Recently in Writers Strike Category
Those are the words of Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West.
The picket signs are hitting the ground and the pencils are being put back into writers' hands.
The best part? Some shows - most likely the half-hour comedies - will be back on TV by mid-March. Most of the longer dramas -- well the ones actually coming back this season -- will be back on the air by April/May.
Okay, so that's not tomorrow, but it's better than the fall!
Be sure to check out our list of how many episodes you'll get of your shows this season, and when they'll return.
Now go turn on your TV and do a cheer! That's what I'm doing!
(And don't forget to tell us which shows you're most excited for.)
According to, well, just about everyone, the writers strike is almost over!
Let's take a moment to celebrate: Woohoo!!!! Yay!!!!
(Latest Update: Put down your picket signs and pick up your pencils! As of Tuesday, February 12, the writers strike has officially ended!!!)
Okay, now that that's out of our systems, let's face the harsh reality: what does this mean for our favorite TV shows?
Here's the rundown, according to TVGuide's Michael Ausiello. (Keep in mind - a lot of this could change at the drop of a hat. It's all tentative, but I'll keep updating as I hear more.)
24
Season 7 postponed until January '09.
30 Rock
Expected to shoot 5 to 10 new episodes to air in April/May.
Aliens in America
Eight pre-strike episodes remain. No additional episodes expected for this season.
Back to You
Two pre-strike episodes remain. Future TBD.
Battlestar Galactica
Returns April 4 with first half of 20-episode final season. Production on second half could start as early as March. Airdate for those TBD.
The Big Bang Theory
Returns April 4 with first half of 20-episode final season. Production on second half could start as early as March. Airdate for those TBD.
Big Love
Expected to go into production on Season 3 in March. Airdate info is TBD.
Big Shots
No new episodes expected. Ever.
Bionic Woman
No new episodes expected. Ever.
Bones
Four pre-strike episodes left. Unclear whether additional episodes will be produced for this season.
Boston Legal
One pre-strike episode remains. Expected to shoot 6 to 8 additional episodes to air in April/May.
Brothers & Sisters
One pre-strike episode remains. Expected to shoot 4 or 5 additional episodes to air in April/May.
Burn Notice
Production on Season 2 expected to get under way in late April. New episodes could start airing as early as July.
Cane
No additional episodes expected this season. Future beyond that TBD.
Chuck
No new episodes until fall.
The Closer
Expected to kick off its fourth season this summer.
Cold Case
Expected to shoot 5 new episodes to begin airing on March 30.
Criminal Minds
Expected to shoot 7 new episodes to begin airing April 2.
CSI
Expected to shoot 6 new episodes to begin airing April 3.
CSI: Miami
Expected to shoot 8 new episodes to begin airing March 24.
CSI: NY
Expected to shoot 7 new episodes to begin airing April 7.
Desperate Housewives
Expected to shoot 4 to 7 new episodes to air in April/May.
Dirty Sexy Money
No new episodes planned until fall; three remaining pre-strike episodes will undergo some tweaking and kick off fall run.
ER
Expected to shoot 4 to 6 new episodes to air in April/May.
Rumors are flying rampant over whether or not the strike is nearing its end. Some people say it'll be ending within the week, while others claim quite the opposite.
So what will happen if the strike does end in the next week?
Well, it depends on each show.
Some shows could go back into production and produce new episodes -- some for this season and some for next. Others, well, not so much. Sometimes it just doesn't make sense to start production just to close it down shortly after for the summer hiatus.
Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives creator) told E! Online that if the strike ends soon, he's ready to bang out seven episodes. Seven seems to be the extreme, as most shows will either do two or three episodes, or wait until next season entirely.
Sad. Very sad.
Some other random TV news:
- Marie Osmond is going to get her own talk show. Will you watch?
- Lost comes back Thursday night, but tonight is the "Pop Up Video" version of the season three finale, jam packed with clues and facts. Get excited!!!
- During the premiere of Eli Stone (10 p.m.), Oceanic Airlines will announce how you can get a Golden Pass for their flights. Hmmm, nice marketing campaign, ABC. Now everyone's going to want to tune in.
The A-listers are finally making their move when it comes to the seemingly unending writers strike. According to DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com, George Clooney has volunteered to set up a "mediation panel." He plans to ask Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, John Wells (exec producer of ER) to join him. How many other A-listers will join him?
Do you think getting such high-end celebrities will help end this strike once and for all?
As I'm sure you've heard by now, the Golden Globes are officially canceled. Dunzo.
The Golden Globes—which combine TV and movie categories—are the most fun awards show of the season, and the actors actually seem to enjoy themselves. Heck, sometimes an actor even moons the audience.
But once SAG said that none of its members would be crossing the picket lines, it was clear the Globes as we know it were in trouble.
As of yesterday afternoon, there was an unofficial schedule floating around regarding how NBC would salvage the Globes. It went like this:
7 p.m.: A Dateline special with clips and interviews with nominees
8 p.m.: A one-hour retrospective clip show
9 p.m.: A press conference announcing the winners
10 p.m. An Access Hollywood-style show visiting the various Golden Globes parties
First of all, that's just boring. Second of all, the WGA nixed everything but the press conference. So now that's all we're left with. Our beloved Globes have been whittled down from a fun, glamorous affair to a lackluster press conference. There will be no dazzling dresses, no shocking moments, no outrageous parties. Just a press conference.
Will you still watch?
Hey, maybe this will change the face of awards shows. After all, people do say the shows always go on too long anyway.
Be sure to check back here during the press conference to get your full list of winners.
Quick sum-up, for those who have been too busy with the holidays to stay up-to-date: Jay and Conan returned to work sans writers. Dave got the better end of the stick and was able to get his writers back on board. (It's not that Jay and Conan didn't want their writers back. It's just that The Late Show With David Letterman is owned by a separate production company—which was able to strike a deal with the writers—while Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno are owned by NBC—and the networks haven't struck any deals yet. Comprende?)
Okay, now that that's out of the way: Who watched the shows? And what did you think?
I think Conan did the greatest job. Dave had the leg up on the competition, and while that made him more polished, it was more interesting to see what Jay and Conan could accomplish without their writers.
Jay's monologue was pretty good. A few jokes fell flat, but overall, he performed. And then there was Conan. He was hilarious. I think he knew he was in trouble and had to pull things out of his you know what, but it made it all the more funny. Plus, he danced, he played Rock Band, and he dedicated airtime to his fully-grown beard—to prove he has testosterone, of course.
(P.S. While Dave's beard, as he said, made him look like a crazed hitchhiker, did anyone else think Conan looked like Al from Home Improvement?)
As much as this writers strike has been driving me absolutely bonkers, there is no way I can boycott TV. I love the tube too much, and I'm pretty sure my fingers don't know how to find the "off" button on the remote.
In that case, what are we to do in 2008 when most of our shows are still in limbo?
Watch TV!
Yes, there are still shows out there.
In no particular order, here's what I'm thankful for in 2008:
1. October Road. The cast and crew were able to complete the entire season before the strike. Watch this show! You'll love it. Promise.
2. Dirt. Courtney Cox's FX show still has no premiere date, but I'll be sure to update you as soon as it's announced. If you're a Daily Blabber fan, you'll love this show, as it parodies the tabloid industry.
3. Dexter. Fine, it's not new episodes, but it is coming to CBS. If you haven't caught it yet, be sure to catch on now.
4. Lost. Finally!!!!!!!!! Yes, I'm excited. Lost completely redeemed itself last season and is back and ready to rumble. Check out the extended trailer. It's beyond good.
5. All the other midseason shows: Make Me a Supermodel (Bravo), Canterbury's Law (Fox), Jericho (CBS), One Tree Hill (CW), Big Brother (CBS), The Wire (HBO), Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (ABC), The Return of Jezebel James (Fox), Medium (NBC), New Amsterdam (Fox), Eli Stone (ABC), Lipstick Jungle (NBC), Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi), Kyle XY (ABC Family), Prison Break (Fox), Psych (USA), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicls (Fox), and of course, American Idol (Fox).
What are you thankful for this 2008?
Don't fret! At least one show is making this writers strike easier on its fans. NBC's Heroes site will constantly be updated, no matter what happens with the strike.
Every Tuesday you'll find new graphic-novel chapters, which continue the stories of the main characters. Don't worry, you don't need to read the stories in order to be in the know when the show eventually returns. But, this site will definitely help with the withdrawal for the diehard fans.
On that note, now that you have some time on your hands in the TV world, remember that most networks have -- for free -- past episodes of their shows online. I plan on using this time to catch up on shows I'm behind on, like Samantha Who?, Gossip Girl and Chuck. Anyone else doing the same?
Has anyone else noticed this week that the effects of the strike are finally really hitting viewers?
Since the strike began we knew time was running out for our shows. But now that time is finally here. I tried to be in denial and spend time watching movies instead, but deep down I've been yearning for my shows. I want them back!
Even my DVR is in denial. Last night it recorded Criminal Minds and Project Runway. My DVR is set to only record new episodes. Both of those shows were reruns. See, even my DVR was hoping that somehow my shows would return.
In my last post, Cranky Granny commented that we should go on our own strike and boycott TV.
Could you do that? Could you give up TV altogether until the writers get back to work and our shows come back to us? Or will you sit through the crappy new reality shows that are filling our airwaves until the real shows return?
Here's the rundown so far of the actors who have stated they won't be crossing the picket lines to attend The Golden Globes:
Katherine Heigl (nominated for Grey's Anatomy): "I'm not crossing the picket line, not unless I'm contractually obliged to do, which, with the Golden Globes, I'm not."
Jeremy Piven (nominated for Entourage): "I don't know about whether or not I'll be attending because to be honest with you, I don't know a lot about the rules and limitations of what is happening. I need to look into it. Writers are kind of these unsung heroes. People don't see how much these guys work and they're just trying to cover their bases for themselves and for the future. I hope they get what they deserve and I'll do anything I can to help that."
Glenn Close (nominated for Damages): "I would never cross a picket line."
James McAvoy (nominated for Atonement): "I don't think I'd want to do that. It's an environment I wouldn't want to stick my nose into. I'm not from this country and for me to stick my nose and throw my small weight around wouldn't be right."
As reported earlier, Lost is changing nights. We can now see Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly and the other losties on ABC, Thursdays at 9 p.m., beginning January 31.
This midseason ABC will also be premiering the following new series: Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann, Cashmere Mafia, Eli Stone and Oprah's Big Give.
Do you care? Will you watch? Or do you wish the "old" ABC shows (Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, etc.) will finally get writers again and come back to television?
Good news for Buffy fans, not so good news for Dawson's Creek lovers.
Let's start with the bad news. Boy next door Joshua Jackson was supposed to appear on this season's Grey's Anatomy. Yet due to the writers' strike, Pacey Witter's episode arc was never even written. So if the strike continues for some time, we might not get to see the boy romance anyone other than Joey Potter.
Rumor has it Josh was supposed to hook up with Cristina on Grey's, which would make for some interesting and extremely awkward scenes. From Dr. Preston Burke to a Mighty Ducks star? Now that's a change. I guess Dr. Yang doesn't have a certain "type" of guy she goes after. This, however, may be a good thing, as we all know that Cristina's last man got kicked off the show for good…
As for the good news, werewolf Seth Green's two-episode gig on the doctor drama has been shot and will air regardless of the writers' strike!
