Is this the best surprise announcement ever since the strike started?!
The date they return to the bargaining table is November 26th. I picked up rumors about this breakthrough about two hours ago, and I've just confirmed it from a WGA source. Now the Writers Guild of America has just issued a statement: "Leaders from the WGA and the AMPTP have mutually agreed to resume formal negotiations on November 26. No other details or press statements will be issued." The exact same statement was issued moments later by the Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers, whose president Nick Counter earlier this week quietly dropped a demand that his side wouldn't go back into negotiations until the writers strike was stopped or at least suspended for a few days while talks proceeded. But tonight's statements from both sides indicate the strike continues.
Shortly after tonight's announcement, WGA president Patric Verrone emailed WGA members calling the breakthrough "a direct result of the hours you have spent on the picket lines, the days you've spent educating friends and colleagues, the boundless energy you've put into engaging with not only the Hollywood talent community, but people all over the country and the world."
He also claimed "a powerful strike means a short strike..."
Verrone added, "We have proven that bad news won't slow us down. It is equally important that we now prove that good news won't slow us down, either. We must remember that returning to the bargaining table is only a start. Our work is not done until we achieve a good contract and that is by no means assured. Accordingly, what we achieve in negotiations will be a direct result of how successfully we can keep up our determination and resolve."
Just heard they are going to announce both sides are going back to the table Monday.
Comment by djc — November 16, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
Thanks Nikki,
You are our Shining Star. Let’s hope the talks are serious, substantial and meaningful.
I hope EVERYONE can at least TRY to enjoy their THANKSGIVING now with this news. Fingers crossed.
Comment by PJ - Writer — November 16, 2007 @ 7:52 pm
Let’s pray they’re all doped up on tryptophan.
Comment by Lisa Alden — November 16, 2007 @ 7:53 pm
No, the best news will be FAIR DEAL REACHED, strike over.
Remember… they’ve been at the table before.
Still… this is the best news in the last two weeks.
Comment by Jeffrey — November 16, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
NIKKI -
You don’t have to post. But THANK YOU for being an outlet to get the truth out for writers. And thank you for keep pressure on the AMPTP.
Who knows if it will come to anything right away, but I think you’re leaning on them definitely helps.
xoxo
Ari is a douche.
Comment by girl scribe still walking — November 16, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
Let’s just pray it will be actual negotiations on both sides, not just a public attempt to get a leg up on the pr battle while they continue their dick measuring contest behind closed doors.
Comment by jb — November 16, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
Sounds good to me… Lets just hope that WGA stands their ground and keeps DVDs on the table this time as well as internet.
Comment by CJ — November 16, 2007 @ 8:03 pm
Best news ever! Thanks for the update. Just what I was hoping to read.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
thank god! i’m nine months pregnant and my husband’s last day of work as an IATSE crewmember is just after Thanksgiving. Let’s hope the pressure coming from all sides will keep them going until they resolve this issue.
Comment by anon — November 16, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
And there’s Variety, blaming the impasse 100% on the writers:
Writers Agree to Talk
Striking writers have agreed to resume negotiations with studios and networks on Nov. 26.
Heads up, Variety, you have some cancellations coming your way.
Comment by Lorelei — November 16, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
Actually, the “best news ever” will be if the AMPTP gives the WGA what it wants on DVDs, the internet and animation jurisdiction. If the WGA settles anywhere in the middle, the strike won’t have been worth it.
Comment by Dennis Wilson — November 16, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
My jaw is literally hanging right now. Everything I’ve heard about negotiations since your post about the agents has been so depressing, at least in terms of outlook on the length. I mean, I’ve been inspired by all the support, but with the last I heard being “likely 6 months or longer”, my spirit was starting to fade even with my support still being strong. I know you wouldn’t tell us this if it weren’t true. That would be too cruel a joke. But it’s amazing. Amazing. I’m going to pray this gets a result, for the WGA, for other workers, for viewers, for everyone. Please, PLEASE let this be as good as it sounds.
Comment by Caitlin — November 16, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
I wonder if what’s going on in Washington has anything to do with this.. that was the only real leverage we had besides a SAG sickout IMO. That is the Bill Pending Hearings on Conglom Domestic Territory Issues.
As Nikki has reported some significant progress was made this week in delaying these hearings and many Democrat Leaders stated more time was needed to study this Bill.
Comment by PJ - Writer — November 16, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
The BEST news ever would be if those negotiations bring things back to normal.
Comment by E. — November 16, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
Wonderful news.
Excellent work, Writers. Your efforts on the picket line have paid off. Let’s hope this time they sit down, the AMPTP will be sincere about reaching a a fair deal.
Comment by LKB — November 16, 2007 @ 8:08 pm
Let us pray. We grow weary of this endless strife, and of these damn themed picket days.
Comment by sammy Glick — November 16, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
Talking is good…talking is very good. Name calling is bad…name calling is very bad.
Comment by mark — November 16, 2007 @ 8:10 pm
I hope both sides bring some good faith with them. Lots of it.
Comment by ReelBusy — November 16, 2007 @ 8:10 pm
I hope the AMPTP does not cave in and give into the writers demands.
Comment by marco — November 16, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
Yes, it is. Especially for the BTL crews who have suffered for a strike that was not of thei rmaking, and for the showrunners, who laid everything on the line.
To paraphrase Churchill, it isn’t the end, and it isn’t the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning.
Comment by John Brownlow — November 16, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
It is great news, and yet Variety can’t help themselves… check their headline and lead:
WRITERS AGREE TO TALK
Negotiations to begin Nov. 26
By DAVE MCNARY
Striking writers have agreed to resume negotiations with studios and networks on Nov. 26.
The Friday night announcement came on the 12th day of the strike by the Writers Guild of America.
Talks collapsed on Nov. 4, principally over compensation for new-media compensation issues. The WGA went on strike the next day and no talks have been held since.
Comment by Dave — November 16, 2007 @ 8:13 pm
YES!
Comment by e — November 16, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
Also, incredible kudos to you, Nikki, for the fastest, bravest, bestest reporting about the strike out there!
I’m a fan forever!
Comment by e — November 16, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
The pen is mightier than the studios!
Comment by mark — November 16, 2007 @ 8:24 pm
To tie this in to your item below, the way Variety reported this news in its lede is itself absurdly couched: “Striking writers have agreed to resume negotiations with studios and networks on Nov. 26.”
As if the writers were being stubborn and ignoring the studios and networks’ offers.
Comment by EasrtCoaster — November 16, 2007 @ 8:25 pm
Great news before a long holiday week. Now my only problem is my visiting inlaws. Nice scoop Nikki.
Comment by Tom Johnson's Bloody Leg — November 16, 2007 @ 8:26 pm
This isn’t the BEST news (the best news would be that the strike is over, the writers are fairly compensated, and the networks would realize how wonderfully supported their artists and writers are in the fan community), but it’s damn good news, no doubt about it. Waiting patiently for “The Colbert Report” to come back ….
Comment by DB Ferguson — November 16, 2007 @ 8:27 pm
The WGA releases a statement detailing the goings-on in the negotiations. The moguls buy ads in the trades challenging the WGA’s version of the meeting. The WGA releases another statement. And so on. The only way to find out which side is telling the truth is to televise the negotiations. Cancel O.J. I want to see the Young and Counter Show!
Comment by Frustrated writer — November 16, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
It’s not ‘Sci-Fi channel moves BSG season four to January 1st” or “Sci-Fi execs greenlight Caprica”, and pending actual details, it could just be the studios posturing for the holidays.
But I’ll take it. Thanks, Nikki!
Comment by Well... — November 16, 2007 @ 8:34 pm
THE BEST NEWS EVER. Let’s cross our fingers and our picket signs that this means some GOOD FAITH negotiating will begin.
And meanwhile, shame on that utter waste of a rag trade Variety, who just reported that “Striking writers have agreed to resume negotiations with studios and networks on Nov. 26″. Yeah, we FINALLY agreed to resume talking to THEM. Disgraceful, Variety, DISgraceful.
Comment by writerw/sorefeet — November 16, 2007 @ 8:34 pm
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a feignt from AMPTP. They cannot afford to be seen as uncooperative, so they must be seen at the table. Once there, they will find a way to infuriate WGA “negotiators”, triggering a breakdown in talks to be blamed on the hapless WGA. The goal is to run out the clock until June. AMPTP has zero incentive to settle this sooner, period, end-of-story.
Comment by dr. doom — November 16, 2007 @ 8:34 pm
Also, confirmed that WGA does not have to stop striking as a condition of going back to the bargaining table.
I believe that alone signifies progress.
Comment by ChezTreus — November 16, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
I think they should talk at 6pm ON Thanksgiving just after they’ve eaten while they’re in a post-Thanksgiving food coma, but before they’ve had their pie. No deal, no pie. Everyone work hard and play nice and you get pie.
-Signed, writer, not in the WGA, but looking forward to being a member in 2008.
Comment by outsidelookingin — November 16, 2007 @ 8:40 pm
Fingers crossed. I’m ready to make the transition from striking writer to unemployed writer!
Comment by once and future show runner — November 16, 2007 @ 8:42 pm
I have inside information directly from the AMPTP. Nick Counter was heard saying, “What the fuck? Gavin Polone is openly supporting us?! Shit, now we GOTTA give in to this Gottdamn writers!”
Polone is an idiot. Let’s see what he has to say when this strike is over in 3-4 weeks.
Comment by Scribe Vibe — November 16, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
Amazing news…and amazing work, Nikki. You are an unsung hero in all of this…and to all of my fellow WGA members, I am proud of you and proud to be a part of you! Let’s finish this thing and get back to work.
Comment by MIKW MARTINEAU — November 16, 2007 @ 8:48 pm
YES! YES! YES! This is what we want to hear - people talking reasonably and rationally about a fait a compli - it’s time for both sides to behave like the MBAs and Magna Cum Laudes they are boasting - be adult here testosterone boys and settle this thing so we can all go back to work doing what AMERICA does best - making money all around. Close the gap because in the end it is what we want for every working person top to bottom a fair wage for a days work!
Semper FI
Comment by Semper Fi — November 16, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
notice the desperate relief evinced on this board at mere news of “talks”?
now, here’s the question: why on earth would amptp “cave” in the wake of such pervasive writer fear?
Comment by dr. doom — November 16, 2007 @ 8:52 pm
Dear Pat and Dave,
Please keep your pants on this time.
Thank You
Oh, and Ari is a douche.
Comment by PJ - Writer — November 16, 2007 @ 8:56 pm
Let’s hope this means the end of the strike and everyone can get back to work. Though, how are most those writers going to feel driving on to their respective studio lots after posting such horrible things about those terrible media companies? Maybe we should all hold off flinging the insults toward those we hope to be seeing in the commissary very soon. It might be a small step in the right direction.
Comment by cALM WRITER — November 16, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
Finally a little good news.
Let’s hope and pray for a resolution soo. I just hope both sides bargain in good faith, and can compromise on the issues. We all want a fair solution that everyone can live with. Here is hoping and praying so everyon can get back to work, and people can enjoy their favorite TV shows.
Comment by Scott — November 16, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
If they come back to the table the AMPTP can get the “they-refuse-to-negotiate” monkey off their backs, but it doesn’t mean they’ll negotiate fairly. Let’s hope this is for real.
Comment by drdoomscousineddie — November 16, 2007 @ 9:01 pm
It is good news, but, you know, I’d feel so much better if there was one more line in that statement– something to the effect of:
“Both parties agree that during the negotiations, all penises are to remain in trousers and shall not, under any circumstance, be waggled at one another in an aggressive manner…”
Hopefully, that’s to be inferred… it does say “formal” negotiations, right?
Comment by Ed — November 16, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
Wow. So does this mean the showrunners will return to their producing duties? And that those lawsuit threats will go away?
Comment by Jimmy — November 16, 2007 @ 9:09 pm
Please lets just hope this works out for everyones best interest. It would be nice to know I can pay my bills and give my kids some sort of xmas. I Hope everyone affected by the strike can go back to work soon. Lets hope for the best !
Comment by out of work crew gal — November 16, 2007 @ 9:15 pm
This is by far the best news in 2 weeks… I honestly can’t believe it.
Comment by Brent — November 16, 2007 @ 9:17 pm
Hallejuah (check the spelling on that, there’s a reason I’m a law student, not a Hollywood writer). Something to be truly thankful for this Thanksgiving. Let’s hope the last couple of weeks have given the studios a chance to truly evaluate their position and realize that the writers are not asking for anything unreasonable.
Stay strong. America is behind you, despite what Varity is implying.
Comment by rosettaresearch — November 16, 2007 @ 9:17 pm
unfortunately, dr. doom 8:34 pm is right:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is a feignt from AMPTP. They cannot afford to be seen as uncooperative, so they must be seen at the table. Once there, they will find a way to infuriate WGA “negotiators”, triggering a breakdown in talks to be blamed on the hapless WGA. The goal is to run out the clock until June. AMPTP has zero incentive to settle this sooner, period, end-of-story.
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2007 @ 9:19 pm
I’m surprised to hear the AMPTP is coming back so soon. There are several possible explanations:
1) the downside of the strike is far worse for the studios than they anticipated, i.e. all the showrunners walking off the set, not having enough make-goods for pissed-off advertisers, strong public support for the strikers, the WGA totally winning the PR end of the war, even movies having to shut down for lack of writers on the set to make revisions
2) as someone previously said, the AMPTP wants to make a show of coming to the table to improve their PR - but even that means they’re feeling the heat, so that’s a good thing. Which means that if they’re faking, the WGA just needs to keep doing what they’re doing.
3) I read this week that the DGA isn’t simply caving, as expected, and has delayed beginning its negotiations with AMPTP so as not to undercut the writers. Maybe that, combined with SAG’s unbelievable show of support, is making the studios realize they DON’T have the upper hand.
Whatever the reason, all I can say to the negotiators is - STICK IT TO ‘EM. This is the time to put DVD’s back on the table, get as much for internet and new media reuse as possible, and let’s not forget all the other issues we came in with - i.e. extending jurisdiction for reality and animation. We have ‘em by the b—s, so start squeezing!
Comment by WGAE member — November 16, 2007 @ 9:21 pm
Nikki,
Just want to tell you how great you are. Really. Great. Appreciate your thorough, complete coverage. You are tremendous.
Comment by kate purdy — November 16, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
The AMPTP agreed to negotiate. And Lucy agreed she won’t pull the football away from Charlie Brown again.
Comment by dont fall for it — November 16, 2007 @ 9:32 pm
Variety has already revised their weirdly one-sided headline to better reflect the actual story:
Variety:
WRITERS AND STUDIOS AGREE TO TALK
Wow, everything’s looking up!
Comment by Dave — November 16, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
I think what we should all do on Monday where ever the meeting will be taking place…everyone from all industries that are unemployed should quietly mass at the sight of the negotiation. Quietly wait outside…let the AMPTP, let the WGA see how many people show up in support of these talks!!!! This we must all do…What do you all think???
Comment by Crewmember — November 16, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
Just keep your guard up everyone!
Comment by Mikey — November 16, 2007 @ 9:50 pm
Good god… someone make sure there are chairs for everyone. NOW!
Comment by Anonymous — November 16, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
Of course, after I wrote my anti-Variety rant, it did occur to me that Variety only stays in business because big studios and TV networks ADVERTISE in Variety. So what’s Variety supposed to do - tell the truth? That would be undermining their bread and butter, to mix a metaphor. You need to go to someone like Nikki who has the freedom to simply tell the story - not that you don’t have personal biases, Nikki, everyone does. But from what I can tell, you’re not in anybody’s pocket! I’d never read DHD before the strike, but I’ll be checking in on a daily basis from here on in!
Comment by WGAE member — November 16, 2007 @ 9:58 pm
whatever it is you do…pray or chant or meditate…make certain you give these men and women the power to get a deal and get our asses back to work…blessings on us all!
Comment by mark — November 16, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
I think what we should all do on Monday where ever the meeting will be taking place…everyone from all industries that are unemployed should quietly mass at the sight of the negotiation. Quietly wait outside…let the AMPTP, let the WGA see how many people show up in support of these talks!!!! This we must all do…What do you all think???
Comment by Crewmember — November 16, 2007 @ 9:46 pm
YES, EXCELLENT IDEA
NOV. 26, WHERE?
Comment by IATSE JE — November 16, 2007 @ 10:03 pm
I’m afraid Dr. Doom is correct. Talked to a studio rep tonight who fully expects it to be a short break in a long strike. Hope I’m wrong but expect to be right.
Comment by EB — November 16, 2007 @ 10:07 pm
this is a joke, right?
>>Whatever the reason, all I can say to the negotiators is - STICK IT TO ‘EM. This is the time to put DVD’s back on the table, get as much for internet and new media reuse as possible, and let’s not forget all the other issues we came in with - i.e. extending jurisdiction for reality and animation. We have ‘em by the b—s, so start squeezing!
Comment by WGAE member — November 16, 2007 @ 9:21 pm<<
Comment by frankie — November 16, 2007 @ 10:11 pm
I ain’t counting the chickens before they hatch, but this is a good sign. I’m hoping and praying to breathe easier. And if making some concessions (give up on reality TV, people) is what it takes to sign a truly favorable internet deal, for crying out loud, do it!
Comment by Average Joe — November 16, 2007 @ 10:14 pm
Dr. Doom, you haven’t considered what really is in the the AMPTP’s best interest… shareholder confidence and dodging the federal trade commission.
As I’ve heard from some buds in the fiancial world, double talk by the studios has hedge funds from SanDiego to NYC concerned. When you report to wall street that every fiscal quarter is increasingly lucrative due to the digital/internet frontier, then tell your employees you only have enough money for single ply, people start asking questions. It’s in our governments best interest to know what they’re really making (they’ll want more than a few pennies), so the AMPTP may just want this negotiation to “go away” for the sake of removing attention from the profits.
Comment by jr — November 16, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
This site has been an invaluable resource for me during this time. Thank you very much for providing this public service.
Comment by anonymous — November 16, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
It’s a small step, but in the right direction.
Now someone has to bolt the door from the outside and make sure that the only thing ANYONE in that room has to drink is tap water.
That should speed things up.
Oh… and DVDs… still on the table. Front and center with New Media pushing hard on their backsides.
pb
Comment by pb — November 16, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
I hope it’s the end of the second act, not the end of the first..
Comment by dante writer — November 16, 2007 @ 10:34 pm
This may be a feint by the AMPTP, but if it is, it won’t work. Just like Round One, if they try to pull a fast one the blogs and the you tubers will hammer them, just like has happened so far. It’s amazing the power of the internet as equalizer in this conflict so far–You Tube and Nikki have completed neutralized, if not trumped, the combined media propaganda from the trades and the LA Times. It really is a new era–
Thanks Nikki. Stay strong WGA. We wrote it. It belongs to us.
Comment by joshpate — November 16, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
Don’t get your hopes up. They’ve been to the table before. Nothing happened.
Comment by Kevin — November 16, 2007 @ 11:03 pm
Caution, folks. This is merely a step. Don’t get too excited. The AMPTP has a plan in all this, and it’s not for our benefit. The WGA has to be aware of this and strategize from there.
My advice: don’t fuck it up.
Comment by Dawgski — November 16, 2007 @ 11:07 pm
Awesome development. Now that we writers have seen what a little solidarity can do, I say we now collectively commit to 1) Never producing a thing with Gavin Polone. 2 ) Never signing with Ari Emanuel and 3 ) canceling our subscriptions to Variety immediately.
Comment by merryj — November 16, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
This is something to get hopeful about. As a working screenwriter, I can’t wait to get back to work. But first I’m gonna fire Endeavor - no way am I gonna be repped at a place whose leader has advocated against the talent.
Comment by zack — November 16, 2007 @ 11:11 pm
does this mean Jonathan Hensleigh isn’t giving me $1 drinks anymore?!
Comment by cranky — November 16, 2007 @ 11:33 pm
Zack, Merrj,
Right on… Let’s stay united: boycott Gavin Polone, dump Ari.
Comment by frankie — November 16, 2007 @ 11:35 pm
Again, I feel for all our BTL comrades, but we’ve got to be careful not to take a suckass deal just ’cause they’re unemployed a few weeks. Whatever deal we finally make, we’re gonna be stuck with a looooong time, maybe another 20 years.
(Plus, you BTL people did prepare, right? Saved a little rainy day money, got those unemployment apps ready… I mean, you knew a strike was coming.)
Comment by Dana Kephart — November 16, 2007 @ 11:35 pm
Great, you fire Endeavor, and I’ll rehire them (I already fired them once). What Ari said made complete sense. Who knew?
Comment by workingwriter — November 16, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
This is why I started checking DHD first thing in the morning (even before my email) and last thing before I go to bed (even after brushing my teeth.)
Thanks, Nikki, for your tireless work and your journalistic integrity.
Comment by Westclox — November 17, 2007 @ 1:29 am
Dear Dana Kephart,
Are you f’ing kidding me? What a bunch of arrogant BS you seem to be spouting. Did you really just chastise the BTL workers who didn’t “save up” before the strike? This is ALL on you and the studios. For you to suggest that somehow the BTL people should have planned for the WGA and AMPTP’s pissing match is such an amazing example of just how out of touch you really are. You really ought to think better of the comments you make.
I am not even a BTL worker but I found your remarks offensive at best. You make the assumption that somehow the “little people” don’t have a right to be hurt or complain about this strike. I say BULLSHIT on that. Ultimately, the writers will get a new contract and it will be business as always for them all. But the people you are so quick to dismiss with your remarks won’t necessarily be so fortunate. If this nonsense continues for too long they will have to do what they can to make ends meet and most of those options don’t necessarily ensure their return to the jobs that were lost in this dispute.
Dana, please realize that I want nothing more than to believe in the writer’s cause and support them in any way I can. I have a fire in me and a point of view that knows the writer’s cause is just and right. But your comments belittle the very people that are the real victims in all of this. You do yourself and your cause a diservice by making them. Don’t make the assumption that the BTL and many others about to be let go because of this strike had ANY responsibility to plan for a holiday season with no job. That, Dana, is on you and the studios. I know the studios are heartless, do you mean to tell me that the writers are too with your remarks?
I read your remarks several times before I submitted this in hopes I could find something redeeming but all I could find is an attitude that smelled of “Let them eat cake!”
Comment by Hoopersx — November 17, 2007 @ 1:30 am
Not this Dana/Dina Kephart again. At least she’s calling us her “BTL comrades” instead of openly disparaging and mocking us the last time. And lady, it’s hard to “save a little rainy day money” when you’re living paycheck to paycheck. As for your notion about getting “those unemployment apps ready,” kindly screw yourself.
As for the rest of the comments– I’m with y’all with fingers crossed.
Comment by Arthur Digby Sellers — November 17, 2007 @ 2:08 am
Writers of any conscience do not want things to “return to normal.” Writers of conscience want to shake up the deal model and drag it into the 21st Century after two decades of slack cut for the studios, which are behaving like credit-card deadbeats – the bill is finally, unavoidably due, they don’t want to pay it, and their excuses are legion even though most have the veracity of “my dog ate my homework.”
Negotiations are great. Mudslinging should be left to politicians.
What’s especially creepy is the public perception of the corporate top-dogs as being perfectly comfortable with the idea of a strike, i.e., “fuck ‘em, let ‘em sweat out Exmas with no presents” … and THEN agreeing to come back to the table.
MAKE A DEAL. Isn’t that what Americans do best? And every worker from corporate shareholders to trade laborers has the same incentive to lean on the studios, and tell them to make a deal, already.
People who believe those evil, pampered writers are victimizing the blue collar classes have obviously never read a studio contract.
And bear in mind how bureaucratic paperwork functions: Hammering out a deal could still take months.
Ollie L.
Comment by Oliver Lowenbruck — November 17, 2007 @ 4:27 am
It’s funny, if a studio was smart. It would negotiate an exclusive deal with the writers. Say if Warners offered 2 cents when everyone else isn’t even offering 1 on DVD’s then writers would always give their best stuff to Warners first, or there would be a bidding war
Comment by Tod Lautenberg — November 17, 2007 @ 5:26 am
>>Dr. Doom, you haven’t considered what really is in the the AMPTP’s best interest… shareholder confidence and dodging the federal trade commission.
As I’ve heard from some buds in the fiancial world, double talk by the studios has hedge funds from SanDiego to NYC concerned.<<
Well, as it happens, I run a hedge fund. I’m not concerned by the double-speak per se, and I don’t know anyone in the financial world who is. Double-speak is standard operating procedure, especially in the context of labor negotiations. So long as companies’ quarterly filings are cricket and analysts’ guidance on-the-level, AMPTMP can say whatever it wants (well, within reason) to Variety, Nikki Finke, and God-knows-whom-else, and the SEC won’t give a rip. (I’m asusming you meant SEC, as FTC will not concern itself with financial disclosure issues, in-and-of-themselves.)
Having said that, the financial world (or, more accurately, the part of the the financial world that has bothered to cock an eye in this direction) is concerned about AMPTMP’s ability to pick its way through this public relations minefield. Your average hedgie thinks of Hollywood writers as crybabies, and their central argument — that novelists get royalties, so screenwriters should as well — to be nonsense. (Why? Because novelists write novels. They create, by themselves, the product that is marketed. Screenwriters write screenplays and teleplays. Screenplays and teleplays are not the marketed product. They are the blueprints of those products, products which would not appear without the creative and logistic efforts of hundreds of people. In this sense, then, Hollywood writers, as hired creative guns, should be treated no differently then, say, software engineers who produce blockbuster products for their employers but receive no royalties for their work. Give them stock options, profit-sharing, what-have-you, and make sure the below-the-line employees get the same fair treatment. Just don’t treat screenwriters as something they’re not.)
But…
There’s a saying, “Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.” The writers may not buy the ink, but they know how to use it, and the public, too distracted to bother with a deconstruction of this mess, could be persuaded to swallow their arguments whole. Hedgies worry that the companies could therefore be persuaded to make a deal that, short-term, avoids some annoying press but, long-term, is detrimental to the companies’ financial health.
That’s why AMPTP’s success in muzzling the WGA through the holidays is so critical. It does suggest that AMPTP is made up of some very shrewd folks who are more up to the challenge. Bottom line: I suspect that your “buds in the financial world” — if they’re paying attention — are less “concerned” now than they might have been a few days ago. They’re not less concerned because AMPTP is ready to negotiate, but because AMPTP has SAID it is ready to negotiate and has won a news blackout concession from the WGA over Thanksgiving. In other words, they’re less concerned now because AMPTP continues to show itself up to public relations challenge and, by extension, appears to be sufficiently skilled to protect its member companies’ long-term interests. To the extent this remains the case, they’ve won.
Comment by Dr. Doom — November 17, 2007 @ 6:28 am
Dr. Doom,
Never visit someone in a hospital.
Comment by Anonymous — November 17, 2007 @ 6:38 am
P.S. Full Disclosure: I am a member of WGAw.
Comment by Dr. Doom — November 17, 2007 @ 6:42 am
Best news ever? for the AMPTP maybe. There are lots of nearly finished tv episodes out there and the showrunners have said they will go back to work as producers if and when the talks resume. Are we really going to be surprised when talks breaks down after a long week or two? Either the WGA has decided to bend over or the AMPTP is using this as a PR move and to get the showrunners back for a week or two to finish episodes. I will be shocked if a deal is struck in the WGA’s favor as a result of these meetings.
Comment by Paul — November 17, 2007 @ 6:44 am
I am not a writer or affiliated in Hollywood at all, just a TV ho, lol. But I have to say that what the writers are asking for is honestly fair. The studios line their pockets with all this money, the actors are paid way too much money and the writers aren’t even included in the DVD sales? The forms of entertainment are changing. Yes, I do watch TV online if I miss a show due to work, etc. I don’t want Pushing Daisies and Chuck to have to stop production for an unlimited amount of time. DVD sales brings in a lot of money. A lot of us can’t afford to go to the movies, it costs too much for me with a household of five. My husband is disabled, so we do a lot of rentals not to mention outright buying of DVDs of the movies we wanted to see. The studios are agreeing to allow downloads of shows, etc as long as they get paid and a lot of us are willing to do that, but I think the writers deserve their cut. Actors get theirs, the studios get theirs, it’s time to remember that the writers deserve theirs. I don’t care how great your acting crew is, if the writing sucks on a show, it flops. Two and a half men has survived this long because the writing is awesome. It’s quotable. A lot of shows are like that. Some suck, but then again, just because I don’t like How I met your mother, doesn’t mean thousands of other people don’t. Writers have families to feed and bills to pay as well and they are more important to the success of a show than the actors, in my opinion. The stupid powers that be need to realize they would not have the money they do if the writers weren’t putting out quality stuff. And Lord knows I do NOT want a season of nothing but reality shows. I’m so sick of reality shows I could puke! Please think reasonably when y’all sit down and start negotiations! And if you can’t, then we’re still behind the writers 100%!
Comment by serene — November 17, 2007 @ 7:11 am
The strike on French tv: http://www.prisonbreakbuff.com/2007/11/17/prison-break-behind-the-scenes-and-spoiler-video/
(actor Wentworth Miller also speaks out in favor of the writers)
Comment by tofu — November 17, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Why not till November 26? They got to work?
Why did we have to picket? Do our picket signs say PENDING COMMENT?
Comment by Don't understand why the wait — November 17, 2007 @ 7:49 am
Look at this–Variety changed their headline in the on-line edition! Bravo public pressure and, I’m presuming, McNary’s private shame. It now reads:
WRITERS, STUDIOS AGREE TO TALK
Negotiations to begin Nov. 26
By DAVE MCNARY
Studios and networks will resume negotiations with striking writers on Nov. 26.
The WGA remains on strike. The companies recently dropped their insistence that the strike had to stop, at least temporarily, as a condition of restarting negotiations.
Comment by Stephen — November 17, 2007 @ 8:00 am
The optimist in me hopes that a fair deal will be made but the (larger) pessimist in me says that these “talks” are simply a publicity stunt designed by BOTH sides so that they can tell their respective people (Wall Street and the writers) that they “tried” and some stupid argument will arise about chairs or whatnot and nothing will come of the talks at all because neither side has any intention or resolving this. I don’t anticipate any progress being made until June of next year. At the earliest.
Comment by Non WGA Writer — November 17, 2007 @ 8:23 am
Yaye, Nikki!!!! Thanks for all your hard work.
Comment by LT — November 17, 2007 @ 9:03 am
It’s only an agreement to negotiate. Perhaps it’s just holiday season P.R. by the AMPTP but it could also be the X-factor that has bubbled up with talent so quickly making videos/shorts and getting them online and viewed by so many.
In the back of the CEO’s minds has to be the lurking fear that their greatest challenge may be trying to stay between the talent and the audience.
Comment by DLW — November 17, 2007 @ 9:11 am
Perhaps Mr. McNary of Variety had an opportunity to step back from his earlier phrasing in regards to the Writers and Powers that Be returning to the table and ponder that there just might have been a better way to “put it” and thus refined his online article.
Or maybe someone gave him some “notes” on a revision draft.
pb
Comment by pb — November 17, 2007 @ 9:17 am
Lets hope things get going on the table.
Comment by WMClarke — November 17, 2007 @ 9:24 am
I have three things to say.
One, re Variety and The Reporter. I just believe that Sime Silverman, founder of Variety and William Wilkerson, creator of The Reporter must be spinning in their graves over what their children have become - studio mouthpieces. Each man was a strong advocate of a free trade press and they spent their early careers fighting battles similar to the one the WGA is undertaking. Shame.
Second, I don’t think we should underestimate the threat the AMPTP saw in the WGA/SAG trip to Washington as any committee hearings are to the Studios as frightening as Oddjob’s hat was to him in “Goldfinger.”
And finally kudos to the wonderful campaign the WGA has been mounting, getting the word out and “the people” on our side. I find it very easy now o tell people what we want. I tell them we want four cents per DVD - three and a half cents less than the workers in “The Pajama Game” wanted. It gets a laugh and gets the idea across fast.
Comment by anotherWGAmember — November 17, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Thank you, Nikki!!! How ’bout we all put any cynical inclinations we have on the backburner until at least after the first few meetings and let’s all enjoy the holiday - give thanks. Somebody “hug it out” with Dr. Doom, give him some love…
Everything’s gonna be all right. Keep hope alive!!!
Comment by dante writer — November 17, 2007 @ 9:52 am
I’ll add to the chorus - thank you Nikki for your fearless reporting. I read DHD to my on-set colleagues during the waning days of our TV show and everyone appreciated the up-to-the-minute news. I was laid off this week and the rest of the crew follows on Wednesday. It’s a terrible time for everyone. There was quite a bit of anti-WGA sentiment on my set because of people losing their jobs before the Holidays. But as a DGA member I know that we will be fighting for the same things in a few months. And I think it’s easier to feel anger towards those on the picket line rather than those in the corner offices who actually make screwing people over their corporate strategy. Let’s hope these talks produce a fair settlement so I can get back to work!!
Comment by MetLa — November 17, 2007 @ 10:21 am
One more missive on the labor strife in southern California and I think I’ll have to let all this go because it’s beginning to linger in my head and that, for me, can block creativity. So, the WGA and the AMPTP have announced that they will sit their asses back down on November 26, well fed, and say to each other, “now, where were we?” When this was announced last evening I stepped outside my little guest cottage and looked up at the Hollywood Hills. Fireworks filled the sky. Or were those helicopters? And, I swear to God, I heard the faintly, muffled roar of laughter. Perhaps, I shouldn’t have had that second martini before dinner? No, no, it tasted good. I was glad for that. I now know what I heard was the laughter of moguls, as they peered down upon the multitudes of below-the-liners, barely able to contain themselves, while they leered and smiled at one another. (A famous actor, who shall remain nameless, once told me the story of his first Hollywood party. He stood alongside a very famous British movie star, who shall remain nameless, and they both watched a parade of starlets and handsome boys as they paraded into the party. Said the famous British movie star for anyone who might be within earshot, “Look at them. Aren’t they all beautiful? No wonder we fuck each other.” Ah, but I digress. Okay, I’m a bit too cynical for my smug self, but I’ve been in the business for 35 years and, to survive, I’ve taken it just about any number of ways. Does anybody really believe that Nick Counter, and those conglomerates he reps in the AMPTP, suddenly had a revelation and decided they would lop off an entire leg of the fatted calf just to get things rolling again in this town? Not me. And if they did or do, I will kiss everyone of their newly laser hair-removed asses right in front of the Kodak theatre. No, I think, for sport they’ve decided to have the WGA back to the table and take the same hard-assed stance, perhaps worse, than when all these guys left the table screaming at each other two weeks ago. I believe this is a little piece of pumpkin pie, courtesy of the AMPTP, that everyone in this industry is going to relish over the Thanksgiving holiday. I believe this is a part of a well-choreographed dance that will reveal the AMPTP’s true intentions…to completely alter the industry as we now know it. These guys never look back…only forward. Baby, I want to be wrong. Show me what ya got.
Comment by mark — November 17, 2007 @ 10:22 am
I don’t think this was a ploy to guarantee a media balckout of the strike over Thanksgiving. They already had that one in the bag.
Comment by stuck in development — November 17, 2007 @ 10:22 am
Oh please why not get to the table this monday!?
Comment by george PGA member — November 17, 2007 @ 10:30 am
While I am very happy that the negotiations have resumed, I am so, so tired of the self-righteous tone of the writers. You guys have been on strike for two weeks and you are striking for some of the most highly paid people working (trust me, there is very little in any contract that will filter down to the middle of the pack) and you make it sound like you have been slogging a gulag someplace. Plus, even though I totally agree that it all begins with a good script, try having a good script but no money to produce it, no sound people, no cinematographers, no director, no actors, no PR people and no lunch truck. I didn’t hear any writer say he/she wanted to share in the liability from a movie that didn’t perform. It’s collaborative, folks, and for each one of you who thinks we should all run out and cancel our subscriptions to Variety there are those who think it was all about financial gain and will remember the ugly faces and rude words uttered from the picket line against people who for financial reasons had to cross and work. There are even those who feel if you make a commitment to an employer or sign a contract that says you will come to work that (damn, there’s an odd notion) you have to go to work. Hey, financial gain is nice but just say that instead of this, “we’re all in the trenches together” crap.
Comment by D — November 17, 2007 @ 10:36 am
“Don’t give up. Don’t lose hope. Don’t sell out.” — Christopher Reeve
Comment by George Glass — November 17, 2007 @ 11:02 am
Hey, D. If the writer’s get screwed on this deal, you know the people you refer to as being at the lead of the pack, how do you think the Networks and Studios will treat the middle of the pack??? Corny as it sounds, we are in the trenches together. If we get screwed, believe me, it will reach the middle too.
Comment by For D — November 17, 2007 @ 11:27 am
First off, how dare you soil the good name of a great Marvel Comics villain - I know for a fact that you are not the actual Dr. Doom - he is retired and nursing a broken hip in Sarasota, Fla. And you can be as negative as you want and continue to suck at the corporate teat but the WGA stood up to the studios and all we did is ask for a fair deal on new media. Now, yes, just because we are sitting down again at the tbale doesn’t mean it is all going to be hugs and kisses but to also bring up that “look what happened last time at the table - nothing” is a pure falsehood - I had friends who were there that night and progress was being made and they truly felt a deal would havew been reached with Counter hadn’t gotten up from the table after being SHOCKED that it was 12:01 on the East Coast and the strike was in effect (like writers were going to storm the streets after midnight with picket signs) — so, a deal could be worked out this time. I love that Anonymous keeps writing emails to support Dr. Doom - there’s the worse comic book ever — Dr. Doom and Anonymous - watch them battle labor negotiations, tease pregnant craft service women and generally annoy everyone around them! Coming this Fall! (maybe)
Comment by skoonix — November 17, 2007 @ 11:53 am
As a consumer of Hollywoods products I hope it is settled soon. As a human being I hope it is settled fairly. The importance of the writers should be blatently obvious with the immediate loss of programming available. They don’t write, there is nothing to film. To withhold fair compensation for their creations is criminal. The studios and other ends of the “Business” in show business make plenty of money (and see the dollar amount, example the suit by Viacom over Internet film clips!)when it is THEIR dollars….share the wealth and lets get back to enjoying the talent.
Comment by Kathleen — November 17, 2007 @ 11:59 am
Good to see the priorities here. OBVIOUSLY thanksgiving is more important than negotiating.
And to all the writers on this board — way to show your resolve. All the hoots of joy I’ve read above merely show the AMPTP how desperate you are to get back to work. Why are only a few posts here mentioning that this “news” isn’t anything to cheer about. You should cheer when your union gets you what you deserve, and not before. Cheering and pleading only makes the other side stronger.
Any of you ever play poker?
Comment by Bored — November 17, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
Hey D,
If anyone uttered rude remarks or made ugly faces to people who were going into work that were not writers, that completely sucks. As a WGA member I’m psyched to have any other union join us in this, and especially proud to be associated with as incredible a union as the Teamsters. But if someone needs to work to make ends meet or just because they want to, it’s a personal choice and I don’t judge them either way for it. Everyone has their own individual financial situation going on. The only people I would get angry about crossing the picket line are fellow WGA members. They would be scabs. Everyone else is just trying to make a living and I apologize if my fellow Guild members acted crappy. Especially given how the Guild members back in ‘88 didn’t support the Teamsters strike. But please do know that only a third of the current membership were members back then, and after this strike, I hope to God we would react differently in the future.
As in any group, some Guild members are idiots and I apologize if they acted badly. It’s completely wrong.
Comment by WGA Member — November 17, 2007 @ 12:50 pm
I heard something about the Hyphenates going back to work on editing etc., as soon as Big Media went back to the table… does this mean that the showrunners will start editing, et al. again?
Comment by Reality Guy — November 17, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
Why don’t they talk before Thanksgiving, then we all may have something to give Thanks for.
Comment by PHPHHHHYPPHHHPPPPP — November 17, 2007 @ 2:36 pm
You guys must be very careful with this Ego driven clown Young. He can turn this into a nightmare. He comes from an area where tough talking is all they understand, and he is not a writer, not a Teamster, not a camera man, not a Grip, in fact he knows nothing about our industry, and he is not the hero you want him to be. Put a short leash on him. I have seen his kind come and go. Driven to make a name for himself, he will have a tough time with the old wiley Counter. Is his salary on the line???
Comment by pPhilip — November 17, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
skoonix: there is a contradiction in your (and many people’s) recounting of the night before the strike.
on the one hand, “real progress” was being made. on the other hand, counter was “SHOCKED” that the strike had started on time.
i have heard many people simultaneously invoke the “real progress” as reason to hope and to make the point that counter being surprised that the strike began is total nonsense.
the conclusion is clear:
unless you think counter was genuinely surprised and shocked about the strike, then the “real progress” was not real at all.
all that “real progress” was just an attempt to get the wga to delay the strike which would have been a huge victory for the amptp… once it was clear it wasn’t working, amptp simply moved on. they never had any intention of honoring that progress to begin with.
Comment by robd — November 17, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
This is why writers are pussies. Everyone is “thankful” and “hopeful” and this is “the best news heard in 2 weeks.” Keep showing the AMPTP what crybaby, damaged, puss-pusses writers all are — that’ll really help the writers’ side during negotiation.
I can’t believe this is a strike about “Respect” and “sticking it to the man” Get your “respect” from your mommies and your daddies. You’re not going to get it from the AMPTP. And nor should you. They’re huge companies, not your binkies.
Grow up, take a deal (DVD residual definition for Internet plus ~50%) and move one.
Please. Your persecution complex is killing a lot of people.
Comment by GTR — November 17, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
WGA Member who posted in response to my post: you’re a good man/woman. Would that we could all discuss our differences in such an amicable way. My wish is that all people on all sides of the issue (there are more sides than just those negotiating) receive in measure to their input and talent whether they be writers, producers or the people who serve lunch. As for you personally. Proceed in safety and good health and I hope if anything good comes from this strike that it falls in great measure on you and those fair minded, responsible adults who think and express themselves as you do.
Comment by D — November 17, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Let’s hope - after all of this - that we don’t get sold a deal we will regret 10 yrs. from now. NO ONE will remember this TV season 10 yrs later - but they WILL regret taking a lame deal after 2 weeks on the picket line. This is an historical moment, and EVERYONE needs to take big persective.
Comment by showrunner — November 18, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
Some people seem concerned, annoyed or even angry that the negotiations won’t begin again until November 26th. While it’s difficult to be patient at a time like this, waiting a few extra days may actually end the strike sooner.
I have no inside information, but it’s likely that the intermediaries (agents) are using the intervening week to study the major issues and develop proposals that will result in meaningful discussions rather than just a bunch of angry guys staring across the table at each other.
Having participated in many white-knuckle negotiations, I can tell you from experience that throwing fueding parties into a room together without a purposeful agenda often leads to disaster. Hopefully, the intermediaries will smooth at least some of the bumps in the road before the talks begin.
Comment by lawdawg76 — November 18, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
You guys are so damn naive. They’re going back to the table so that they can APPEAR to give a shit. The producers NEED to look as if they’re trying to reconcile. That way, when they cut a lot of your development deals and lay off people through the first and second quarter of next year to save money, they won’t look like HUGE assholes (”look, we tried to negotiate repeatedly - the WGA is being unreasonable”). They are not going to bend on the internet. Period.
Comment by ChuckT — November 19, 2007 @ 6:53 am
Good to hear everyone is talking. That’s a positive sign.
Comment by Ben — November 26, 2007 @ 10:20 am
First of all, please let me say that when writers go on strike, the message is remarkably clear! This is a huge advantage and I’m surprised that the WGA has not pushed it even harder. Some of the best commentary on the strike that I have seen was posted on YouTube by the writers of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, with nothing more than a cam and some cardboard. You’re writer’s! Do what writer’s do best!
Second, when you have been on strike for four weeks and you’re starting to wonder how you’re going to pay the mortgage and feed your family, it’s hard not to get emotional. This is a struggle between your short-term needs and their long term profits, and they are working with more and better information than you. The only piece of the equation that you control is how long the strike will last, and as soon as it is less profitable for the studio to grant higher residuals for the next hundred years than let you stay unemployed, they will cave. You must push their expectations that this strike will last beyond their breaking point, and make those expectations credible. Nothing else matters.
Lastly, I’m surprised that the advertisers aren’t getting involved. When new content dries up, shouldn’t ad revenue do the same? If you can convince the advertisers that this will be a protracted affair that will reduce viewership, and that their continued support will align their brands with the “bad guys” (a harder sell), you can trust that they will react accordingly. This would drastically affect the bargaining position of the studio. If you want to make your point, go for the bread and butter.
Best of luck, victory and Godspeed.
Comment by 8mm — November 26, 2007 @ 11:52 am
hello everybody,
We all know the studios “fix” the books to reflect that they “don’t make any money”. Their “creative financing” teams see to it.
Comment by Anonymous — November 26, 2007 @ 5:14 pm
Ironically you notice that they live very well and view writers as fodder. They should get off their high horse and be fair and share the wealth.
Comment by sSssssssssssssssssssssssssss — November 26, 2007 @ 7:25 pm