Writer's Strike Thread

[RavenWhitney]

Many of you youngins' weren't around as daytime fans 20 yrs ago in 1988 when the writer's struck for five months or in the early 80s when there was another shorter strike. I lived in NY and knew Ernie Townsend who played cliff on Edge of Night. The strike in the early 1980s I know that P&G supervising producer Laurie Durbrow wrote from Henry Slesar's bible and Lois Kibbee also wrote scripts. Kibbee was later hired by Slesar.

I know more about the 1988 strike. Some soaps faired better because the story bible was there. For instance, Doug Marland had a big bible that he left behind and he was in the credits as "story by" for the entire strike. Another World had just fired Maggie DePriest three months before the strike and replaced her with Sheri Anderson who had no bible. Weeks before the strike P&G agreed at Michael Laibson's urging (then the newly installed exec producer at AW) to rehire Harding Lemay. Lemay was paid for three month bible which was loosely used by the scab writers who were....Donna Swajeski, then an NBC ad exec, Janet Iacubuzio who was in production at AW, Mimi Leahy, Nerissa Radel and Janet Stampfl (who was supervising producer for P&G at AW at the time). Michael Zazlow and wife/writer susan Hufford worked on GL during the strike but Pam Long's bible wasn't scab writer friendly and she wasn't as agreeable as marland in leaving behind a bible for others to hack away at. Zazlow and Hufford were hired by P&G after the strike to write AW as were Swajeski, Leahy, Iacubuzio and Radell. Lemay briefly returned after the strike and wrote nine weeks worth of scripts but NBC did that to get out of the contract without fanfare. They knew all along they were going to dump him for the scab team.

I don't have much info on this strike, but I can surmise that at gh the show will go on with Phelps who is the headwriter of all of her shows. GL has Wheeler who's very involved in plotting and Jill Hurst who's position as story producer was put together probably so she'd be able to stick with the show and supervise the writing during the strike.

Just my bits of info and speculation...I hope they don't strike for long.Some of the soaps were actually improving like OLTL and GL

[Khan]

>> I say get temporary writers....that can write and demote the hacks in charge like Pissant.

And I say don't. Even if the "temporary writers" prove to be better than the hacks, they're still scabs; and not only would that not be beneficial for them (hefty fines, prohibited from ever joining the guild, etc.), but IMO, it's a crumby thing to do.

(Then again, I've always been pro-union, lol.)

Look, I was joking before, but the truth is, I'd hate to see the end of soaps as much as anyone else here. That said, however, by being more concerned over how this will affect viewing habits and such, I think we're doing a disservice to ourselves, because, this is EXACTLY the kind of attitude the AMPTP wants viewers to have; and to the WGA, because it is undercutting the seriousness of their cause. These people are not asking for the moon, or even the stars. They just want to be compensated fairly and amply, like everybody else. But the other side refuses to budge; ergo, they (the writers) have no other choice. Now, if that means your favorite prime-time, late night, or yes, daytime show gets yanked off the air, whether temporarily or otherwise, well, sorry, but that's the way it goes.

[jcar03]

If A WGA member crosses a picket line they are considered a scab. They can and probably will be turned in by another WGA member. Daytime writers have to go on strike because they are part of the union. This means Y&R and B&B are without both a HW and EP since if Bell or Latham show up to work they would be considered scabs and I don't think either are going to run the risk of upsetting fellow WGA members. Here are the rules outline by WGA for the strike: http://www.wga.org/contract_07/StrikeRules2.pdf

All show have probably filmed all of November and would have scripts written for December but there are normally rewrites during filming so some one with no experience script writers on hand the responsibility with fall to the EP or whoever is in charge.

It should be noted that actors still have to show up for work. They can show their support by picketing as long as they should up for work if there is work.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

IS it too much to hope that Latham goes to work and pisses the hell out of her fellow WGA members? Then, when the strike has all died down, she'll be so insolated within the industry, that Sony/CBS will have no choice but to fire her!?

I know wishful thinking, but I hope it happens.

[Khan]

Actually, I think LML and Bradley Bell can show up for work. (That is, if they choose to.) However, if they do, anything that has anything to do w/ editing scripts, breakdowns, or long-term projections would be off-limits to them. They can supervise other facets of the production, but if a particular script or story is not working out, there isn't a blessed thing they, themselves, can do to change it w/o violating the terms of the strike.

Which is why, for many years, Agnes Nixon would not join the Writers' Guild (or so I've been told). When she was producing as well as HW'ing AMC, she wanted to be able to step in and assume the writing duties, should her creation be affected by a strike.

[stenbeck212]

Holy [!@#$%^&*], I didn't think about THAT. I guess there's no way to know for sure if they went to work and only performed the duties of a producer.

[Khan]

>> IS it too much to hope that Latham goes to work and pisses the hell out of her fellow WGA members?

If her actions during the '88 strike are any indication? Yes, lol.

AFAIK, Latham, and her husband, then producers at KNOTS LANDING, honored the picket lines. But, during that time, they did begin work on what eventually became HOMEFRONT (they didn't have any development deal for that, they just started working on the pilot script and bible), which allowed them to leave KL, so...., lol.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Agnes has always been a WGA member, from my understanding. She also has several WGA nominations. Also, the last time there was a strike, in 1988, AMC was written by scabs.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

What does AFAIK stand for?

"...Homefront was born during that 22-week-long walkout which lasted from March 7th to August 7th. Bernard Lechowick and Lynn Marie Latham had been thinking about doing a postwar drama for awhile. It was only during the strike, when they were forced to stop work on other projects, that they were able to turn their full attention to this kernel of an idea."

Source: KirtlandHill on ezboard's Homefront

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Please Latham Please begin work on another unsuccessful series! PLEASE!

[Khan]

"As far as I know".

I know Leslie Moonves would love to have a Latham/Lechowick series on his sked. Never mind the fact that "Homefront," "Second Chances," "Hotel Malibu," "Savannah," "Hyperion Bay," "Pacific Palisades," "That's Life," and "Wild Card" all flopped. (The Lechowicks didn't create "Savannah," "Hyperion", "Palisades," or "That's Life," but one or the other was heavily involved w/ each show.)

Honestly, aside from their years on KL, neither Latham nor Lechowick seem to have a very good track record. And yet, they stay employed.

[JackPeyton]

i loved them.

[Khan]

You, and about two other people, lol.

[JackPeyton]

yeah i know. i loved Hyperion Bay because someone hot was on it... zack from saved by the bell? idk. and Savanah was just greatness when i was like... 9. lol.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Doesn't quality count for something? It is so easily dismissed and discredited these days. Knots Landing, The District, Port Charles (before the arcs), Homefront and That's Life were very good TV series. So, basically, the only thing that matters is commercial "success" and Razzies?