on the news here in LA they were talking about whats shows can last and cant. they said that as far as soaps go the ABC soaps stand the best chance, and have full s cripts well into the new year. they did mention that there would be no rewrites on them tho and that often has to happen. so idk, can the abc soaps go off the written scripts and maybe actors/ep's etc can change it up?

they said Days has scripts til around the christman show. i guess one of the reports is friends with someone at Days and they said the x-mas eppy was turned in.

they didnt mention anything on the CBS soaps.

Michael Easton at a recent fan event (last weekend in Ohio??) said OLTL had 7-8 weeks taped.

Correction on my statement from earlier today: The writers will be picketing at Time Warner Center on Thursday, not Wednesday. Wednesday, the writers will be at Chelsea Piers. Time: 9am to 5pm. If you can go, don't forget your cameras.

Me too, was there another strike in the 80's, other than the infamous one in 1988? I ask because Search was long canceled before the 5 month strike in 88.

It was Don Chastain who Marland mentioned in the article. Sorry for the delayed response.

Correction on my statement from earlier today: The writers will be picketing at Time Warner Center on Thursday, not Wednesday. Wednesday, the writers will be at Chelsea Piers. Time: 9am to 5pm. If you can go, don't forget your cameras.

And they will be picketing News Corp. on Friday.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111797548...d=1066&cs=1

Variety is saying that there are rumors that CBS may bring Big Brother back in February. Shonda Rhimes says she won't be crossing picket lines to help edit episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice that have been filmed. Fox may have to lay off office staffers and assistants.

The latest from Nikki Finke (who IMO, is the best Hollywood journalist who tells is straight!): http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/

Deals, Lies & Backchannelling: Why This Is A Bigger Mess Now Than Ever Before

For days, only sources within the moguls camp, but not the writers guild, have discussed what really went on at the Sofitel Hotel Sunday. And the Hollywood studios and networks were especially savvy in getting their spin out first and foremost about how the writers were to blame for the bargaining talks breakdown. And they’re still spinning. (Just read the producers-slanted coverage by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter and even the major newspapers which all depend on studio and network advertising while I stay smack in the middle.) But now the WGA leadership is breaking their silence.

Top guild sources tell me they were “deliberately duped” by the moguls in a backchannel deal to bring the guild back to the bargaining table Sunday. The lure was a promise by two Big Media CEOs -- Peter Chernin and Les Moonves -- that, if the writers gave up their DVD residual demands, then the producers would respond by improving the formula on the central sticking issue of Internet downloads for movies and television. My producer sources confirmed to me such a deal was indeed made. In other words, it could have been possible that a settlement might be only days or a week away, with enough progress to induce the writers side to suspend the start of the strike.

The writers say they kept up their end by dropping their DVD demands – a huge concession which later puzzled the WGA membership because it seemed to come out of nowhere and had to be explained by WGA president Patric Verrone without revealing the whole backstory. Why didn’t he? Because the WGA was abiding by the “mutual pledge of confidentiality” that applied to Sunday’s session. Today, sources there decided to spill to me because the producers’ heavy spin has gone unanswered. The WGA accuses the producers of not delivering in kind on the all-important electronic sell-through issue all day Sunday. So, according to guild sources, that’s the real reason the 12:01 AM strike wasn’t averted and DVDs were dropped and then put back on the table.

As a spitting mad WGA leader put it to me today: “All I can say is, if someone calls me and says, “You do X, and I do Y” and that someone doesn’t do it, then I’ve been lied to and I’ve been played. It’s a complete betrayal. I just don’t know what the studios’ game is.”

So why is this news important? Because now both sides in this writers vs producers fight are further apart than they have ever been, and that’s saying a lot. Both sides believe they have fresh and ample reasons not to go back into negotiations anytime soon. And by soon a worst case scenario of months and months and months. Both sides believe that, after Sunday’s betrayals, they can’t trust the other side enough to even talk about scheduling new AMPTP/WGA negotiations much less trust any backchannelling again. Ironically, as I was being told the WGA’s complaints today, moguls were being briefed on what went down Sunday inside the negotiating room. But are they being told the whole story? About the backchannel deal? Not that I can tell. About the promise that’d been made? Not that I can tell. About not keeping to the letter or spirit of it? Not that I can tell. Instead, I received a warning from inside that camp today not to report the WGA accusations, or name the two moguls, or repeat what went on inside the talks Sunday. But, to stay smack in the middle, I can't do that -- just as I can't favor the other side when reporting about this strike and its issues.

Updated:

Let me start at the beginning of last weekend: Yes, a Barry Meyer-John Wells-John Bowman backchannelling avenue was being explored. And any and all other backchannelling avenues were being cultivated as well. As I’ve reported previously, among the moguls Chernin, the No. 2 at News Corp/Fox is probably the biggest hawk, and Moonves, the CBS CEO, probably the biggest moderate. The two got in touch with WGA negotiating leaders and made the promise: that, if the writers gave up their DVD residual demands, then the producers would respond by improving the formula on the central sticking issue of Internet downloads for movies and television. It was quite a surprise to the writers side because it was such a big departure since, as recently as last week ,AMPTP had been telling the WGA that it would get the DVD formula on digital downloads. As the Sunday negotiation was being scheduled for the Sofitel, the producers announced to the media Friday night that both sides had been “ordered” back to the table by the federal mediator. “The companies used the federal mediator to give them cover so they didn’t look like they’d caved and made the first call,” a WGA leader told me.

“We arrived at the meeting at 10 AM and it started a few minutes later with some discussions about procedure. We made it very clear we were ready to negotiate without stopping, as long as 2 to 3 days if necessary. But we said that, without a deal by midnight, or unless we were really really close, we were not going to suspend the strike. We said that, as things stood, the strike was going ahead at 9:01 PM in the East. And they said they understood. And we got going. And, as a gesture of good faith, we took the DVDs issue off the table. And they said they would get together and talk and get back to us with a response. In the meantime, we all said we’d work on one of the other proposals.”

Edited November 7, 200718 yr by Toups

If anyone is wondering what Chelsea Piers is, it is a sports and entertainment complex. Law & Order is filmed there. I had no clue what it was till I goggled and read that L&O is filmed there. 25 movies have been filmed there, too.

Edited November 7, 200718 yr by dawn9476

It was Don Chastain who Marland mentioned in the article. Sorry for the delayed response.

Thank you

I just wanted to say thank you to the writers and producers. You've given us far more interesting drama than much of what has been produced by soaps in YEARS.

Bring out the popcorn folks. I have a feeling it's going to get even nastier.

Two and a half Men also had to shut down production as writers refused to participate in rewrites. NBC is pulling Friday Night Lights and Las Vegas to conserve episodes.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/ne...in_N.htm?csp=34

TV executives think everyone is dumb & naive. The reason why NBC is taking Friday Night Lights & Las Vegas off the air is not because of conserving taped episodes, its because they are low-rated. You think if either show were averaging in the double-digit range they'd be pulled? Of course not. It is all about ratings- always has been, always will be.

Out of the 3 major networks, I think NBC hates people the most.

TV executives think everyone is dumb & naive. The reason why NBC is taking Friday Night Lights & Las Vegas off the air is not because of conserving taped episodes, its because they are low-rated. You think if either show were averaging in the double-digit range they'd be pulled? Of course not. It is all about ratings- always has been, always will be.

Out of the 3 major networks, I think NBC hates people the most.

I'm not disagreeing with the fact that either show is a huge ratings grabber, but if they are going to pull the new episodes and replace them with repeats, how exactly will this effect the ratings? And if the shows only have a handful of already taped episodes why waste them now when we don't know how long the strike will continue. Don't shows usually start airing repeats at the end of November anyways and start up with new episodes after the New Year, it just seems like they are starting a little early.

Then again maybe it is just me trying not to look on the negative side.

TV executives think everyone is dumb & naive. The reason why NBC is taking Friday Night Lights & Las Vegas off the air is not because of conserving taped episodes, its because they are low-rated. You think if either show were averaging in the double-digit range they'd be pulled? Of course not. It is all about ratings- always has been, always will be.

Out of the 3 major networks, I think NBC hates people the most.

Ru, once again you have proved wrong.

just because they are lower rated doesnt mean anything. you really thjink from a network standpoint they thought up "hey these shows are not in the double digits. lets pull them and air reruns of them! thats sure to get higher ratings!" no. they were pulled to preserve new episodes. FNL, i belive actually is only a few epsidoes ahead of what is airing.

letrs face it - almost every scripted show is about the be pulled and put into reruns - and it all has to do with the writers strike.

Here's a list I got from TVguide.com that has the status of the network and where they stand script and production wise.

Soaps

ABC

Says its soaps are written "well into the new year," however, and that they will "continue to produce original programming with no repeats and without interruption."

CBS Expected to continue through February.

NBC

("Days of Our Lives") Expected to continue through January.

Syndicated Shows

"Ellen"

Decided not to tape her show Monday in support of the striking writers. Some writers on her show are guild members. Monday's and Tuesday's shows were taped last week, a spokesman said. DeGeneres has yet to decide whether to go ahead with further shows this week.

Late Night

"Colbert Report,"

"The Daily Show" and

"Saturday Night Live" Will go into repeats immediately.

"The Tonight Show" and

"The Conan O'Brien Show" Will go into repeats immediately.

"Jimmy Kimmel Live"

Staffed with WGA writers, so it would probably go to repeats. But Kimmel could also decide to wing it and do the show himself.

"Nightline"

Will remain live and in originals.

ABC

"Desperate Housewives"

Has nine episodes written, which should last through the first week of December.

"Grey's Anatomy"

13 episodes of 23 episodes written, 11 of which have been shot and six have aired. This means there are five more episodes in the can.

"Boston Legal"

Will have 14 or 15 of 22 episodes completed.

"Lost"

Expected to have eight out of 16 episodes ready.

Midseason, none have aired yet

"Cavemen"

Expected to have 12 out of 13 episodes completed; has not received an order for a full season.

"Men in Trees"

Has five episodes left over from last season, 10 new episodes shot, four more scripts to shoot; adds up to 19 out of 27 for the season.

"Cashmere Mafia"

The premiere has been delayed because of the strike.

"The View"

Will continue uninterrupted, according to a spokesman.

"Dirty Sexy Money"

Expected have between 11 and 13 episodes completed.

"Brothers & Sisters"

Expected to have either 11 or 12 episodes completed.

"Eli Stone"

Will have 13 of 13 ordered. Midseason premiere date is undetermined.

CBS

"CSI: Miami" Will have 13 out of 24 episodes completed.

"Criminal Minds" Will have 12 of 22 episodes completed.

"Moonlight"

Expected to have 11 out of 12 episodes completed; has not received an order for a full season.

"Cane"

Expected to complete all 13 episodes; has not yet received an order for a full season.

"Jericho"

Will have seven of seven episodes.

NBC

"My Name is Earl"

Has 13 out of 13 episodes completed.

"Medium"

Will have nine of 22 episodes completed.

"30 Rock"

Has nine out of 22 episodes completed, with several days of shooting for the 10th episode scheduled for this week.

"Friday Night Lights"

Expected to complete 15 of 22 episodes.

"Scrubs"

Expected to complete 12 of 18 episodes.

"Journeyman"

Expected to complete 13 of 13 episodes; has not yet received an order for a full season.

CW

"Everybody Hates Chris" Expected to complete 22 of 22 episodes.

"Gossip Girl" Expected to complete 13 of 22 episodes.

"Supernatural" Has 10-12 episodes completed;

Those shows also have roughly five scripts that are ready to shoot.

"America's Next Top Model,"

"Beauty and the Geek"

and new shows such as "Crowned" (the mother-daughter beauty contest)

Three of a number of reality shows that have already been ordered up, meaning they are covered for the rest of the season

Fox

"24" Will have eight or nine out of 24 episodes completed. Midseason, none have aired yet.

"K-Ville"

Will have 10 of 13 episodes completed.

USA

"In Plain Sight"

New show, episodes are nearly wrapped

"Psych" and "Monk"

Enough scripts in hand to guarantee a full second half of each season

"Law and Order: Criminal Intent"

Enough for first half of the season (10); the second half (12) will be affected (meaning not enough scripts to guarantee production start as scheduled.)

"Burn Notice"

Scheduled to start production of Season 2 in January

"Starter Wife"

Scheduled to start production in March

Sci-Fi

"Stargate Atlantis"

Expected to go on as scheduled.

"Battlestar Galactica"

Has 10 hours of episodes, plus a two hour movie to air this Fall.

"Eureka"

Will be affected.

FX

"Thirty Days"

Completed, not expected to be affected.

"Nip/Tuck"

5th season, the 22 episodes were planned for two cycles: 14 to run from now to February and eight next year. All 14 in the first cycle have been written. So, only the second cycle could be affected.

"The Shield"

The final season is written, no date set for airing.

"The Riches" Seven of 13 are written, reportedly good through Dec. 10

"Dirt" Production is underway, and it could be affected.

"Rescue Me"

fifth season, just announced, would be affected since production is expected to start in early '08.

"Damages"

No word yet on whether it would be picked up

HBO

"Entourage" and

"Big Love" Are currently in the writing stages and were scheduled to air in the summer of 2008.

"True Blood" and

"12 Miles of Bad Road" Have begun production.

"The Wire" Completed and will air as scheduled.

"In Treatment" New series will air as scheduled.

Showtime

"Dexter," "Weeds,"

"Californication" and

"Brotherhood" Have ended or will be ending their season runs.

"The Tudors" Second season returns in late March, completed production Nov. 1 on 12 episodes.

A new Tracey Ullman series Five-episode series is shot.

good to hear that about soaps...