Who's Nick Counting Now?
Being the annoying broad that I am, I called the AMPTP number in one of Kate Coe's FishbowlLA posts:
...and talked to Nick Counter's secretary, who said, "He's in negotiations right now," and "call the Writers Guild" when I told her I used to watch TV but I no longer do, because there are only reruns on, and please make a deal. I told her I saw what the writers are asking for, and didn't find it unreasonable. "Thank you!" she said and hung up.
Fellow TV watchers! Have you been Countered today? Operators are standing by!
What the strike does for me is make me realize that I would be totally satisfied with reruns - from seasons long gone. Andy Griffith and Gilligan are seen worldwide for a reason. I'd tune to Twin Peaks, Babylon 5, Vengeance Unlimited with no sense of loss - and what a hoot it would be to see an episode of Bewitched in prime time...
X-files, anyone?
Television is a prime example of the fallacy that something new must be better.
Radwaste at January 16, 2008 2:43 AM
"I told her I saw what the writers are asking for, and didn't find it unreasonable."
Can you expound upon that? Do you find it unreasonable that they want more compensation or are they just demanding *too much* compensation? ...just curious.
Gretchen at January 16, 2008 4:53 AM
The strike doesn't impact me - all I watch is football, baseball, discovery, and food network.
Dirty Jobs may well be the best show on television today.
And if all of TV went to reruns, I'd probably catch up on my video games. I've still got games for the Playstation 2 that I haven't even started yet.
brian at January 16, 2008 5:27 AM
Gretchen:
WTF?!? Amy said she DIDN'T find it unreasonable. The strike is chiefly about compensation for work that is distributed digitally.
Here is an explanation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ55Ir2jCxk
Deirdre B. at January 16, 2008 5:36 AM
Sorry - my bad . Please don't give yourself a heart attack, Deirdre, over my temporary lapse in reading skills. Put down the knife and slowly step away...
I saw the explanation and I, too, found it reasonable.
Gretchen at January 16, 2008 6:58 AM
I'm with Brian. Even before the strike, my PS2 is winning out over TV (and I am a teleholic, one that will watch from the time I get home at night until I go to bed) more and more these days.
Two of my favorite shows that were impacted are The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Now that they're back without the writers, I've got to say, they should fire the lot. I was a little apprehensive but, if anything, they're even funnier without the writers. They are doing a great job!
Donna at January 17, 2008 8:19 AM
Brian--Discovery and Food network air shows written by WGA members working for non-signatory companies. The Guild has ignored these cable networks, and thus, those shows pay peanuts compared to WGA shows.
Kate at January 17, 2008 2:18 PM
Tee vee writers are on strike?!? Wow, I miss a lot by watching tee vee on DVD. This will probably effect me in about a year, when I expect Numbers and a couple other shows, to be out on DVD.
DuWayne at January 19, 2008 12:14 PM
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