by striking and to bully the writers into submission on every issue, and that the moguls consider the writers are sadly misguided to believe they have any leverage left. I'm told the CEOs are determined to write off not just the rest of this TV season (including the Back 9 of scripted series), but also pilot season and the 2008/2009 schedule as well. Indeed, network orders for reality TV shows are pouring into the agencies right now. The studios and networks also are intent on changing the way they do TV development so they can stop spending hundreds of millions of dollars in order to see just a few new shows succeed. As for advertising, the CEOs seem determined to do away with the upfront business and instead make their money from the scatter market."
This comes after 127 writers with pilots pending wrote a plea to get negotiations restarted.
Late night host Carson Daly told the Associated Press that NBC put a figurative gun to his head. "An ultimatum was put in front of me," Daly said. "It was, 'Put a new show on Dec. 3 or 75 people are fired. What's your answer?'"
12-27-07, 04:56 PM
#75
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that the CEOs are deeply entrenched in their desire to punish the WGA for daring to defy them by striking and to bully the writers into submission on every issue, and that the moguls consider the writers are sadly misguided to believe they have any leverage left.
it would probably take 2 seasons of constant reality tv for audiences to significantly stop watching tv. can writers hold out that long?