Anyone here concerned about the looming WGA strike?
10-08-07, 09:24 PM
#28
Suspended
Originally Posted by Groucho
I'm always amused when people who make an insane amount of money go on strike.
I don't know who's right between the writers and the studios, but if there's a strike, it will be because the two sides can't agree on the terms of the writers' contract. I don't think it's fair to lay all the blame on either side.
TV writer Mark Evanier has been blogging about what the upcoming strike is going to mean:
http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2...07.html#014138
http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2...05.html#014129
10-09-07, 06:56 AM
#29
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
The guild also is proposing doubling payments on profits made from DVD sales and providing union pay and benefits to writers working in reality television and on basic cable shows
10-09-07, 07:50 AM
#30
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by JasonF
It's just as amusing when companies that make a far more insane amount of money refuse to appropriately compensate the people who make it possible for those companies to earn the money they earn.
I don't know who's right between the writers and the studios, but if there's a strike, it will be because the two sides can't agree on the terms of the writers' contract. I don't think it's fair to lay all the blame on either side.
I don't know who's right between the writers and the studios, but if there's a strike, it will be because the two sides can't agree on the terms of the writers' contract. I don't think it's fair to lay all the blame on either side.
10-09-07, 01:28 PM
#32
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by Charlie Goose
Don't the phony "reality" shows have writing staffs too?
From: http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/..._07.html#014138
Most of the so-called "reality" shows will keep going. One of the strike issues this time is that most (not all) of those shows claim not to have writers and the WGA knows that's a bogus claim to try and avoid paying WGA rates. The shows call their writers "segment producers" or "continuity editors" or "researchers" or something of the sort and the Guild is seeking to stop that. But the majority of shows that have writers and admit as much will at some point stop production. I'm not sure what will happen with programs like The Tonight Show and The Late Show With David Letterman. Both shut down for a time during past strikes but eventually came back on, with admittedly less material and a lot more difficulty.
10-09-07, 02:52 PM
#33
DVD Talk Legend
Originally Posted by Jimmy James
If the last strike happened a decade or more ago, there is no way The Soup came about as a result. Talk Soup may have come about as the result, but that's not the same as The Soup no matter how much revisionist history E! might want to play. It came about years after Talk Soup was dead and had a completely different name its first few weeks.
The previous WGA strike resulted in networks shifting to reality programming.
Reality shows took off. There are now THOUSANDS of them.
The Soup gets a significant amount of material from them - maybe more than 50%.
Therefore, if not for the original WGA strike, I wouldn't be sitting at home enjoying The Soup every weekend.
Sorry for not being clearer.
10-09-07, 05:18 PM
#34
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Ah. That makes perfect sense. Thanks for the explanation.
I'm not sure why it ticks me off when people fall for E!s revisionist history about The Soup, but it does.
As much as I love the show, I think I'd trade it for a world without reality tv crap in a second.
I'm not sure why it ticks me off when people fall for E!s revisionist history about The Soup, but it does.
As much as I love the show, I think I'd trade it for a world without reality tv crap in a second.
10-09-07, 06:21 PM
#35
DVD Talk God
and providing union pay and benefits to writers working in reality television and on basic cable shows.
10-09-07, 08:27 PM
#36
DVD Talk Hero
Originally Posted by Jimmy James
Ah. That makes perfect sense. Thanks for the explanation.
I'm not sure why it ticks me off when people fall for E!s revisionist history about The Soup, but it does.
As much as I love the show, I think I'd trade it for a world without reality tv crap in a second.
I'm not sure why it ticks me off when people fall for E!s revisionist history about The Soup, but it does.
As much as I love the show, I think I'd trade it for a world without reality tv crap in a second.
What is it, exactly?
10-09-07, 09:06 PM
#37
If we have a prolonged strike by the WGA (and it could bleed over into a potential DGA and SAG/AFTRA strike summer 2008), it could single-handedly drive the states of California and New York into a recession as TV show production essentially completely shuts down.
It is of my personal opinion that the Hollywood strikes of the late 1970's effectively stopped the ascendancy of ABC to overtake CBS and seriously set back NBC's attempt to revive itself until the early 1980's.
It is of my personal opinion that the Hollywood strikes of the late 1970's effectively stopped the ascendancy of ABC to overtake CBS and seriously set back NBC's attempt to revive itself until the early 1980's.
10-09-07, 09:34 PM
#38
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Originally Posted by Tracer Bullet
E! has revisionist Soup history? What is it, exactly?
What is it, exactly?
10-10-07, 12:57 AM
#39
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not worried at all...
I'm a big fan of a range of tv shows but it's far from my only source of entertainment. Hollywood could grind to a total stop for a few years and I would still have a ton of other free time killers..
Do I want to see a strike? no.. but if some of the stuff they have on tv now is the best they can do, I'm all for giving some new people a shot at writing shows. So bring in some replacement no names right out of school. Maybe some total unknown will turn out to be great, he/she just needed to catch a break..
I'm a big fan of a range of tv shows but it's far from my only source of entertainment. Hollywood could grind to a total stop for a few years and I would still have a ton of other free time killers..
Do I want to see a strike? no.. but if some of the stuff they have on tv now is the best they can do, I'm all for giving some new people a shot at writing shows. So bring in some replacement no names right out of school. Maybe some total unknown will turn out to be great, he/she just needed to catch a break..
10-20-07, 12:17 AM
#40
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Writers voted to strike tonight once their contract is up at the end of the month.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071020/...pAdh9hoF9xFb8C
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071020/...pAdh9hoF9xFb8C
LOS ANGELES - Members of Hollywood's film and television writers union have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike anytime after their contract expires at the end of the month.
More than 5,000 members of the Writers Guild of America cast ballots, with 90 percent voting in favor of authorizing the strike, the union said Friday evening. Members voted Thursday.
"Writers do not want to strike, but they are resolute and prepared to take strong, united action to defend our interests," guild President Patric Verrone said in a news release. "What we must have is a contract that gives us the ability to keep up with the financial success of this ever-expanding global industry."
Since July, the guild has been in talks with film studios and production companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Both sides acknowledge they have not made progress.
Nick Counter, the alliance's president, said he was not surprised by the vote.
"Our focus is on negotiating a reasonable agreement with the WGA," he said in a news release.
A key issue dividing producers and writers, as well as actors, whose contract expires next June, is compensation for DVD sales and productions that get distributed on the Internet or in other new media formats.
The writers' current three-year contract expires Oct. 31, and their vote gives the union's leaders authorization to call a strike anytime after that day.
Studios and TV networks have accelerated filming of shows and movies and begun stockpiling scripts in case of a strike.
The last strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks. Losses to the industry were put at $500 million.
More than 5,000 members of the Writers Guild of America cast ballots, with 90 percent voting in favor of authorizing the strike, the union said Friday evening. Members voted Thursday.
"Writers do not want to strike, but they are resolute and prepared to take strong, united action to defend our interests," guild President Patric Verrone said in a news release. "What we must have is a contract that gives us the ability to keep up with the financial success of this ever-expanding global industry."
Since July, the guild has been in talks with film studios and production companies represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Both sides acknowledge they have not made progress.
Nick Counter, the alliance's president, said he was not surprised by the vote.
"Our focus is on negotiating a reasonable agreement with the WGA," he said in a news release.
A key issue dividing producers and writers, as well as actors, whose contract expires next June, is compensation for DVD sales and productions that get distributed on the Internet or in other new media formats.
The writers' current three-year contract expires Oct. 31, and their vote gives the union's leaders authorization to call a strike anytime after that day.
Studios and TV networks have accelerated filming of shows and movies and begun stockpiling scripts in case of a strike.
The last strike in 1988 lasted 22 weeks. Losses to the industry were put at $500 million.
10-20-07, 12:22 AM
#41
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Now if your a non-WGA writer, would you want to risk being a scab and black-listed (when the strike ends) to work on these TV shows that are still in production that need scripts?
10-20-07, 02:34 AM
#42
Senior Member
Originally Posted by DJariya
Writers voted to strike tonight once their contract is up at the end of the month.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071020/...pAdh9hoF9xFb8C
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071020/...pAdh9hoF9xFb8C
Not quite... They've authorized their leaders to strike when and if they deem such action necessary. They did NOT vote to strike once thier contract is up. That could happen (and the way things are going it looks like that will be the case). The timing of the strike is dependent on the chairs of the WGA Negotiating committee, not a member vote.
10-20-07, 11:55 AM
#45
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
I’m willing to scab as well & I’m willing to write just about every NBC show. I’ll also write for some of the CBS Crime Dramas; it wouldn’t be too hard.
I can see a great storyline for Scrubs: a former med student (me) is Elliot’s (Sarah Chalke) sex slave! also, JD & the rest of the cast disappear for all of it’s seventh & final season & you’ll get 17 episodes of Sarah Chalke= uncensored!!!
Where's my EMMY!
Oh, And since I’m writing for CSI: Miami, It’ll be David Caruso standing there for 40 minutes giving off hilarious one-liners. Basically, I’m not changing the format.
I can see a great storyline for Scrubs: a former med student (me) is Elliot’s (Sarah Chalke) sex slave! also, JD & the rest of the cast disappear for all of it’s seventh & final season & you’ll get 17 episodes of Sarah Chalke= uncensored!!!
Where's my EMMY!
Oh, And since I’m writing for CSI: Miami, It’ll be David Caruso standing there for 40 minutes giving off hilarious one-liners. Basically, I’m not changing the format.
10-30-07, 01:14 PM
#46
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Just to give you all an idea of how the WGA strike would affect 24 and Lost. The deadline for a new contract is Wednesday at midnight.... 
Please let them reach an agreement! I want to see 24, not 8.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...68c60b2e2d4220
Indications are that both Fox and ABC are sticking to their original plan to launch "24" and "Lost" in January and February, respectively. Fox's "24," which started production late and was affected by the recent wildfires, is working on episodes seven and eight, one-third of its 24-episode season. "Lost" has almost reached the 10-episode mark, closer to the show's 16-episode season order.
Please let them reach an agreement! I want to see 24, not 8.http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/...68c60b2e2d4220
Indications are that both Fox and ABC are sticking to their original plan to launch "24" and "Lost" in January and February, respectively. Fox's "24," which started production late and was affected by the recent wildfires, is working on episodes seven and eight, one-third of its 24-episode season. "Lost" has almost reached the 10-episode mark, closer to the show's 16-episode season order.
10-30-07, 02:37 PM
#48
DVD Talk Legend
Not really. There's not too much I care to watch these days anyway.
I'd miss The Unit, but I can live without it.
I'd be more concerned if it delayed Lost, The Wire or Battlestar Galactica, but outside of those, they can fight forever for all I care.
I'd miss The Unit, but I can live without it.
I'd be more concerned if it delayed Lost, The Wire or Battlestar Galactica, but outside of those, they can fight forever for all I care.
10-30-07, 05:09 PM
#50
DVD Talk God
Thread Starter
Originally Posted by Peep
What do those figures really mean? As long as the scripts are written, it doesn't matter which episodes are in the can or being worked on.