There’s new hope afloat that formal talks could resume between the Writers’ Guild of American and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers since both sides walked away from the table Dec. 7.
Over 10,000 WGA writers have been on strike since November, crippling scripted comedies and dramas as well as lavish award ceremonies celebrating the very art in question.
Informal talks resumed last week when the writers agreed to drop two of their demands: one to recruit writers of reality television shows and the other to recruit animated film writers.
During the course of these informal talks, writers and producers have been able to come closer to agreeing on what kind of residuals writers should see on content distributed over the Internet, according to the L.A. Times, quoting unnamed sources.
There is a media blackout for both sides during these negotiations, and the “sources” say that talks could still break down like back in December. Online streaming and whether or not unions should have jurisdiction over original online content are apparently still mute points.
So what does this mean to the average TV viewer?
It looks as though it’s too late to resurrect some shows like Pushing Daisies, but if the strike is over by mid-February shows like Desperate Housewives and Supernatural say they may be able to squeeze out a few more episodes before the summer.
As it stands, midseason shows still have the best shot at prolonging their seasons.
Thoughts? amber@tvguide.ca
