I think in a pimp and ho analogy, the producers should be the pimps and the writers should be the hos.

Camera crews? Grips? Set Builders? Etc? Come on. There's only so many reality shows.

And all those people you just mentioned belong to unions, too.
If they went on strike, and shows got shut down, would you cry for the writers and actors who missed paychecks?

Look at the stagehands, who went on strike, and shut down Broadway shows for a week at Thanksgiving.

Here's an news article about it

wga-reminds--jay-conan-dont-write-monologues/

I am not quitting this conversation, but I have to go to work.
I'll check back in 10 hours

If the format was merely 3 or 4 guests and a band, what would be considered "written"? Could they have prepared scripts for him to introduce people like "My next guest has been in blah blah blah..." or do they just have to wing it?

Can they do stand up routines in place of a "written" monologue? Does it all have to be improv... who can prove it either way?

I can't wait to see how they pull this off. IIRC from what I read, when Carson came back during the previous strike, it made for some pretty unentertaining TV.

I'll cut you... fool.


Oh how I miss pimp bot.

If they intentionally tried to make the shows as bad as possible it could really help the strike. People would say "wow I had no idea how much writers had to do with the process." Maybe some people aren't aware just how big the writing staff is for these shows.

Who's going to write their material?

Uh, nobody?

I imagine it's going to be a mixture of improv and extended interviews.

From the monologue, to the skethes and bits ("Jaywalking," the "Top 10," etc.), I bet it's about half the show.

The other half (interviews) is really more producer and researcher-driven.

Good for Leno and O'Brien. Some are only thinking of the writers when many more could potentially lose there job because of this strike.

Not to go away off-topic, but if the writer's on Leno are making around $500,000 a year, they don't deserve it.

Sorry if I "offend" some people, but the written parts of Leno's (The Tonight Show) show is terribly unfunny. Some might disagree, but that's my opinion. I don't hate Leno like some people do, and I think he does good interviews, but the monologue and most of the sketches are painfully awful. I do like "Jaywalking", but a lot of the comedy in that comes from the answers people give.

Conan's monologue is pretty good for the most part, although it can get quite repetitive at times. His sketches are very well written, however. Craig's (Late, Late Show) improv knocks both Conan & Jay out of the water, IMO.

If they come back, with or without other writers, they are crossing the picket lines and will become scabs themselves. Anything they say in a monologue or in an improv with or without a guest would be considered writing for the show. Are they really that desperate to get back on television to alienate the WGA?

I respect that some jobs have been saved temporarily but strikes happen for a reason and this one needs to have resolution because there's a SAG contract right around the corner and the same thing will happen all over again next year.

I would love to see that. Conan is great with the interviews.

That's different from any strike in what way? If the UAW strikes, the guys in the parts plants suffer. If the grocery workers strike, the guys making the deliveries of Pepsi and Bush's Baked Beans suffer.

Which of course is supposed to be added leverage to help get a quicker resolution...

Brilliant idea. Make a crappy show and lose what's left of their viewers.

It would be nice to see the musical guests do 2 songs (their current hit and either an older hit or an upcoming single like SNL used to do) and longer interviews with more interaction (as it is, the interviews are too short and there's little time for interesting discussion after the guests are finished pimping their latest project).

Any word on whether they will have problems booking guests? I imagine there's a lot of pressure on celebs not to appear, even if the shows aren't technically in violation of the strike. How have Ellen and Carson been doing on that front?

I hereby consider Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno traitors!



E

Agreed upon the monologue. If "improv," though, then it's not going to be written. Also, like I said above, the researchers and producers prepare the interview segments. Writers do not.

From what Conan said I don't think they have a choice in the matter. He is expecting it to be crappy.

Ellen has been on everyday. Wonder why she isnt affected by the strike?

There have been many segments between host and guest that are clearly scripted by writers especially on Conan. Not sure what the WGA policy is for non-scripted lines during interviews. It just makes me sick that they are going back on the air during a strike.