10 posts tagged “wga strike”

The WGA strike is officially over.  92.5% of the guild voted to end the strike.  This is awesome!

The above link contains a link to a list which tells you which shows are coming back with new episodes when.  Some of my favorites ("Chuck", "Heroes", and "Dirty Sexy Money") won't be coming back until Fall but others ("Grey's Anatomy", "The Big Bang Theory", and "The Office") should be back in late April/early May.  And, of course, the writers for "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" should be back within days (although they were doing pretty good without their writers).

This day has just been a good one all around.  (Even if it did make me nervous at times.)

Edit: CBS has put out a chart detailing which of its shows are coming back when.  NBC has information about the return of "Chuck", "Life", and "Heroes" in the Fall and its Thursday night line-up in April.

The series finale of "Journeyman" aired on Wednesday and even though the series didn't really grab my attention at the beginning, I was really starting to enjoy it by the time these last few episodes aired.  I am glad though that NBC aired all the produced episodes and that the show actually had an ending which a lot of canceled shows don't get.  I liked how they wrapped things up and how they got the chance to explain things that people (including myself) had questions about.  I also liked how much it paralleled the first episode.  I thought that was a nice touch.

Speaking of abruptly canceled TV shows... "The 4400" is officially canceled.  I know they left their season finale wide open for a new season but for the life of me I can't remember what happened.

For a third and final piece of TV news, "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are returning on January 7th.  While I'm glad they're coming back, it doesn't sound like the WGA is too happy with them.  Or are they not happy with Comedy Central?  I can't really tell.  While I would love for the strike to be resolved as soon as possible and for the writers to get the residuals and everything else they deserve, I kind of like not having any TV to watch - it allows me to do other things like get a life concentrate on my final quarter of classes.

Despite the fact that it never got above 28 degrees today, today was not a bad day.  Well, at least TV-wise.

Not only is there a possible deal to end the WGA strike by Christmas but both "Chuck" and "Life" got picked up for full seasons.  While I'm glad they both got picked up I'm surprised "Chuck" wasn't picked up before the strike began.  Everyone I know who watches it loves it and it seems to be doing fairly well in the ratings.  I guess I'll forgive them for taking so long and just be happy it was picked up.  With last week's (the week before last?) news that "Dirty Sexy Money" got picked up for a full season, it's been pretty good TV-wise.  Except for the fact that, as of now, the WGA strike is still going on.

I am sad that after tonight there's only one more new episode of "Heroes".  Tonight and next week better make up for the horrible beginning to the season.

Both UnitedHollywood.com and Strike Notes (the unofficial WGA-East blog) are reporting that negotiations between the WGA and AMPTP are set to start again on November 26th.  To be honest, I'm surprised the AMPTP agreed to start talking again that early.  However, I'm not complaining - yet.  Hopefully they (the AMPTP) realize they're being idiots and the strike will be over before the first of December.  But again, I'm not holding my breath.

The writers of "The Colbert Report" post their own video about the strike:

The writers of "The Daily Show" make their own show to talk about the strike:

(Is it wrong of me to want them to continue doing something like this every once in awhile while the strike is going on?)

Throughout this past weekend and today I've been reading blog posts & watching YouTube videos from writers on the picket line.  While I've been doing this I've been trying to figure out why I feel so connected to this strike even though I'm not a writer nor do I work, or plan to work, in the film/television industry.  In fact, I feel more invested in this strike than I did the few times my dad & his union have gone on strike.  Then, today, I think I figured it out.  In previous strikes (for almost any union), you really only hear about it on the news.  But with this strike (and maybe even future strikes), the internet has really jumped to the forefront of getting information about the strike out.  People blog from & about the picket lines and post photos & videos of events of the day and I love that they're doing this.  I think it really helps get information out in a way that isn't controlled by the people they're striking against.  It also allows people who can't be there to see what's going on on the picket lines and hear what the latest developments are.  I love hearing about what happened on the picket lines (who talked to who, what funny chants they came up with) and if I could get down to LA, I'd love to go show my support by walking with them.  However, since I don't think that day will come, I'll continue to read their blogs, watch their videos, and send all the writers good vibes.

Here are some of the blogs I've been reading:

• Stephen Falk's blog
  
• Pamie Ribon's blog
• UnitedHollywood.com
• John August's blog
• WGA on YouTube
• WGA-East's blog
• TV Guide's Strike Watch blog
  

This is just a small sample of the blogs out there.  If you want more, many of the aforementioned blogs link to other blogs so check them out.

Writers strike update: Ausiello reports how many episodes of your favorite (American) shows are left to air.  I'm sad there's only one more new episode of "The Office" left.  I guess I'll have to start pulling out my DVDs on Thursdays.  (Or, you know, actually work on homework.)

I was flipping through the channels Wednesday night while I was watching "Criminal Minds" and came across "Bionic Woman" on NBC.  I don't watch "Bionic Woman" but my parents do and they've mentioned that it's filmed in Vancouver (but then again, these days, what isn't?).  However, I was still surprised when Callum Keith Rennie (or, as I like to call him, Ray #2 from "Due South") showed up as the bad guy in this week's episode.  I only caught a glimpse of him before I went back to "Criminal Minds" but the next day I watched the whole episode and not only was he in the episode but Beth Broderick, Zelda from "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", was as well.  (Not to mention that Molly Price, one of Jamie's handlers (?) on "Bionic Woman", was in a couple of episodes of "Without A Trace" last season playing Samantha's sister.)  But wait, over on "Criminal Minds", Kaj-Erik Eriksen, Danny from "The 4400", was playing a subservient psycho killer.  Then tonight I was watching this week's episode of "Bones" that I had on tape and Sam Jones III, Pete from "Smallville", showed up for a scene and 3 or 4 lines.  Oh, and then I was watching season 10 of "Stargate SG-1" and Joshua Malina showed up on one of the episodes.

I need to stop watching so many shows.  It's getting confusing keeping track of where I've seen which actor and when.  I guess I should just be glad for imdb.com - it certainly helps answer a lot of those questions.

TV Guide breaks down what the networks are going to do now that the writers strike has officially started.  Basically, expect a lot of reality shows to start popping up after they run out of episodes of their regular shows.

One good thing about the strike is that I'll be going to bed earlier now that "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" are in reruns.  Yay for catching up on some much needed sleep.

As you may or may not be aware, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) may or may not go on strike starting Monday, November 5th.  This means production on your favorite (American) television shows could come to a grinding halt.  However, depending on how long the strike lasts, your favorite shows may not be affected until after their winter break is over.  Check out this link for information on which shows will be affected when.

Judging from that chart, the only shows I watch that will be affected immediately will be "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" - all the others look like they're safe through December.  (Ausiello is reporting that "Heroes" is shooting a season finale to air in December just in case the strike lasts a long time.)  I guess I'll just hope that they reach an agreement before Monday or, if they do decide to go on strike, it doesn't last too long.

(P.S.  If I made any affected/effected mistakes please let me know - I can never remember which one I'm supposed to use when.)