How To Survive the Writers' Strike
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are enjoying 2008 if it's already turned where you live, or that you're planning for a festive or at least relaxing New Year's Eve. Ours are quiet. I am not much of a party animal anyway, but I like quiet New Years as a way to bring in the new 365 on a peaceful note, just hanging with Mike and watching TV, going to bed early, making a nice New Year's Day dinner, and getting back into the swing of things.
Don't worry, romance writers are not the ones on strike, but as any television viewer knows, TV and film writers are holding out for fair compensation from studios using their work on the internet. Of course, part of what a lot of us look forward to in the New Year is the new January TV season, but this year that's gone a little wonky with the strike. We're all facing a New Year with some of our favorite shows being held hostage, and well, it's not an easy pill to swallow, even if the writers are right to demand what's fairly due to them.
The WGA has good reasons for striking, though the fact that 
they decided to do it just as Casey was told to kill Chuck and Dan Vassar had just embraced his calling as a time traveler has me taking it all a bit personally, caught between a rock and a hard place. As a writer, I support other writers trying to make a fair living (even though I suspect on average a TV writer does better than your average romance novelist on an annual basis); as a TV addict, I'm a little pissed, suffering withdrawl, and finding ways to cope. But, I have managed to find various ways to keep myself entertained.
First, there are of course the plethora of DVDs available. I've always meant to catch up on 24, and so I'll start watching those. I also want to watch Firefly and Battlestar Galactica, and now couldn't be a better time. I also received The Pretender DVD collection from my MIL for Xmas, and have already been digging through those.
In terms of real TV, this is a chance for me to discover and rediscover shows I have heard about but haven't had time to watch (Men in Trees, Cold Case, Rules of Engagement, all on my TiVo now) and I'm happy to re-watch the reruns of other shows I love. I don't often re-read books, but I do rewatch TV -- there's always something you missed the first time through. I didn't care much for the pilot of Moonlight for instance, the first time I saw it, but the second time I watched it, in rerun, I thought it was fantastic.
Then there is LOST, and Celebrity Apprentice. So, I feel that between all of this, I can hunker down and wait out the strike, remaining fairly entertained.
The established show I miss most is Numb3rs. In the way of new shows, Journeyman and Moonlight, though neither of them had apparently received requests for new episodes, which makes me sad. Journeyman, especially, was brilliantly written and acted -- as far as I'm concerned, probably 
the best of the new shows on TV this past fall, though I would make Chuck a close second. Just thinking about it makes me sad, because TV really is my relaxation and my happy place to go at the end of a long day of writing and life. It both feeds my imagination and relaxes my mind, and I miss it.
Who knows when the strike will end, and maybe it means we'll all have an exciting summer schedule and a bang-up fall next year, though I do worry that these new shows, so fragile in the first place with the way rankings work these days, may never recover from the strike. Those writers may find they have no show to return to, unfortunately.
So instead of a New Year's Resolution, my New Year's Wish is that the WGA and Studios hammer out a deal and get our shows back on TV. Pay the writers what they are due and let's get the season moving.
Are you a big television watcher? Do you have any suggestions for shows we could watch in reruns that would be worth looking at (keep in mind, I don't want medical or shows with lots of blood or violence). How are you keeping entertained though the strike?
Happy New Year,
Sam
Could be a good thing?
Hi Sam, yes...I'm also in a bit of a panic over the thought that some of my favorite shows won't be on. I especially love 24, although I thought I'd heard a rumor that they had most of their episodes for 2008 written before the strike, so maybe that won't be a total loss. But I am a huge Moonlight fan, and am already going through withdrawals, and am so sad that they may not continue this great show. Totally love Mick St. John. He has some great lines and the way he delivers them...whew!
On the other hand, I agreed to write three books in 2008, and with a full-time job, kids, etc., maybe it will work to my advantage not to get sucked into any more television shows. Maybe I'll actually get some writing done, LOL! But on the chance that I do have some down time, hubby and I have already talked about renting the first season of Lost, and finally getting on board with this show (we've never watched it before). And, of course, there's always my growing pile of TBR books, including some of the hot covers on the right!
Happy New Year!
You and me both
Mick and Joseph really grew on me. Yum. I want 'em back.
Oddly, I don't read a lot during the week. I think after writing all day and thinking about words all the time, I want visual stimulation. I do read before bed (in bed, as Megan says :), and I do read more on weekends, but not so much during weekday evenings. That's definite television time. I don't watch daytime TV at all, but I can sympathize with soap fans who will be seriously deprived.
I hope to have a lot on my plate too for 2008, but life can't be all work and no play. *G* TV is definitely part of my "play." Mike dorks with me every now and then because he's not as much of a TV person as I am, and he doesn't like to watch as much, and says things like "maybe we could get rid of the TV" or "maybe we could do other things."
You can only imagine the look he gets. That TV leaves this house only in the case we're getting a bigger, better one. ;)
Sam
Also
The first two seasons of LOST are absolutely amazing. The last one started to wear on me, and I'm watching this Spring, but I could easily imagine it's a show that would wear thin for me in lieu of other, better programs. I feel the same way about Desperate Housewives... I loved the first few seasons, but it's worn thin, and I sometimes find it more aggravating than entertaining, though any port in a storm...
Sam
Sorry, Karen, but
Sorry to dissapoint you Karen but 24 might be delayed until 2009. They only finished 8-9 episodes before the strike. They were dabating to either give a short season of hold off until they could do a whole season. I believe they decided on the latter. I work in Los Angeles not directly in the film/tv industry but we have a relationship(we supply some shows with clothing from our fashion line. We work with Lost and other shows) 24 delayed their start in production from July to October. Because they scrapped their whole storyline(they were going to film in Africa but it was going to be to expensive so they changed their whole storyline they also thougth that Keifer's sentence was going to affect them, since they strike came before his jail time it did not affect them at all). Lost only completed 8 episodes before the strike. I might not work in the industry but I have a few friends who are really hurting right now. a friend of ours lost her job on the show Brother's and Sisters. she was going to be on the show for a few more episodes but her part got cut short because of the strike. another friend of mine works as an assistant writer on Friday Night Lights and is also now temping in other places so she can pay her bills.
In shows to watch to help pass the time. I'm watching old Cold Case shows(I only started watching that show since it came on after Amazing Race)I will probably watch BBC's Spooks(MI-5 here in the US) and will rewatch Farscape (My favorite sci-fi show ever)
Kelsey, hi
Sorry to hear about your friends -- I think it will be worse before it's better. A friend of my niece was a stylist for SNL, and now is freelance, and she was telling us about all the collateral damage for production and support staff, and it's really awful.
I have to admit, while I understand the principle and reason they are striking, I don't generally support strikes -- not just writer strikes, any strikes. I suppose it's because I grew up in an area that's now devoid of jobs and has a large poor population because all the factories closed down and went elsewhere, and in many cases that was directly linked to striking workers asking for more... I remember my father was once in the hospital for a hernia operation during a strike, and I got shouted at for crossing the line to go visit him and bring him food. These things obviously create negative associations for me with strikes.
So... I will admit on a personal level to having some serious mixed feelings, because on the other hand, the studios make such huge money, and they *should* pay their writers... But how much damage will this strike cause that can never be repaired even when they reach settlement?
It's hard all the way around. Much harder on those directly involved than for those of us missing TV shows, I know. Thanks for the reminder...
Sam
Waaa!
Oh, Kelsey, I'm sorry that your friends are being negatively impacted by the strike, and in more ways than just not being able to watch a particular television show...and I'm sobbing right now over the fact that 24 may not be shown this year at all. To deny me both Jack Bauer AND Mick St. John is just soooo unfair! On an upbeat note, I went and saw P.S. I Love You yesterday. God, I love Gerard Butler! I took my two girls and my niece to see it, and we had to sit in the second row, and we all bawled our eyes out and totally loved it, and then went for hot fudge sundaes afterwards. Totally yum all around.
My television watching is a
My television watching is a bit...weird, but I blame my husband. He has the remote, you know. I spend most of my time writing, so if I do watch TV, it's usually an old movie, although there is Gordon....
We watch anything with Chef Gordon Ramsey in it. As one reviewer said, he's amazingly at peace with his own arrogance. And I don't find him arrogant at all. I find him competent and love a man who can use the f-word so freely, yet seem so unscummy doing it.
Jeannie
I like him too!
He's someone I feel I could get along with, though I wouldn't want to work for him. At peace with his own arrogance. I like that.
I'm not as much of a movie person. I like movies now and then, but I grew up in front of the TV, and I think it's just part of my psyche now...
Sam
Supernatural
I don't watch much TV but I have a MUST-SEE show...Supernatural. Oh, I do love those Winchester boys. And it's KILLING me that they're not able to get the new episodes into production. I want the writers to be compensated fairly...but I really, really, REALLY want my Winchesters back.
:(
M
Read in bed!
www.meganhart.com
I tried watching this...
And I think it's one of those things where you have to watch from the start -- I watched a random epi and didn't care for it, but maybe I'll watch the DVDs. I did sort of randomly hop into the Ghost Whisperer, which I am also catching now in reruns that are all new to me, but while I like the show, it's very episodic with very little large arc, and I love shows that have huge seasonal arcs.
If the strike goes on too long I'll probably be checking out SN again...
Sam
Yes, I think it's best if
Yes, I think it's best if you watch it from the beginning. Season Three has been AMAZING...as short as it is. :(
M
Having grown up without a TV
Having grown up without a TV ( I was a college freshman before my family bought one) I don't watch a whole lot but there are some I really like. And I really would like to see new episodes. But the writers deserve to be paid for their work.
I agree
that if the studios use their work, they should compensate, simple as that, but I do wish they could have worked it out while staying employed. It seems like a small matter to strike about -- I mean, I could understand if coal miners strike for safer work conditions, etc and big issues like that, but this seems to be something that should be worked out among individual writers and their employers with their agents, but maybe I just don't get how it all works.
Sam
Sam, I tend to agree with
Sam,
I tend to agree with you about the strike. I probably would not be as supportive if I did not "know" alot of the people that work on them and not only writers. Alot of the people who are not writers are totally behind the writers even if this affect their work. In June the actors/directors contract is up so whatever the writers get its a prequel to what will happen with the actors/directors. I understand more about what they are fighting for since I found out that for every dvd sale(movie,tv,series) they writers get 4 cents from each sale. and as you might know almost all the networks now offer each episode online with limited commercials and the writers get nothing from this,zero,but the networks get advertising from this. also all the i-tune episodes the writers get nothing from this at all. Hopefully all this gets resolved. Yes I love reading better than watching tv but there are a few shows that I really love.
I don't watch very much tv,
I don't watch very much tv, so haven't missed any of the shows.
I still prefer to read and do needlework.
I need to make time to sew
I need to start working on some quilts, but I have to admit, evening isn't the time I usually like to do it, especially if I'm tired. I do have to get moving again on 2008 quilting projects, soon, though... :)
S
TV...
Well, I don't personally watch a whole lot of TV these days (too many books calling to me from the TBR ;p) but my husband does follow a few serieses (sp? that looks strange...),and I sort of do, as I walk through the room as he's watching. He's been watching Heroes, Lost, 24, Battlestar Galactica... we've also been watching Chuck, and enjoying that (I need the lighthearted--the others are a little too suspenseful for chicken-hearted me...)
Sam, Firefly and Battlestar Galactica are definitely worth catching up on (alas, no more Firefly... :()
BTW, I strangely prefer reading my TV to watching it, so I enjoy a site called TelevisionWithoutPity--hilarious recaps and forums :)
Happy 2008!
Well, the tree is down, the house is clean, waiting on a nice dinner, and last night we did watch FOUR back to back epis of 24 -- that is some exciting TV. :) The only problem I had with the storyline was the kidnapping of the daughter -- why make it so complicated and prone to error? Why not just grab her and be done with it, use professionals instead of the weirdo pot head 20-something guys? That just seemed kind of weird, but all in all it still created some good drama.
So, I reopened my Netflix account and put the rest of the season on our queue, plus the rest of Battlestar, and added Firefly, Serenity, and the new Dr. Who, which my niece's bf tells is great. Plenty of seasons of TV there to keep us watching...
Sam
Read a book
Hail to the Redskins!
Well, my Redskins made the playoffs, so I have some NFL to look forward to. Law & Order is back on and I've always been a Survivor fan. Same with Lost. DH was looking at our TBR piles and stating "we can always read a book". I was sitting and reading at the time. My one New Years Resolution I always keep is to decrease my TBR pile by 1/2. That will easily get done. We also can reactivate our Blockbuster movie account and watch those movies we've always been wanting to rent....
Another really good
Another really good show...Six Feet Under!! Get that one!
M
Read in bed!
www.meganhart.com