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What Happens To Summer TV Binges If Hollywood Writers Strike (bloomberg.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: There also should be plenty of new video fare if Hollywood's writers and studios can't agree on a new contract by Monday. The beautiful thing about a contract is everyone knows when it ends. In this case, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents some 350 production companies, and the Writers Guild of America, which comprises 12,000 professionals in two chapters, have had three years to prepare for a standoff. In these situations, show makers typically rush to complete a pile of scripts before the deadline. Jerry Nickelsburg, an economist at the University of California at Los Angeles, calls this stockpiling "the inventory effect." This is precisely what happened the last time writers walked off the job, from November 2007 to February 2008. If the writers do, in fact, go through with the strike they approved on Monday, jokes and soaps will be the first things to take a hit. Late-night talk shows and soap operas are to entertainment writers what delis are to hungry New Yorkers -- a daily frenzy of high-volume production. If the sandwich makers don't show up, everybody gets hungry quickly.
Go outside and play...
How did I get to the TMZ website?! I thought I was on Slashdot! This is so weird. The site looks like Slashdot, but the stories are mindless crap about TV shows and pop culture.
The march to 'Total Idiocracy' will delayed a few months.
love is just extroverted narcissism
Trump provides all the entertainment we need. Who needs Hollywood when reality is so much fun to watch!
Trump 2020! Make America great again and save us from those bad hombres, Mr President!
That's what we used to do not that long ago.
Anyway who cares.
Twinstiq, game news
Funny? How funny? You think they are there to amuse y... oh right. nm
Regarding the content and humour of the programs. The quality of the shows, reveals how you skimped and pushed the writers on fake deadlines. Why don't you motion monsters reach into your pockets and give the writers some money??
that there a union and going on strike is even an issue - people pay for cable with channels that move money to these other people. sad really.
nothing to see here - move along
So if we've learned anything from history the writers should keep striking.
Cause' that is the best show in history and Netflix should revamp it ASAP.
During the last writer's strike, NBC un-cancelled "The Apprentice" (which had low ratings) and aired "Celebrity Apprentice" during "Must see tv" Thursday.
Trump would not be president today if NBC had decided to pay their writers instead of airing cult-of-personality bullshit.
This doesn't work for all shows, the disaster that was the shortened season 2 of Heroes that they never managed to write their way out of in the following seasons. The writers lost their momentum and the show suffered for it.
~corporate tool, but employed~
I stopped watching TV 20+ years ago. Don't miss it. If I'm interested in a TV series, I got iTunes, Netflix or Hulu.
Agreed, Netflix should consider picking up that show.
#DeleteFacebook
That's like government administrators on strike. Question for 100: How do you notice it?
Quite frankly, a monkey could write the garbage we get fed these days. "Scripted reality", yeah, right, what kind of drugs do you have to be on to consider this to be in any way even remotely close to "reality"? In between we got court TV and other garbage that needs zero writer or talent by the actors, sorry, "genuine people presenting real cases".
Hey, how about a new format? Akin to American Idol, how about American Writer? All the various fanfic writers get to send in their scripts and we get to cringe at their Mary Sue stories for a change instead of the talentless bawling of teenagers who were told by mommy and daddy that they can really sing.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
I stopped watching TV 20+ years ago. Don't miss it. If I'm interested in a TV series, I got iTunes, Netflix or Hulu.
Wait, you stopped watching TV 20 years ago, and replaced it with watching TV?
How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
1) Like before, people who would never have gotten a shot at writing will now get it.
2) Unlike before, there is such a huge quantity of material available for viewing, most people could spend their entire lives watching things they've never seen before running out. The only hit will be current pop culture, and trust me: Most people would be happier without it.
Yep. Hey, you know what's great? Talking to people. Sex. Building models. Organizing one's rock/stamp/severedhead collections. Writing code. Playing with the cat/dog/cockatrice. Martial arts. Photography. Reading. Taking courses. Exercising. Working out a sane budget. Listening to music. Playing music. Sewing. Legos. Fooling with hardware. Home improvements. Giving the domicile a good once-over at the ultra-picky level, just for the fun of it. Putting the yard in tip-top order. Walking the canine or the cat. Visiting Rome, Paris or Venice (while pretending to be Canadian, of course.) Or just going to see a friend. You know, in person, not with that phone-tumor. Taking a walk, preferably somewhere you haven't been or really love. Etc. Lots and lots of etc.
Television... I just can't bring myself to call that "great." The couch, it really does make for potato generation.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Wait, you stopped watching TV 20 years ago, and replaced it with watching TV?
Yes and yes. But instead of the TV dictating my schedule, I watch TV on my own schedule.
This story just in from our First World Problems desk...
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Look, I don't care what the Screenwriters Guild and the studios do, as long as nobody fucks with my Into the Badlands. It's like somebody put all my shitty tastes and adolescent fantasies into a blender and made a TV series out of it. I love that fucking show.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Wait, you stopped watching TV 20 years ago, and replaced it with watching TV?
Yes and yes. But instead of the TV dictating my schedule, I watch TV on my own schedule.
No one ever told you about VCRs 20 years ago?
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
People who can write interesting stuff are kicked out the door because they want actual creative control over what they write.
No amount of hiring people can fix that.
How is the answer not to hire the creative interesting people that were kicked out? Since they already hate the existing system it seems like they would no go with a strike - and all of the production that matters now (Netflix, Amazon) is giving creators creative control anyway.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
I predict a decline in American television will result in an uptick in streaming and piracy of foreign content... and there are a few Canadian shows that do well in the American market that might get a boost in the traditional distribution arena.
There are plenty of English-language productions out there. The UK, Canada, and Australia could take the opportunity to grab a bigger piece of the market from the USA.
We had this thing called a frisbee. It is kind of limited for today's crowd however - no WiFi, no Bluetooth, you can't use it to take selfies. But we had lots of fun with it, and if you have a dog it is even better.
No one ever told you about VCRs 20 years ago?
I stayed away from VCRs. Otherwise, everyone would want me to fix their blinking 12:00 problem.
No. I think that, at least looking at what is coming out of Hollywood that the current writers are shit. They can be easily replaced with other shit writers.
Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
No Hillary was as unlikable as Trump was stupid. She was the third term Bill Clinton and the electorate didn't want another fucking Bush dynasty or Clinton dynasty. Not to mention she is a horrible cunt and a worthless human being. Being more evil than Trump is a goddamned accomplishment to boot.
So fuck off with the "slinked' bullshit, in 1992 Hillary's penis slinked into office in a 3-way race with only 42% of the popular vote. So spare me the "she could've won if she picked a better VP." She couldn't have won if everyone who didn't vote for her died the day before the election.
"I wanted the money." -- some Hollywood writer, through the mouth of Sean Connery
They probably get paid for the work. Doing the work might be against the guild's interests, but be for that writer's interests. I don't think it makes sense to assume that guilds and members necessarily have the same strategic goals. Isn't part of the whole point of these contracts, to put writers out of work unless they join the guild?
I know people who are members of unions. It's just another expense, required as a condition for the job. It's not on your side; if it were, then you wouldn't be required to join. Presumably the writers have a similar relationship with the guild, so the money you make rushing to complete scripts more than outweighs whatever nebulous benefit the guild will get in its negotiations -- and then take a percentage of.
Writers and Writers Guild are two totally different things, perhaps even somewhat adversarial. (Though presumably not so adversarial that the writers would be willing to ally with the producers to defeat this third party. If it were that adversarial, then the alliance would have already happened. So I guess the situation is a bit complicated.)
"Believe me!" -- Donald Trump
There are many television programs and movies in my watchlists and queues and on my shelves that I just haven't gotten around to watching yet. I think I have enough to tide me over for a while.
Fare.
http://www.acetonestudio.com
No Hillary was as unlikable as Trump was stupid. She was the third term Bill Clinton and the electorate didn't want another fucking Bush dynasty or Clinton dynasty. Not to mention she is a horrible cunt and a worthless human being. Being more evil than Trump is a goddamned accomplishment to boot.
However horrible Hillary was, she was nearly President. Let's not pretend that Trump had some sort of amazing landslide blowout.
There are millions of hours of television available for you to watch. If you can't watch your favorite epic series, then taking a little break to watch some classics can be a lot of fun.
Classic series (not an exhaustive list and in no particular order):
Get Smart (1965-1970)
Hill Street Blues (1981-1987)
M*A*S*H (1972-1983)
Roots [miniseries] (1977)
Danger UXB (1979)
Dallas (1978-1991)
Cheers (1982-1993)
The Muppet Show (1976-1981)
Seinfeld (1989-1998)
Taxi (1978-1982)
Twin Peaks (1990-1991)
X-Files (1993-2002)
The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
All in the Family (1971-1979)
Or maybe some guilty pleasures:
Bonanza (1959-1973)
McHale's Navy (1962–1966)
Gunsmoke (1955-1975)
Rawhide (1959-1965)
F Troop (1965-1967)
Hogan's Heroes (1965-1971)
The Rockford Files (1974-1980)
Quantum Leap (1989-1993)
WKRP in Cincinnati (1978-1982)
The Addams Family (1964-1966)
Petticoat Junction (1963-1970)
The A-Team (1983-1987)
Dragnet [1951 series] (1951-1959)
Dragnet [1967 series] (1967-1970)
Millennium (1996-1999)
Mission: Impossible [1966 series] (1966-1973)
Mission: Impossible [1988 series] (1988-1990)
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
The last big Hollywood strike happened in 2008 and it brought us a very, very robust presidential primary season. Everyone watch Democratic and Republican primary debates instead of scripted TV. This Summer there is no upcoming election to speak of (not even a midterm one). So there is no alternative sources of entertainment on TV. Might be a boon for video games though. Yes, I know people can turn off and go outside, but they can do it even if there is no strike. Only a very small percentage will make lifestyle changes in response to withdrawal of a certain stimulus. They are more likely to seek an alternative stimuli which are as close to the original as possible. And the network executives are perfectly aware of that. So they will most likely cave in to the writers demands.
Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
Wait until they find out that the same show on Netflix has the same writers and the same strike as it does on cable!
There are huge advantages to not watching TV, but most of them require also not watching TV.
If they're only trimming the advertising, they're at least slightly reducing the garbage inputs.
It isn't that hard, it should take less than a minute.
Most TVs let you edit the channel selection. Most people have access to at least 3 channels of broadcast PBS these days!
Hah. You think they will be replaced with people who can actually write?
I don't, but I do think they will be replaced by corporate middlemen (corporations can't join unions) and the credit will go to the writers brand instead of to the writer, and since the writers all suck pretty bad none of them will be able to make any demands. And these companies (that are the new writers) will hire the humans as contractors under NDA, and they not only won't be able to strike, they won't even be allowed to complain in public.
If we're lucky, a minority of writers will create a new guild or union that only lets in good writers, and they'll create a premium collective brand but still give writing credit to individual writers. Those shows will only be on premium delivery channels.
Other news claims that writers are mad because their incomes went down, because TV "seasons" are shorter now.
If seasons are shorter, AND that has lead to decreased annual pay, THEN we know that more writers are getting paid! Because there aren't less total episodes being filmed, there are just more different shows, each with less episodes.
You're not missing anything, they're talking out at least three sides of their mouths.
Maybe I am just out of the TV thing.
It isn't that hard, it should take less than a minute.
True. But if you fix it for one person, everyone else you know wants you to fix it them as well. I've gone through that fixing PCs in the 1990's. When I announced that my going rate was $300 per hour, no one wanted to pay me and stopped bugging me about their PCs.
Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog.
Okay, that's at least 4 words, depending on how you feel about hyphens. But that little bit of awesome came out of Joss Whedon's strike-addled brain in 2008. If history repeats itself, I won't be crying...
There are so many reruns on now what's a few more? I'd bet most people won't even know there's a strike.
CUR ALLOC 20195.....5804M
Nothing happens, you just go outside, you lazy n00b
-- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
The UK, Irish, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian governments start to set up tax payer funded front companies in the USA to push their own entreatment related products and services deep in the USA.
US audiences are presented with foreign 1960-90's plots. Acted by Canadians with perfect US accents in low tax and production friendly Canada.
Every new US series is set in a "Seattle", "Maine" or "North Dakota" Canada with scripts that have some positive comments about Canada and its policies.
Random charming characters from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland might feature in later seasons.
Plots often feature visits to or from the nations funding the series.
Maple syrup and timber products get product placements.
A large kangaroo or a random trip to Australia is effortlessly worked into the plot.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
Must not have tried it on the early ones when UI hadn't been invented yet and the manual was translated from japanese to english via chinese.
The way to set the clock was something like :
Press and hold the channel up and down button simultaneously for 5 seconds, then press the channel down 5 times, then press and hold the CH up and down buttons again for 2 seconds, then use the buttons to select the day, CH up and down again for 2 seconds (hoping that you were close enough not to change the day), then adjust the hour, repeat for minute, then repeat for seconds, and then a final double press for 5 seconds to set it.
And then, after you've achieved this, powercuts were commonplace in those days and people just gave up after a few times, hence the flashing 12:00 in many homes.
If the strike goes on you can say hello to more reality shows. Since they will have little time to prepare, it will be crappy shows along the line of Jersey Shore.
Prepare yourself, suckage is coming.
Beware of Sales Reps bearing gifts.
Being in Montana, is there really anyone who would spend their summer watching TV? I don't think so. The summers are short and BEAUTIFUL and it's way to amazing to spend it indoors. Besides, I think we should hire Canadian writers. USA's shows are so trashing and mostly disgusting. The language is getting more foul. Look at Heartland--a Canadian show that has been on the for 11 seasons and still going strong and audiences of ALL ages love it. Once upon a time before American TV became an opening and a supply pipe which hell uses to vomit its impurities upon the earth, we had writers who could actually write shows that the whole family could watch and enjoy. So why would you want to sit and watch the ugliness of shows produced in the US? Time to turn off the TV and do something great. Get off the couch, go outside, take a walk, become a productive citizen again, and thank God for his reminder that a life well lived brings a flood of amazing joy that does not go away!
Except for late night talk shows there will be little immediate effect. Any scripted show that will premiere during the summer is already written, if not already filmed. But some fall shows are currently in production and may not have all their scripts in hand; if the strike drags on they could be affected.
Right, and for people with two braincells it took 5 minutes.
They're all about the same; you hold a button down until something flashes, and then there are one or two buttons changing the thing that is flashing. The only reason it takes a minute instead of 15 seconds is that you have to figure out which three buttons are used. And that isn't hard.
It amazes me that some people can make it out of bed in the morning without hurting themselves.
Keep in mind that usually writers are committing to a show for a whole season at a time. The writers are expected to show up to an office and write and have writer's meetings and table readings and rewrites. The writing is very collaborative especially if the show has a season arc and continuity.
So if the writer used to get $10,000 per episode + 0.01% residuals for helping write a 22 episode season which they spent 7 months working on 9-5 plus occasional overtime. And now they get $10,000 per episode + 0.01% residuals for helping write a 13 episode season which they spent 7 months working on 9-5 plus occasional overtime. Obviously they are getting paid less for the same amount of work. And most people think that the quality of most scripted TV shows has gone up in the past 20 years.
So what the writers are asking for is more money per episode. They would also like more flexibility in the work schedules. I have heard that they often have non-compete clauses in their contracts, so they cannot write for another show while they are are currently working on a season. http://www.npr.org/2017/04/19/524751648/netflix-and-cord-cutting-era-complicates-writers-guild-contract-talks
She proved that even a used, smelly, worn-out tennis shoe could beat her
Most people would have voted for a used, smelly, worn-out tennis shoe over Trump as well. We were all fucked because they were really the two worst candidates for President I've ever seen.
Again, no landslide or mandate for Donald Trump.
No, it is not the same amount of work. 22 does not equal 13. They can't have more money per episode because there are the same total number of episodes being created, there are just more shows with shorter seasons. It is the same amount of pay for the same amount of work.
It is the same amount of pay for the same amount of work.
There is nothing that is going to happen to cause 22 to equal 13 in just one part of the equation.
Let them strike. TV has sucked for the past 25 years. It's all garbage with a few small exceptions and those are cartoons mostly.