There's A Deal On The Table!

This may be my Kennedy moment. Where was I when the WGA and the AMPTP came to a tentative deal? Taking a nap at my parents' house. I may have to work on my story. Anyway, the biggest struggle is over. Click here to check out the finer points of the deal.

Guild members still need to vote on the agreement, but this is looking way up. Pie in the sky up. The optimism is contagious. TV Guide even put out this handy-dandy guide of when your fav shows are coming back.

I'm waiting with baited breath because it's not over till it's over. (And I'm trying to do cool things so I can have a compelling story to tell my grandkids about this whole mess.)

Writers Strike: Weekly Update

In Florida last week. Two signs the strike is working. Two signs it needs to end immediately.

• The Golden Globes are canceled. After NBC insisted they would go on without writers, nominees or presenters they finally heard themselves talk and canceled the telecast. Instead, the winners will be announced at a press conference that is not set to last more than an hour.
  

• Tom Cruise's company United Artists is the first large studio to sign an independent agreement with the WGA. This deal is the first thing he got right since Cocktail.
  

• Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno are having each other as guests on their respective shows on Thursday. The fire and brimstone are set for Friday after lunch.
  

• American Gladiators had the highest ratings for any new show on NBC this season. Again, the hellfires should roll in after lunch, around one, twoish tops.
  

Writers Strike: Weekly Update

• NBC late-night heavyweights Jay Leno & Conan O'Brien are headed back to work on January 2nd. The press releases from both hosts sited the non-writing staff as the primary reason for the return. While it's admirable, it's also disheartening. Re-runs of late-night shows are the only evidence of the strike for some people. If they go back on the air, some may think the writers are losing the struggle, or worse, that the fight is over. 

• Letterman is coming back to the airwaves even sooner, but since he owns the rights to his show, he negotiated with the writers and they've come to an independent resolution. That's class.

• If you'd like to tell the Los Angeles City Council how you feel about the strike, here are some instructions, names, e-mail addresses and even a form letter. Now you have no excuse. 

•  Maybe an all out battle like this wouldn't be a bad idea. At least everyone would go out swinging. 

• President of the Screen Actors Guild, Alan Rosenberg, wrote a statement of solidarity to the WGA. The two guilds are working very closely on this strike, as SAG is due for contract negotiations in the spring, on most of the same terms. The partnership is also going to make for a boring awards season. The actors aren't breaking the writers picket lines at the Golden Globes and presumably The Oscars. However, the writers have agreed to attend and write for the SAG Awards. Maybe people will actually watch them this year. 

WGA Awards Nominatons

Well I can't argue with these nominations. Where the Golden Globes failed, the Writers Guild of America succeeded in recognizing some serious talent from this year.

Take a look at the nominees for best television comedy:

Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
Flight of the Conchords
The Office
30 Rock

Flight of the Conchords is highly underrated and I'm glad that they were recognized here. If you're not familiar with New Zealand's favorite novelty folk band, you can check them out here. The show is kind of quirky and obscure but it's hard to keep from laughing, even though you don't always understand why. HBO's best decision in a long time and a great way to forget about Lucky Louie.

All sense has not been lost. Thank you WGA. Other than this whole strike business, you are having the best year ever.

Wishing Away The Impending Writers Strike

The Writers Guild of America has network executives shaking in their fancy shoes as a possible writer's strike draws closer.

[Insert some sort of "pen is mightier than the sword" joke here.]

Neither the writers nor the studio heads are budging on the issues (benefits for reality scribes, more pay-out for DVD profits, etc) and the WGA contract expires on October 31. From the looks of it, it's going to be a scary day on all fronts.

Networks are stockpiling scripts of popular television shows. Should a strike occur most of our favorites should be safe through January. But if the strike went on for a few weeks, or closer to a months, the shows would be replaced with news magazines (20/20) and game shows. Not exactly must see TV. The strike could also affect mid-season and fall pilots.

I think the WGA's demands are worthy of a fight, however, it's depressing when audiences and some of our favorite programs are just collateral damage. I don't want networks to have an excuse to make more reality show drivel (MILF Island anyone?). I just want everyone to get along. But you know writers...things can't work out that easily.