found this today through my bbc rss feed. haven't seen this news anywhere else though, but we could be in for alot of repeats next fall after new years if things don't get sorted out by tomorrow.

 

US TV shows threatened by strike

 

The screenwriters' current contract runs out at the end of October

Hit US television series such as Heroes and Grey's Anatomy could be threatened by a strike of Hollywood screenwriters.

 

Los Angeles-based writers are poised to take action over the terms of a new three-year contract, with the current agreement running out on 31 October.

 

The Writers Guild of America wants its members to receive payment when their work is featured on the internet and via mobile phones.

 

Broadcasters are preparing to screen reality shows if the strike goes ahead.

 

Screenwriters last took industrial action in 1988, delaying TV series and costing a reported $500m.

 

Film production

 

If writers walk out, the effect would not be felt immediately as TV networks have enough episodes of shows written and in production to last until the end of the year, industry executives and analysts said.

 

But after that, schedules will run into trouble.

 

US viewers could start seeing an onslaught of repeats, game and reality shows when TV shows run out of new episodes.

 

A prolonged writers strike could also affect next year's TV season as pilots for next autumn are being written now.

 

Hollywood film production is also expected to be hit, but would not suffer the effects of even a prolonged strike immediately because of the long time required to make films.

 

But movie studios could soon be wrestling with plots and endings for unfinished 2008/9 blockbusters such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the next James Bond instalment.

 

Negotiations are set to resume later at the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers offices in Los Angeles.

 

The outcome of any talks between writers and the studios will set the stage for discussions with actors, whose deal runs out at the end of June 2008.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7068955.stm

 

here are some strike news resources to check on a regular basis

 

variety.com writers strike coverage

variety's writers strike blog

unitedhollywood.com blog: wga's strike coverage

wga's youtube channel

the tv grid: production status on tv shows (updated regularly by the la times)

TV Guide's Strike Chart; how many episodes left for your favorite show?

wikipedia page on writer's strike

wikipedia's page on shows affected by the strike

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Hollywood writers and producers broke off contract talks Wednesday night without a new deal, allowing the Writers Guild of America's current pact to expire at midnight. It's not immediately clear whether the writers will walk off the job. A call to a union spokesman was not immediately returned.

 

Members of the guild recently voted to authorize their first strike since 1988 if necessary.

 

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said no new talks were scheduled for Thursday.

 

Damnit.

full coverage at variety.com. expect the late night shows to go dark almost immediately, but your sitcoms and dramas won't be affected until after new years for the most part.

How does this affect LOST??!!! noooo

The Strike Begins, ....? Alright, I'm excited for nearly an entire season of RERUNS!!!

How does this affect LOST??!!! noooo

 

http://blog.lostpedia.com/2007/10/losts-writing-on-wall.html

bad news: http://www.variety.com/article/VR111797516...yid=18&cs=1

 

WGA negotiations have unraveled over the DVD issue -- seriously ratcheting up the chances of a strike.

Talks hit the wall early Wednesday evening as companies demanded that the Writers Guild of America drop its demand to increase homevid residuals. Guild negotiators responded by saying they weren't prepared to continue and gave no indication when or if they'd return.

 

With the guild contract expiring at 12:01 a.m. today, WGA leaders can order their 12,000 members to strike at any time -- possibly as early as tonight's membership meeting at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

 

strike can start anytime after 12:01 pt, btw, so we still have about an hour left...

Breaking news is that the writers are indeed going to go on strike.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/02/h...r.ap/index.html

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

writers strike won't start until monday; today is their last day of work. let's hope the strike doesn't last long, if they go back to work by new years, we probably won't see too much damage considering the holiday breaks coming up.

 

The Writers Guild of America is going on strike as early as Monday.

 

In a lively meeting of 3,000 guild members Thursday night, the WGA's negotiating committee announced its unanimous strike recommendation, a pronouncement that generated an enthusiastic response from the SRO crowd at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The decision also is sure to cause ripple effects within the Directors Guild and the Screen Actors Guild as they negotiate their contracts within coming months.

 

A final decision on striking could come as early as today via meetings of the WGA West board and the WGA East Council. Leaders stressed throughout Thursday's meeting that they could not specify how soon a strike will start. Attendees were instructed that they should go to work today and wait for a call or email from strike captains.

 

But it's a foregone conclusion that the WGA panels will OK a strike and the consensus is that they'll probably select Monday as the starting day.

 

http://www.variety.com/VR1117975247.html

here's how many shows will be affected by the writers strike. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-striket...=la-home-center

No more new Conan or Daily Show.

UPDATE: In a last-ditch attempt to avert a strike, the Writers Guild of America will return to the negotiating table Sunday morning to meet with studios and networks.

 

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111797525...yid=10&cs=1

Please reach an agreement.

now here's another interesting question...will nbc start airing nhl games on weeknights to fill in the primetime gap if the strike lasts through new years? it's better than reruns forever.

now here's another interesting question...will nbc start airing nhl games on weeknights to fill in the primetime gap if the strike lasts through new years? it's better than reruns forever.

Reality Shows.

Yeah, expect a whole big pile of garbage reality shows to materialize.

 

I hope they somehow manage to pull together an agreement before the weekend ends.

now here's another interesting question...will nbc start airing nhl games on weeknights to fill in the primetime gap if the strike lasts through new years? it's better than reruns forever.

That would absolutely own, but I'm sure it'll be more towards what Endline said.

now here's another interesting question...will nbc start airing nhl games on weeknights to fill in the primetime gap if the strike lasts through new years? it's better than reruns forever.

It is possible furcalchick, especially on weekend nights. ABC could possibly do the same with the NBA. College Basketball could also be seeing some network time if this strike happens.

 

Reruns diminish in value when they have to be used so much at the network level.

the meeting to try to avert the strike should be going on now...we'll find out if they strike or not by 3:01 am et tonight.

strike now officially on.

 

 

Hollywood writers begin strike after talks collapse

By: Dean Goodman

Mon Nov 5, 2007 8:05 AM EST

 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film and television writers went on strike on Monday, after last-minute talks aimed at averting the Writers Guild of America's first walkout in almost two decades collapsed.

 

The strike is expected to shut down many sitcoms and send popular late-night talk shows such as NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman," immediately into reruns because they rely on a stream of topical jokes.

 

The members of the union's East Coast arm went on strike at the designated deadline of 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT). Their West Coast counterparts followed them three hours later.

 

The East Coast walkout led to the collapse of 10-hour-long talks in Los Angeles between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios.

 

A spokesman for the AMPTP said no new talks were scheduled, and both sides are braced for a lengthy strike after labor talks that were marked by intensifying hostility over more than three months.

 

The two sides hit an impasse primarily over demands by writers for higher fees, or "residuals," derived from the sale of movies and TV programs on DVDs and the Internet.

 

"Notwithstanding the fact that negotiations were ongoing, the WGA decided to start their strike in New York," AMPTP president Nick Counter said in a statement. "When we asked if they would 'stop the clock' for the purpose of delaying the strike to allow negotiations to continue, they refused."

 

A prolonged strike could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues and wages.

 

Even though studios have stockpiled scripts in preparation for a strike, production of many sitcoms is expected to shut down this week since writers will not be able to go on set and offer last-minute rewrites. The impact on movies is seen as less immediate since the major studios already have scripts for next year's projects.

 

The WGA, which represents roughly 12,000 screenwriters, said it withdrew its demand for a higher royalty payment on DVDs, a demand that the AMPTP had last week described as a "complete roadblock to any further progress." But it said the studios refused to budge on such issues as payment for Internet downloads and streaming video.

 

PICKET LINES

 

WGA members in Los Angeles earlier loaded trucks with picket signs, bottled water and tables to prepare for demonstrations. Picket lines will go up at 14 major film and TV studios including Walt Disney Co.'s movie operations and ABC network, Time Warner Inc's Paramount Pictures, CBS Corp's CBS, and News Corp.'s Fox.

 

Union members have been told that picketing is compulsory, and to hand over unfinished work to the union to ensure that that there is no furtive writing.

 

The strike poses a dilemma for writers who are also producers or creators of their shows.

 

"I have to figure out how to strike and picket myself," said Spike Feresten, a former writer/producer on the "Seinfeld" show who now has his own weekly talk show on Fox. "How do you egg yourself? How does that work?"

 

The last major Hollywood strike was a Writers Guild walkout in 1988 that lasted 22 weeks, delayed the start of the fall TV season and cost the industry an estimated $500 million.

 

Los Angeles economist Jack Kyser said a similar strike now could result in at least $1 billion in economic losses.

 

http://www.maconareaonline.com/news.asp?id=18916

So 3 out of the 5 shows I watch aren't affected. Woo!

 

I don't think I would have turned on my TV outside of sports if The Office had been hit.

So 3 out of the 5 shows I watch aren't affected. Woo!

 

I don't think I would have turned on my TV outside of sports if The Office had been hit.

 

that list wasn't complete...so you'll have to search other places to find out how your show was affected.

From all appearances, Lost may have the best advantage of all series, given that it has been stockpiling new scripts since June and not a single episode has yet aired. At this point, 14 of 16 episodes have been written. And if the strike does last long enough to really affect other series, Lost could very well be the only quality scripted dramas on television in February (along with perhaps 24, though it's far more behind in its scripts due to a major overhaul of location and storyline).

- E!

 

WIN.

From all appearances, Lost may have the best advantage of all series, given that it has been stockpiling new scripts since June and not a single episode has yet aired. At this point, 14 of 16 episodes have been written. And if the strike does last long enough to really affect other series, Lost could very well be the only quality scripted dramas on television in February (along with perhaps 24, though it's far more behind in its scripts due to a major overhaul of location and storyline).

- E!

 

WIN.

I do wonder if they rushed the last few because they knew of the imminent strike. I hope the quality is still there.

I wouldn't worry about anything.

 

The show doesn't even air until February and won't finish up until May.

 

FWIW, 8 scripts are officially completed and proiduction on episode 8 will be completed as planned. After that, nothing more will happen until this is resolved.

 

I was thinking to myself if worst came to worst, Carlton and Damon could just do it themselves but although they are mainly executive producers, Carlton and Damon are very much involved with the WGA and they won't even be allowed to do anything as far as writing now that the strike has started.

 

Carlton is actually one of the main negotiators in this on behalf of the WGA.

 

As for quality/rushed production/scab writers it will NOT be happening. Trust me when I say that since the contract was signed for three more seasons, Lost is a top 2 or 3 priority for ABC television and they will not sacrifice quality for timing especially when half the season will be completed. I've read about ABC simply putting the show on a mid-season hiatus if it came to that, ABC is more commited to Lost then all but one show it has and as much as any network is.

 

Trust me, don't worry.