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UPDATED THROUGHOUT: Sources tell me the Writers Guild Of America is intending to grant David Letterman's independent production company Worldwide Pants an "interim agreement" that allows the Late Show host and his writers to return to the airwaves during the strike because it doesn't involve CBS. 
This comes after Letterman's long-time executive producer Rob Burnett, who's also president/CEO of Dave's production company Worldwide Pants, has repeatedly tried to secure a WGA waiver for The Late Show. (See below for details of the bills Letterman has been paying since his show went off the air.)
This trumps NBC's announcement coming Monday that Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien will be returning by January 7th 2nd. Presumably, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel won't be far behind. "A major announcement will be made by more than one network on Monday," an insider noted. But Jay and Conan, who are just hired hands and not show owners like Dave, won't have their writers to rely on when they come back on the air. And Dave will. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, also owned by WP, would return with writers.
Here's the statement from Rob Burnett:
“Worldwide Pants has always been a writer-friendly company. Dave has been a member of the WGA for more than 30 years, and I have been a member for more than 20. Because we are an independent production company, we are able to pursue an interim agreement with the Guild without involving CBS in that pursuit. Therefore, since the beginning of the strike, we have expressed our willingness to sign an interim agreement with the Guild consistent with its positions in this dispute. We're happy that the Guild has now adopted an approach that might make this possible. It is our strong desire to be back on the air with our writers and we hope that will happen as soon as possible.”
This clearly is part of the WGA's new "divide and conquer" strategy (see my previous, WGA Starting Monday Will Say To Moguls: "Let's Make An Individual Deal". Though it's worked with Letterman, it'll be a much tougher sell with the Hollywood moguls.
2ND UPDATE: That's why Letterman's network CBS felt the need today to disassociate itself from his pending WGA deal today, obviously worried that Les Moonves' AMPTP colleagues will be miffed. CBS issued this statement this afternoon:
Regarding David Letterman's company, Worldwide Pants, seeking an interim agreement with the WGA: We respect the intent of Worldwide Pants to serve the interests of its independent production company and its employees by seeking this interim agreement with the WGA. However, this development should not confuse the fact that CBS remains unified with the AMPTP, and committed to working with the member companies to reach a fair and reasonable agreement with the WGA that positions everyone in our industry for success in a rapidly changing marketplace."
At present, the other late night hosts -- Jay, Conan, and Jimmy (paid the least of all and csaid to be close to bankruptcy) are paying for staff to one degree or another out of their own pockets, presumably. 
But Letterman isn't just doling out $300,000 a week in salary for the non-writing staff of two shows, his and The Late Late Show starring Craig Ferguson which Worldwide Pants also owns. Dave also pays for the rent of the Ed Sullivan Theatre Building in NYC and insurance for 200+ workers, I'm told. "So, triple that figure and you'll be close to what he's been shelling out a week for six weeks," a source says. "I'm tired of everyone being lumped together for taking roughly the same out-of-pocket hit. It's not close."
I've learned that Worldwide Pants approached the Writers Guild early before the strike and tried to get a waiver and stay on the air. The company's argument was that it's a small production company that supports the WGA And that whatever deal the guild negotiated, Worldwide pants would adhere to. At first, I'm told, the guild thought making side deals might weaken its bargaining position. But now that the labor action is dragging on seven weeks without an end in sight, the guild has rethought its position in an attempt to induce individual studios and networks to cut separate deals with the WGA.
UPDATE: I've been trying to reach Letterman head writers Justin and Eric Stangel (they're brothers and share that title) for comment. But Late Show staff writer and strike captain Bill Scheft (photo right) just told me he knew nothing about Letterman's attempt to obtain the WGA waiver. "I got the update letter today from the WGA about separate deals and then thought, 'If we were smart, we'd be first on that line,' he said. "They should give Dave the waiver just for singlehandedly keeping six shows off the air for two months and choking off a revenue stream the networks had counted on."
I asked Scheft how he feels knowing there's even a possibility he could return to work in a matter of days, not months. "Nikki, you have no idea. Very emotional just to think about it. Every single day on the picket line, every day, people from the staff come and visit us. My goal is always to get through the visit without sobbing. A goal not always reached."
In an earlier email exchange, Scheft told me, the WGA "can thank Dave for the other guys staying off and paying their staffs, in my opinion. You have to wonder if they can wield more influence as on-camera advocates for the cause. As I have said since the beginning, Dave Letterman on the air without writers, pissed off he has no writers, railing nightly against network weasels and haircuts, is the greatest ally writers can have. And he will reach a much wider audience about the strike than we have been able to so far."
- WGA On Monday Will Say To Moguls: "Let's Make Individual Deals"
- The Line To Break Mogul Ranks Is Here...
- Jimmy Kimmel Does It Again And More...
- Jimmy Kimmel Did It Early Without Props
- Leno Digs Into Own Wallet To Pay Staff?
- This Is No Time To Be Jaywalking, Leno
- Conan O'Brien To Pay Staff
- It Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means
- WGA Scolds Carson Daly For Returning 'To Support Staff' And Seeking Scab Jokes
- Letterman Confirms He's Paying His Staff
- Dave Opens Own Wallet To Pay His Staff
- Tonight Show Returns With Guest Hosts After Leno's Nonwriting Staff Laid Off
- Strike Forces Late Night TV Into Repeats
This is great news! With each interim deal that gets made, the AMPTP will increasingly be sidelined.
Comment by happywriter — December 15, 2007 @ 1:35 pm
Well hopefully Jay and Conan will realize that this is a great step in pressuring the owners of THEIR shows to negotiate. I mean, really the headline should read:
“Dave cooks up a deal that Jay & Conan’S BOSSES won’t like”
It’s the owners of the show that are gonna be boned, not the guys in front of the camera who are demonstrating amazing leadership throughout this whole thing. (And it will be remembered!!!)
Comment by A Writer — December 15, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
Dave, your idol Carson went four months before going back during the last strike, and you’re only holding out half that long? Say it ain’t so!
Don’t go back until after sweeps!
Comment by Former Letterman Fan — December 15, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
But how in the world does getting Letterman or any other show back on the air, (this, the same “air” as owned and controlled by Viacom, Disney, Sony et. all), possibly, under any imaginable circumstances do anything what-so-ever to help the WGA to end the strike? Ultimately this action is still enriching the same fat-cats we’re supposedly locked into monetary combat with, so I’m confused. Letterman going back on the air benefits the WGA or Viacom? Somebody please explain…
Comment by BeeKay — December 15, 2007 @ 1:55 pm
Hold the phones! Mr. Letterman back on the air?
Oh my, this is a double edged sword – razor sharp – all in the pursuit of the all-mighty advertising dollars that are quickly disappearing from the networks bank accounts.
Plus it sure tells Jay how to set up his next contract at Fox or elsewhere, doesn’t it?
Surely Conan is sniffing the air too.
Craig… well, he’s working on something pithy based on an encounter with a bear in Scotland, wearing the same clan kilt as he does, while riding in golf cart hunting snipe with bow and arrows and wondering why “it’s breezy down there.”
As has been pointed out here and elsewhere the finely tuned minds, the Late Nighters have been very supportive of their people. Imagine Dave and the others with their bully pulpits… lovely. I wonder what their “jokes” will be about? The election next year? Boring.
And if Dave leads the charge due to his unique situation of owning his show, the others will follow as the AMPTP dam will have sprung a huge leak and the Networks are going to rush through the opening to reclaim their shares.
And Dave can set the standard high in bringing back his staff at or above the existing conditions requested by the WGA – the other edge of that sword… No one will be able to limbo under that agreement as that creates a higher threshold than AMPTP, which already has nightmares about in the here and now as it’s being played out.
Oh I do see lawyers, guns and money at play. But perhaps it’s time to return to the Golden Age of Television. No tape. Live E.S.T. feeds and audiences in the mix. Go live Dave. Just do it.
And to encourage the raw energy level, hand out 12 video cameras to be used by the audience, both as live feeds and tape backups. If the Network/s shut down the feeds… turn the tapes over to YouTube. Vive la Net!
Over the top? Why not?
As Billy Joel says… “Pressure…”
pb
Comment by pb — December 15, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
Somebody needs to explain to me how this is really a good idea. Letting a select few work while the rest of us wear out our shoe leather on a picket line just doesn’t seem all that smart or fair — last I heard, even though World Wide Pants owns Late Night with David Letterman, the show still gets broadcast on CBS (you remember them, they’re the ones helmed by Les Moonves who hasn’t exactly been kind in his comments toward writers. And what about the rest of writers on CBS, do they just keep walking and ask themselves, “Gosh, if only Letterman was my boss.”)…Instead, it strikes me anyway, as playing right into the greedy hands of the AMPTP, who are licking their chops and saying, “See? We knew they’d break.”
Comment by jake Hollywood — December 15, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
I have a question- who owns Youtube?
Comment by shelly — December 15, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
They have been off the air for close to two months. They have paid their staff’s salaries. I support them coming back with or without writers.
Why complain? This will make the genre interesting again.
Comment by WGA Dude — December 15, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
former letterman fan — what dave is doing is good for the writers! if we can get the amptp to stop bargaining as a cartel… if we can “divide and conquer” them like they’re trying to do with us… (making us doubt our leadership)… that would be fucking fantastic
Comment by land surveyor k — December 15, 2007 @ 2:44 pm
But it’s all in the details, no? Is Letterman going to give us the kind of money we’ve been asking for in terms of downloads, streaming, iTunes, etc? Will Letterman agree that any reality shows he may produce in the future will be WGA shows? Ditto for any animation his company may do?
If so, this isn’t divide and conquer, this is the dike coming down and ain’t nobody can hold back that water.
Comment by Thanks Davae — December 15, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
It certainly sets up the possibility that the interim contract between Letterman and the WGA will have a spoiling effect on the AMPTP’s ability to continue their party line that the WGA’s demands (granted, not all of them apply to this situation) are unreasonable/cannot be supported by the market.
Comment by Bill — December 15, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
Why would the WGA want to approve this? This only helps CBS and makes it easier for them to hold out longer while a greater majority of writers are still without work.
Comment by Jimmy — December 15, 2007 @ 3:03 pm
You can be a Former Letterman Fan, but get your facts straight. The 1988 writers strike began on March 7. Johnny Carson returned May 11, not four months later. And he returned without writers. Don’t ask who wrote his monologue for the last three and half months of the strike. Not nice to speak ill of the dead. Dave returned June 28,1988 and only after pressure from the network and Carson Productions, which owned Late Night. If you read Nikki’s post, Dave’s company is seeking an interim agreement to return WITH writers at the concessions the WGA seeks. This is hardly seditious to the cause.
Comment by mackherron — December 15, 2007 @ 3:50 pm
Former Leeterman Fan:
You are either a network troll, or you just don’t get it.
Comment by A. Hack — December 15, 2007 @ 3:57 pm
I love CBS’ response: “CBS remains unified with the AMPTP…and if this means our late night show can take the competition to the cleaners…oh well!” Hey, if “Divide And Conquer” gets the rest of the AMPTP back to the negotiating table, then: Please Dave - DIVIDE AND CONQUER!
Comment by SoonToBeUnemployed — December 15, 2007 @ 4:06 pm
It’s huge. I hope. Dave has been my hero since 1980. I hope he makes them bleed.
There is virtually NOTHING about the strike on television. What a surprise, but it oughta be illegal. It’s a huge, ignored story, because a few powers have all the beans.
JC
Comment by joe — December 15, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
wow, this is so incredible. if this actually happens, it makes it clear to anyone and everyone that the writers are not the ones holding up a reasonable deal.
it’s the moguls.
and they will have letterman on the air probably talking about it as well.
i have always been a fan of david letterman as an entertainer, but he has added to his legacy that his is a decent, thoughtful, principled man who actually has the balls to say and do the right things in the face of very powerful men.
and he’s been doing it since he was roughed up in front of the ge building with a fruit basket nearly 30 years ago.
go dave.
Comment by jimmy — December 15, 2007 @ 4:24 pm
I believe the return of the talk shows will be the end of this strike. Without talk shows, the studios had no way to push their Christmas releases. This is the one immediate weapon the WGA has against the film divisions and they’re giving it up… I appreciate that Letterman is a great guy, writer-friendly, etc. But the return of Letterman, Leno and Kimmel is when the levee breaks.
Comment by Tom — December 15, 2007 @ 4:40 pm
I think it’s great that Dave is making an independent deal (like Carsey Werner did in ‘88, i believe.)
But if the other talk show hosts all go back to work at the same time (as it looks like they might) how does it put pressure on the other networks to make a deal? If only CBS had a popular late night show and NBC and ABC were forced to show reruns, I would get it, but if all of Nikki’s news is true, then I’m confused.
In any case, I’m glad the WGA is trying new options. Some will work out better than others, but at least it’s something. (And yes, in the process, some writers will be able to go back to work while their peers won’t — which sucks — but that might just be the price to be paid to get a reasonable deal in the end. We have to keep focused on the big picture.)
Comment by George Glass — December 15, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
And Dave will get all the Movie Interviews. Though that is certainly a mixed bag.
And for the fan earlier. The Writers are not striking against the AMPTP. The AMPTP are negotiating for the companies that the writers are striking.
And isn’t it marvelous that Les Moonves’s company is the first one to benefit from the new Contracts? Won’t the “Other Guys” just really honor him for it?
Comment by Dave — December 15, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
Before everyone shits a brick over Dave ‘not being able to wait it out’ or whatever, go back and read that the interim agreement basically gives the WGA everything they’re asking for. I can’t see how a writer could not see this as a major coups for their side, in fact a first for the WGA since this strike began. For the first time, someone is meeting their demands, and for the first time, people are coming back to work. This is huge.
Comment by please read before you weep — December 15, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
I think this is fantastic news. So the WGA is giving Les Moonves control of the late night timeslot. But now the NBC is going to start thinking how they can get Leno back with writers. Sometimes you have to give an inch to take a yard.
This could possibly be the first step in a mogul doing a quick backdoor deal so they too can have fresh content. Imagine if one studio, even if for only a few days, had a monopoly on the purchase of any and every script in town because they came to the table while the others all had their doors closed.
Comment by Non Union Writer — December 15, 2007 @ 5:12 pm
This is an excellent strategy by the WGA. There’s nothing for them lose by doing it, and potentially a lot to gain.
Comment by casualobserver — December 15, 2007 @ 5:21 pm
Did CBS Interactive pull the plug on the hugely successful and popular fansite Startrek.com? On Dec. 10, the WGA held a ‘Star Trek Day’ that encouraged fans and stars of the Star Trek franchise to gather in support of the WGA strike. The call to arms was featured prominently on the fansite with photos and commentary from the field. Now, less than a week later, the site administrators give us the news that they have all been fired, effective immediately.
Retaliation?
Comment by david aquarius — December 15, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
This is going to put a big dent in the AMPTP’s public relations strategy when those “inexperienced”, “incapable” and “desperate” writers are able to negotiate a fair contract to give the fans Letterman back while the moguls are caught sitting on their hands. “Divide and conquer” may be the smartest thing the guild leadership has done since the picket lines went up. Keep it up, we’d all love to see some of that paranoia go Big Media’s way.
Comment by A Letterman Fan Once More — December 15, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
Rob Burnett said “since the beginning of the strike, we have expressed our willingness to sign an interim agreement with the Guild consistent with its positions in this dispute. We’re happy that the Guild has now adopted an approach that might make this possible.”
If the WGA lawsuit claims it’s a labor violation not to bargain in good faith in a timely fashion, isn’t the WGA guilty of same thing by making Letterman wait 2 long months?
Comment by late night fan — December 15, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
How does this help the WGA? I just want the strike to be over.
Comment by nice — December 15, 2007 @ 5:53 pm
“The 1988 writers strike began on March 7. Johnny Carson returned May 11, not four months later. And he returned without writers. Don’t ask who wrote his monologue for the last three and half months of the strike.” — macherron
Carson went without his writers for one month. His show on June 8 was the first with hired Union writers, under a separate contract.
Comment by donz5 — December 15, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
I find this an intriguing development… but as another WGAE writer (one of the relative few feature writers out there) walking the line in the cold, I’m not quite sure I see the fairness here.
Don’t get me wrong. I feel for The Late Show staffers and do see them visiting their striking writers every day in a show of solidarity…. but when do the rest of us go back to work? I’m broke, and tired, like everyone else — staff writer on Letterman or otherwise. I’m not collecting unemployment, do NOT have health insurance covered by the strike fund, etc.
Isn’t CBS going to benefit here? “More money… less Moonves!”… right?
Forgive me as I do see what’s well and good about Dave’s intentions here… but aren’t we all in this together?
If ’some’ of us go back to work, I’m not going to keep picketing…
Comment by WGAEESH — December 15, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
I think if the writers are smart, those returning writers will donate a significant portion of their salary to the strike fund while the strike is still ongoing. That way there won’t be any chance of infighting between other writers saying, “Why can they get back to work and not me?” As long as there’s no infighting among the writers, I think this strategy is fantastic and decisive and will slowly (or hopefully quickly) break the AMPTP apart.
Comment by yay! — December 15, 2007 @ 5:56 pm
the reason this is a big deal even if the other shows eventually go back on the air, is because DAVE WILL HAVE WRITERS!!
the other shows will not.
if you were in SAG, which show would you want to book?
hopefully dave will be flooded with huge name guests who will go on his show because he’s supporting writers.
and during the christmas holidays, CBS will be raking in some huge advertising dollars for these original shows.
i’m sure all the other members of the amptp will love that. no matter what cbs says in a press release.
this will ruffle some feathers, no doubt about it.
and anything that makes the moguls fight amongst themselves is good for the wga.
Comment by jimmy — December 15, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
Late Night w/Dave Letterman #1
Comment by kin1bob — December 15, 2007 @ 6:37 pm
It’s not a “slam dunk”, but this should be good for the WGA, which probably needed to do something to shake things up. Yes, Viacom is going to start making money in latenight again. However, the WGA now has one production company that has essentially said “whatever you can get in this agreement, we can afford.” So think about next week. The initial headlines will be about the return of latenight and not everybody will understand the difference between Dave’s return and Jay’s return. But they’ll certainly get the difference between Will Smith, Tom Hanks, and Julia Roberts on the guest list as opposed to Victoria Secret models not named Heidi or Gisele. If the WGA can turn the screws and make sure potential Jay or Conan guests are afraid to cross the picket line, that could be a huge victory. No writers, lame guests…. these shows should be enormous crap. I could go on, but the bottom-line is that if the WGA plays this right, the money made by Viacom will be a small concession to the negotiating and publiclity gains that should be made.
Btw, yes, I know Gisele is no longer with VS. But who? Adriana Lima? Just not the same.
Comment by JJ — December 15, 2007 @ 6:48 pm
I have to say that, as a writer on strike, this is not okay with me. I have been on the picket line with the letterman writers and now all of a sudden they won’t be there. They’ll be working through the hollidays. Late Show doesn’t run on the World Wide Pants Network, it runs on CBS and is goign to give them revenue without caving. SO why is this okay? Burnett, as is stated here, has been working since the beginning to cross the line and now he did it. It was selfish. And what about the other shows under development by world wide pants? Probably being produced by Burnett, who now gets his writer fees while we don’t?
And do you really think that WWP is big enough to make the other companies cave? That’s crazy. IT’s one tiny company that produces one show. People on here are acting like World Wide Pants is on par with Disney or Paramnount.
This is bullshit. If I’m on strike, we’re all on strike. The only people being divided are us.
Comment by lonstrike — December 15, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
really hope daily show, colbert, kimmel and maher follow suit…
Comment by 2fargone — December 15, 2007 @ 7:03 pm
Let Letterman be anoited sainthood right here and now. He handled this exactly right. it will be impossible for leno or kimmel, however, to get any such waiver as they work for a huge conglomerate. and it’s interesting that letterman actually has been paying close to a million dollars a week (including insurance for his staffs and rent on Ed Sullivan theater). let the record also show that letterman willingly paid, and didn’t have to be shamed into it like his counterpart. I think Dave riffing on the AMPTP with writers will be a great asset to the wga. After carson returned in ‘88 he poked venom at the studios on a nightly basis and I expect no less from Dave.
Comment by Greg T. — December 15, 2007 @ 7:04 pm
Does this mean that… Gavin Polone was right?
Comment by Encurtido — December 15, 2007 @ 7:08 pm
Today’s events totally capture Letterman’s and Leno’s essence in a nutshell.
Dave, a man of true character, flexes his muscles, and ends the strike for his writers.
Leno, the soulless tool, announces that he too will be back, but as a scab. Leno had no allegiance to anyone or anything but the suits at NBC. They paid him back by kicking him out of the Tonight Show chair 10 years only. And what’s his next move? He sells his union down the river for the love of these same suits.
Leno is the Willy Loman of comedy.
He’s also a scab, and I will never watch him again.
Comment by LenoSucks! — December 15, 2007 @ 7:13 pm
I LOVE HOW CBS IS STABBING THEIR AMPTP BUDDIES IN THE BACK!!!!
IF CBS REALLY HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS, THEY COULD MAKE DAVE GO ON WITHOUT HIS WRITERS.
MOONVES IS GETTING THE LAST LAUGH TONIGHT. ZUCKER AND SILVERMAN ARE CAUGHT WITH THEIR PANTS DOWN.
Comment by buzzlightyear — December 15, 2007 @ 7:16 pm
A mad Dave could be great for the writers. He’s tenured enough to be able to speak his mind.
Comment by Daniel — December 15, 2007 @ 7:21 pm
I hope I’m right in assuming that once Leno and Conan go back on there will be picket lines at their lots so Dave will be the only one able to get guests that won’t cross a picket line. Otherwise the divide and conquer won’t be too divisive.
Comment by Jerad — December 15, 2007 @ 7:38 pm
What does this mean for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert?
Comment by JoanneS — December 15, 2007 @ 7:42 pm
While I think that Letterman is doing a good thing, from one point of view. I have to agree that this really ends up helping the networks in the long run. They get original late night programming and get the standard ad rates that they were about to have to provide give backs (and in some cases refund money)for.
I get what he is trying to do. He just wants to get his people back to work and stop the bleeding for them and I find that to be honorable. However, from a collective point of view, how does this help the WGA’s cause? I’m also curious as to how this works for the writers that return. Don’t they have a responsibility to stand with all the other writers and maintain a united front? If all the late night shows return doesn’t that just give the networks a bigger cushion to work with?
Aw hell!! I hold no ill will against Dave for doing this. If I were in his shoes I’d want to do anything I could to help my people.
One last thing:
Where does this leave things for Stewart and Colbert?
Comment by Hooper — December 15, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
Shelly:
Google owns YouTube.
If not for anti-trust laws, they could probably buy all the nets & studios & still have billions left over!
Comment by Unindicted Co-conspirator — December 15, 2007 @ 7:52 pm
The way this will help is if Leno goes to his boss at NBC and says, “I’m not going back until I get the same deal Letterman has. I want my writers, too.”
Comment by Brian — December 15, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
The shows (including Letterman) were going back anyway, but now Conan and Jay might not be able to go through with it. They all follow each other, as they did in paying their staffs, so Conan and Jay will pressure Zucker and company to fall in line. They do not want to look like bad guys in this. Kudos to Dave, and kudos to the WGA negotiators. The one, two punch of filing the charges and offering to make separate deals, were followed by Letterman’s uppercut. Nice work.
Comment by endstrike — December 15, 2007 @ 8:05 pm
I don’t see how this helps us that much. As Bill Sheft points out, he’s been choking off a revenue stream, and now that’s opening up again. It doesn’t hurt us if the feelers NBC’s been putting out that their late night shows are coming back Jan 7 are true, but it doesn’t help us. It’s nice that Letterman was willing to deal directly with us, and yeah I’m sure he’ll have a lot to say about the greedy moguls, but I can’t see how this is going to push moguls to break ranks. Small writer-friendly producers like Stewart, sure, but does he even own his show? That’s the problem.
And what about Conan and jay? If they return without forcing NBC into the same agreement as Worldwide Pants, they’re in the exact same position as Ellen and Carson Daly, we have no choice but to come down on them equally hard, in spite of the fruit baskets and supportive messages.
And let’s not forget that there’s a guy going around now saying that he secretly wrote scab material for Johnny Carson during the last strike, Daly’s reading material off cue cards, if the other hosts come back it’s very possible some of them will not be writing all their material themselves.
Comment by anon — December 15, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Can someone please explain how this is a good thing? Considering CBS will be raking in the advertising dollars, the studios will be able to advertise their films, and essentially, this is like giving the WGA giving a waiver to an awards show except every night of the week…??? Can someone please list the PROS and CONS please?
Comment by CONFUSED — December 15, 2007 @ 8:11 pm
I know that I shouldn’t be surprised by anything Hollywood gets away with, but how on earth is all this collusion legal?
Why on earth would CBS’s shareholders want to position “everyone in [the] industry for success”? I know this has been said before, and in this post, but these company’s should be trying to screw each other over, not lend a helping hand. I hope Lawrence Lessig is working as fast as he can.
Comment by Michael — December 15, 2007 @ 8:28 pm
Dave’s deal is a huge PR win for the WGA.
Because for the general public, it now means: “The writers can’t be asking for too much, if David Letterman is willing to agree. So what’s everybody else’s problem?”
A simple concept that anyone can understand, instantly, and with no need to work through all the details.
Whether it’s more complicated than that or not, THAT is what the public now knows. “Dave made the deal. How bad can it be?”
And the AMPTP’s expensive PR firm will now be working overtime to counteract that bombshell realization.
But then, they don’t CARE what the public thinks, right? Right…
Comment by phree — December 15, 2007 @ 8:29 pm
Finally we are doing something to crack the brick wall of assholedom that is the AMPTP. Bravo to Letterman’s persistence and to the strategic agility of our leadership. (And by the way, I suspect that Letterman is not going to agree to all our demands, but only to our principles. That is, he’s not going to sign up to give us everything we’ve asked for, but to give us whatever we finally settle on with AMPTP.)
The Favored Nations deal is one of the very best tools we have at our disposal if we really want to bring this strike to an honorable close. The Producers Guild has been making considerable noises trying to separate themselves from the AMPTP. They have, they say, no dog in this fight. Great. Sign them up and give them a damn dog. We should be making Favored Nations deals with any and every Producer we can find. Let them get back to work so we can get back to work. Any company that agrees to abide by the terms we will eventually settle on with the AMPTP is our friend.
If there is anything at all that will put real pressure on the studios and networks, it is the fear that someone else will own all the best new material. While we may have enjoyed some power when we were threatening to strike, and even in the early days of the strike, our real and permanent power still resides not in withholding, but in the pages we produce and in the ideas we create.
So I applaud our leadership and I say, let’s scare the shit out of the AMPTP. Let’s make Favored Nations deals. Make lots of them. Make them now.
Comment by mr — December 15, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
“This is an excellent strategy by the WGA. There’s nothing for them lose by doing it, and potentially a lot to gain.”
Nothing to lose? We were hitting them where it hurts by not being able to push their film releases. (Golden Compass, anyone?) Now with Dave going back and the studios being able to promote their films, it weakens us.
Comment by Strike Grrrrl — December 15, 2007 @ 8:47 pm
I hate to poop on the parade of the Leno and Conan folks, but….
Letterman back on TV? I’d give him a pass JUST for paying everyone week-in-week-out. That’s the spirit the WGA stands for. And cutting a deal which agrees with our position? Great. Good for Worldwide Pants.
But… and here it comes….
LENO, AND CONAN SHOULD BE BLACKBALLED FOREVER. THEIR SHOW AND THEM PERSONALLY.
No WGA writer should EVER be allowed to work for them again. They are members of our union. They joined basically to be eligible during awards season. They have reaped the benefits of WGA membership and now they are going to pee in the faces of their fellow members.
A pox on both of them. There is NO WAY NBC should be allowed to skate on this one. If we blackball the shows and the hosts PERMANENTLY, a great number of actors will refuse to appear. Maybe if NBC was facing some sort of PRICE which will run long past the strike, they’d come to their senses and settle.
And as for Jimmy Kimmel, we should show compassion. If he has bankrupted himself, we should cut him some slack. Perhaps a time-limited agreement to allow him to be made whole again.
The Jews called people who hid Jews during the Holocaust Righteous Persons. In some ways, Dave and Jimmy have gone the extra mile.
Leno and Conan, despite paying their staffs some of the money (and I’ll bet both are re-imbursed) not so far…
Comment by aotherWGAmember — December 15, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
I’m now ordering foreign films on amazon.com to watch. I’m on my 5th viewing of Battlestar Galactica - the miniseries.
Whatever it takes I’ll pay for it.
Produce it, stream it, and let’s go. I’ve got a new plasma screen so I’d be happy to pay $1.99 per unit directly to the writers/director/actors.
find a different model then the big 3 or 4.
Comment by AthenaDelphi — December 15, 2007 @ 9:09 pm
Like Nikki has been saying, if there were more independent producers, who owned their shows, like Dave, the strike would have been short-lived, if it had happened at all. I wonder if this move will get other powerful showrunners who have a stake in their shows thinking of ways around the AMPTP as well… In a fairly short time, even the most schlubby TV viewer is going to favor something new over American Gladiators or a reality show re-hash… I agree, this could be a coup d’etat…
Comment by Way Below The Line — December 15, 2007 @ 9:10 pm
“… CBS remains unified with the AMPTP, and committed to working with the member companies to reach a fair and reasonable agreement with the WGA …”
Except the AMPTP broke off negotiations. Again. Committed to reaching a fair and reasonable agreement with the WGA? How?
Comment by Ed WGA — December 15, 2007 @ 9:20 pm
As a long time Letterman fan and union supporter I think Dave cutting an independent deal with the WGA could be just what they need to come out on top in this strike. Because once Dave hires back the writers with an interim contract that meets the WGA’s demands. It blows the AMPTP’s lame arguments out of the water and hopefully leads to the AMPTP coming to a fair agreement with the WGA.
Comment by Wes L. — December 15, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
Dave is the man! I back him all the way. Let’s get real!
Comment by Dawn — December 15, 2007 @ 10:31 pm
While some may see it as a negative as it’s returning a revenue stream to CBS, I certainly don’t. The positives imho outweigh the negatives. Even though they will be getting money from the worldwide pants shows, all the other programming will shortly be withering away and drying up on the vine. Being primetime, it still means that the networks are still going to be cutting large refund checks for advertisers.
Also, I think there needs to be acknowledgement of WPs williness to work with writers. And keeping the support staff paid through this is a huge acccomplishment when other shows have been sending theirs home. Really very labor friendly and admirable.
Not to mention, a little bit of fresh TV will be helpful for the longsuffering viewers, who will certainly be blearied eyed with all the reality programming coming down the pike. This may give them a reason to turn that off. I know I will be.
Comment by Phill — December 15, 2007 @ 11:21 pm
I like this move. Opens the doors for other deals to be made. And can you imagine the PR we’re going to get from Dave? I believe we’re in for a lot of CBS, ATMPT and Les Moonves jokes.
Comment by Steve R — December 16, 2007 @ 1:09 am
I don’t see how Letterman making jokes about the suits helps us. The Letterman watching public has no influence in this strike.
The whole point of a strike is to starve out the industry so they have to cave. Instead, they are giving CBS a huge boost AND letting ALL the companies have a place to plug their movies, which is great for them, and could help them hold out longer.
I voted to strike on everybody, all of us. When do we get to vote on this parsing out shit? This is not a strike anymore. I don’t know what it is.
If you think this is going to put any pressure on these massive companies to cave you are nuts.
Comment by lonstrike — December 16, 2007 @ 5:13 am
please read before you weep, wrote:
“Before everyone shits a brick over Dave ‘not being able to wait it out’ or whatever, go back and read that the interim agreement basically gives the WGA everything they’re asking for.”
Dear please-read-before-you-weep,
Letterman’s “final agreement” will be adjusted based upon other deals made so his company is not left with a contract that’s worse than everyone else in the business. In other words, if the AMPTP (or other individual companies) reach agreements with the WGA, then Letterman’s agreement would be adjusted to meet the most favorable terms (to Letterman) of those other agreements.
Respectfully,
lawdawg76
Comment by lawdawg76 — December 16, 2007 @ 5:44 am
Well that was unexpected. Don’t really see how this helps any writer not working for Letterman…seems just as likely to create pissed off writers as pissed off moguls, but at least they’re trying something different.
Comment by tv editor — December 16, 2007 @ 7:09 am
The AMPTP shills posting here as if they are writers are hilarious. Their PR firm is really working overtime. I think Nikki should start posting commenters’ IP addresses just to make their jobs harder.
Interim agreements are an excellent weapon against the AMPTP, and I have yet to meet an actual WGA member who doesn’t get that. In fact, up to now there has been some grumbling about the interim-agreement strategy taking so long to launch. We know these agreements will sow division within the AMPTP, as one producer sees another earning money by merely signing a perfectly reasonable agreement with the WGA.
The fact that so many obvious shills here are posting specifically about picketing (’I'm so demoralized I will stop picketing and start sending the AMPTP flowers!’) lets us know that the solidarity on the picket line does truly scare the shit out of the AMPTP.
Whatever they’re going after, that’s what’s working.
Comment by Mark Meagher — December 16, 2007 @ 8:53 am
BeeKay: This is good for the writers because Letterman (the producer) is breaking ranks with the AMPTP.
(At least that’s how it looks to me.)
Comment by Sean — December 16, 2007 @ 10:11 am
Just to get my old friend Biff Henderson back to work would be super. USed to work with Biff when he was between the old morning Letterman NBC morning show and the original NBC Late Night show. As a DGA staffer he worked for WNBC … and also as the “red hat” guy on the field for NBC’s NFL games in New York.
Funny guy, that Biff.
Comment by DW — December 16, 2007 @ 10:31 am
I see the doomsayers are slamming the individual negotiations…now isn’t that a big surprise. HAH!!!
As was posted time and time again…the AMPTP is in big trouble with their collusion and downgrading their stocks by their boneheaded moves.
No shareholder is going to stand for a 10% loss because of these boneheaded actions and when they see David Letterman and others work with the AMPTP, they are going to hit the roof.
I will not be surprise if ABC and NBC will negotiate with the WGA because they don’t want to lose their advertisers to Fox(News Corp) and the only one that will be benifiting waiting is News Corps when they cream CBS, NBC and ABC this January…can you just love it how Rupert Murdoch has manipulated all the others to give him the best possible position against his competitors, brilliant.
Rupert Murdoch just spent 5billions for Dow Jones to compete with CNBC which is NBCU…where is he getting all that money to replace what he spent…it sure ain’t comming from from the writers.
Yet AMPTP are acting like they have the best interest of all the producers…but do they really??
And remember last year about Tom Cruise and Sumner Redstone bashing him and Paramount had to go along with it as Sumner is their boss….did Tom lay down or did he fight and got a better deal….I think you know the answer to that.
So WGA and striking writers keep fighting, stay strong and you will win. If not…start begging because next year don’t be surprise if you’re like those MTV’s permalancers.
Comment by boo — December 16, 2007 @ 10:39 am
TOP 10 THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE AMPTP CHRISTMAS PARTY:
10. Gavin Polone just xeroxed his ass
9. What do you mean the domain name wga.com is NOT available?
8. (From a hired caterer) These lardasses have no problem returning to the BUFFET table
7. “Here’s the Reality”…we’re a bunch of dickheads!
6. Where’s Carol Lombardini? She’s over there under the mistletoe rejecting everyone’s proposal
5. I just peed in Counter’s eggnog…heh-heh
4. Do we have to pay them 4 cents for those “Speechless Videos”?
3. “More money, Les Moonves”…sorry, but that still cracks me up
2. Hey we’re still doing better in the public opinion polls than Bush
AND THE #1 THING OVERHEARD AT THE AMPTP CHRISTMAS PARTY:
1. For God’s sake don’t tell Nikki Finke I said that!
Comment by Carl — December 16, 2007 @ 11:23 am
Just need to point out that, while Dave may be paying “triple” what the other hosts make, he’s also making probably ten times what Jimmy makes, and yet Jimmy has been paying his staff out of pocket since the beginning. So in terms of it being “unfair” to lump Dave in with the others — I’d say Jimmy’s probably the one who’s feeling it the most. Given his salary of the last 30 years, Dave’s probably feeling it…oh, not at all, thereabouts.
Comment by LateNighter — December 16, 2007 @ 12:08 pm
Anyone who is against this is missing the point. Nikke wrote-
“This trumps NBC’s announcement coming Monday that Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien will be returning by January 7th. Presumably, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel won’t be far behind. “A major announcement will be made by more than one network on Monday,” an insider noted.”
If that happens on Monday all of NBC’s talk show competitors will follow with similar announcements. That’s still three weeks away. If you don’t think the others will be right behind NBC or even with NBC you’re crazy. So then you would have all the shows back on the air without writers. The companies would have their shows and their money back and all the writers from those shows would still be walking the picket line. If the strike continues that’s the best-case scenario for the companies.
If Letterman signs the deal the Guild has on the table and returns to the air that would be great for the entire union. Isn’t the point to try and get people to sign the deal that’s on the table?
If the Letterman deal happens it will encourage others to sign the deal as well. If Nikke’s right that some of the companies aren’t as militant as others, then eventually one of the companies may break off as well. NBC’s Jeff Zucker keeps talking about how the strike could change the way a lot of business is done. He says that they may even cancel their Spring presentations to advertisers where they unveil the following season’s lineup. He says that might be an antiquated way of doing things. Well perhaps the AMPTP is an antiquated way of doing things as well. Some of the more moderate companies are probably feeling that already. Maybe deals like this will cause fissures. After all, these companies are fierce competitors and they’re not in business to lose money.
Letterman will talk about the strike on a regular basis, which is free advertising on one of the networks the union is striking against. If the audience chooses Letterman’s show because it’s the only one with writers then the other networks won’t like that and they’ll be more likely to end this crap.
The union seems to be trying to find new ways to apply pressure. I hope they keep it up because I’d like to go back to work myself. So would everyone on the non-CBS, non-Worldwide Pants sitcom I work on. We all want to go back to work but let’s not resent a company that is pursuing an offer the union has extended to everyone. The union obviously feels this could be helpful or they wouldn’t be making the offer. I don’t mind watching a few talk show writers and staff members go back to work if it might lead to getting prime time back on the air as well. Maybe this alone won’t do the trick but let’s stick together and encourage the union to find more ways to apply pressure. Try anything, we all want this damn thing to be over.
Comment by Sitcom Staffer — December 16, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
“If the WGA lawsuit claims it’s a labor violation not to bargain in good faith in a timely fashion, isn’t the WGA guilty of same thing by making Letterman wait 2 long months?”
What? No. Of course not. The WGA has no obligation to “bargain” separately with Letterman or any individual, while the AMPTP, which represents the studios, is legally obligated to bargain with the representatives of the WGA. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
“Call this Letterman/Burnett move for what it really is.”
WTF? Letterman and Burnett didn’t make a move, they made a deal with the WGA. The responsibility for agreeing to the deal lies with the WGA, not with WWP. They could have said no. I don’t necessarily think bargaining separately will work unless we’re pretty sure we can come to terms with some significant AMPTP members, but right or wrong we’ve asked individual moguls/independent show owners to make separate agreements, it’s hardly wrong for those who have been asked to reply “okay.” And honestly, assuming your purpose isn’t just to shill wackily for AMPTP and try to cause divisions among writers, there are more important issues here, isn’t there some kind of Fan Conspiracy Page where these theories about how coke really really is super super better than Pepsi and Pepsi has been waiting years to drop the hammer on Coke and is serving an evil anti-Guild agenda by acceding to the Guild leadership’s wishes would be less out of place?
Comment by applesandoranges — December 16, 2007 @ 1:09 pm
“My sincere apology to Mr. David Letterman, I was informed by someone who was there in the 1979 Comedian Strike of the Comedy Store that Daivd Letterman did not cross the picket line and in fact joined the picket line…. (see my error noted by Kevin Kelton)
Date:
Dec 16, 2007 7:10 AM
Flag as Spam or Report Abuse [ ? ]
Subject:
1979 comedy strike
Body:
hi Chris–
Just read your online posting about Leno and the ‘79 strike. Don’t know whether you remember me, but we knew each other back then. Agreed with your overall posting, especially about Jay being a great guy, but wanted to correct two points. I was a doorman back then–in fact, I was one of the doormen who was ordered to call the police the night George came in. So I’m very familiar with what went down. First off, Letterman never crossed the strike picket line. In fact, he was one of the ones who “broke” Mitzi’s heart by returning from a Tonight Show appearance and picking up a sign to picket. He never ever performed there during the strike. Afterward, yes. But not during the strike. Also, I don’t think Dave was on the night we 86ed George. (It happened a couple of weeks after the strike ended.) Not 100% sure, but I doubt Mitzi would have done that while Dave was on stage–she didn’t want to alienate him again, and George was Dave’s best friend. Like I said, I was there–I was the one who led the cops to George on the stool–so I hope you’ll take this not as a criticism but just trying to set the record straight from another player’s perspective.
How are you doing these days? Hope all is well.
Kevin Kelton
Comment by Chris Jackson — December 16, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
Allowing companies like Letterman’s to sign a separate peace with the WGA proves that there is a deal to be made where the writers can be properly compensated and the congloms can still make money. Letterman is not going back on the air at a loss. His writers will benefit from a favorable deal.
And hopefully this will pave the way for more independents and mini-majors and possibly even some of the more reasonable members of the AMPTP (yes, we’re talking about you, CBS and Sony), to get back to work and chop up their competators. Fox wins if the strike goes long. CBS, NBC, and ABC win if they can negotiate their own deal with the WGA and get their programming back on the air ASAP.
Comment by Occasional Showrunner — December 16, 2007 @ 1:28 pm
To All those bashing Letterman/ Brunett here:
Go to the WGA East web site & read
December 14, 2007
Message to the WGA Membership from its Negotiating Committee
“… the AMPTP make it difficult for the conglomerates to reach consensus and negotiate with us on a give and take basis. We believe this multi-employer structure inhibits individual companies from pursuing their self-interest in negotiations.” “… therefore decided to reach out … and begin to negotiate with them individually”
Exactly what WWP has been attempting to do for 2 months.
If you think this is going to be a revenue boon to CBS - Think
THEY STILL HAVE NO PRIMETIME PROGRAMING
If you think having Late Show back is going to be, in any way, some moral victory for CBS - Watch
If you think this isn’t going to put some serious pressure on NBC at the very least - Wrong
If you think Letterman/ Brunett don’t “.. give a rat’s ass about the WGA”
You are talking out of your ass. I’m sure you could put it to better use.
Comment by timbrehse — December 16, 2007 @ 1:52 pm
Semper Fi, Dave may have been waiting 15 years for this power play, but the positives do outweigh the negatives in this deal and Dave will not want to help others in helping the stuido coffers during this Christmas season (which, by the way, is almost over). Besides that, the Late Show writers will still be walking the lines while trying to bring the public pictures of this strike. This is all a part of a new strategy by the WGA and it should work.
Comment by Jessy S. — December 16, 2007 @ 1:57 pm
This move undermines every argument of the AMPTP. Period. If Dave’s “tiny” ProdCo can make this deal, surely they could too. If nothing more, it exposes the AMPTP for the lying dogs they are. We are where we are because they won’t deal.
Now, let’s get some top notch WGA dudes booked on Dave’s show to lay down a little smack, and get the WGA more public support.
And maybe we should send Dave a fruit cake or something…
Comment by D Dragon — December 16, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
To the whiny pro WGA people who think that Dave is screwing us when in fact he is GIVING US THE DEAL WE WANT!!
He is paving the way, people…NO ONE is MORE PRO-WRITER!
Don’t whine because some people will still be out of work. Chip away.
Seriously, people, Dave is helping us in a HUGE way.
In the words written by William Goldman, said by the late Strother Martin playing the character, Percy Garris:
“Morons. I’ve got morons on my team.”
Comment by redblack — December 16, 2007 @ 2:40 pm
Riddle me this…
If a General relied on only one weapon to win a war, all could be lost. However, skillful attacks with an array of weapons, along with willing and driven soldiers plus good tactics can turn the tide of battle and often, a war itself.
To rely solely on a self-imposed Maginot Line could prove to be extremely limiting in this battle.
IF the other word smiths, those with legal backgrounds, can create a binding gold-standard WGA agreement in allowing WWP and others to return to the air, in terms that more than satisfy the WGA, those actions could well be the secret weapon that is needed to turn this battle.
Doesn’t this scenario also, in turn, create a self-flagellating situation for CBS? Damned if they do, damned if they don’t – plus it will only stop hurting when they stop beating themselves up and move into this century and grab hold of the New Media empire in a responsible manner along with those that create it?
And NBC can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and watch. Which in turn allows Leno’s other word smiths, those same type legal minds, to retune his ”existing” world with an eye on the future?
This line of attack could well be a mortal and moral wound in the flanks of AMPTP with a barbed arrow that they can’t remove, a festering wound that they can only heal by acting professional and responsible by extending to one and all in the WGA the same binding contract?
Comment by pb — December 16, 2007 @ 2:55 pm
Every writer I know was delighted by the news. But I see a quick rush of people here to say “I’m a writer and I just don’t understand, and gosh I feel divided” — just as there used to be a rush of people saying they were BTLers and they felt divided, too.
Amazing how that pattern holds up.
So the “talk shows are the one immediate weapon the writers had, and they’re giving it up”? Clearly nobody told you that the other late nighters were coming back anyway — but without writers. Astroturfers have been flacking that piece of news for a couple of weeks now, as though it were the clang of doom. The Guild took lemons — late night returning — and made lemonade.
Every writer I’ve spoken with so far has been pretty happy to see the Guild leadership kept its word, and is ready to negotiate with companies separately. And a successful demonstration first crack out of the box — way to go!
I don’t believe any writers are going to be pissy because there’s another strategy in play to try and end the strike more quickly. That benefits *all* writers. And how childish would you have to be to wish bad things on the Letterman folks? I’m happy for them. Are you really imagining a line of picketing writers whining like babies because other people aren’t suffering to the exact centimeter? Because, yeah, that’s so much more important than winning this war.
Go, Worldwide Pants. As for other companies out there — like the song says: War is over, if you want it.
Comment by Watcher — December 16, 2007 @ 4:46 pm
Letterman’s plan to return has some merit.
A suggestion is in order.
Don’t book guests on the show that are plugging shows and films that part of the AMPTP.
Th AMPTP should not be able to benefit in a backhanded kind of way.
Comment by Will — December 16, 2007 @ 7:31 pm
Strike Grrrl said: “Now with Dave going back and the studios being able to promote their films, it weakens us.”
The studios were going to be able to promote their films anyway, Jay and Conan were going back as scabs regardkess of what Dave was doing. At least now we have a wedge. We need to put pressure on SAG members not to appear on these shows, set up pickets every day, and hopefully get A-listers, even huge names who have nothing to promote right now, to put out press releases a la Jason bateman and Katherine Heigl and Glenn Close, “I won’t appear on a struck show, but I’d be more than happy to be on letterman, anytime.” If Jay and Conan the scabs are pulling in rerun ratings interviewing extras from Harold and Kumar while Dave is wall-to-wall with Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, it’ll put pressure on NBC to cut a deal to compete. But we do need to do whatever we can to make sure this scenario plays out.
Comment by anon — December 16, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
Back here in New York, we’ve walked the line with the Letterman guys every day since the strike began. I’ve spoken to or emailed a dozen striking writers today, none of us are upset to see these guys go back to work.
They took an early hit, on all of our behalves, and they’ve been out there every day, even in the Bataan sleet march last Thursday. We’re thrilled for them, and hopeful it’s the first of many cracks to come in the AMPTP Wall of Stupidity.
I am amazed at how quickly people jumped on line to say they were working writers who were upset by this move. It’s almost as if some of you were paid to stir up division within the ranks. The thing is, AND THIS IS HARD FOR STUDIO PEOPLE, our line is holding.
And SAG’s letter tonight to WGA members tells us tens of thousands more are behind us.
So, to sum up:
1) Working writers in New York are happy for the Letterman guys, and grateful to Dave.
2) WGA dissent and division has been vastly over-reported.
3) We wonder what will happen in January, when the network ratings go into free fall.
WGA East on the line
Comment by Anonymous — December 16, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
To Mark Meagher:
there are some compelling arguments for this strategy here and I’m reading them. But saying that anyone that disagrees is a shill or a fake is not pursuasive and it’s just insulting denial. There are WGA members who feel uneasy about this. We exist, whether you think so or not, and it’s our union too.
Deciding that anyone who disagrees with you is a phantom is just stupid and does nothing to further the discussion.
Everyone has a huge ammount at stake here. All writers are suffering. We have a right to question how it’s being handled.
And to the person who said that Conan only joined the WGA to be eligible for awards: you have no idea what you’re talking about. Conan is a great writer. He created Mister Burns. He is one of the WGAs best members and I’m proud to have him in our union.
Comment by lonstrike — December 16, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
“He is one of the WGAs best members and I’m proud to have him in our union.”
Yeah, that’s awesome. He created Mr. Burns? Then we should let it slide when he goes back scabbing and give him the “coolest hipster scab we’re most proud of as he helps the AMPTP break our strike” award. You’re talking smack about Burnett “crossing the line,” and then lauding Scabby McScabbikins???? What happened to “if I’m out of work, we’re all out of work”? Deals with the WGA bad, saying “screw the WGA, I’m back to work” awesome, that’s consistency for you.
Comment by anon — December 16, 2007 @ 9:22 pm
anon,
Whether or not you agree with how Conan has handled or will handle this strike, someone on this board said that he joined the WGA, ” basically to be eligible during awards season. ” which is grossly inaccurate and I corrected him. And yeah I am proud to be in Conan’s union. And I don’t think calling him “Scabby Mcscabbikins” is accurate, fair or clever.
Comment by lonstrike — December 17, 2007 @ 3:59 am
When the road is pitch black you only need one person to hold a flashlight showing the way out, WGA and Worldwide Pants are holding that flashlight in their hands showing a way out and I think there will be people following the light. I am still amazed at the money and resources the producers have at their disposal and their “ad” campaign is beyond pitiful, it makes me wonder what on earth are they doing? Did they think they could go cheap because no one would care? Please. The very fact that WGA is winning on the publicity front should tell the “8 would be kings” that they badly need the creativity of first rate writers and production people if they are going to remain viable at all, not only with this strike but with their programming.
It doesn’t matter what people think WW Pants should or shouldn’t do, the fact is the AMPTP look like putzs today and the WGA and Letterman look like heros pushing forward to get people back to work. Letterman is doing what the rest of the AMPTP won’t do, and that is operating in good faith with his writers and supporting the WGA’s “creative” idea to get things moving and to ultimately save the WGA Union the “big 8″ seems to want to destroy; good for WGA and for Letterman. He can’t save the entire industry, he is trying to save his production company and his people and trying to open the door for others and that is a huge accomplishment right now.
Comment by WGA Supporter — December 17, 2007 @ 6:23 am
It’s unifying and great for morale to all be out on the line together, but we need the wherewithal and foresight to understand our collective good as a union could be best served by striking independent good deals and forcing competition. Even if this means returning to work at different paces. It will be helpful to continue schedule pickets and rallies in a way that there is no mistake about our unity through this process.
In addition to Leno having to do the Tonight Show without a monologue, I hope SAG members support their own union and the writers they collaborate with by not taking bookings there or Conan. Although NBC’s stupidity isn’t the host’s fault, stars should publicly object to the network’s failure to treat its artists fairly and refuse to cross the picket line.
Comment by Anonymous — December 17, 2007 @ 7:03 am
The trouble with this issue is that Conan will not return simply because he is a WGA member. If he does return, that will mean that he is willing to s**t the Tonight Show and take over his own show while giving the WGA a fair deal. However we’ll cross that road when we come to it.
As for Mr. Burns, Conan didn’t create him, but had him settle with the town of Springfield to the tune of $3 million. I believe they spent that money on a monorail.
Comment by Jessy S. — December 17, 2007 @ 8:45 am
To AnotherWGAmember,
I agree Ellen, Leno and Conan should be blackballed forever. no WGA writers should ever be allowed to work their shows. Carson Daly, despite being pathetic, is not a wga member so he gets to skate. Daly should not have crossed, but he shouldn’t be blackballed. the other three must be expelled from the guild for being scabs. I believe Ellen is WGA…
Comment by Michael Ashcroft — December 17, 2007 @ 11:00 am
Just a question: to save face with the AMPTP, and even though Les Moonves is apparently a friend of Dave’s could he simply refuse to air the new episodes? Even though Dave owns the production, CBS airs the shows. The deal with the WGA is with WWP, not CBS.
Comment by Meli — December 17, 2007 @ 11:29 am
Ionstrike,
I didn’t say, or mean to imply, that everyone who disagrees with me is an AMPTP shill.
But there’s no doubt that there are fake “WGA members” posting comments here and elsewhere (such as AMPTP apologist Craig Mazin’s shill-welcoming site) that simply trumpet propaganda useful to the AMPTP — exactly the kind of thing that a notoriously dirty, hardball PR hack like Chris Lehane would do.
When a “WGA writer” goes out of his way to say “I’m demoralized!” and “I’m going to stop picketing now!” that’s a pretty good clue. Real people don’t tend to talk like AMPTP wet dreams.
Comment by Mark Meagher — December 17, 2007 @ 11:39 am
Ponder this…
Mr. Letterman decides that dealing with CBS isn’t worth the grief… and he decides to pull a “Howard Stern.”
How much do you think HBO, Showtime etc. would be willing to pay?
And think of where he could take the show without the contrasts of Network TV.
If nothing else, it’ll keep the lawyers busy for years and years. And that’s a good thing. Then they aren’t out on the streets bothering normal people.
Comment by pb — December 17, 2007 @ 1:58 pm
I don’t give Conan much credit for creating Mr. Burns since it’s obvious the character is autobiographical. Greed and self and ambition before all. Andf Leno is even more of a spineless putz. How much of a corporate suckup do you have to be to fall on your sword for the suits who $#@%canned you??? Thanks for the support.
Comment by anon — December 17, 2007 @ 4:00 pm
“Whether or not you agree with how Conan has handled or will handle this strike”
No, I don’t agree with scabbing. And I’m sure you don’t either, since you were foaming at the mouth about how appalled you are at the prospect of any WGA member going back to work while you’re not. Conan’s a WGA member, he’s going back as a scab, he’s being selfish, he is the one crossing the line, he’s giving revenue to NBC, he’s not helping us starve out the industry, he’s giving the studios a place to plus their movies, in short, he’s doing everything you say you’re completely, utterly, intractably against. Nothing more divisive than scabbing, eh?
“And yeah I am proud to be in Conan’s union.”
Good for you. Maybe Conan will form his own union after we kick him out for scabbing, you can be the proudest and only member of that outfit, since even Conan will be too embarassed to join. And anyway, he’s not much on unions.
“And I don’t think calling him “Scabby Mcscabbikins” is accurate, fair or clever.”
Tough luck. What would you like me to call him, “The Proudest, Most Noble Scab of Them All”? “The Real Life Counterpart of Mr. Burns”? “The Most Loathsome Scabilicious Phony Ever to Be Booted From the WGA”? “Just Like Rob Burnett, If Only Burnett Were a Scab, Which He’s Not, So Really Nothing Like Burnett, But Who Cares, Conan Crosses the Line SO PRETTY”? “Stab Us In the back and Make Us Love It, You’re Just That Talented”? “The Scab Who Makes My Loins Quiver”? “If I Can Lose My Career and Life to Help That Scab’s Career, I’d Die A Happy Man”? “Even Worse Than Leno, Since He Actually Has the Gall to Purport to be a Writer”? “Pond Scum”?
Can you really not understand that it seems rather suspiciously inconsistent for you to be complaining about how grossly betrayed you feel by anyone who actually is willing to cut a deal with us, why you’re so disgusted you just won’t walk anymore if a single WGA member goes back to work legitimately on our terms, and anyone who deals with the WGA is crossing the line regardless of the utter counterfactuality of that claim, while waxing lyrical about honest-to-god scabs whose total betrayal of their fellow Guild members makes you aw shucks gosh darn proud to be an American? If you wanted to go with this “Conan is truly the best of all of us” stuff, you should have saved the “I hate the WGA! I hate Rob Burnett! They have betrayed our solidarity and that means everything in the world to me!” for some other thread because it’s virtually impossible to make logical sense of those two opposing sentiments without concluding that you probably work for Gavin Polone.
Comment by anon — December 17, 2007 @ 8:21 pm
anon,
You’re either very young or very stupid. You’re either crazy or not real.
You don’t know anything about the people or events you’re talking about. You’ve taken my original post to an extreme that I never went to.
Are you aware that Letterman and Carson went back to work without writers during the ‘88 strike? It doesn’t sound like you are. The fact that you weren’t aware of Conan’s history as a writer means you don’t know much about anything regarding this subject.
Also, I am not sure, but I don’t think that you get to personally decide that that conan is the arch-enemy of the WGA. And I seriously doubt that he is going to be “blackballed” or “booted” by anyone but you and your pillow that you painted a face onto.
Fucking nut.
Comment by Anonymous — December 18, 2007 @ 5:27 am
Anonymous, no offense, but huh? I doubt that most members of the Guild have memorized Conan’s resume, and? That has nothing to do with whether the Guild should expel him. Why is it necessary to be personally acquainted with Conan in order to understand the events of the strike? Huh? It’s not about Conan as a person or a writer, it’s about his behavior, which we can all see even at a distance. Are you saying that what’s being reported isn’t true, Conan isn’t returning as a strikebreaker, and if we knew him we’d know that? Do you know him? Has he told you this?
He might be the greatest writer since Tolstoy and have the most impressive resume in the history of television, but I’m willing to bet that you can count the number of members who think that will mitigates his behavior on one hand, IF NBC’s press release is true, and okay maybe it’s not.
And while you’re right that it’s doubtful he’d be expelled, that’s mainly because of a failure of nerve on the part of our leaders. Wealthy, famous celebrities benefit from a double standard, but if it were put up to a vote of the membership, there’s a pretty fair chance that Conan would be 86′d. Is your point that Conan will cross and escape punishment because he’s prominent? That he should because he’s talented? Or what?
Comment by applesandoranges — December 18, 2007 @ 4:15 pm
apples,
You misunderstood. This person “anon” said that Conan joined the union to be eligible for awards. Like I said and am done saying, whether you agree with Conan’s actions, he was a writer for a long time and a good one, before he had his show. this guy didn’t even know that conan was ever a writer. Most people who write for a living know that.
I think whether he should be doing his show is debatable. I never said he was infallible or above scrutiny. this guy anon said I did. In any case, whether he is walking a thin line, acting in the best interest of his staff (writers are not the only people who work in television) or being selfish is something about which reasonable people can disagree. But the stuff this guy anon is saying about him is insane and far outreaching, unless you apply it to Letterman, who came back without writers in ‘88, as did CArson.
I don’t believe Conan would be 86d by a popular vote. I just disagree with that. And no, I don’t think he should get special treatment because of his resume. But I don’t think it’s right to erase his entire existence as a writer.
I have to stop this now because, just like every debate online, I’m finding myself ferociously defending things that I never intended to.
Thanks for the dialogue, everyone. It’s been educational.
Comment by lonstrike — December 18, 2007 @ 4:52 pm
Dude, you have GOT to be kidding. You listed about 27 things that Letterman or presumably anyone else coming back by WGA agreement would be doing to undermine the strike, being selfish, crossing the line, giving revenue to CBS, not helping us starve out the industry, giving the studios a place to plus their movies, destroying our solidarity making you feel so betrayed you just can’t walk, we’re not a union, I’m through, but the minute Conan starts doing all those things it’s oh this is such a complicated issue, why gosh, we havet forive himfor doing everything I said I was against, the only thing in his sweet little mind is his staff, give him the Nobel Peace Prize. Doing anything to potentially undermine the strike is bad, except when it’s good, and much of that depends on whether you’re a fan.
“But the stuff this guy anon is saying about him is insane and far outreaching”
You mean quoting the stuff you said about Rob Burnett but totally disavowed with Conan and wondering how you can reconcile the two? Look dude,we get it, you love Conan. But Conan is just another member of the WGA, and he isn’t owed any more consideration than a 22 year old soap writer, who would get bounced in a heartbeat for scabbing. He doesnt suck as a writer, but as a union member and human being. And he’s not the only good writer out there, lots of the people he’s stabbing in the back rock too. Jeez, if he wasn’t prolonging the strike by stabbing all those men and women in the back, maybe they’d be creating legendary characters to gain your special exemption to your high dudgeon too. I understand you can’t logically reconcile what you’ve said, but I give you credit for jumping around and screaming about how I “don’t understand” and “will never know Conan like you know him, never”? Uh, good distraction. I almost didn’t notice you don’t even bother to attempt to reconcile the unreconcilable. (BTW,I wasn’t the guy who didn’t know Conan was a writer or said he joined for the awards, BUT THAT WAS SUCH AN UNFORGIVABLE CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY, it’s always relevant to the discussion. To not know Conan is to not know LIFE).
“unless you apply it to Letterman, who came back without writers in ‘88, as did CArson.”
I wasn’t around in ‘88, and carson wasn’t a guild member, but supposedly he reached a separate deal wih the Guild. I don’t know what Letterman’s deal was, if he scabbed obviously he should have been booted, and still should. But, uh, even if the Guild wrongly let Letterman slide, that’s no excuse for letting Conan. We have rules, we need to enforce them. The fact that we didn’t always enforce them when we should have isn’t an argument for allowing our guys to scab in perpetuity. I can’t speak for the past, but Conan is scabbing now and needs to be booted now. If I have time I’ll be happy to play the Ghost of Xmas Past and try to sort out the ‘88 strike after getting up to speed on it, but we have a few more immediate problems, first.
“I don’t believe Conan would be 86d by a popular vote.”
Right, there’s a huge pro-scab contingent among us. Oy. Most of us fel about Conan the way you feel about Burnett, see? But those of us who are angry because we took your solidarity rant to heart and never noticed the Conan exception? All you have to do is put in a videotape and we’ll be so mesmerized by the wacky antics of Mr. Burns we’ll fall too in love with Big C to care about the future of the industry and how he’s undermining it in the case you laid out well.
“But I don’t think it’s right to erase his entire existence as a writer.”
Booting him won’t do that, it just indicates he can’t be trusted as a union member.
Comment by anon — December 18, 2007 @ 7:55 pm