Today's Strike Headlines...
Every night I come home and check all of my sources for some good news.
But today, all there was to read was the horrible news from yesterday phrased in every clever way possible…
“Picket Shock Clocks ‘24,’” “Jack Bauer will finally get some rest”…you get the idea.
I don’t think the reality of the situation has set in with me yet, but come January, I’ll probably be a basket case…
Here is today’s strike news…
UCLA screenwriting students have received letters from their faculty warning them not to become scab writers. The faculty are telling the students that trying to build a writing career through scab work is “potentially disastrous”…
Many WGA members are ignoring one of the strike rules. Rule 8 says members must give in-progress scripts to the WGA during the strike, but many writers are ignoring that due to threatened litigation by the studios…
ABC said that for now, they plan to air the eight completed episodes of “Lost.” Executive Producer Damon Lindelof said the final written episode ends in a cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until after the strike…
Studio heads are starting to spin the strike by saying they won’t be harmed. News Corporation President and COO Peter Chernin said the strike is “probably a positive” for FOX because they were in a better position thanks to “American Idol” and their slate of animated shows which are “about a year ahead.” In a conference call Wednesday, Chernin said, “We would expect if anything that it would lift our market share and have us win this season by an even greater margin than we expect to.”
I’m so glad FOX can find pleasure in my pain…
Summer Redstone, executive chairman of Viacom Inc. and CBS Corporation, also said CBS was in a good position since many of its shows, like “CSI,” do well in repeats…
The studios are turning up the heat on writers who are also showrunners (known in the business as hyphenates). CBS Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox have sent breach of contract letters telling showrunners to return to their producing functions or face lawsuits. For now, the showrunners plan to use the move as leverage. One showrunner told “Variety,” “We will gladly return to our jobs the day that the producers return to the negotiating table.” Showrunners rallied in mass Wednesday outside the Disney studios…
Meanwhile, Seth MacFarlane told reporters that this Sunday’s episode of “Family Guy” will be the last with his involvement. There are other episodes close to being completed, but MacFarlane said he will not record any of the voices or assist with the show in any way. FOX could complete the episodes without him, but MacFarlane said, “It would be unwise, because I would be angry”…
Producers have confirmed that the final new episode of “The Office” will be November 15th due to the production shutdown…
And “Desperate Housewives” producers have confirmed that when production shuts down this week, there will only be three new episodes remaining…
Finally, Jon Robin Baitz, creator and executive producer of “Brothers & Sisters,” has sent a letter to Governor Schwarzenegger, asking him to get involved…
