By Adrian Culea
Be prepared not to laugh, cry, or be intrigued by network television for some time.
With the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike advancing into its second week, many celebrities have come out to show their support for writers across the country. WGA members picketing in hopes of a new, fair bargaining agreement.
The striking writers seek more revenue from DVD sales and internet content sales through “downloading programs such as iTunes,” according to E! Online.
Walking through the streets of Burbank, Calif., chants of “Why make the viewers wait? Why won’t you negotiate?” can be heard from picketing writers and actors alike. Julia Louis Dreyfus, Robin Williams and Ray Romano, among others, have joined the writers in their quest for fair compensation for their talents, according to E! Online. Joining them are the stars of hit shows such as “The Office,” “Lost,” “Family Guy,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Two and a Half Men.”
Networks are scrambling to find a solution for their creative woes. CNN reports CBS is casting a new season of “Big Brother” early enough to launch this upcoming February rather than July, when it normally runs. NBC faces a tough situation as well. Participants in the strike have forced both “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” to shut down temporarily. NBC is considering guest hosts for both programs and have offered the writers an ultimatum: return to work in two weeks or face unemployment. FOX decided to postpone the hit drama “24” indefinitely. Meanwhile, ABC is still planning on premiering ratings-powerhouse “Lost” in February, even though only eight of the planned 16 episodes for this season have been filmed.
Closer to campus, protests have initiated in New York City. “Saturday Night Live” stars and alumni, including “30 Rock” creator Tina Fey, have been picketing outside NBC’s Rockefeller Center. According to The Huffington Post, their slogan was “No money, no funny!”
One entertainer sticking by her contract is Ellen DeGeneres, the Seattle Times reports. After spending one day on strike, she returned to her TV program and crossed the picket line. Her actions have caused the WGA to chastise her in a press release and questioned her loyalty to those who they say make her successful, the writers.
Many other public figures have added their support for the writers, including Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John Edwards.
“I stand with the writers. The Guild’s demand is a test of whether corporate media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives,” Obama’s campaign said in a statement. “I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work.”
However, former Disney executive Michael Eisner referred to the protests as “insanity,” adding that he believed it was “stupid” to give up an already lucrative paycheck for a piece of the DVD or internet revenue.
The negotiations between the WGA and the television networks are at a standstill. The networks have enough filmed episodes to last until late January and the striking writers are eager for the well to run dry, escalating tensions and fostering negotiation. Some industry analysts, Variety reports, expect this strike to last well into the new year.
Protesters from the Writer’s Guild of America picket in New York City. They have been on strike since Nov. 5.