8th November 2007
Three days in, the writers strike is hitting television hard as schedules are being juggled, overall deals suspended, production on series shut down and layoffs kick in.
There was no sign of back-channel talks between studio chiefs and union leaders being renewed, stoking fears that Hollywood's first major labor strike in 20 years could be a prolonged one.
The WGA's three-year contract expired last Thursday. Negotiations collapsed on Sunday night as the two sides' failed to reach a deal on writers' demands for a greater share of revenues from the Internet, widely seen as the future distribution channel for most entertainment.
Dozens of scripted weekly series — comedies and dramas representing the bulk of major networks' prime-time schedules — will essentially be forced out of production "in the next three to four weeks," said Marc Cherry, creator and executive producer of the ABC hit Desperate Housewives.
As production ceased on such TV shows as the CBS hit Two and a Half Men and the Fox network's new Kelsey Grammer comedy, Back to You, hundreds of crew members and cast from those series began receiving layoff notices.
Some have enough new episodes produced in advance to last a few more weeks without repeats, leaving viewers largely unaware of the strike fallout for the time being.
Fox on Wednesday became the first broadcast network to announce a strike-affected midseason schedule minus its signature drama "24."
Faced with the possibility of a partial season 7 of “24,” Fox has opted not to air the real-time drama at all this season.
"It's not a decision we wanted to make, but it's one based on how we feel the viewers expect us to schedule the show," said Preston Beckman, Fox's scheduling chief.
The decision to act quickly so early in the strike also was prompted by the large amounts of marketing money associated with the premieres of new series and the annual launch of "24." The network began airing promos for the upcoming season of "24" during the World Series and on a big screen in Times Square.
"Had we delayed executing and implementing a strike schedule, it could've cost us a lot of money," Beckman said.
Still, network brass are hoping to go back to their original midseason plans if the strike ends soon.
"This is a schedule that will be modified if and when there is a settlement," Beckman said.
NBC is expected to announce its revised midseason schedule shortly, while CBS and ABC are still working on theirs.
*Sources; Hollywood Reporter, Variety
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