Has anyone else here been *totally* unaffected by the WGA strike?

[crim son]

Not until the strike did I notice that our family has stopped watching television, except for a little PBS in the morning before school starts. The television is sometimes on, but only for Wii play or movies. Weird.

[billyskank]

1. I have.

Given that (a) I live in the UK, and (b) I don't have a TV. :)

:hi:

[crim son]

2. You qualify!

:hi: :7

[billyskank]

3. You've been in my thoughts.

:hug:

[crim son]

21. Thank you.

You, too! :hug:

[Burma Jones]

4. My Younger Brother, who is trying to keep working in the Television production business

Is totally screwn right now, there is damned near nothing in production now and he lives check to check. He is working on a development project for The History Channel though....

[crim son]

22. I do have empathy for those who are impacted

but I don't know much about the issues being disputed. Maybe it's time to take a look... just because I'm not watching television doesn't mean I shouldn't know something about the situation, if it's hurting others.

[Burma Jones]

25. Caterers, Drivers, Costumers, Carpenters, Electricians are all suffering

The Writers, Actors and Producers are just the tip of the Iceberg.......

I do really hope this gets cleared up soon, my little brother has student loans to pay off in addition to NYC rent........

[electron_blue]

5. Me, too. I lost track of tv shows years ago.

[LeftyMom]

6. I don't own a TV

I wouldn't even know there was a strike if not for DU.

[Guava Jelly]

7. I don't watch anything but forensic type programs and the news

anymore.
I miss Heroes and the Office.
I still haven't watched the new The Daily show's yet..I don't plan to until the strike is over.

I had a thought that the writers strike may be forcing people to pay more attn: to the political scene and if so it could be a good thing
:hi:

[originalpckelly]

8. I watch TV, but most of it's news or "news."

Or the movie channels, that's about it. Well, LOGO sometimes, but really only for the movies. Um, yeah, I think that's about it.

[grace0418]

9. My brother is an actor/writer/director and is really stressing out about it, so it has affected me

indirectly because I don't want him to suffer. He was supposed to start directing several episodes of Brothers & Sisters but the show is shuttered. As a writer, he totally supports the strike, but it's hard to pay the bills because he's a working actor but not exactly A-list.

[BarenakedLady]

10. I don't watch much TV anymore.

And when I do it's been Showtime/HBO series. The ones I had been watching are over anyhow. The only network show I miss is Pushing Daisies.

[Droopy]

11. Me. No TV.

[ghostsofgiants]

12. I wish I was.

But it means Heroes was cut short and Lost will probably be cut short as well. x(

[Inchworm]

13. I miss Pushing Daisies

Other than that it appears I watch mostly news and repeats anyhow. Actually, repeat news too...

:hi:

[racaulk]

14. I am.

I hardly watch television at all any more, and with the exception of the Sunday night cartoon lineup on Fox, I never watch network television. I usually limit my TV watching to Logo, the Nicktoons Network (don't laugh), Adult Swim, the Discovery Channel, or the Sci-Fi Channel. So I'm largely unaffected by the WGA strike...I just hope that Family Guy and American Dad will continue under Seth McFarlane's direction!

[DS1]

15. Heroes and The Office were cut short

but Heroes was sucking shit anyway and deserved to be killed off early before it got really bad.

other than that, I watch Brit TV, and a handful of downloaded shows.

[IndianaJones]

16. as long as it doesn't affect Keeping up with the Kardashians. nt.

[edbermac]

28. Or The Girls Next Door.

A guy can take only so much cleavage...:7

[LynzM]

17. Yep.

We don't watch TV, so.... no worries, here.

[AlCzervik]

18. i miss The Office and a few other NBC Thursday night shows but thats about it.

i am a huge Law & Order fan so lucky for me there are 2 channels on my cable system that are pretty much L & O all the time. We've also been playing a lot more scrabble.

[KG]

19. since i haven't had a TV in ten years...

i'd have to say i'm totally unaffected.

[NewJeffCT]

20. pretty much unaffected here

I don't watch a lot of TV, other than Olbermann. My big show - Battlestar Galactica - won't be on for another few months.

I do watch some Disney channel in the morning with my daughter, but most of that is repeats from the last several years...

[suninvited]

23. I am affected

in only one area...I miss The Office ! That is the only current show I watch.

[DarkTirade]

24. The only show I watched was affected.

But since I only watched ONE SHOW, it really didn't make much of a difference in my life. :)

[Gonzo Gardener]

26. Strike... what strike?

:P

[LibraLiz1973]

27. Not me. My dear friend work(ed) for NBC and was fired.

Her husband and father were fired from "The Office"
and her mother was fired from what she was working on as well.

Her dad wrote this piece which ran in the LA Times:

from www.perezhilton.com

The LA Times just published the following email from Dale Alexander, a key grip on The Office, which puts the severity of this strike into clear perspective.

It reads:

"Our show was shut down and we were all laid off this week. I've been watching the news since the WGA strike was announced and I have yet to see any coverage dedicated to the effect that this strike will have on the below the line employees.

I respect the WGA's position. They deserve a larger percentage of profit participation, but a lengthy strike will affect more than just the writers and studios. On my show we had 14 writers. There were also 2 cameramen, 2 camera assistants, 4 hair stylists, 4 makeup artists, 7 wardrobe people, 4 grips, 4 electricians, 2 craft service, 4 props people, 6 construction, 1 medic, 3 art department, 5 set dressers, 3 sound men, 3 stand-ins, 2 set PAs, 4 assistant directors, 1 DGA trainee, 1 unit manager, 6 production office personnel, 3 casting people, 4 writers assistants, 1 script supervisor, 2 editors, 2 editors assistants, 3 post production personnel, 1 facilities manager, 8 drivers, 2 location managers, 3 accountants, 4 caterers and a producer who's not a writer. All 102 of us are now out of work.

I have been in the motion picture business for 33 years and have survived three major strikes. None of which have been by any of the below the line unions. During the 1988 WGA strike many of my friends lost their homes, cars and even spouses. Many actors are publicly backing the writers, some have even said that they would find a way to help pay bills for the striking writers. When the networks run out of new shows and they air repeats the writers will be paid residuals. The lowest paid writer in television makes roughly twice the salary than the below the line crewmember makes. Everyone should be paid their fair share, but does it have to be at the expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers. Nobody ever recoups from a strike, lost wages are just that, lost.

We all know that the strike will be resolved. Eventually both sides will return to the bargaining table and make a deal. The only uncertainty is how many of our houses, livelihoods, college educations and retirement funds will pay for it."