Writers Strike... Back

technorati tags: americasnexttopmodel, tyrabanks, writersstrike, writer, wga, union, hollywood, entertainment

I was in L.A. during the short Writers' strike in 2001. The television writers were striking because they wanted higher residuals from cable and Fox.


The Studios responded to the strike, and to the threatened SAG walkout, with a whole new kind of show... "Don't need writers, don't need actors, we can still make money."

You guessed it. Reality shows. The scabs of the television industry. And America LOVED it!


Well, I guess everything comes full circle, at least when it comes to getting paid. Here's what Cynopsis is reporting this morning:

The majority of writers on America's Next Top Model went out on strike Friday, just 8 weeks before the scheduled premiere on the CW. The reality show writers have signed to be represented by the WGA West writer's union, and plan to stay out on strike until the show signs a guild contract, recognizing the union's basic benefits and protections for its members. The CW network said they fully expect the issues to be resolved and the show to premiere on time. While numerous writers have signed up for representation by the WGA, the guild has yet to successfully get any signed guild contracts.