In case you haven’t heard, the writers of our favorite movies, sitcoms, late night shows and other scripted endeavors have gone on strike. The Writers Guild of America’s contract has expired and studios didn’t meet their demands.
The WGA says the strike, which began Monday, is necessary to protect their members’ future incomes as the shows they write are increasingly distributed over new media, primarily through Internet downloading. (Writers receive no money from sales through iTunes or other Internet ventures.)
A last-ditch effort to reach an agreement fell through Sunday night, despite the writers conceding a demand for a doubling of how much they are paid for DVD sales. This had been considered the major stumbling block to a deal. The last time the WGA went on strike, it lasted for five months.
What does this mean for you? If you like “The Hills,” nothing. But if you’re like me and struggle through times without “The Office” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” then I’d like to share my survival strategies with you.
The first shows to go to reruns will be those that are scripted on a day-to-day basis, such as late night shows. This means we may have to go without Conan’s string dance and the antics of Stewart and Colbert for a while. (On the plus side, no one has to hear Letterman’s inane commentary or annoying laugh. That’s a silver lining if I’ve ever heard one.)
So we should find something to occupy our time during these late hours. Perhaps we should all just go to bed earlier. I know, it sounds crazy. But we could all use the sleep. If that doesn’t sit well with you insomniacs, try popping in a DVD you haven’t watched in awhile and rediscovering an old favorite.
In about a month, daytime soap operas will run out of material and go to reruns. So, if you like catching “Days of our Lives” between classes, I suggest instead rereading the assigned chapters for your next class or simply sitting outside for an hour to read or just people-watch.
If the strike goes on longer, we’ll start seeing reruns of scripted comedies and dramas around January or February. If the cast of a show has joined its writers in protest (the casts of “The Office” and “30 Rock” are participating in the strike, just to name a few), then you’ll stop seeing original episodes even sooner.
My personal coping method will be TV on DVD. Renting or borrowing a favorite series (or a series you’ve always wanted to watch but never got around to) is a great idea. I’ve been told “Veronica Mars” was quite a show, so I might be picking that up. If you’d rather just turn off the old idiot box, then try picking up a new habit like jogging or knitting. You could even start a blog and write about your television separation anxiety.
Hollywood has enough stockpiled scripts and films already in the can to last them well into next year, so movie theaters aren’t likely to suffer. But if the strike goes on long enough, there’s a chance we could see a trickle-down effect.
If you’re a reality television savant, then you should be fine. Most reality television writers aren’t members of the union, despite the WGA’s efforts to bring them in. But for now, Lauren Conrad and the precocious kids of Bonanza City will continue to grace the small screen. Look for reality-heavy networks like Fox and its perpetual cash cow, “American Idol,” to come out on top if the strike continues.
Until the studios stop being stingy and give the writers a fair shake at money that’s rightfully theirs, we’ll have to get by on reruns and clip shows. Or maybe we should just turn off the television and absorb more of the real world. Now that’s entertainment.
