Strike Casualties: The End of Women's Murder Club?

Now that the strike is nearing it's end, it appears networks are hammering out what shows may or may not be coming back from the fall 2007 season. TVGuide has their take on where favorite shows stand.

The list has few surprises; fan faves like Chuck, 30 Rock, etc are expected to be back, if not this season then the season after; Duds like Bionic Woman and Big Shots have been canned, but one maybe casuality breaks my little heart: Women's Murder Club is on the critical list. Say it ain't so, Joe! While not a flashy serial, it's got four engaging leads and a heck of an acting pool.

If it's done, it's been killed way too early.

The Writer's Strike Makes Me Sad

Because I love TV. Obviously. I want to watch it forever. And now all the shows are dropping like flies because there is no one to write for them.

Not to mention, there is now a plethora of unemployed creative types who have nothing to do and are bored - really really dangerous combination.

Some writers put it to good and funny use, like creating a funny short starring Christina Applegate as a rooster-pecked wife.



Others - crash the Carson Daly show and get forcibly ejected.

Never invite the anger of creatively minded bitter bored people.

That's how I fractured an ankle and sprained the other one. On the same day.

WGA to Resume Negotiations

It was announced by both sides that strike negotiations will resume on November 26th. While it's not a resolution, it's certainly a start. - LINK

There's certainly hope now that this thing will get resolved by Christmas, and that makes me thrilled. Why?

Purely selfish reasons - I've fallen in love with a few new shows this season and quite frankly, I don't want them to go away. I want Chuck, Women's Murder Club and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to suceed and if they don't live because of a strike, I'll be sad.

I also don't want my friends out of work any longer than they have to be - because the longer Hollywood is out of commission the more likely it will be that all us little people will be out of a paycheck. Not that we get much as it is.

On the downside, I can only think of every writer's meeting that we've had cancel on us during the strike and the scheduling kerfuffle that will happen once we're given the okay to get them back on the books.

Eep.

On another tangent - I have discovered another really really bad cheesy movie that's awesome: DOA: Dead or Alive.

Based on the video game of the same name - this movie is the ultimate cheese. Hot women in skimpy outfits 'fight' with the help of wires and enthusiastic stunt men, all the while working together to the cheerful tune of 'girlpower' as they head through a 'Mortal Kombat' knockoff that seems lame-r because no one actually dies.

Also? The acting is silly. But the action scenes are genuinely creative and fun to watch. It's clear that they are what the director focused on, and with good reason. They're the best thing about the film. A fight scene between two of the heroines fighting in the rain is particularly riveting, not because of how awesome it is, but how nicely it's filmed. I mean, it's also totally stolen from 'HERO', 'Fearless' and every other martial arts movie ever made, but still - pretty fun for the cheese factor.

The movie is a long ass action music video. If you like that sorta thing and you appreciate dumb fun, it's worth a shot. If not, then... forget I told you about it.

To save my own reputation, I should probably dig up some actual GOOD movies I'm in love with and recommend them for you.

I'll do that soon.

The Digital Revolution

Want to know why digital revenue is so important to these writers, the studios and why it's such a point of contention?

Check it out.

Damon Lindenhoff Speaks Out Re: Writer's Strike

It's always interesting to see what the heavy hitters have to say about the writer's strike, particular the writers/showrunners, who are torn between having to actually run their show and having to strike against it.

Here, the Lost guy gives an eloquent rundown of the issues involved. Worth a read.

There really is a ticking clock on this - if they don't resolve this by Christmas, chances are they're not going to resolve it until the SAG/DGA talks in June.

And lest we forget the unsung heros - Much of Broadway has shut down due to a stagehands strike, including the scheduled to premiere 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - the musical'.

Maybe Jack Donaghy had it right, and we'll be watching 'Are You Stronger Than a Dog?' or 'Milf island' sooner than we think.

Again on that Writer's Strike

Or, as I like to call it 'The reason all my phones are dead'.

If you're still unsure why the Writer's are striking, or what the big deal is, check out this youtube video, posted by the unitedhollywood.com group featuring 'The Office' staff.

They describe writing 10 'promotional' mini webisodes for nbc.com for which advertising was sold(meaning the network made money on them) , and for which they won an emmy and were not paid.



In this industry - creativity often takes a second place to money. This is a business, after all.

The last time writer's negotiated dvd residuals were in 1988, when VHS were barely being released. They had no way of knowing that nowadays most movie studios recoup most of their money and make most of their profits is through the astronomical selling of home video.

The writers also gave up an increase on those residuals in an effort to avoid a strike, which was a major point of contention. It didn't help.

Thus far, neither side has attempted to reconvene.

Man. This thing is gonna drag out forever.

Please - don't fire me before I get a real job, kthanks.

On a slightly funnier note - apparently some wannabe writer went to the picket lines to drop off a script, in hopes he could get the actual (non)working writers impressed enough to... what - join the striking guild?

Their response was to throw the script in the street so the cars could run over it, and then stage dramatic readings of the recovered pages.

Writers are pissed, people. Don't mess with that!

... I wonder what would happen if I wrote a really shitty script on purpose and tried to get them to act it out?

Best Actor Gesture of Support for the Striking Writers goes to Steve Carrell - who called in sick due to a case of 'enlarged balls'. Indeed, Steve. indeed. Would you like to to go with me to the pants party?