I think there's some bad information here. To the best of my knowledge, the Writers Guild of America does not represent "Broadway writers."

What are "Broadway writers" anyway? Generally a play or musical is written by a playwright -- right? Or something is taken from a book. The closest I can come between the two is a play or musical that is taken from a movie. Even those are written by authors or the like. Right?

It's not like Broadway shows premiere or are updated weekly.

The WGA represents entertainment, news and new media writers.

And, by the way, it appears the Writers Guild may strike CBS News soon.

ETA: Broadway Stagehands (and many TV stagehands as well) are represented by IATSE, The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, not the Writers Guild.

In addition, even the name of this thread is incorrect. This is not a "Hollywood" writers strike. The Writers Guild West, and The Writers Guild East -- collectively called The Writers Guild -- are both on strike.

Good link, Jen.

It's the effect on people like the guy in the story that are lost in the "big picture" of any strike or work stoppage.

We tend to only hear about the $130K people -- not those on the outside, as well as those in the other trades that are affected by a union or company action.

As I said, nobody really wins in a strike.

At least that's my opinion.

How is 130k look compared to Letterman's 30 million. On top of the compensation the actors also get residuals. I think it is funny that the actors are walking the picket line saying the writers should get more money. Where do they think the money is going to come from? The way I see it is there is pie isn't going to get bigger. If the writers get more money then someone, probably the actors are going to get less.

You're talking pennies per DVD, and very small percentages. The actors are picketing because next year they want the same deal in their contract. They're not seeing their own slice of the pie shrinking either.

Isn't the pie already getting bigger due to these new technologies that the writers are trying to get a small piece of?

I thought that was the reason for the strike. If the producers get a piece of the new income, shouldn't they share it as they share other income?

Seems to me that the precedent is already set.

I think if everyone ends up getting what they want. The pie won't get cut up anymore. They'll just pass the expense on to us...

http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/ente...78/detail.html

The picketing's reached the island. :(

Has anyone else been tuning in to the Tonight Show this week? They've been playing OLD Leno episodes, and I gotta say I'm enjoying it way more than the present-day Tonight Show episodes.

Earlier this week he had Tom Hanks (promoting A League of Their Own), the next night it was his first interview with Julia Roberts, then last night it was Matt Damon right after he won the Oscar for Good Will Hunting. Tonight's guest is Jennifer Aniston from back in 1995. So far the monologue jokes have included Kato Kaelin, OJ Simpson, Pauly Shore, Sharon Stone and teachers seducing students...I guess some things don't change.

ETA: OMG, he just said, "This has gotta be the hottest new show of the season, this 'Friends' show..." Wow, bet no one thought back then that the show would last so long!

Hopefully, there's an end in sight to the strike:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071130/...5Z2tb4yl934T0D

According to the article, we won't find out anything until maybe Tuesday, but I hope the proposition, if fair, is accepted.

word on the street is the new offer is a total slap in the face and the writers have turned it down.

I am being totally selfish here, but I want to strike to end soon so that I can see the grand finale of Scrubs!

Oh, and for all the caterers, restaurant workers, etc. that make their living off of "Hollywood". They don't have a strike fund to fall back on!

YES!!! and the musical guests. Lovin it...

From CNN today:

If members of the Writers Guild of America react favorably to the proposed deal, the guild's board could vote Sunday to lift the strike order and the industry could be up and running Monday. This month's Oscars ceremony, which has been under the cloud of a union and actors boycott, also would be a winner.

Thank goodness. I was dreading the day when the last LOST episode aired and I had no more new TV to watch. There is hope again! :)

They were saying on the news today that some shows might not presume production for this season but that the big name ones (they mentioned Grey's Anatomy specifically) will begin working immediately for new shows in the spring. Woot!