Although it has recently dropped from front page news to something more like page A4, there's no denying the effects of the strike by the Writers Guild of America. Stock episodes are getting used up, and soon the airwaves will be rife with re-runs, gameshows, and quick-to-produce reality television (I may just be paranoid from having lost the Office and Prison Break within the span of a couple weeks, but House, Family Guy, Desperate Housewives, CSI, Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy watchers beware: it's gonna git you, too.)
I personally don't see the writers' demands as being too outrageous. Higher residual payments for DVD sales seem fair. And with online distribution being affordable and more popular than ever before, it makes sense to me that content creators would want a cut of what's generated from downloads.
What bugs me about this strike is that it has come to a complete standstill, and both parties don't seem to realize that there is a lot to lose.
The last Writers Guild of America strike took place in 1988 (hey! my birth year!), and lasted for 5 months. It is estimated that post-strike, television audiences were cut by 10%. That's a lot of converted couch potatoes.
But here's the kicker- 10 years ago, there weren't nearly as many entertainment alternatives. This time around, as soon as shows start dropping off the air, it's simply a matter of switching from one screen to another. While Hollywood struggles, online content creators benefit.
Not that that's necessarily a bad thing... having already barreled through my Arrested Development box set, Youtube is proving itself as a very useful quick fix. I just don't know if Hollywood has yet recognized that the internet is an intimidating competitor.
Whatever your stance on the strike, enjoy this clip I stumbled across today, while not watching television.
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