Television is the new movies
What the Strike Means for the Different Networks
Posted Monday, November 5, 2007
The writers' strike has started today, and the writers themselves will be picketing studios and making themselves heard. If the Writers Guild of America strike keeps TV scribes off the job for a while, it's going to alter your viewing habits big time. The WGA called for a work stoppage after failing to get a bigger slice of revenue from DVD sales and a piece of what the networks expect to earn from digital downloads of TV shows.
All of the networks say they have enough scripts on hand to keep making sitcoms and dramas well into January. But here's what you should expect if both sides don't reach an agreement soon.
ABC
Since the writers who work on reality shows (yes, they do have writers) are not covered by the WGA contract, every network will be heavily dependent on the genre. ABC's got a stockpile of Supernanny and Wife Swap to draw on, and more episodes of the summer series Just For Laughs and Oprah's Big Give.
While episodes from mid-season series such as Notes From the Underbelly, Cashmere Mafia and Eli Stone will be ready, the network will have to make a decision on Lost. A few episodes have already been shot, but will it be worth it to run them if the season-long story arc can't be concluded? Meanwhile, Jimmy Kimmel Live, like the other late night shows, will go into repeats.
CBS
While procedurals such as CSI and Criminal Minds tend to draw viewers in repeats – giving CBS an edge over the competition - the network has been loading up on game shows. Power of 10, a moderate success over the summer, will be back. CBS also has Do You Trust Me and a new version of Password hosted by Regis Philbin.
The network is also ready to let the cameras roll in the Big Brother house if necessary. On the scripted side, you'll definitely see all seven produced episodes of Jericho. The network will also have close to 13 episodes of The New Adventures of Old Christine ready to go. The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson will go dark immediately, but the conventional wisdom is that Letterman will return after a few weeks out so that the rest of his staff can remain employed. Once he returns, so will Ferguson.
Fox
Even though it will run out of episodes of its fall sitcoms and dramas shows by January, Fox will make sure it has an original House to air following the Super Bowl.
Fox also put its mid-season shows into production as if they were fall shows, so it will have a healthy number of first run comedies (Unhitched and Jezebel James) and dramas (New Amsterdam, Sarah Connor Chronicles) to go. But an extended work stoppage is likely to mean there will be no new season of 24. Fox won't start the show if its story can't be completed in the real time format (and 24 episodes) that viewers expect. The strike won't impact the production of American Idol. It's likely that a strike will unleash some new reality fare from Fox as well.
NBC
It could become the Law & Order network again, with about 10 fresh episodes of the mothership already in the can. NBC also has the second run of USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent and the durable Law & Order: SVU will still be on the air in repeats.
Heroes' second season may be coming to a close a lot sooner than expected due to the forthcoming apocalypse, also known in some circles as the damn writers' strike.
Sources confirm that the show is going back and shooting an alternate ending to the Dec. 3 episode that, if used, would allow the episode to function as a season finale in the event of a strike. Originally, the episode was only supposed to serve as the conclusion of the current "Generations" arc. Should an 11th-hour agreement be reached and a strike averted (fingers crossed!), the alt ending would likely be scrapped.
On the reality side, the network has already expanded The Biggest Loser to two hours and a full run of Celebrity Apprentice. It also has a few game shows ready to go – the returning 1 vs. 100 and the new Amnesia and a revival of American Gladiators. If the strike lasts for a few months, NBC will even look at running some of the reality shows from its cable networks such as Top Chef and Project Runway.
The Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Later with Carson Daly and Saturday Night Live will immediately go into repeat episodes. But thinking is that if one late night talk show host returns, the others will follow. “They could come back without writers,” said an insider at one of the shows. “But it will be tough.”
The CW
A full season of Everybody Hates Chris is already in the can. Otherwise, CW will depend heavily on reality shows – which typically do better than its scripted series. Ready to go are Farmer Needs a Wife, a mother-daughter beauty pageant competition called Crowned, and Search for the Next Pussycat Doll.
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