I think that when writers went on strike in Hollywood, they assumed that the networks would be in trouble at some point and want to make a deal, and while that may still happen down the road, right now the networks actually have more new stuff ready to go than you might think.
For example, this week we saw the return of FOX's American Idol, the biggest show on TV no matter what the situation is. And we've seen other reality shows recently, such as the return of American Gladiators on NBC and Wife Swap and Supernanny on ABC. And there are more reality shows coming up, including Game Show in my Head, from Ashton Kutcher, and Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor have new seasons coming up too. Add to that the fact that we still have two months worth of Lost as well as new episodes of Cashmere Mafia, Men in Trees, October Road, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Law and Order, Medium, and the new show Eli Stone, and it looks like the networks aren't exactly in panic mode yet (though if the strike continues to the spring then next season will be in jeopardy). And CBS still has reruns of Dexter to fill some slots (and I'm sure NBC is thinking about adding Monk, Psych, Battlestar Galactica, and Project Runway to their lineup).
I think that hardcore fans of shows like Heroes and CSI and comedies like The Office and 30 Rock (and devoted TV fans in general) are feeling the effects of the strike the most, while people who love TV for reality shows and game shows and are more than happy to watch reruns of comedies and dramas they didn't catch the first time aren't really being affected yet.
And let's not forget mornings and late night. The daytime shows aren't affected, and while the late night talk shows came back without writers (except for Letterman and Ferguson, who made a deal), they seem to be getting by OK for now, at least in the minds of some people (personally, I think that the filler stuff that Conan is doing can only be great for so long and then it will get tiresome). Then again, I think there's a lot more writing going on at these shows than they want to publicize.
So where do we go from here? How will this strike end and what will the television landscape look like this summer and next fall?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-17-2008 @ 1:41PM
The Pepto Pimp said...
You make a good point. At this point in time, with the WGA signing deals with so many indie studios / production companies, the strike is turning into a joke. Soon the impotency of this strike will be revealed as Idol gets it's highest ratings ever...
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1-17-2008 @ 2:22PM
PunditGuy said...
...as Idol is down 11% from last year (http://www.calendarlive.com/tv/cl-et-idolratings17jan17,0,2832906.story?coll=cl-tv-features).
As bad as I think much of the writing in Hollywood is (I just saw Superman Returns for the first time, so I'm a little bitter), this TV season has revealed just how vital writers are. If the Nets think they can get away with crappy reality programming, they'll be in for a shock when people turn off their sets and they don't come back after the strike.
All that said, I'm glad that Psych is going to get a shot at a wider audience.
1-17-2008 @ 2:20PM
Hexx said...
Don't forget Jericho. CBS has a bunch of Jericho episodes and from the leak they are even better than last year.
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1-17-2008 @ 2:29PM
The Pepto Pimp said...
Interesting Idol is down.
The point I was trying to make is that there is SO much new and returning TV on right now that it'll be weeks (months?) before viewing audiences know or care. Even then, they're Americans, and Americans have a track record of putting up with all the sh!t "the man" can shovel at them.
At CBS, everytime I think we're out of new shows something new comes out of the vault. The execs definitely stockpiled in anticipation of a long strike.
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1-17-2008 @ 3:12PM
GigG said...
Actually if you read the article that this story is linked to CBS is in the worst position.
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1-17-2008 @ 3:22PM
spinninnzen said...
I think it will play more when the networks who relied on these shows that are on hold now, are no longer enjoying their ratings and/or dominance during those time slots. Where I would be watching one show on lets say Fox on Monday, now Ill be watching ABC instead or more likely as I have been, watching the cable channels. I didnt realize that the studios had so many shows banked with scripts prior to the strike and as a result may draw out the strike but in the end hopefully the networks will give in to the writers. I mean come on are you losing THAT much money giving them what they want or is it an ego thing right now?
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1-17-2008 @ 5:11PM
A Gould said...
Actually, the WGA "side deals" will go a long way - once the networks exhaust their canned shows, shows that can supply writers will have a huge advantage (Sure Leno is keeping up with Letterman for now, but one person can't be new and funny every day forever.)
Also, the more side deals, the stronger their bargaining position - it's hard to say the deal is too rich when multiple companies are already paying it..
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1-17-2008 @ 4:27PM
Frank said...
Wouldn't this be a chance for networks to rerun shows that "didn't quite make it" in the past?
I mean there are shows that I'm sure execs out there "didn't get a fair chance" when they ran the first time. Why not drop them back in and see what happens.
Honestly, I don't think the studios have a lot to worry about in the short and medium term.
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1-19-2008 @ 9:23AM
ERic said...
Also the thing to remember is the timing of the strike. It started in November a time when most shows were winding down for the Christmas break. So most shows had the first 10 or 13 episodes either written or in the can. Any new shows that would have been produced after the break wouldn't have aired until early February anyway. Not to mention all the midseason replacements the networks had on hand. Also, February is a sweeps month when the advertising rates are set by the ratings. The networks will have to use most, if not all, the remaining new shows they have. This is when you will start seeing the networks starting to hurt more. After that, it is all downhill for the networks.
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1-17-2008 @ 6:46PM
Eddie said...
It's only a matter of time... until the writers start wondering why the only people not eating are them. Their bosses and their fans and the rest of the world have all just gone on, dealing with the factors of the entertainment business. After all that media coverage, it turns out that our paparazzi crazed country couldn't care any less about the plight of a few faceless, nameless folks. The Hollywood elite back (and change their commitments to) so many different causes, this might as well be another PETA ad. *Yawn*.
Grow up writers, if you create for an employer, your payment is your paycheck. Negotiate for a higher one, but if you think holding out is affecting anyone but you (and the people who make a living serving you), you're terribly, terribly mistaken. We feel for you, we'll start a fundraiser for the plights of the poor, undernourished and overworked writers, maybe have Tori Amos play a benefit concert, and we'll move on, k? Thanks.
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1-17-2008 @ 7:25PM
metz said...
The WGA just didn't have a clue prior to pushing the big red button. They really had no strike exit strategy, nor any way to apply pressure to the production companies. The networks banked some scripts, slowed down the release of new episodes and have lots of "reality" shows in the can. They can last until the fall. Around June they'll start optioning scripts overseas, buying already completed scripts or find alternative ways to work around the strike for next season. The WGA grossly underestimated their opponent and their unwillingness to give up any portions of the pie.
It also appears like the WGA chose the strike route to have their ego's massaged. They must have expected all of Hollywood to shut down and crawl up to them saying "We just can't do it without you." That's just not true.
The WGA should have lined up deals to "produce" their own shows and used the interweb as a distribution mechanism. You don't really need the broadcast networks any more. Their are alternative means of distributing. Alas the WGA was either unwilling or unable to use this strike as an opportunity to move out of the realm of employee and into the arena of creative control. That's why eventually they'll capitulate, even though they have the support of the people and the high ground. They just brought a knife to a gun battle.
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1-19-2008 @ 5:53PM
Nanio said...
People here talking about the WGA like it's only TV that will be affected...you have movies too that will get a serious hit, the studios signing interim deals most are small ones, not the big ones like Paramount and FOX. People also forget that the TV shows that are really great aren't the Reality ones. A writer is like an architect, when you say writers aren't important you are saying an architect is not important when building a house.
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