And… breathe. More or less everybody’s been holding their breath for the last month or so, as the expiration of the current contract between the Writers’ Guild Of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture And Television Producers at midnight on May 1st approached. Contract negotiations aren’t normally headline news, but with the WGA representing virtually every working screenwriter in the U.S, and the AMPTP representing the studios and networks who make their TV shows and movies, the risk, if the two sides couldn’t come to agreement, was that there could be a writers’ strike of the kind that crippled the industry back in 2007.

Continue reading Last Minute Deal Between WGA & Studios Sees Writers’ Strike Called Off at The Playlist.

There’s been a storm brewing in Hollywood of late, a storm that those who followed the trades, or noticed a sudden drop in new TV shows, about 10 years ago might recognize. The Writers’ Guild of America, West and The Writers Guild Of America, East, the two unions that represents screenwriters in film and TV (as well as radio and new media), have been renegotiating their contracts with AMPTP, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, and after an initial offer that fell well short of their demands, the WGA went on to members to seek authorization for a potential strike beginning when the current contract expires on May 1st.

Continue reading Writers’ Guild Of America Votes Overwhelmingly To Authorize Strike: Here’s Why That’s A Good Thing at The Playlist.

Everyone goes back to work today.

Continue reading Writers’ Strike Officially Over; Television Yobs Breathe Deep Sigh Of Relief at The Playlist.

“It’s over,” Eisner said. “They made the deal, they shook hands on the deal. It’s going on Saturday to the writers in general.” Eisner, speaking live on CNBC’s “Fast Money,” seemed to hesitate initially about whether it was possible that the writers could still reject the agreement, but finally suggested the deal’s acceptance was inevitable.

Continue reading Writers’ Strike Over? So Says Michael Eisner at The Playlist.

A tentative agreement could be met next week which would mean you won’t have to keep watching so much shitty reality TV and all those multitude of projects you’ve heard about can officially move forward (hello, “Arrested Development” movie!).

Everyone’s talking anonymoulsy though, cause they don’t want to speak out of turn, but it’s looking like this strike – which is now in its fourth month – is finally close to an end.

Continue reading Is The Writers’ Strike Coming To An End? at The Playlist.