The writer’s strike ends
After months of finding other ways to be entertained on a nightly basis, Americans can finally relax in front of the TV again now that the writing strike has ended.
After three months of being on strike, the Writer’s Guild of America finally got its long-sought-after contract on Feb 9.
“It is an agreement that protects a future in which the Internet becomes the primary means of both content creation and delivery,” said Patric M. Verone, the west president for the Writer Guild of America in a message to members of the WGA.
Now writers will be compensated for their work in terms of the developments and issues of new media. One example is television shows being streamed over the Internet.
While the WGA may claim they “won” the strike, what does all this mean for the future of the shows that were stopped in the middle of the season?
Some shows lost their primetime spot to unscripted reality shows during the strike while other shows with heavily awaited returns still have an uphill battle ahead of them.
According to Entertainment Weekly, it should take “anywhere from two to four weeks to resume production on existing comedies and dramas.”
Shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Ugly Betty” on ABC are expected to produce four or five new episodes before the end of the TV season in May.
For shows that premiered during the hectic strike, the outlook is a little grimmer. According to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, “There is less need to restart existing series and the networks might start swinging the ax.”
Shows such as ABC’s “Lost” will have to scramble to add more episodes to their long-awaited eight episode arch that began showing a few weeks ago. Another show that will have to make new episodes quickly is “House” on FOX, which many students hope returns sooner rather than later.
Analisa Maier, a sophomore geology major and Desiree Ramirez, a sophomore accounting major said new episodes of “House” were on the top of their list.
While some students eagerly wait for new dramas, others are looking forward to comedies returning to the nightly lineup.
Gabriel Granillo, a sophomore pre-journalism major said he was particularly excited for the return of “Two and a Half Men” as well as “My Wife and Kids.”
The WGA made its point with the strike. According to Entertainment Weekly, they crippled the Hollywood economy, costing the industry $1.9 billion and putting 11,000 people out of work.
“It’s good that we are done with the strike and that the writers finally got what they wanted,” Granillo said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Emma Dessau at Emma.Dessau@colorado.edu
