Strike update: More good news

It may not be time to break out the bubbly just yet (I’m — superstitiously — holding off until we get official word of the strike’s end), but it’s probably not tempting fate too much to go buy yourself a bottle of champagne, just in case. It’s sounding like we can look for our favorite writers to be back to work on Wednesday; what joy!

The Chicago Tribune‘s TV column, “The Watcher”, has an excellent collection of relevant links posted:

The WGA strike: It’s nearly over, writers should pick up pencils by Wednesday
Originally posted: February 10, 2008

Deadline Hollywood Daily oracle Nikki Finke says the strike is essentially “over.” She reports that at the Saturday WGA meeting in Los Angeles, the guild membership appeared to OK the deal that the leadership negotiated in the last few weeks. Writers should be back at their desks by Wednesday, according to Finke. (And if you want to know whether your favorite show will return this season, check out this list.)

A roundup of strike updates from the usual suspects (and I’ll keep updating this as I see additional posts):

Mark Evanier, whose News From Me blog has been an invaluable source of perspective and rationality during the strike: “A feeling of victory seemed to be the prevailing mood [at the Saturday WGA membership meeting in L.A.] …You want to know why there was a writers strike? Because they didn’t offer us in November the contract that they offered us [on Saturday]. And they could have. It’s not that fabulous an offer. It won’t hurt the profits at Disney, Paramount, Sony, et al, one bit. What it does mean is that the writers who don’t make the megabucks (and that’s the vast majority of the WGA) have a better shot at making a basic living. That’s all this has ever been about.”

The L.A. Times story on the strike’s home stretch: “‘The reason for this strike was to make sure we had coverage of the Internet, that it didn’t become a guild-free zone, and I think we accomplished that,’ said Warren Leight, executive producer of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.’”

Variety’s story delves the deal and into the contentious “17-day window,” during which networks can stream shows without paying writers. Some writers were hoping for a shorter “free” window, but that didn’t come to pass. (Variety’s strike coverage is here.)

Entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel has some preliminary analysis of some notable parts of the new deal. He’s sure to have more soon.

Get additional links (continuously updated) here

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