Writers Strike: Over?
The writers vote tomorrow to see if they end the strike. As a lot of people predicted, the studios caved prior to the Oscars. (With undoubtedly some pressure on writers as well)
Sadly for some shows it’s too late. Heroes, for instance, says the season is over. (Of course given a lot of the writing for that show this season the strike was probably a blessing in disguise) What about Lost? I’ve been pretty pleased with the two episodes thus far. But only 6 to go and probably no more after that.
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Posted on February 11, 2008, in Pop Culture. Bookmark the permalink. 9 Comments.
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Clark,
I’ve heard that as long as the writers’ strike is done before the airing of the sixth episode of Lost, then we should be okay for this season. We have only two episodes aired to this point with the third this week. I think Lost will survive the strike.
While driving to work a week ago today in Hawaii, I was told that the trucks we were passing were for Lost and that they were shooting that day. I didn’t see anything that would confirm this, but the person driving said that Lost frequently films in that particular area.
I don’t think “the studios caved prior to the Oscars” describes the situation at all.
It looks to me like the studios said “We’re going to be really angry if you don’t let us have the Oscars so you better take this deal because it’s the best you are going to get.”
And the WGA leadership took it. We’ll find out later this week if the membership thinks it was a deal worth taking.
I’m not too happy with Lost so far. It just doesn’t have the mystery that the first two seasons had. There’s a lot we don’t know, true, but I haven’t noticed myself riveted like I was the past two years. The hatch, the numbers, the mist, it all just seemed so mysterious and cool to me. Now it’s sort of bland. Maybe I’m de-sensitized to it or something. Hopefully it will get moving
Regardless, it’s the best show on network TV by A LONG SHOT and I watch it every week.
13 episodes for Lost.
William’s right; this is being spun as a pure victory, but it’s really a half-and-half sort of story. The writers had demanded percentage royalties for online streaming of their work. Instead, for the first two years of the deal they got a fixed fee. For the third year, they get a percentage — but it’s a percentage of a fixed number which is assumed to be the total revenue per streaming, which is to say it’s still a fixed fee but with fancier math. The studios absolutely didn’t win an unconditional victory, but neither did the guild. That said, I’d be kind of astonished if the deal isn’t approved. The guild members have to realize that they’d be playing with fire; they’re substantially likely to end up fracturing if they narrowly reject the deal.
For those who are interested, here’s a pretty good overview of what will happen to various shows. For example, Lost will lose three episodes from its planned season (I don’t care, though, as I gave up on the show a while back — too many mysteries played out in too clumsy a way made me give up), while House probably won’t be back until the fall (which I do care about, due to the greatness of Hugh Laurie).
Slate: Who Won the Writer’s Strike
Interesting analysis, Clark.
One other point that I’ve seen bandied about is that, yes, WGA’s contract now expires with SAG’s, but
a) that means that the directors get there first and set the tenor for new contracts and they have a whole different dynamic, pay set up and set of needs than the actors and writers.
b) the writers no longer can put pressure on the awards and TV development season without striking for almost a year.
The NYT on who won and Reuters on who won. I have to agree with William that they didn’t win what they were aiming for. On the other hand the studios have a point that internet sales are pretty rudimentary right now and no one knows how they’ll turn out. So expect a renegotiation or even strike in about three years.
My expectation is that rather than going the route they were trying this year they’ll do what the folks doing soundtracks do and negotiate a “windowed” contract with more fees front loaded. That is you won’t be paid on a purely royalty arrangement and after a few years royalties will end. This makes everyone happy since then owners of media don’t have to spend a fortune trying to figure out who is owed what.