Captain Caps, live from the entertainment frontlines. Report: The Writer's Strike!

[Captain Caps]

It's Captain Caps, with an important note for anyone who enjoys even one single currently-running program on TV today (Not including documentaries, newsmagazines, "Millionaire", "Weakest Link", Discovery, TLC or reality programming). The Writer's Guild is in the twilight hours for negotiating a new contract. Effective Midnight, no more scripts shall be produced for TV or the Silver Screen. A litany of TV shows are under the barrel. Unless a contract is reached in the 11th hour, it's...

*Farewell, "Friends"!*
*Later, Leno and Letterman!*
*Sayonara, "Sesame Street", "Saturday Night Live" and "Simpsons" (You read that last part right. The show's writers are with the Writer's Guild!)*
*Exit, Stage Left for "Ed" and "Everybody Loves Raymond"!*
*Danke Scheon, "Daily Show"*
*Regis and Rosie: Runnin' Out Of Time*
*March on out, "Mad TV"!*

In other words, it's a full-bore termination of scripted TV as we know it. Despite general feeling, there are many pearls around the swine. Now the gleam and the pig are going to the meatgrinder, where reality TV will eat up the final product. Ladies and gentlemen, soon it shall be time to...

*Go to the videotape!*
*Demand the DVD!*
*Burrow the beak in a book!*

All of a sudden, my mind's alternating between the songs "Who Wants To Live Forever" by Queen and "Don't Dream It's Over" by Crowded House. Well, as Simple Minds once said-"Don't you forget about me!"

First the writers, then the actors are out of the game in June.

I shall report news on the strikes as they come. As a lover of entertainment, I, with all solemnity, take the position of strike reporter. If you read this, I am serious when I ask to report on this news as it comes and as I can post it.

I now leave you with the following note:

After I write the words,

Sincerely,

John "Captain Caps" Kilduff
------

It will be 8:36 PM on the East Coast, according to the clock on my TV. It is now 3 hours and 24 minutes to the first lethal blow to the modern-day entertainment industry.

[Brian Cruz]

Conan O'Brien is a member of the writer's guild. He also has his own late night show. And he writes some of the material on that show. If there's a strike, does that mean he can't write for his own show anymore? If he ad libs something, will they kick him out of the union?

Enquiring minds want to know!

[Anthonynotes]

...and turn back the clock...let's go, let's go, let's go, way on, way on, way back when---er, sorry, a bit of Aretha Franklin got in there.

Anyway, given the high probability of said strike, it's time to look back on a certain previous strike, in another era, another decade....a time Captain Caps and I know rather well....a time of another Bush, another---feh, forget the drama. The year was: 1988, and there was another writer's strike, over many of the same issues as the strike of 2001 (from what I've read: residuals issues, writer's credits, etc.). Lasting 22 weeks (IIRC), it all but brought Hollywood to a standstill, with TV of that era resulting in perpetual reruns of "The Cosby Show" and the like, and pushing the fall TV season back a ways. Of course, back then, TV didn't have the currently-trendy reality shows to fall back on (though I doubt this time, even those are going to save their necks if the strike's an extended one). Of course, there's also more entertainment options here in 2001 than in that time period---the Internet and more cable channels, for one thing, along with 13 years' more films to choose from :-)

Hmph....kind of wish I'd mentioned the writer's strike in that "Brain's Mission For Pres. Reagan" story of mine....

PINKY: (Staring at the zillionth rerun of "Who's the Boss")HAHAHAHA! This episode's *great*!

BRAIN: Pinky, you've seen that episode 47 times! Thanks to that writer's strike, they're just rerunning the same few episodes ad nauseum...(glances at said sitcom) speaking of "nauseum"...

BILLIE: Aw, I'm sure it'll be over soon, Eggy.... (pauses) I *think*. Hmph...too bad there's no graphical-based, global computer network to serve as an alternative visual means of amusement and information to kill the time....

BRAIN: (Raising an eyebrow) *Excuse me?*

BILLIE: (Shakes her head) Sorry, Eggy....been watching that "Star Trek: The Next Generation" show again...

BRAIN: *Indeed*....as if humanity would ever waste its time parked in front of a *personal computer*!

PINKY: I dunno, Brain---I think it sounds sort of fun in a nerdy sort of way, HAHAHAHA, NARF!

BRAIN: You *would*...

:-)

-B.

[Captain Caps]

---Conan O'Brien is a member of the writer's guild. He also has his own late night show. And he writes some of the material on that show. If there's a strike, does that mean he can't write for his own show anymore?

Well, Brian...Going on my knowledge, which I believe to be substantial...The answer is "Yes!". He'll have to leave the writing work to others. I'm sure that the majority of his show's writers are with the guild. I believe they won't be able to write for the show, either.

---If he ad libs something, will they kick him out of the union?

I tell the truth when I say that I don't know how ad-libs figure into this strike. I'll find out what I can over the next few days. Based on what I know, Conan, Leno, Letterman, et al. in terms of comedy, are either going off the cuff or off the air

---Enquiring minds want to know!

And your minds shall be filled to the best of my ablilities. Wish me luck, for this shall be an arduous task.

When I write the words,

Sincerely,

John "Captain Caps" Kilduff

It will be 9:30 PM according to the clock on my TV. 2-and-1/2 hours to E-D-Day

[Psycho Fox]

Well one thing you can be sure forein studio will push their shows on the networks since this is only a US thing. How many of the networks will take advantage of this I'm not too sure off. And I hope this does not lead to creative gypsies like the animation gypsies of the 70's that went all over the world and workered where ever there was a job, bending immegation laws and underminding uninons. (While even these animation gypsies didn't like the low pay, most of them liked the fact they didn't have to give a sh*t about stupid execs since they where just there long enough to finish the project)

[PlopKat]

Conan O'Brien is a member of the writer's guild. He also has his own late night show. And he writes some of the material on that show. If there's a strike, does that mean he can't write for his own show anymore? If he ad libs something, will they kick him out of the union?

IIRC, during the 1988 strike, David Letterman (also a writer on his own show) started doing new shows. He may have been given special permission to do so, but he was the only one doing any writing. Aside from the usual interviews & musical performances, the only scripted comedy bits were the monologue and the Top 10 List. I think ad libs would be allowed as they aren't "written" material.

These strike shows weren't nearly as fun as regular episodes & I don't think they were ever rerun. With few exceptions, I don't watch David and Conan for their guests; it's the comedy segments I enjoy most. I sure thought Kirsten Dunst was cute last night on Dave's show, though.

[The Mad Hatter]

Woah... we made it to Wednesday with no strike! Seems like the two sides are still in negociations and has extended their deadlines, which is a very good sign. Looks like we may be spared "reality" shows out the wazoo...

Wait, "reality" shows are cheap and get decent ratings. We'll probably get them out the wazoo anyway. Especially since everyone expected a strike and stocked up. Dangit.