Writer's Strike Thread

[Sylph]

JackPeyton, do you plan to go to those picketing locations?

[whyamcwhy]

I wouldn't be surprised if the strike went on for quite some time and the soaps run out of scripts. Some of them have said that they have scripts well in to the new year but who knows what that really means, maybe Feb. or March. It is kind of scary thinking that AMC has scripts written that far ahead because that means the show will continue on the same path that it is on now. Nothing is working on that show right now and with the strike, there really isn't any way to correct it. I am afraid that AMC will continue to tank and drop in viewers.

If the shows run out of scripts, it would really be nice to see the network execs and producers taking this time to re-evaluate their soaps, figure out what is working, what isn't and try to rejuvenate the genre. AMC especially needs an overhaul so it would be nice if they figure out what direction they need to go in for improvement. I wouldn't mind some firings taking place too like Carruthers being let go. Don't even bother letting B&E back in the building! Or even Frons!!

[bellcurve]

Here's the problem with soaps...they've gotten way too comfortable!

No soap opera on the air right now really wants to take risks...no network wants to take a chance on a new soap opera. CBS should have replaced GL and/or ATWT when it had the money and resources to do it(I'm still not convinced that they don't, but whatever).

On a business standpoint, NBC was smart in replacing AW with a show that could draw in a younger crowd. Only problem is that PASSIONS wasn't a show for everyone and towards the third year of the run, Reilly played into its stereotypes and made it into a bad parody of itself.

None of the networks are willing to take a risk on a new show. Hell, it's bad enough promoting a HW from within who knows the history of the show and can tell great, compelling story.

I bet there are tons of soap writers(WGA affiliated, not those that write the fanfics and the YouTube soaps) that have really compelling, juicy bibles that no one is even remotely interested in looking at, because they'd rather run what little steam these shows have into the ground.

I'm not saying that you're wrong Jack or Macon in wanting your shows to stay on the air. But the time has to come eventually for new blood to get in there. And soap fans resist anything that isn't what their show is.

As far as I'm concerned, more than half of these shows have been canceled and replaced with something else, GL being the best example of how to completely revamp a soap and make it work, but at the same time, being the worst offender by continuing to cling onto its history and pi$$ing on it at the same time.

The same thing happened to game shows...it took an import like WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? to really get the game show genre going again, both in primetime AND in daytime. Some met success(MILLIONAIRE, DEAL OR NO DEAL which is scheduled for a Fall '08 Syndicated run) and some didn't take off too well(WEAKEST LINK with George Gray, CROSSWORDS), and some were crash and burn disasters(PYRAMID). But there are more gameshows on the air now than there were 10 years ago, back when it was WHEEL, JEOPARDY, PRICE, and then newcomer HOLLYWOOD SQUARES(and if you count them, DEBT and SUPERMARKET SWEEP).

Soaps are gonna have to find their footing again in order to be popular. It may take a year, three years, even ten years from now. It's gonna take someone behind the scenes to create and develop something NEW in order for the success to continue. As it stands right now...with the shrinking budgets, the shows can't last on little to nothing. I honestly thought it would be the telenovelas on MyNetworkTV, but those were poorly marketed and didn't have the utmost support from NewsCorp the way a real soap schedule needed.

I'm gonna meet a lot of angry fans for saying this, but prolonging the life of a show isn't going to help the genre. In the longrun, it will hurt it and make network prexies even more hesitant to greenlight any new projects. The stories of people in Springfield, Oakdale, and Pine Valley have to end eventually, guys. I'd rather have something in its place than have more news and sports.

[bellcurve]

I really, honestly don't know WHAT to believe anymore!

We're being told by those in charge of the shows that they'll have scabs, I hear Natalie Morales saying the soaps and late-night shows will be in reruns, and I hear people saying the soaps will be scrapped altogether for news and sports content.

I'd be surprised if this strike lasted for a short time. No one is budging on the issues, the writers sound like they're pissed off, the teamsters are threatening not to cross the picket line.

I could see NBC using this as an excuse to get rid of DAYS to dramatically decrease its ratings during the strike, but as far as ABC and SOAPnet are concerned, they have to make a profit off of this daily entertainment, with or without their writers.

Who knows with CBS. Watching GL, it makes me think scabs have already taken over the writing duties for the show.

[juppiter]

In 1988 the media said the same kind of things... "the soaps are the first doomed" etc. People outside the soap business tend not to understand soaps. In 1988, around week 6 the soaps started using scabs and the same thing would happen this time.

[Sylph]

OK, either I didn't get a thing or this is a contradictory statement.

I don't see a problem in these current shows running "forever" - they can be reinvented and turned into a completely different show every 10 years or less. No need to set things in motion for the infinite time inventing some other locale with several feuding families etc.

And American public just doesn't like the telenovela format... Why, I do not know...

[bellcurve]

Well, I'm not saying turn American soaps into telenovelas. That's not what I mean by that at all!

What I'm saying is that the industry desperately NEEDS new blood. Not just on the shows that it has, but in its programming as well. New writers, new shows. No one is just willing to take that risk for a genre that is already ailing in viewers and network support.

How much longer can GL continue to reinvent itself as the value of its show drastically decreases? GL has been underperforming even before Kreizman and Wheeler got their paws on it. How much longer can some of these shows afford to keep the same audience, doing the same damn thing over and over again without making some sort of drastic move by replacing one soap with another?

And the problem with reinventing a show and turning it into something completely different is where resistance is met by fans. You see how much GL fans of old are enjoying all the new faces and the new approach to storytelling. And guess what? They didn't gain any new fans to replace the old fans. And the older fans left and watch LMN or Food Network in the afternoon.

I mention MyNet telenovelas a lot and how much I enjoyed them, but I don't expect daytime soaps to turn into them, nor would I want that to happen. I enjoy long story arcs as much as the next person.

But these shows and their ratings are falling to record lows each week and there seems to be no end in sight. Something's gotta give. If a show's ratings are getting lower and lower and no one is coming back to watch it, no matter how many times you reinvent the show, there's a problem there. IMO, at least.

[R Sinclair]

We have another eight weeks to find out what happens. There's typically an eight week lag between when the show is written to when it is aired, so we have no idea how long this strike will last. It could last a few weeks, or it could last a few months.

Instead of thinking of the worst (even though some people love thinking about how horrible things can turn out and imagine every thing that can go wrong because it's their life's mission to fret and worry about things out of their control), just remember that soaps aside, the BIG TIME PRIMETIME/HOLLYWOOD writers are being affected by this, which means BIG TIME PRIMETIME/HOLLYWOOD PRODUCERS are going to be affected by this as well.

As capitalistic as the television/motion picture industry has become, I doubt this will last very long. I predict we will see scab written soap material air, if at all, very briefly, but then things will resume to normal.

[Jane1978]

I don´t think a new BLOOD whoever it is will solve anything. Soaps are telling the same stories for 50 years now. There´s no way you can reinvent the basics. The same stories and storylines and plots are used all around the world in this genre, telenovelas included. And they are succesfull. The only difference US soaps have is changing environment and networks executive refusing to react. There is less and less viewers available at the time slots US soaps are traditionally airing. Even best writers possible cannot turn the things around if there is no one watching the show. Just contrary, any writer who is original and wants really make the difference will likely disgust and alienate even those few remaing viewers who are still watching resulting in another rating disaster.

For some stupid reason US networks are producing 5, 10 or even more hours of an expensive original scripted drama per week only to totally waste it by aring it at the time when 90 percent of potential viewers are still at work. And why? Because 50 years ago, in a totally different society and way of life, it was a succesfull timeslot.

GB, Germany, France are airing their soap in late afternoon. Most of South American soap/telenovelas are airing in primetime. I´m pretty sure all US soaps would have immediatelly return back into 4. if they were aired at let´s say 5, or 6 PM. It´s exactly the right time when people are already back from work/school and they are waiting/preparing the dinner. And while doing it they could easily watch their favorite soaps.

[Toups]

Exactly.

Soaps aren't going to last if they continue to air in the afternoon on network television - no matter how "good" the content is. You gotta put soaps on at a later time when people are coming home from school/work.

[Vee]

Sure, just think! With a long strike, someone might destroy their remaining reputation and finally get a job in daytime as a scab! You are as predictable as ever.

As for the rest of you, while the genre does need new blood, it will never get it from people willing to wreck their future careers outside daytime being scabs. Would I love to write for the soaps, sure, but that's not the way, since it's not the only thing I want to do.

[Sylph]

Dead And Alive

From what I'm hearing, it's the usual he-said, she-said, but the bottom line is this: both sides finally got all of their stupid crap off the table (and for those of you who honestly though the WGA really really really meant that DVD increase demand, all I can say is…listen more closely to Uncle Craig next time, okay?)…and still…

…the AMPTP wouldn't step up on The One Issue.

This strike is mostly the fault of the AMPTP, in my humble opinion. They had a choice here. Once the other demands were gone, they were in a perfectly good position to finally start talking in a real way about internet residuals, and they chose instead to insist on the DVD rate for electronic sell-through…and their ridiculous “promotional” position on streaming.

[david]

I totally agree with you : the problem is not with storylines or headwriters, it is with timeslot :

I wrote in another post about the amazing success of Santa Barbara in France during the late '80s. The main (if not the only reason) to it, was the timeslot : SB aired from 7.00-7.30 PM !

When that timeslot suddenly changed to mid-afternoon, ratings took a deep, whereas the storyline was very good (Eden/Cruz/Cain/Elena Nikolas quadrangle).

But who can REGULARLY watch and invest in TV in the afternoon ? For the most part, people are busy.

For the first time in years, French TV started airing new soaps : one French (the first of the genre, from 8.00-8.30 PM) : it is awfully badly written and acted, but it is a success because of the timeslot !

The second one is the German version of Ugly Betty (Verliebt in Berlin) with very good ratings too.

Here, the 6.00 PM-8.00 PM timeslot has become the golden hours for soaps again. New soaps (including US ones) should follow in 2008.

Evening is the time people watch TV, because they have time to do it.

I think networks should try airing special episodes of daytime soaps in primetime, like in the 90's : Y&R missed an opportunity with its Out of the Ashes storyline. It was action-packed and quite unusual for daytime (for what I have read), and perfect for primetime.

With a promo saying : 'You liked Lynn Marie Latham storylines on Knots Landing in the 80's, (and showing Ted Shackelford scenes on KL), don't miss her return to primetime with this captivating special Y&R episode !', CBS could have attracted non-soap watchers.

[Sylph]

I am going to dieeeeeeee! I'm not in LA and John August, Jane Espenson and company are inviting us to drop by and say "hi"!!!!!!! Why am I not in LA!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...

[Khan]

I wish I were in L.A., too, Sylph. I'd catch the plane, or even hitchhike there! With my luck, however, by the time I get there, the strike'll be over, lol.