Archive for Writers Strike
Guest alert: Kevin Bacon
Posted by: | CommentsHee! I just noticed that Kevin Bacon is listed among Stephen’s great guest lineup for the upcoming week. That made me think of this segment from when the writers came back (oh happy day!), and it’s a slow news day, so I thought I’d repost:
[Editor's note: It still cracks me up without end that he had people like Mikhail Baryshnikov and Judy Miller show up for walk-ons like that.]
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Too early for retrospection? Five good things to come out of the writers’ strike
Posted by: | CommentsBuddyTV is taking a look at the silver lining of the writers’ strike, and while I’m still wrapping my brain around the fact that it’s over (it’s over!), it’s nice to see that they give love to the best thing that happened during these cold dark months.
Five Good Things About the Writers’ Strike
February 12, 2008
Now that the writers’ strike is over, we can look to the future. Hopefully viewers will stick around for new episodes of 30 Rock and The Office as opposed to NBC’s current strategy of four or five hours of Deal or No Deal per week. But let’s try to focus on the positives, and yes, there were some good things that came out of the strike, and we’re not talking about Internet residuals.
We’re not about to claim the strike was a great thing, or even a good thing. We at BuddyTV miss the adventures of Ned the Piemaker and Lonely Tourist Charlotte Charles. We wonder what made Tony Almeida so evil. And we’re still curious about when Marshall’s final two slaps will occur. Yet we can look beyond that to find the silver lining on the giant cloud that was the writers’ strike.
. . .
1. The Late Night Huckabee Fight
Everyone was unsure about how the late night comedians would do when they came back before the writers’ strike was over. It was often hit-or-miss, with lots of filler and non-celebrity guests. Then something magical happened: Governor Mike Huckabee won the Republican caucus in Iowa.
Fans of The Colbert Report know that Huckabee appeared on the show many times, offering his vice presidency to Stephen Colbert and getting “the Colbert Bump,” a boost in the polls thanks to his appearance. As such, Colbert took credit for creating Mike Huckabee’s winning campaign. Over on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, the red-haired comedian had a different take. Due to the popularity of his Walker, Texas Ranger lever, Conan said he caused the revitalized career of Chuck Norris, who endorsed Huckabee, and as such, Conan was responsible for Huckabee winning the Iowa caucus.
On February 4, during The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert showed up to talk smack about Conan O’Brien. Conan showed up and challenged both Comedy Central hosts to a fight over who created Huckabee. The fight was postponed through The Colbert Report until Late Night, which is where it ended.
This was pure television genius, an entertaining way to fill empty time with a special three-show crossover event. The payoff was more than worth it, as the fight ended with a triple knockout, followed by a message from Mike Huckabee, who put an end to the debate by saying that America was responsible for creating Mike Huckabee.
If the strike never happened, these three shows would not have needed to fill the time, and it’s probable that we never would have seen this epic event. As such, we owe it to ourselves to see that the writers’ strike was not all bad. Necessity is the mother of invention, and out of the necessity to fill airtime, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart invented comedy gold.
The other four were: 5) Writer Recognition; 4) Big Brother 9; 3) Cable Shows on the Networks; and 2) The Celebrity Apprentice. So take this how you will. Either way, the writers are back!
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Guests announced for ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Colbert Report’, writers return
Posted by: | CommentsYay! It feels wonderful to be blogging about this POST-STRIKE news for The Daily Show and The Colbert Report! The writers are back at work; here’s a little bit on what to expect from tonight’s shows (from The New York Times’ TV Decoder blog):
Putting ‘The’ Back In ‘The Daily Show’
By Brian Stelter
February 13, 2008, 1:15 pmAfter five weeks of “A” show, Jon Stewart will put the “The” back in “The Daily Show” on Wednesday.
The writing staff of Mr. Stewart’s show and the companion program “The Colbert Report” returned to work on Wednesday morning, a Comedy Central spokesman confirmed. Each show employs about a dozen writers. Mr. Stewart and Mr. Colbert are likely to address the end of the strike on their respective late-night shows.
. . .
Mr. Stewart will interview Mark Siegel, an author who collaborated with former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, on Wednesday’s show. Lee Siegel, the author of “Against the Machine,” is booked for Thursday. (The two men are not related.)
On “The Colbert Report,” Mr. Colbert will host David Gracer, an entymologist who believes humans eat bugs instead of meat and chicken, and Richard Thompson Ford, the author of “The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse,” on Wednesday’s show. Leonard Nimoy is booked for Thursday.
Both shows are expected to go dark for a previously scheduled break next week, according to Comedy Central.
Okay, really? Lee Siegel?! He’s the one who was suspended from The New Republic after the “sock puppet” incident, in which he was using his false identity to criticize Jon Stewart. Bizarre!
EDITED TO ADD: Here’s a clearer summary of Siegel’s “sock puppet” woes.
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Strike update: It’s done!
Posted by: | CommentsYES!! The strike has been lifted!!
From Deadline Hollywood Daily:
STRIKE OVER: Hollywood Back To Work!
Here’s the official WGA announcement to striking writers:
On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.
Writing can resume immediately. If you were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to work on Wednesday. If you’re not employed at an office or other work site, call or e-mail your employer that you are resuming work. If you have been told not to report to work or resume your services, we recommend that you still notify your employer in writing of your availability to do so. Questions concerning return-to-work issues should be directed to the WGAW legal department at 323.782.4521 or the WGAE’s assistant executive director Ann Toback at 212-767-7823.
The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these fourteen weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.
We hope to build upon the extraordinary energy, ingenuity, and solidarity that were generated by your hard work during the strike.
Over the next weeks and months, we will be in touch with you to discuss and develop ways we can use our unprecedented unity to make our two guilds stronger and more effective than ever.
Now that the strike has ended, there remains the vote to ratify the new contract. Ballots and information on the new deal, both pro and con, will be mailed to you shortly. You will be able to return those ballots via mail or at a membership meeting to be held Monday, February 25th, 2008, at times and locations to be determined.
Thank you for making it possible. As ever, we are all in this together.
Best,
Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAWMichael Winship
President, WGAE
Congratulations, writers, on staying strong through a really tough time. We’re thrilled to have you back, and we’re even more thrilled at your winning the contract concessions that you did.
Here’s to an era of improved recognition for all that you do!
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Six Degrees: A few words from Jay Katsir
Posted by: | CommentsFrom Metro New York:
14 weeks & $2 billion later, an ending is written
by ned ehrbar / metro new yorkMANHATTAN. The Writers Guild of America’s board voted yesterday to approve a tentative deal with producers and end the 14-week-long writers’ strike, which has cost Hollywood an estimated $2 billion. The motion to end the work stoppage now goes to the union’s 12,000 members, who will vote tomorrow on whether or not to go back to work.
Union leadership called the proposed contract “a huge victory.” The deal creates formulas for revenue-based residuals in new media such as Internet streaming and downloads, one of the major sticking points in negotiations. A formal vote by members on the contract will take place by mail over the next 10 days.
If the vote to end the strike is successful, writers, TV and film will be back at their jobs Wednesday, with the most immediate effects being seen in late-night TV.
“I’m very excited about what seems to be the strong possibility of going back to work,” said Jay Katsir, a writer on Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” While that show and others returned last month, the hosts have had to press on without writing staffs.
The union will suspend picketing today and tomorrow while members decide on the strike’s future. “I’ve already lost 3 of my 48 hours poring over legal language,” Katsir said. “I just hope in 45 hours I can make an informed decision.”
. . .
Well, Mr. Katsir, assuming your informed decision favors acceptance of the proposed contract terms, we couldn’t be more excited by the prospect of your return to work. Here’s hoping the deal looks as favorable upon further review as it did at first glance, because we’ve missed you and your fellow writers!
[Comments are off for this post.]
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Six Degrees: Peter Gwinn comments on the proposed deal
Posted by: | CommentsFrom WNYC (New York Public Radio):
Writers’ Guild Leadership Backs Contract Deal
WNYC NewsroomNEW YORK, NY February 10, 2008 —Writers for New York-based television shows could be back to work by Wednesday. Leaders of the Writers Guild of America decided today to recommend a proposed three-year contract to union members and ask them to approve a quick end to the walkout, which has dragged on for more than three months.
REPORTER: Membership meetings will be held Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles. The agreement sets flat fees and residuals for material streamed or downloaded on the Internet, a central demand of the union. By year 3 of the contract, writers would earn 2 percent of the revenues earned from TV clips played online. According to Colbert Report writer Peter Guinn [sic], that’s a big improvement over existing terms, which don’t provide any such earnings.
GWINN: We’re talking about stuff on the Internet, that’s a lot easier to track. By the time the next contract rolls around, we’ll have a much better understanding of people’s viewing habits. So maybe that number’s unfair but we’ll know better in 3 years when the next contract comes up.
. . .
[Comments are off for this post.]
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Strike update: WGA members to vote on suspending strike during contract voting
Posted by: | CommentsIt looks like if the members vote to end the strike, the writers can return on Wednesday. Everyone cross their fingers, we’ve almost made it through this!!
From United Hollywood:
This was just sent by WGA West President Patric Verrone to membership:
Dear Fellow Members,
I am are pleased to inform you that this morning the WGA Negotiating Committee unanimously and unconditionally recommended the terms of the proposed 2008 MBA to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council. The Board and Council then voted unanimously to recommend the contract, and to submit it to the joint membership of WGAW and WGAE for ratification. The ratification vote will take place over the next few weeks by mail ballot and at a special membership meeting. You will receive ballot materials and a notice of informational meetings during the next week.
There is, however, another issue to address: whether to lift the restraining order, and end the strike, during the ratification process. We are asking the members to decide this issue. A vote will take place on Tuesday, February 12, 2008.
A yes vote means you are voting to end the strike immediately; a no vote means you are voting to continue the strike during the ratification process.
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BREAKING NEWS! WGA Press Conference results
Posted by: | CommentsCourtesy of the ever-vigilant Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood Daily:
SUNDAY 12:30 PM [PST]:
At the WGA’s news conference today, union leaders declared the new contract is “a huge victory for us”. Trumpeted WGAW President Patric Verrone, “This is the first time we actually got a better deal in a new media than previously.” Verrone credited News Corp. No. 2 Peter Chernin and Disney chief Bob Iger, and also CBS boss Les Moonves, with “being instrumental in making this deal happen” after the WGA spent 3 months “getting nowhere” with the AMPTP negotiators and lawyers. WGA negotiating committee chief John Bowman added that, “What happened to the Golden Globes was instrumental in getting the CEOs to this table. It was a huge symbol.”
Verrone said it was “heartbreaking for me personally” to drop the WGA’s demands relating to reality and animation (Verrone is an animation writer) “But it was more important that we make a deal that benefited the membership and the town as a whole and got people back to work.” Verrone stated that “The legacy of the ‘88 strike was the ability of the companies to develop content without writers and creators. The legacy of this strike will be the ability of writers and creators to develop content without the companies. We are making deals, and we will continue to make deals, with Google, Yahoo, and others beyond just the 7 conglomerates.”
The leaders confirmed that WGA members would have 48 hours to call off the strike and 10 days to accept the newly negotiated contract.
But Verrone said TV showrunners (who have producing duties in addition to writing duties on TV series) would be allowed to go back to work Monday before the 48-hour notice vote by members is conducted. This no doubt solves the dilemma that the moguls made the deal negotiated with the WGA contingent on having the writers go back to work immediately.
The Writers Guild East Council and Writers Guild West Board voted to approve the contract and sent it to membership for a ratification vote, which will be conducted via mail ballot and at special meetings conducted on a date to be determined. In addition, the Council and Board also voted to lift the restraining order (strike) upon the majority vote of the membership, casting ballots in a vote to be conducted Tuesday, February 12th.
Variety reports that industry sources say the WGA contract reached with the majors “includes a provision that will allow scribes who were force majeuered from ongoing series to return to their old jobs. The contract does not address those who were force majeured from overall deals and other contracts if they were not working on a series that will resume production.” I can also report that the Screen Actors Guild, whose contract expires in June, has not set a date yet when it will start negotiating with the moguls.
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