Writers Guild Goes on Strike!!!

[Danderson]

Has anyone heard about the Writers Guild going on strike? It sounds like we might be watching reruns more frequently. That and it sounds like we might be getting alot more reality tv shows.........just great.....

Anyways, just wondering what everyones opinion on this situation is.....

Being someone who's learning scriptwriting this more then likely means better chances for ppl like me to get there stuff looked at by producers who usually go to the writers guild......

[rocklobster]

I've heard that it may only affect live late-night comedy shows (like JAy Leno) and soap operas.

[EricTheFred]

No problem for me! I'm too busy watching Anime!

Seriously, I don't think this is the major national 'tragedy' it would have been twenty years ago. So much of what people watch now is outside the realm of what these people do.

But, I sure hope they don't get painted as 'rich crybabies' like when atheletes go on strike. Scriptwriters do not typically make the huge bucks, because there are just too many wannabees lined up to replace them. A lot of TV scripts are actually written by semi-pros, meaning people who haven't "given up their day jobs." The rare ones that do become 'rich and famous' usually do so by branching into a related field, like production (J. Michael Stracynski), or novel-writing (Neil Gaiman.)

[Fish and Chips]

But, I sure hope they don't get painted as 'rich crybabies' like when atheletes go on strike. Scriptwriters do not typically make the huge bucks

Completely seconded. Reminds me of a Pinky and the Brain where the writing staff is kept chained up in the basement. "Those are the writers, Pinky."

But, meh, this doesn't affect me all that much. I watch barely any television beyond the discovery channel, which is consistently awesome. Just films and Anime, really, so I'm fine.

[ShiroiHikari]

I really don't care. I hardly ever watch television, and when I do, it's stuff like Food Network or MythBusters.

[Technomancer]

There's only two shows on network TV that I follow anyways. If they go into reruns, I've still got a bunch of documentary shows that I haven't got around to watching yet.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

It's sad to see how little writers are making when they are the creative minds behind some television shows that are tremendously popular (Such as The Office. The writers for that show are going on strike as well). If I were a writer for The Office and I made a little more than your average highschool teacher, I'd be rather upset considering how much revenue the producers are getting for dvd sales and such.

[uc pseudonym]

This really only prevents me from watching The Colbert Report. I will have to do something productive with the extra two hours a week.

[mitsuki lover]

The Soaps are all set so they aren't affected.It's basically the late night talk shows and some others.
It won't hurt my viewing much since except for Sci Fi on Fridays I either watch classic oldies like Lost In Space or anime.

[ClosetOtaku]

Bah. I stopped watching network TV five years ago. I don't think I'm missing much.

[Radical Dreamer]

Lost's writers have only guaranteed ten more episodes.

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Anyways, I heard about this a week or two ago. Not particularly happy that the only three shows I ever watch (Lost, The Office, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien) will be affected by it, but what can you do? I'm not terribly worried about it, because my guess is that Hollywood will cave anyways. Interesting, though, that even though the actors get all of the fame, these shows are literally nothing without the writers. XD

[Mr. SmartyPants]

It's possible that the producers will just hire scabs to do the work instead. I fear that because if that were the happen, the quality of some shows would seriously decline.

[Sheol777]

Well Heroes and Lost and possibly 24 will be hit by this...and it doesn't stop at TV. Many movies will also be shelfed or even never made now.

This is all of course if it doesn't get resolved soon. In the 80's there was a strike that held up everything for 22 weeks.

The strike is over royalties from DVD, streaming and other uses of a show after the writer's job is done...which I think is a legit problem considering they make only pennies on it now.

I am sorry some of my favorite shows will be on hold....but selfishly there are a lot of anime and older shows I need to catch up on anyhow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Writers_Guild_of_America_strike

[mitsuki lover]

Considering the quality of some of Hollywood's products lately I highly doubt that much will be missed.

[Cap'n Nick]

And just when scripted television was beginning to make a comeback from the last strike! As much as the writers get the short end of the stick they of all people should realize that the most likely outcome is not a recognition of their true value but the ease with which they are forgotten or replaced.

[Nate]

That may be true, Nick, but the thing is, the SAG and DGA contracts are going to expire in July of next year, and if the writers' guild is still on strike, they're going to join in. So no actors, no directors, and no writers mean Hollywood will literally be brought to a grinding halt.

I fully support the writers in this strike, I'd just like to say.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Considering the quality of some of Hollywood's products lately I highly doubt that much will be missed.

Because we all know that Japanimation is chock-full of high-quality material.

[creed4]

I also agree that they need more compensation for their work

[Tenshi no Ai]

Good for them, I fully believe that writers don't get as much credit for what they do, and with their story/dialogue they're the ones who really make the show! As a former amateur writer myself, I've understood how writers are like the shadows of a production and taken for granted with what they do.

Too bad, I was looking forward to buying Family Guy vol 6 since I haven't had a chance to catch the new season. I guess there will be time to watch re runs of course. Still, I see channels ratings dropping like flies on those hours. People will probably be going out and buying more boxsets/movies, rather than catch reruns.

Although it sucks, hopefully the message will get across and give to writers what they deserve! It's always made me mad that actors and usually directors, get ALL the glory :/ They play their part and yeah do a good job, but those are the guys that get rich -_- 'Oooo I memorize lines, gimme a million for my contract!' vs. people who MAKE their lines... Yeah... It's just always been unfair that way.

[Danderson]

That may be true, Nick, but the thing is, the SAG and DGA contracts are going to expire in July of next year, and if the writers' guild is still on strike, they're going to join in. So no actors, no directors, and no writers mean Hollywood will literally be brought to a grinding halt.

Are you serious?....WOOT!!! Man, this could be better then I thought (at least for independent filmmakers as well as up and coming writers and directors who might actually be good)

I'm really hoping this might pave the way for better entertainment (as in cleaner, yet hopefully still chalk full of good story material and characters as well as great action sequences....just without so much blood and gore....at least that's my opinon)

Also, as a writter myself I sympathize with those on strike knowing that often that good writers often go unapreciated.

[RobinSena]

But, meh, this doesn't affect me all that much. I watch barely any television beyond the discovery channel, which is consistently awesome. Just films and Anime, really, so I'm fine.

That's pretty much how it is for me. I have about 30 hours of anime on my shelf which I still have to watch. =P

[Alexander]

That's pretty much how it is for me. I have about 30 hours of anime on my shelf which I still have to watch. =P

30 disks for me. Not to mention the other ton of manga.

Speaking as a writer myself, I support the strike 110%. What I find really sad and shocking is how Hollywood is DEPENDANT on these people. I had no idea that they needed these people so much. Does Hollywood have that little creativity on its own?

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Surely you know the answer to that already

While I sympathize with the writers, punishing the viewers by derailing the shows the watch doesn't really seem like the best way to resolve things.

[Alexander]

Surely you know the answer to that already

*blinks*

You're joking right? Writing a story admittedly takes a bit of effort, but it's never something so hard that I couldn't imagine it wouldn't be possible for some people.

Maybe because I am a writer I can't see the point of view from someone who isn't good at making a story but...

Honestly, if these people are the dependence of Hollywood, I'm shocked beyond words.

[mitsuki lover]

The question is since most of these shows are done by a team of writers and not simply by one or two people per episode,who gets a cut of how much?
For example if writer A writes the prelim draft and hands it in and it then gets a rewrite by writer B and later producer C decides to clean it up some more but when it airs it's under his name not under A or B's name
do they still get the credit?
And if so how much of it?

[EricTheFred]

The question is since most of these shows are done by a team of writers and not simply by one or two people per episode,who gets a cut of how much?
For example if writer A writes the prelim draft and hands it in and it then gets a rewrite by writer B and later producer C decides to clean it up some more but when it airs it's under his name not under A or B's name
do they still get the credit?
And if so how much of it?

For example, the guy who really came up with the plot for the movie "Coming to America" (Art Buchwald) had to take Eddie Murphy to court to get his money, because Murphy rewrote the script and put his own name on it. He had changed names, rewrote gags, and altered the order of some things, but the basic plot was the script that Buchwald originally wrote. (He did get his money eventually, IIRC.)

[mitsuki lover]

Another example is the Star Trek episode 'The City on the Edge of
Forever' I think Heinlein wrote the original script but Roddenberry had to rewrite it because even though it was really good it wasn't Star Trek material.

I really think though that politicians and late night talk show hosts ought to learn to write their own material.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I really think though that politicians and late night talk show hosts ought to learn to write their own material.

I guess it really depends. Some may not be allowed to. Others may not be good writers. Though really, they're not paid to write, so they won't write.

[Radical Dreamer]

I really think though that politicians and late night talk show hosts ought to learn to write their own material.

Conan O'Brien writes some of his own material, but asking one man to write an entire show is like asking one man to build an entire mansion. With a team of writers, things are obviously going to go more smoothly. Two heads are often better than one; in this case, several.

[rocklobster]

Another example is the Star Trek episode 'The City on the Edge of
Forever' I think Heinlein wrote the original script but Roddenberry had to rewrite it because even though it was really good it wasn't Star Trek material.

I really think though that politicians and late night talk show hosts ought to learn to write their own material.

Heinlein wasn't the writer. That was Harlan Ellison. And he never forgave Roddenberry for that. He really hated him afterward.