It’ll be good for the movie industry, too. See what happens when movies don’t have writers?
Elenfair- How do you think the impending actor’s strike is going to affect the return to production?
Windwalker: I’m not entirely sure. Lost wound up with a shortened season anyway. I do have one of their producers on my list of folks I’m in regular contact with, though, so I will ask.
Quint: SAG/AFTRA and the WGA have been working very closely through the strike. The actors have been out with us, supporting us and backing our every move for many reasons: we obviously get along because, well, we need one another to do our jobs… but we also know that we rely on each other for our contract negotiations. With what we managed to negotiate, we have now put down a foundation for SAG and AFTRA to go in and negotiate their agreement with the AMPTP. They will go in with a strong position to bargain from. The chances of them going on strike has been reduced significantly.
Part of what has happened with our new agreement is that our new contract will expire in 3 years and 3 months from the signing of this one, which would put us to a May 1 expiry date. There are advantages and disadvantages to this changes (as opposed to our traditional October 31 date) – this is a date the studios were pushing for – but the major advantage to us is that it puts us closer to the date that our brothers and sisters at SAG also see their contracts come to and end. This puts us in a better bargaining position, in some ways.
So – short answer: I don’t think it will affect production all that much. I expect that SAG/AFTRA will go into negotiations with the AMPTP and go through some tough rounds of negotiations but they will emerge with what they want (mostly) because we have put down a solid foundation for them. I also expect the DGA not to ratify the agreement they already have gotten and to go BACK to the bargaining table and demand that they get what the WGA got on New Media.
I bump, because I care.
But a May date will give less pressure due to the summer rerun series coming on. A strike threat will have to til Sept to exert max. pressure.
This “mass” does not like the so-called reality shows. Any of 'em. I foresee a time when the only time I watch network tv will be for local news.
Yes and no – May does hit summer hiatus for television shooting schedules May-June is when some of us start writing the fall premieres, work out season arcs and start figuring out the first few season episodes (which are then shot in August/September). May is also often a key time for late renewals and pick-ups, and for Winter Blockbusters.
There are pros and cons to wherever the end-of-contract dates land. One upside we all see here is not having to picket in the cold… something that the Midwestern contingent is kind of happy about 
We were out holding a rally at 0F in Minneapolis. Brr.
Question for Elenfair: most of the focus on getting back to production schedules is being placed on the major broadcast network shows. But original programming on the cable channels tends to break “season” boundaries fairly regularly. Won’t some of those programs get right back to work and, if feasible, extend their new seasons into the Summer? We could see some of those programs run a “full” season of their programs anyway, no? Any insight on that?
News, details, possibles, of the future of your favourite shows after the strike.