TV writers to go on strike

[BGCarrera32]

Well la-dee frickin' da...network TV blows anyway. Have a nice rest.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21570821/

[NICKG]

unions suck.
there I said it, piss off Supe....

[The Gaijin]

More "unscriped" reality shows on the way...

[NICKG]

and as long i get to see :
family guy
robot chicken
Samantha Who?
I am perfectly cool...i watch BBC alot now anyway

[nostatic]

this is actually a nasty little blow for my new production company, although one of the shows is reality so that may get picked up more easily. And it doesn't impact documentary films...

It is a complicated issue. As a writer you're looking at most of your future revenue going away. As a studio, you want to have flexibility in your terms and models as you move to online distribution.

As for impact, you guys watch the news or late night talk shows?

[Aerkuld]

Maybe they could get school kids in to write some shows.
Do you think anyone would notice?

[craigster59]

As it stands, most network shows have scripts to carry production thru Thanksgiving or even to January. But the Teamsters have sanctioned the strike and if they honor the picket line, ALL production will shut down.

[Aerkuld]

Do NASCAR have theur scripts written through to Thanksgiving too?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Fire them all and get some people in there with some talent. Fine by me. No great loss.

[Nostril Cheese]

TV blows donkey c**k anyway.

Cavemen. I would have liked to sit in on that approval meeting. Must have been a lot of cocaine involved

[flashgordon13]

Maybe we can get some old "F-Troop" reruns or something worth watching. Network tv is a complete waste of time and an insult to the people they expect to watch the crap!

[widebody911]

Network tv is a complete waste of time and an insult to the people they expect to watch the crap!

+1

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Aerkuld

Maybe they could get school kids in to write some shows.
Do you think anyone would notice?

You mean the improvement? Might be a little more challenging but yeah I think people would notice the change to creative and intelligent story lines.

[Hugh R]

I worked for 5 years for Nick Counter, the President of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which is the negotiator for the producers (Studios and Networks). He is a hard as nails negotiator and without a soul. The problem is that many of the writers are also the Executive Producers of the shows, and are kind of stuck in that they support the writers, but work for the studios. Thus the producers of shows which represent a large portion of the revenue stream for the likes of NBC, CBS, and ABC are pushing the Networks/Studios to cut a better deal for the writers. The writes have historically been screwed on residuals compared to musicians, actors, stunt doubles, producers, etc.

Unions, for the most part, happen to work very well in Hollywood (I'm management). The hiring and firing rules are agreed to and straightforward. This is necessary when shows include commercials TV pilots, regular TV, features; where the project duration can be from one to 200 days in length. The Teamsters refusal to cross picket lines will shut down production immediately irrespective of how many scripts are stockpiled.

[slodave]

Makes no real difference to me. I gave up T.V. over a year ago.

[nostatic]

the writers by and large give the public what they want - ie dreck.

There are some incredibly talented writers in this town, and it is a very difficult job. You guys that are so dismissive should give it a try some time. Write a script on spec and shop it around. Being creative is simple, right?

[Porsche-O-Phile]

The only reason I keep Direct TV is for the occasional sports game (there are days I don't feel like going down to the bar and watching it for free), for Disney Channel (which the wife likes) and Discovery/National Geographic programming. If those go south or I can find them elsewhere, I'll drop the service entirely.

TV sucks. I probably watch 3 hours a week total, if that. It's mostly a dying/dead medium intended for the vapid.

[t951]

I would love the challenge of writing. I think the status quo is clearly out of ideas, and shooting for the lowest common denominator.

Think of shows from before 2000, there are some classics. (In the sit-com realm...Cheers, Seinfeld, etc)...Now how many classics since 2000, ummmm...... reality tv is cheap, bunk. How about SNL. It is so bad, well I cannot fathom that it is still on the air.

I hope they, the writers, learn that the product does matter.

[BGCarrera32]

Originally Posted by nostatic

the writers by and large give the public what they want - ie dreck.

There are some incredibly talented writers in this town, and it is a very difficult job. You guys that are so dismissive should give it a try some time. Write a script on spec and shop it around. Being creative is simple, right?

I put my creativity to work in engineering and the sciences as do you and others here so get off your pedestal for a change. The crap shoved out to the American public is a signficiant reason for the drop in advertising revenues and their market share percentages. If they would like to be creative...I'm waiting. The next stupid show about who's sleeping with who won't be turned on in my house.

[nostatic]

There are plenty of bad writers...just like any other profession. But tons of good ones too. Seems that there is a wholesale disdain for them here and I'm just trying to point out that it isn't a particularly easy or glamorous job. If you don't like the shows, don't watch them. I certainly don't...I can count the number of network tv shows I watch on one hand. But these same writers that everyone seems to want to slag off also are writing The Office, 24, Daily Show, etc.