Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Will Streaming Media Lead To A Massive Writer's Strike? (latimes.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the offline-media dept.

"A decade ago, Hollywood writers brought the entertainment industry to a standstill when they walked off the job for three months in a dispute over pay for movies and TV shows distributed online," writes the Los Angeles Times. But they're reporting that it may happen again, with the Writers Guild of America now seeking a strike authorization vote from its members. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have transformed Hollywood and contributed to an unprecedented number of quality series being produced -- a phenomenon often described as the new Golden Age of TV. But times haven't been golden for many writers for whom more is now less. Shorter seasons are the new norm, with many series consisting of 10 or fewer episodes on cable and streaming -- less than half the length of traditional seasons on network shows. That has put writers in a financial crunch since many have exclusivity clauses that prevent them from working on multiple shows per season...

"It's getting more and more difficult to make a living as a writer," said John Bowman, a TV writer-producer, and former head of the WGA negotiating committee. Studios are equally dug in as more customers cut the cable cord in favor of streaming options. They're also grappling with a dramatic fall-off in once-lucrative DVD sales and a flattening of attendance at the multiplex. They are releasing fewer titles a year, meaning fewer opportunities for screenwriters... Complicating matters is a lack of transparency. Streaming services operate on subscription models and don't release viewer data, making it difficult to devise a formula for residuals (fees for reruns).
Amazon is a member of the studio alliance, while Netflix "is expected to sign on to an eventual contract." (Though streaming also seems to be hurting the popularity of reruns, which is also reducing the residuals writers receive.) But underscoring the impact of online media, Slashdot reader JustAnotherOldGuy asks, "with all the alternative content available, does anyone care...? Would the writer's strike have any serious impact on your life?"

44 of 316 comments (clear)

  1. Well by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I for one will drop my subscription to Amazon or Netflix if they try to bust the strike with crap.

    But I doubt most will so I'm looking forward to reading more since last time reality tv reigned for a decade

    1. Re:Well by Aighearach · · Score: 2

      bust the strike with crap

      I too thought at first that it said "steaming media"

  2. Contract negotiation... by _Sharp'r_ · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So, if you're a TV writer, why not negotiate a contract which takes into account the new reality of streaming and shorter seasons?

    What's the big deal? Business conditions change all the time in all sorts of industries and small businesses (which is what most writers should be if they're working via contract and for various rights) adjust to it.

    I mean, if they had some sort of big bureaucratic organization which they were forced to belong to and which controlled standard contract terms they might be screwed over while they waited and hoped for it to adjust to the new reality, but if they are free and work for themselves, then it's just business as usual.

    --
    The party of stupid and the party of evil get together and do something both stupid and evil, then call it bipartisan.
    1. Re:Contract negotiation... by sg_oneill · · Score: 5, Informative

      So, if you're a TV writer, why not negotiate a contract which takes into account the new reality of streaming and shorter seasons?

      What's the big deal? Business conditions change all the time in all sorts of industries and small businesses (which is what most writers should be if they're working via contract and for various rights) adjust to it.

      I mean, if they had some sort of big bureaucratic organization which they were forced to belong to and which controlled standard contract terms they might be screwed over while they waited and hoped for it to adjust to the new reality, but if they are free and work for themselves, then it's just business as usual.

      They are negotiating. Its called a strike.

      --
      Excuse the Unicode crap in my posts. That's an apostrophe, and slashdot is busted.
    2. Re:Contract negotiation... by postbigbang · · Score: 4, Interesting

      You're seeing a massive money shift as people vote with their expenditures, which have to slowly ripple through the thick layers of money and lawyers in Hollywood.

      I'm sad for writers that have negotiated bad contracts. A strike will not further their cause.

      Money now comes from a different source, the online hegemony. The medium has changed because the delivery system changed, because the old one was leaden and corrupt.

      I watched a nice NetFlix produced video tonight on my big screen, which is the place most people can afford to view one, Hollywood and the theater SYNDICATES having made the price of a night at the movies really expensive.

      Between Amazon and NetFlix I have most stuff I want to watch, and I didn't have to worry about screaming children, seats, or what the goo is on the seat. I didn't worry about a cable company-- most all of them are universally loathed-- and I could opt out for the same money as opt-ing in if I didn't like the video.

      So if you're a writer for TV, get out. You're sailing on a sinking ship.

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    3. Re:Contract negotiation... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      So, if they don't strike, precisely how do they negotiate more money? The studios aren't just going to give them more money because they want and need it. They'll give the money to the writers if they're forced to because new content isn't being made.

    4. Re:Contract negotiation... by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 2

      The problem is that the money in Hollywood is pure finance dollars: maximize return and minimizing risk. This does not really contribute to "creative media."

      There are a lot of lemmings that are in it for creativity... but the commodity value is gone thanks to the long tail.

    5. Re:Contract negotiation... by guises · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm sad for writers that have negotiated bad contracts. A strike will not further their cause.

      You seem to be confused regarding who we're talking about here. The Writers Guild of America represents writers for all of TV / Film / Streaming / you name it - if it plays on a screen and it's not a video game, these are the people who write it. These are not people who are clinging to a doomed ship: all of that content which you are watching on Netflix, which you are implying is the future of the industry, that is them too.

      In fact, they seem to be agreeing with you that this is the future of the industry, or at least that it represents a large portion of that future, and are attempting to insure their place in it. I don't know if a strike will further their cause or not, strikes only take place after negotiations have broken down, but I certainly support the idea of good writing in the streaming future and I like the idea of writers who are able to support themselves in this way.

    6. Re:Contract negotiation... by argStyopa · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A strike isn't a negotiation, it's a tactic to drive negotiation.

      And any sane person wouldn't START the process with a drastic, burn-the-bridges tactic like striking if their real intent was to come to a constructive solution. That's like discussing which side of the bed you sleep on with your partner by starting with "I want a divorce..."

      --
      -Styopa
    7. Re:Contract negotiation... by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I doubled my monthly take-home over the past 4 years without ever going on strike or changing the work I do. Striking is *far* from the only option.

      The plural of anecdote is not data, and you don't even have multiple anecdotes to offer.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    8. Re:Contract negotiation... by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I suppose the company needs to be reminded exactly how valuable their workers are from time to time. Still just rubs me the wrong way.

      Yes, it rubs me the wrong way that the company needs to be reminded exactly how valuable their workers are from time to time, too. They should not need to be reminded, especially with such a drastic action. They should be thankful that the workers are there to help them profit, and they should offer them fair compensation for their work without them having to beg, plead... or strike.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    9. Re:Contract negotiation... by 91degrees · · Score: 2

      You seem to be mixing up the job of writers and producers.

    10. Re:Contract negotiation... by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Really? Thats the bullshit you are going to comment with - an attempt to use a tired old phrase to somehow devalue my opinion on the matter?

      I'm not devaluing your opinion, because it had no value to begin with. It only applied to you, in your situation. It may well apply to others, but from where you're sitting, you don't know whether it applies to any given individual. For many people, there are no other options, because the company they work for is determined not to be fair. That you had other options is utterly and completely irrelevant to everyone else, and the world would have been better off if you had not bothered to share it because it adds nothing to the discussion and only confuses the issue.

      If you had told us anything about your situation, it might have helped someone. But all you did was say "I did it, so you can do it" which hey, guess what? Is a logical fallacy.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    11. Re:Contract negotiation... by Richard_at_work · · Score: 2

      Nope, I simply did good work and got successive significant pay rises as a result. Never threatened to leave, never felt the need to job hunt. When I did hand my notice in, I actually left, no threats involved.

      I wouldn't ever work in a company where the only approach to employer-employee relations was the equivalent of a battlefield, with such weapons as threats and coercion being employed - and thats what you get with what you describe. If you aren't happy with your situation, striking and making threats isn't exactly going to improve matters overall, it simply fosters dissent and ill will on both sides.

      Ultimately, from my point of view, the strongest card in the employees negotiation is a good relationship with the employer, thats always done me well.

    12. Re:Contract negotiation... by Bruinwar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What never fails to amaze me is how people seem to think that a strike what their first option. This is the very last option when all other negotiations have failed.

      Talented writers are rare. If we want to enjoy good content, they need to paid well. Or we get shit, like most of the shit that gets produced.

      --
      SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT
    13. Re:Contract negotiation... by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 2

      Data is the plural of anecdote. Do you not know what a survey is?

      --
      Support my political activism on Patreon.
    14. Re:Contract negotiation... by cwatts · · Score: 5, Informative

      Adding to guises post...

      People are asking why the writers are "striking first" They arent. The WGA has been negotiating the deal with the producers since early March.

      ALSO, It's not that the contracts are 'bad'. A decade ago, when most of the last deal was hashed out, there was no original streaming content. The studios were circling the wagons against streaming, and netflix was still doing DVDs. A big negotiating point in tat strike was in fact DVD residuals Streaming was not ignored, it;s just that no one really knew how big it would get and what the side effects of it's proliferation might be. Studios wanted to pay zero residuals on "new media" and naturally the writers werent thrilled with this. So, after protracted negotiations, they struck for 14 weeks and eventually got some concessions. Ironically, the lack of new entertainment on TV was a HUGE boon for Netflix, who got a massive surge of subscribers which wall street didn't really8 notice til the strike was long over. but i digress.

      Now that streaming is huge, the writers are pretty glad they held out, but there are fresh issues- the new guys, Amazon, Netflix, etc. don't obey the traditional season paradigm. In the old days, when a writer was hired for ' a season' they got 30 (or whatever) shows out of the deal. Now, with their giant budgets and more elaborate shows, series like "walking Dead might have 16 (but often fewer) episodes per season. Because writers are often exclusive to the show, and they are paid 'per episode', many of them are making half as much. So its back to the table to negotiiate this and similar issues.

      The AMPTP is the body that reps the studios, networks and independent producers. They negotiate not only with writers, but with the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, the AFM, etc. Suffice to say that they are some hard nosed old bastards. They have a rep for not budging and often, a strike is the only way to make something happen.

      By the way, when the writers went on strike in 2007, it was a huge dead weight on production in CA. On a film, lines in scripts get rewritten a little every day During the strike, many directors on already-running films did n ot want to cross picket lines by doing these small rewrites themselves. With writers on strije, there was no one to do it. So a lot of productions stalled, and some stopped altogether. This affects hundreds of thousands of industry workers all over the world.

      I was in the middle of a divorce and had just come off a lucrative 18 month job, a little movie about spartans in red capes. My ex's evil lawyer convinced a judge to award payments based on my employed income. I was out of work for about 6 months due to the strike- with the extra monthly whammy to the ex, plus my lawyers (I fired the one who allowed the preceding to happen) I got murdered during the last strike. If this one happens, it wont be as bad, but I don't thing its going to come to a strike.

      just my 2 cents.

      PS the ex and I get along fine these days, and the kid who was born during the strike is now 10! Yikes!

      --
      chris watts íë¦ìS ì(TM)ì
    15. Re:Contract negotiation... by verbatim · · Score: 4, Funny

      Our poor protagonist spends a lifetime acquiring wealth and power, finally wedding his beloved, and loses it because he didn't respect it. He then finds a group of new friends and sets out on a journey to find some kind of important thing and, along the way, fights many obstacles in order to protect that thing. Among them is a funny man who goes through comedic development and bumbles along with them, only to finally reveal that he only came with them for some initially misunderstood or accidental reason. The journey takes them to a strange foreign land, where they discover many new things, and they return with these new experiences. One of the newly found best friends dies along the way in a suitably tragic way, but is reborn as a wise and more powerful friend. They all face off against a final monster that tests everything they've experienced along the way. Finally, our protagonist reuintes with his wealh, power, and wife, and promises he will never give her up, will never let her down, and will never run around or desert her. And they all live happily ever after; except for the onces that don't.

      --
      Price, Quality, Time. Pick none. What, you thought you had a choice?
    16. Re:Contract negotiation... by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 2

      There's a large structure that goes around a good story. Introductions, build-ups, climaxes, resolutions, plot twists. They have to move in a certain way to make a piece entertaining.

      Someone designed a beat sheet to demonstrate effective emotional tone control in writing, and Hollywood took it as gospel. They have it clocked to five-minute intervals now, instead of just major structure.

      Of course all stories are conflict-resolution. The problem is now all the dance steps are painted on the floor and followed to precise meter.

      --
      Support my political activism on Patreon.
    17. Re:Contract negotiation... by ravenshrike · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Nah, the problem is that primarily in order to get higher base wage rates per episode/weekly across the board, the unions fucked themselves over with exclusivity contracts that don't allow writers to work for more than one show at once. With shorter seasons they're making 1/2-2/3s of what they were making when the contracts were designed. Course, had they been paying attention to the internet and the pattern emergin in HBO et al, they would have known that was a bad idea, but I digress.

  3. Huh? by s.petry · · Score: 5, Funny

    You mean to tell me they were not already on strike? Nothing but remakes, over, and over and over again.

    --

    -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    1. Re:Huh? by ArchieBunker · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Movies with original content are few and far between. I just saw commercials for remakes of The Mummy and then King Arthur tonight.

      --
      Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
    2. Re:Huh? by negRo_slim · · Score: 2

      One would think that would do well in today's politically correct and forcibly inclusive world.

      --
      On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
    3. Re:Huh? by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 2

      That's even worse, dear god not another "fiction universe" movie (or more likely: series of movies). So we'll probably see reboots of all these characters followed by the inevitable "league" and "versus" stories. And crossovers with the DC and Marvel universes perhaps? Sounds like at least a decade of shit entertainment.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  4. A decade ago... by yodleboy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A decade ago, I quit watching House MD and various other shows impacted by the strike when they stopped mid season. By the time they came back, I had moved on and didn't care anymore. For big shows, the risk is probably minimal, but for the niche stuff this can be a killer.

    1. Re:A decade ago... by yodleboy · · Score: 2

      Replying to myself because I hit submit too fast.

      Can these writers be that surprised that it's getting harder to make a living when much of the industry has a fear of anything original? Den Of Geek lists 120(!) movie remakes or reboots currently in progress (as of 3/15/2017). TV seems to be less paralyzed, but they can afford to throw shows out and see what catches.

      Those 120 remakes... http://www.denofgeek.com/us/mo...

    2. Re:A decade ago... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      2007 writers strike started the unplug movement.
      If they try it again in 2017, it will definitely end the unplug movement -- by causing everyone to unplug and switch to streaming-only.

    3. Re:A decade ago... by whoever57 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You seem to be blaming the writers for the stream of remakes and copies. Why? Surely, it's the producers and buyers who control what gets written?

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    4. Re:A decade ago... by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Actually, it's the same problem as we have with video games. New ideas are a risk. People may or may not like it. But with every movie (and game) being a multi million dollar wager, you want to bet on the safe side. So what would you fund? A new movie format that may or may not sit well with your target audience or the remake of a story that already drew masses to the movies 20 years ago? A new game style nobody tried before or the same game that already sold well last year with a new year date next to its franchise title?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:A decade ago... by utahjazz · · Score: 2

      Writers aren't constrained by the number of remakes, they are constrained by the amount of original work. Network TV and Hollywood could be all remakes, there would still be more original content on Netflix+Amazon+HBO+Showtime+CC+Indy Film Etc than there ever was when there was just 3 tv networks and a couple movie studios. No, writers are only constrained by the number of writer slots in the city, which is increased by 2 when you build the Writer's Guild wonder.

  5. Writers are not underpaid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Service Network Minimum Cable Minimum
    30 Minute Story $8,062 $5,432
    30 Minute Teleplay $17,343 $8,821
    30 Minute Story + Teleplay $24,183 $13,557
    60 Minute Story $14,192 $9,871
    60 Minute Teleplay $23,399 $17,096
    60 Minute Story + Teleplay $35,568 $24,768
    Staff Writer - 6 Week Guarantee $4,318/week same as network
    Staff Writer - 14 Week Guarantee $4,014/week same as network
    Staff Writer - 20 Week Guarantee $3,703/week same as network
    Any Level Above Staff Writer - up to 9 Weeks $8,055/week same as network
    Any Level Above Staff Writer - 10 to 19 Week Guarantee $6,712/week same as network
    Any Level Above Staff Writer - 20 Weeks or More Guarantee $6,036/week same as network

  6. What is this "television" you speak of? by gstovall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I haven't turned on a "television" in over 7 years, and haven't missed it.

    Now, I do confess to watching Netflix content with my wife.

    Was visiting a family member at the hospital recently, and the individual turned this "television" on to see what it was all about. "Channel" after "channel" of strange annoying things called "commercials". We didn't like it and turned it off. Grabbed the laptop and fired up Netflix. Much better.

    1. Re:What is this "television" you speak of? by drinkypoo · · Score: 2

      The BBC is a good thing(TM) for the UK. Even if you don't like the programming it provides, the fact it's there and has no adverts means all the other channels have to be reasonable about their advertising.

      Actually, laws do that. In the UK you're not allowed to tell bald-faced lies in commercials. In the USA, you are, so long as it is one of the approved types of lie.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:What is this "television" you speak of? by houghi · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Television is the big 55" screen I bought a lot cheaper (500 EUR 3 years ago; 1080p) than a monitor.

      Link the laptop to the big screen and you have a much nicer experience. Or you can use the TV directly or indirectly to other divices. Plenty of options.

      To me television is just a word for "cheap bigass monitor".

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  7. Enough of this Naive Missing the Point by ohnocitizen · · Score: 4, Insightful
    • "So, if you're a TV writer, why not negotiate a contract which takes into account the new reality of streaming and shorter seasons?" -> The strike is one means of doing so - but TV writers are not like star actors - the studios call the shots. Not everyone works in an industry where it's easy to negotiate if circumstances grow less favorable. And please shut up with the inevitable "why not change professions?". Not everyone wants to, and not everyone should have to. But even if they did - fine. How about all the people upset with their jobs change to yours? Oh what's that? The massive influx of competition is having a negative impact on your salary, work hours, and ability to get a job? Maybe YOU should change professions.
    • "with all the alternative content available, does anyone care...? Would the writer's strike have any serious impact on your life?" -> What is WRONG with you? There is a huge difference between the endless "reaction" videos on youtube and a film like "The Departed" or "Moana". If we want quality entertainment and art - then we have to ensure the people making it can make a living doing it. Which means we just need to be supportive when they say "the studios are making more money and we aren't, and now I need a part time job to support my family, this has to change". Instead of saying "well fine I guess I don't care about tv, movies, or whatever as long as I can watch another youtube star rant about a video game he hates" and sounding like an utter moron.
    • "What is this television you speak of? I watch Netflix". IDIOT. The article is about writers who work for Netflix - and they aren't making enough to make ends meet. You want Stranger Things season 2? The Defenders? Then maybe support the writers who make those shows possible.

    What is wrong with Slashdot?!

  8. Re: "Golden Age of TV"?! by epyT-R · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not really.. It's a show designed to make people who made fun of nerds in highschool laugh.

  9. Re:Who cares? by psmoot · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Bully for you. If that keeps you happy, go fer it. And I mean that seriously, not sarcastically.

    When winter arrives and the birds fly south, there are awesome shows like Downton Abbey, House of Cards, The Expanse, Man In the High Castle, and on and on. I just finished Jessica Jones and Luke Cage and thought they were fabulous. David Tennant as an evil psychopath, woo-hoo!

    You certainly don't have to watch any of it but recognize there is more available than news and reality shows.

  10. Aww, too bad by RubberDogBone · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Feel bad for these people but nobody ever promised them anything. Hollywood has always been extremely fickle about what it would support and when, and those tastes change all the time. Things go in and out of favor and writers have to cope with that, including periods of starving. OH WELL.

    Now, how the audience consumes content and who, exactly, is making it, is changing. We no longer need TV networks to fund content so they can sell ads against it -and THAT is the only reason TV networks bother with shows anyway, to sell ads.

    Without TV networks, the content that is funded and produced IS going to be different. The customer is different. If you paint houses and your customers decided they want blue houses and no longer want yellow houses, you as a painter don't get to stomp your feet and demand that people want yellow houses. You paint blue houses or you starve. Pick.

    Anyway, the writers are running a huge risk: as the whole distribution model has changed, we may eventually see the writing model change too. Do we really need union writers or could they find freelancers to do it? Of course they could. And with the script to screen path being more streamlined than ever, the union writers are in a precarious position. The client sitting at home won't care who wrote it as long as it is good.

    --
    Sig for hire.
  11. Unintended Consequences by Sinesurfer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The last time hollywood writers went on strike we got a whole lot of unscripted reality TV such as The Apprentice which in turn made Trump a media 'star'. Can't wait to see the unintended consequences of a second strike.

    --
    Regards Sinesurfer A Nerd is someone who lives for technology, A Geek is someone who lives for technology and loves it
  12. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't stand people like you.

    You think not owning a TV makes you an enlightened superhero above everyone else .You're not.
    You pick crap to watch then blame the idiot box for your choices. You can be watching documentaries and current events. It's not anyone else's fault you are or were stuck on bad sitcoms and reality TV drivel.
    These days you have the Internet and can spend the time watching video that teaches you about the world around you or teaches you a skill. You can do university and trade school learning that use to require a lot of money for the price of your Internet subscription and a working machine. What's the bet you blame the Internet for being full of lolcats instead.

  13. Re:Who cares? by Drethon · · Score: 2

    TV can disappear tomorrow and it won't matter. People can get their entertainment the good old fashioned way by going outside instead of staring at a screen.

    All to the good, I might add. I swear, I didn't realize how watching several hours of TV each day as a kid had screwed me up until I went a couple of years without owning a TV. Then I got myself a flat screen to put in the living room when I got married and started watching again. Yeesh. Good riddance to the trash merchants. Less money for them means more people are realizing they're putting out crap.

    As far as I know, my area doesn't have any forging groups. Forged in Fire could be better at talking about the process but it is still interesting to have in the background. My local short track doesn't open up for a few more weeks so races on television is the best available option for this at the moment, even though they pretty much ignore most of the engineering. WW2 documentaries and similar are great reads but seeing the video fills in a lot of the gaps my imagination fails at.

    And watching this on TV makes a lot more sense while I'm working on graduate studies and doctoral research. Bringing my laptop along with me while I go outside and do something isn't that practical. No I'm not going to do the research work with the TV off, in a dead silent room I end up starting at the same line of text for minutes before my brain reengages. Nice nearly mindless background noise works nice to look up for a minute and then go back to studies.

  14. Re:"Golden Age of TV"?! by MachineShedFred · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You're acting like the writers get final say in what is filmed and eventually broadcast. And you are acting like the entertainment industry is a merit-driven business.

    Both of these are false assumptions.

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
  15. The only impact I recall. . . by Salgak1 · · Score: 3

    . . . .was Joss Whedon and gang went and did "Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog". . .

        So, if there **IS** a strike, how about a sequel, Joss ?? (grin)

  16. TV isn't ephemeral anymore by Gilgaron · · Score: 2

    There used to only be so much available at any one time, so TV shows were more valuable. Now, that you can stream on demand content at will, and shows essentially never become unavailable, there's more content available for viewing than time to watch it. 'Water cooler' talking about episodes as they air has dropped slowly down to Game of Thrones with the occasional bout of The Walking Dead or Downtown Abbey at my workplace. They'd have to go on strike an awfully long time before anyone noticed.