I'm curious -- I've heard a lot about how the last strike happened in 1988. How did that one turn out? I know it lasted 5 months, but how did it end? Did the writers get what they were asking for, or did they give up and go back to work?

The results of the 1988 strike were mostly beneficial to the writers, although they did concede to receiving possible less residuals on syndication of hour-long dramas.

I found two articles that detail the deal that ended the '88 strike:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...5BC0A96E948260
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...ck=1&cset=true

That actually gets to a separate problem. Over the summer, I heard that WGA was concerned about two issues: first, residuals on DVDs and new media, and second, the fact that so many reality shows give their writers non-writer titles in order to bring the shows outside the WGA. The talk this summer was that WGA was going to insist that reality shows stop doing an end run around the WGA contract.

I haven't heard anything about that in the past month or two, though. I don't know if that's still an issue and it's just being overshadowed by the royalty issue, or if it's off the table.

You know I'm wondering what is the latest cutoff time before the networks have to start promoting the final produced episode as a "Season Finale?"

In other words, the studios better hurry the fuck up and decide if they want to go back to the bargaining table. From what I saw from the writer's rally at FOX on Friday, the writer's really want a deal ASAP.

Several shows are already prepping their "Season Finales" including Pushing Daisies and Men in Trees. Wonderful. Lets get a great show, make it go off the air in November and bring it back next September and hopefully people will remember the show. The networks pretty much just killed nearly every new show this season.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/fa...=1&oref=slogin

If they sell 50,000 units he gets a $6k bonus. Not exactly a ripoff. He probably got paid on the order of $20-25k for each script. If that's all he does he made ~$75k plus a $6k bonus. That won't make him rich but that's enough for a decent living even in LA. I'm not sure how long he gets to write one, but let's say it's a month. Work 3 months, make $82k, spend the rest of your time at the beach? That's an OK lifestyle.

'Scrubs' Creator Refuses To Bow to Strike Pressure


Scrubs creator Bill Lawrence refused to write an emergency finale to the hit TV show amid writers' strikes in Hollywood - because he insists the show will go on. Lawrence declined a pre-strike request to create a back-up ending for the show which would allow Abc Studios to finish filming the series early if the strikes continue into next year. Instead, Lawrence will carry on writing the show as usual and is refusing to let the dispute disrupt the making of the show. He tells Moviehole.net, "I will use all my leverage to end this show properly, even if it means I have to do all the voices myself and call people up to read it over the phone." Members of the Writers Guild Of America have been striking since last week after talks between the union and studio representatives failed to resolve a dispute over royalties. The hospital sitcom is one of several shows - including Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives - that may be forced to halt production if the writers' walkout continues.

It wouldn't be, if that's what he actually got paid. However, according to the math I figured out above, he'd more likely earn around $600, not $6000, from those 50,000 units. Meanwhile, the studios would bring in $2.5 million in revenue from those units.

Also, writers for a TV show are typically working for that show for the full season, regardless of whether they are currently writing a script. They are part of the "writers room," where story ideas are thought up, storylines broke down, and continuity of episodes ensured. So that $600 is a bonus for probably 9 months of work.

My view on the writers strike has wavered a bit here and there, but after reading the following nonsensical rant from Michael Eisner and now understanding completely what the writers are up against, I am firmly on their side 100%.

"The studios have nothing to give. They don't know what to give." Okay... first of all that's two entirely different concepts right there. Either you have nothing, or you're not sure what you have. The first is a bold faced lie. Studios don't do anything when there's no money involved. The second, well, if you don't know what you have, then you need to fire everyone in accounting because they clearly cannot do their job. But of course the second statement is a lie too.

Then, out of nowhere, blaming Steve Jobs? Saying the writers should go after him? I guess the writers should go after Best Buy too, because after all, that's where all the DVDs are sold, right? What an idiot. Studios license their content to online places like iTunes and Amazon.com and through Xbox Live for a fee. That fee goes somewhere, right Mike? Someone makes some cash on that transaction, otherwise they wouldn't do it, right?

Likewise for the streaming of online content, at places like NBC.com. Ads are placed on those pages. Ads are forced into the breaks of the shows being streamed. Someone is charging for those ads, and someone is collecting revenue from them. Again, this is pure idiocy to say that "there's no money... we don't think there's money... the writers should sue Apple because Steve Jobs is evil".

I have enough going on where I will now be completely fine if this strike goes on for years. Stick to your guns, writers. These people are morons.

Where did you get $20-25K per script from? Can we all just stop making up numbers?

$82K? You're not living in Malibu......

I don't know how much it is for a cash cow like LOST, but that wouldn't surprise me IF it were true.

I have a friend who writes horrible b horror movies and gets $2-3k per script, which she said was pretty standard for such fare.

Holy crap! He's gonna get lynched....

Well my point was I don't how much Carlton Cuse gets paid for a Lost script and neither does anyone else in this thread. People that support the strike make up lowball numbers and people that don't support the strike make up highball numbers, but it's all bullshit.

That story is somewhat misleading. He's not ignoring the strike. He just means that he wants to make sure the show gets the ending it deserves, even if it means filming it next season with him playing all the characters.

Bill Lawrence is awesome! If the scrubs ending gets ruined because of this strike I'm gonna be pissed!

Well since it IS his show, I'm sure he can write the remaining story he wants to tell on his own time. Nothing says the writers can WRITE, they just can't produce what they've written. Balls to Bill. At least SOMEONE is making sense! That anyone expected him to write a hasty series finale is sheer lunacy!!!!

Actually, the writers aren't supposed to be writing. Guild rules say they should turn over all unfinished scripts to the guild until the strike is over.

That sounds like BS to me. What anyone does with their spare time is their own business... especially the likes of Bill Lawrence. What does he care? The show is ending!

Yeah, Scrubs went into this season knowing it'd be their last, so Lawrence probably has something really good planed that he doesn't want to get fucked up by the strike, and he'd rather delay it than truncate it.

Quoted for, my thoughts exactly!

I have a question (it’s probably a stupid one), if the strike hasn’t ended at a curtain point next year (or this year), will Bill say, “Fu*k it!” and just go ahead and produce the episode anyway and be known as a scab?

I’d do it if I really loved the show I’ve worked hard at writing for seven years.

The problem with that is that the studio owns the intellectual property, so the Guild has no right to ask for it.

You didn't just take Groucho seriously, did you?

Believe it or not, on occasion, he can be.