Posted on 11/06/2007 7:28:04 PM PST by Libloather
Strikes Halting Production On 7 Shows
Writers Guild, Producers Deadlocked Over Revenue From DVDs and Downloads
Nov 6, 2007 8:31 pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK (CBS News) A producer of the hit ABC show "Desperate Housewives" says the show will stop production because it has run out of scripts due to the writers strike.
Alexandra Cunningham says filming of the show's 10th episode of the season will finish on Wednesday.
She says ABC will run out of new episodes to air before Christmas.
Meanwhile, production has stopped on at least six sitcoms filmed before live audiences because of the Hollywood writers strike.
"Back to You," starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, will not return from a planned hiatus on Wednesday. said Chris Alexander, a spokesman for 20th Century Fox Television.
Star Julia Louis-Dreyfus said production has also stopped on her CBS show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
In addition, the sitcoms "Til Death," which airs on Fox, and "Rules of Engagement," "Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," all on CBS, will also end filming, according to people familiar with production of the shows who were not authorized to be quoted and requested anonymity.
It was not immediately clear how many of the shows might already be finished.
Network officials referred calls to companies producing each show.
The first strike by Hollywood writers in nearly 20 years got under way with pickets on both coasts after last-minute negotiations on Sunday failed to produce a deal on payments to writers from shows offered on the Internet.
Right now, the writers get nothing and they want 2.5 percent of the profits, reports CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker. The studios and producers are offering far less, claiming the technology is too new and their profits too slim.
No new negotiations were scheduled.
Pickets returned to studios in Los Angeles and New York as the strike by the Writers Guild of America entered its second day
In Toluca Lake, Calif., near Warner Bros. studio, writers converged on a house that serves as a location shoot for "Desperate Housewives."
"We write the story-a, Eva Longoria," about 30 strikers chanted, referring to one star of the hit ABC show.
"It is a very serious business," said Larry Wilmore, a writer on "The Daily Show," explaining the protesters were marching "so we can get back to being funny."
Shooting continued inside the house despite the protests, said Chandler Hayes, a spokesman for ABC.
The protesters were joined by actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
"I'm really here because I'm a union member," said Louis-Dreyfus, a member of the Screen Actors Guild whose husband is a member of the writers guild.
"If we prevent them from working today, that's a small victory," she said.
In New York, strikers picketed outside Silver Cup Studios in Queens, the site of shooting for "30 Rock" and "Gossip Girls."
The strike began Monday after last-minute negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to produce a deal.
"People seem pretty upbeat and determined for now," reported CBS Radio correspondent Claudia Peschiutta from the picket line outside the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank on the strike's first day.
"The question is, how will people feel if this strike drags on as long as the last one strike went on for in 1988? That one lasted for more than five months, and it would be difficult for some of these writers to be without a paycheck for that amount of time."
The walkout immediately sent late-night comedy shows going into reruns.
It will not immediately have an impact on production of movies or most prime-time TV programs. Most studios have stockpiled dozens of movie scripts, and many TV shows have enough scripts or completed shows in hand to last until early next year.
Nick Counter, chief negotiator for the producers union, said he expected a long standoff.
"We're hunkered down for a long one," he said Monday. "From our standpoint, we made every good faith effort to negotiate a deal, and they went on strike. At some point, conversations will take place. But not now."
Writers said the next move was up to the studios.
"My hope is that it won't be too long," said John Bowman, chief negotiator for the writers.
Some producers were torn about trying to keep filming finished scripts.
Tim Kring, a producer and writer of the NBC hit "Heroes," said he had to revise the ending of the show's 11th episode on the chance that it might be the last one to air this season.
"Fortunately we were able to hustle back," Kring said from a picket line in an effort to shut down the show. "The audience won't be left in a lurch."
While scripted shows suffer from the strike, reality shows could flourish because they don't use union writers, despite an aggressive attempt by the writers guild to organize the staffers on the programs.
Viewers could also check out more entertainment on the Internet, ranging from user-generated fare on YouTube to professionally produced shows such as "Quarterlife."
Writers have not gone on strike since 1988, when the walkout lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million.
maybe the strikes could be permanent
who would miss em
All the people who work on the shows. Despite appearances, movies and TV are largely blue collar middleclass industries.
Numb3rs lol.
I thought it was a horrible attempt to jump on the CSI bandwagon, with all the other follow-on wannabes.
A bunch of University eggheads crunching mathematical calculations to solve a serial murderer case.
The concept and story-lines feel so contrived to me.
Glad you like it. We all have our favorites I guess.
I don't know what you're talking about. I rarely watch tv except for old movies. I used to watch the news, but can't even stomach Fox News anymore.
LOL!
What is wrong with CSI? That is one of the few good shows on TV!! That and Law & Order! If it were not for those two shows, I would have nothing to watch!
Why did you make a statement, ask a question, and then answer your question?
What’s a TV?
Civilization would be so much better off if these writers stay on strike permanently. What crap they turn out and moronic followers mimic!
Personally, I couldn't really care less. They could go on strike forever. I do think Two and a Half Men is pretty witty, though.
Something which both amuses and irritates me is how they are always making fun of shows like “Leave it to Beaver” or “Father Knows Best” as being so unrealistic.
Has anyone ever actually thought about the typical modern family sitcoms where all the kids are wisecracking cretins and Fathers are all idiots, while Mothers are incredibly strong and understanding.
“Leave it to Beaver” was far, far, closer to my actual family than anything out within the last 20 years.
The majority of jokes about Leave it to Beaver have very little to do with the content.
It seems to me if the networks play re-runs, the most likely result will be that their rating will go up.
Another prediction: with the strike, there will be a lot of new, poorly written attack ads on Republicans.
Actually I wasn’t referring to all the “Beaver” jokes. BTW, June really did say to Ward, “You were a little hard on the beaver last night”. I always thought that was just a joke but I did see it in one episode.
What I mean is all the common bias which is portrayed constantly, about how incredibly unrealistic those old 1950’s sitcoms were, (and the subtle insinuation that they were actually evil) when the exact opposite is true.
Of course the modern ones with every sort of depravity are considered true to life. In a way they are right in that so many kids see these shows and assume that is proper behavior that they immitate it. In other words life is immitating art.
Eww. Nice take. I like it.
They are worried about scripts?
I thought they just recycled everything from 10 years ago.
Didja see the Cowboys beat the Eaglets? Someone wrote that little candle ploy.
I predict that NBC will be knocked off the air - for a week - just to save the planet.
Greedy communists. Looks like TV may become watchable if they stay out.
Pray for W and Our Victorious Troops
At some point the producers realized that women make the vast majority of purchases in a household. Hence, they tend to cater to women.
Though I don’t know what you mean by “depravity.”
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