No writers strike this year

[23skidoo]

It's hard to believe it's been three years since the destructive Hollywood writer's strike of 2007-2008 (that word might sound a bit strong until you realize how many projects were scuttled and how many TV shows and movies were cancelled as a direct result of it). What I didn't know was we could have had history repeat itself this year, but after only 3 weeks of negotiations the various unions have come to terms with the studios, so we're in the clear for the next few years at least:

http://www.foxbusiness.com/industri...llywood-studios-agree-3-year-contract-report/

Alex

 

[Jax]

The strike had a knock on effect that did kill some shows but it did save one or two as well. Writers do get shafted far too much but I have to admit I hate having my TV stopped and replaced with Big Brother in January

 

[Takeru]

The stupid unions have way too much power. Some things they do would be illegal in germany, i.e. every actor having to be a union member. That simply wouldn't be possible here, while everyone has the right to join a union, everyone has also the right to not join or leave a union without this action having a negative impact on his job.
That also means that workers cannot be forced to strike, if you cross a picket line and tell your union to shove it, there's nothing they can do and that's a good thing, because that's freedom, too.

 

[23skidoo]

The strike had a knock on effect that did kill some shows but it did save one or two as well. Writers do get shafted far too much but I have to admit I hate having my TV stopped and replaced with Big Brother in January

How did it save one or two? Do you mean a couple of shows were renewed as a result? I agree, but unfortunately they were mostly of the reality variety. Probably the biggest-profile loss was the cancellation of the Heroes spin-off, this being back in the days when people actually liked Heroes, of course.

Alex

 

[Servo]

How did it save one or two? Do you mean a couple of shows were renewed as a result?

While I wouldn't go as far as to say it saved the show, since it wouldn't really have been cancelled anyway, it could be argued that the writers strike reinvigorated Lost. After 3 meandering 20+ episode seasons, the tighter writing and shorter 4th season that came as a result of the strike definitely helped to draw viewers back in who were becoming annoyed with how much the show seemed to be dragging out plotlines and avoiding answering questions about the mythology. The success of S4 meant that the writers stuck with the shorter seasons and tighter writing in the 5th and 6th seasons, which undoubtedly benefitted the show.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I would postulate that we didn't hear anything about the talks in this case because they were confident that a deal would get done no matter what. We would have heard something similar to three years ago only if there was a major break down in negotiations and both sides started to use the media like they did last time. I know one film that the writer's strike had a detrimental affect to and that's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". It also affected "Smallville" Season Seven to the point where it almost was canceled.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The stupid unions have way too much power.

Completely wrong.

The major unions have pretty much hosed themselves in L.A. The WGA is becoming a joke, the leaders having sold the rank and file down the river this time around; SAG is bleeding membership to AFTRA. The studios won.

 

[bigdaddy]

Being the last one was a joke, the damn writers knew better not to strike.

 

[Mistral]

No strike this year?

Well, there's always next year...

 

[Agent Richard07]

While I wouldn't go as far as to say it saved the show, since it wouldn't really have been cancelled anyway, it could be argued that the writers strike reinvigorated Lost. After 3 meandering 20+ episode seasons, the tighter writing and shorter 4th season that came as a result of the strike definitely helped to draw viewers back in who were becoming annoyed with how much the show seemed to be dragging out plotlines and avoiding answering questions about the mythology. The success of S4 meant that the writers stuck with the shorter seasons and tighter writing in the 5th and 6th seasons, which undoubtedly benefitted the show.

They already had plans to make the last three seasons 16 episodes each. The writers strike didn't bring that about. In the end, season 4 was only two episodes short with 14 installments instead of 16.

Season 5 was extended by 1 episode and season 6, by 2 episodes.

 

[Starbreaker]

Remember when Dexter was repurposed and aired on CBS? That really helped the show take off.

 

[bigdaddy]

Remember when Dexter was repurposed and aired on CBS? That really helped the show take off.

The show was already a hit, but it did help.

 

[Starbreaker]

Ratings quadrupled on CBS, so I think it exposed a lot of people to it that would have never known about it... I would actually like to see some edited scenes. I'm curious as to what all they had to do to make it network presentable.

 

[Jax]

How did it save one or two? Do you mean a couple of shows were renewed as a result? I agree, but unfortunately they were mostly of the reality variety.

The pilot season was affected and it did help The Big Bang Theory on CBS, which had dropped to 7.34 million viewers by the season finale. If that happened this season to a CBS debut comedy it would be dropped as were seeing with Mad Love but I think the strike gave CBS the push to say we'll give it one more season and of course the rest is history.

The strike did some annoying things like forced CBS to make Big Brother the lead in for the return of Jericho. Despite real critical power in season 2 (it was a breathtaking 7 episodes) the show had a lead in audience of around 6 million & 2.0 in the demo with Big Brother so at 10pm Jerichio was fucked.

Also the season finale of Las Vegas, which would of served as a soft series finale according to the showrunner was never filmed and the show ended on a cliffhanger.

 

[bigdaddy]

Also the season finale of Las Vegas, which would of served as a soft series finale according to the showrunner was never filmed and the show ended of a cliffhanger.

I thought NBC told them it was the finale season, and then they never got the last two episodes to wrap the show up.

Ratings quadrupled on CBS, so I think it exposed a lot of people to it that would have never known about it... I would actually like to see some edited scenes. I'm curious as to what all they had to do to make it network presentable.

It's CBS during a strike, the ratings quadrupled for a show that very few people watched on Showtime. It's not like airing it on CBS saved the show, Dexter was never in any danger. I also doubt that many people decided to spend $100 a year on Showtime just to get Dexter. It's like if I stick 9010 on CBS, the ratings would probably quadruple too because you go from a 5th rate "network" to the number one network by a mile.

 

[Starbreaker]

You're way overthinking that. I just said it helped. Dexter was exposed to more people than it normally would have been. How many people do you know that have seen Bored to Death or Hung or Nurse Jackie or United States of Tara? Not many. Everybody and their mom has seen Dexter, though.

And yes, I know not EVERYBODY, before somebody corrects me.

 

[timothy]

hey out of all the show's that were cancelled and or movies that were aaffected can
we get list ?

and dexter was awesome before it came to regular television .

 

[bigdaddy]

You're way overthinking that. I just said it helped. Dexter was exposed to more people than it normally would have been. How many people do you know that have seen Bored to Death or Hung or Nurse Jackie or United States of Tara? Not many. Everybody and their mom has seen Dexter, though.

And yes, I know not EVERYBODY, before somebody corrects me.

I know one person who even knows who Dexter is besides me. I know many people who know of Weeds before it became popular and bad.