WGA Strike: Even more random.

[caffienekitty]

That NBC is currently advertising the next two episodes of Heroes as 'the final two episodes' makes me think that maaaaybe the network isn't exactly thinking of the upcoming talks with the Writer's Guild in a very positive light. Not positive for the writers or for ending the strike anyways.

*kicks something*

Comments

[longhairedlady.livejournal.com]

*joins in the kicking* Dammit, this sucks! I'm finding myself getting way too invested in this strike, but it sort of feels like it's important. Like the shared culture (in the anglosphere only, I guess, but still) is too important a thing to just stop

[astrothsknot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't see this ending anytime soon. Still, it might help the publishing market as many screenwriters dust off that novel they've not had time to do so far.

I'm sad that in a few months time, the press and the laymen, not those involved in fandom, are going to be burning the writers in effigy when there' no new programmes and films

[ficwriter1966.livejournal.com]

They were going to do that "Origins" thing (4 episodes? 6? something like that) in between half-seasons of HEROES, but I read a few days ago that that whole thing has been ditched.

I've been talking to somebody who's pretty knowledgeable about advertising and PR - it's her opinion that the networks will start leaning on the producers before too long. They can yap about reality programming all they want, but I find it hard to believe that a big chunk of the audience will hang around the networks watching reality programming 7 nights a week. Too much of a [questionably] good thing even for the diehards. But I guess we'll see.

Somebody posted over at my LJ that the CW has apparently yanked the 3 SPN reruns we were supposed to get in between 3.07 and 3.08, so they're going into survival mode too.

Me? I'm loving my DVDs. I have 7 seasons of Gilmore Girls to watch, plus Friday Night Lights and a bunch of other stuff. If the networks are showing reruns and reality crap, I'll just...not go there.

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

I am afraid you are right. I truly believe that serious talks won't get started until Dec 16 or 17 right after the date that the studios can legally drop any contracts they regret having in place. Even then, I'm not sure I expect good faith bargaining. I have had a feeling that the studios will not really begin negotiations until June, when the DGA and the SGA will strike as well. This will let them get contracts in place at the same time and by that time the writers will be pretty disparate. I hope I am wrong, but that is my greatest fear.

OTOH, I really don't think the statement that is being made about this being the series finale of Heroes means that much. Heroes story telling format is somewhat unique. It is an interwoven story with ending arcs that take a certain amount of time to tell. The strike is already reaching the point where episode count will be affected for certain shows, and a complicated show like Heroes is probably more likely to be affected than a simpler show would be. Plus, Heroes has a natural end to one of its arcs coming up. Letting everyone know it is a finale of any sort, keeps its fans from panicking that they will never see the end of a story they have invested in. that will hopefully have them come back when all this is over, because they will feel they can trust the show to give them an ending. It is more like 24 stating that do to format the entire season has been canceled since the whole premise of 24 involves having the exactly 24 episodes and that is impossible due to the strike.

[caffienekitty]

It's frustrating because it seems so simple to fix from the outside (do work, get paid for it. Duh, studios.) but... *sigh* It's more important for future screenwriters, because if the contracts get locked in to a crappy deal for online stuff now, writers will get screwed as things go online more.

[caffienekitty]

I'm sad that in a few months time, the press and the laymen, not those involved in fandom, are going to be burning the writers in effigy when there' no new programmes and films

That really disgusts me. I've seen some press releases already that seem like they were put out straight from the studios, they're so anti-wga. It sucks.

[caffienekitty]

Somebody posted over at my LJ that the CW has apparently yanked the 3 SPN reruns we were supposed to get in between 3.07 and 3.08, so they're going into survival mode too.

Oh, that's low. Those aren't even strike re-runs, they're regular hiatus reruns. I noticed there wasn't one last thursday, but I put that down to it being US Thanksgiving.

As sucky as it is, right now I'm kind of glad my offline life is being psychotic at me and taking up all my time and capacity for distress. :-p

[caffienekitty]

Considering the first thing the studios did way back in... I'm not sure what month. But I'd heard they went to the table with an offer that took away a bunch of stuf like residuals that writers already had, and didn't offer anything positive for them. Seemed to me when I read that that the studios wanted to piss off the writers so they'd go for a long strike.

I'd heard Heroes would be tying up the first storyline in the set of episodes that will air without the strike ending, but... it's still annoying to hear it being announced as though a lack of resolution to the strike is a foregone conclusion even before they get to the table. *grits teeth*

(Dammit, this strike is making me think I need more argy/bitchy/pissed off icons.)

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

Believe me, this strike is pissing me off too, and it's all directed at the studios. They seem to be determined to break any and all of the unions that are in media production. I just hope they don't succeed.