BellaOnline Forums TV and Movies Prime Time TV The Writer's Strike

Has anyone heard any news if they are closer to any resolution?

Right or wrong, I think this writers strike will hurt TV in general. Viewership has been dropping over the past 2-3 years.

As each new fall season starts, there are fewer and fewer watching mainstream TV. More and more people are watching alternatives. I got a Blockbuster online membership a few months ago and love it. It doesn't matter what's on TV. I like several of the show on TV and looked forward to seeing Heros and new shows like Pushing daisies but there are other things to do.

Once people get into the habit of finding alternatives, I think it will become harder and harder to lure people back to TV.

I'm not a fan of realities shows for the most part but that's what's going to replace the shows that are off - because they need no written scrips. I read tha some of the shows like Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy had enough scripts to film only 3 more shows. 24 has been put on hold indefinitely.

Joan - I just read an article about the same exact thing, advertisers are very scared that viewers will find other things to do.

As far as a resoultion, Lisa, I don't know. I haven't heard anything about a time-table.

I haven't heard of any resolution either, but they say it's possible for the strike to go on for months.

I read that too-that they expect it could go on for months. Advertisers are already having a hard time with so many people recording shows on DVR's, etc. Nobody is watching the ads anymore and they are trying to come up with creative ways to work the ads into the show or make funny ads or ads with games in them, just to get people to watch them.

I like BBC tho. They will still be having new programing.

I have heard they are negotiating with a mediator to resolve their issues. Some of the Soap writers have already crossed over the picket line. So I dont know if this will be a trend, or if it will drag out for some time.

I used to work in a factory that had a union and I was the shop steward for that union for a year so I am behind the writer's on strike. I hope it ends soon because ultimately, we are the ones who are going to suffer because of the re-runs.

Odd too that pro wrestling is still going but I guess that is because it is a private company and their storyline writers must not be affected by the strike.

I suppose if they wanted to support the writer's strike, Vince McMahon would probably fire them. I mean there is no more shows with drama and comedy than pro wrestling. lol.

Also, we have a good story going on the NBC Soaps site. It's called "Bubbles' Story". Maybe they will hire us to write for them. lol.

As far as mainstream TV shows go, I can hardly NAME any of the new series, much less say I've watched them, within the past 8 or so years. I hear ABOUT them, but as far as watching them, I've seen maybe one episode of Seinfeld, maybe 10 minutes of any Survivor. We have a DirecTV HD DVR which we use for sports and much more informative documentary-style programs on Discovery, Smithsonian, TLC and other channels like that. How many ways can one see lawyers battle it out, or grisly crime investigations? Not to say anything about these "reality" shows. If there are nothing but reruns for the next year, I wouldn't notice it one bit!

Nothing that I've seen commercials for on NBC, ABC, CBS, etc really strikes me as funny or even remotely interesting to view. The only one that had a chance with me was Threshold, but that got killed off quickly.

Combine that with the availability of entertainment options available online, listening to good music, and good old fashioned talking with the person next to you, and Prime Time TV, well, lost its influence.

Interesting you mention Threshold. I'm watching the entire series of shows today on SciFi as I work. I loved that show. It was one that the network just didn't care about. It was doing well on friday nights so they decided it must be the good spot it was in-so they moved it to another night and put some show in the Friday night spot that they wanted to promote.

I think Threshold was pulled off the air after one airing in the new time slot.

Vance, I've never watched pro wrestling but isn't that more in the nature of sports or reality TV? I don't suppose they even use writers for that. News and sports are exempt as their writers are in a different union.

Kriss, as far as the soap writers crossing the picket lines-soaps are in trouble viewer-wise anyway so they don't want to lose the few they have probably.