The Strike Continues

As I stated in an earlier blog, let the panic begin this January. Well, the time has come. For a refresher on what the strike is all about, just refer to this previous blog:
http://popculturepusher.blogspot.com/2007/11/strike.html
As for the other questions I get asked about the strike . . .

What’s the deal with the late night talk shows? David Letterman is back on the air with his writers. Because he owns his own show (through Worldwide Pants Inc.), he was able to make an independent deal with the WGA (Writers Guild of America). Letterman, therefore, is able to do monologues, written material and book big name guests who don’t have to cross the picket lines as scabs. The same goes for Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson since this show is also owned by Worldwide Pants. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, on the other hand, are owned by NBC-Universal who are too big to make a separate arrangement with the WGA. Therefore, Leno and O’Brien are not allowed to do monologue material (since they are WGA members as well), written material and should have a harder time booking guests as those who appear on their shows will be looked down upon by the WGA. Leno and O’Brien don’t want to go back to work but their contracts forces them to. Leno has made monologue jokes but the WGA is pretty ticked about it. O’Brien has been killing time by spinning his wedding ring and drinking water. Kind of funny is you ask me. Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly are also back at work and they are in the same boat as Leno and O’Brien. What’s interesting is that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert return on Monday. Now, WGA rules stipulate that a writer cannot perform as previously written characters, so how is this going to affect Stephen Colbert who does his entire show in character? We’ll have to wait and see.

How many episodes are left of my favourite shows? Well, I’m not going to list all of them, but I will name the ones that I’m currently watching.
Finished Shows
These shows have no more episodes and will probably be off the air until next fall assuming that the strike ends in the next couple of months. Heroes, The Office, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, 2½ Men & How I Met Your Mother
One Episode Left
30 Rock (airing Jan 10), CSI (airing Jan 10), Family Guy (airing Jan 13)
Chuck & My Name is Earl (sometime in early 2008)
Two Episodes Left
Back to You (airing in March) & Reaper (early 2008)
Three Episodes Left
House (airing in Feb) & Samantha Who? (ending Feb 18)
Five Episodes Left
Prison Break (ending Feb 18) & sadly Scrubs (ending Feb 14)
Six Episodes Left
Smallville (airing in early 2008)
Ten Episodes Left
Simpsons (animation scripts are written really early)
Pushed Back until the strike is over
24, Entourage, Mad Men

So what am I going to watch in the meantime? You mean other than the crappy reality shows that will infest the tube in the next months? Here are some scripted ones to watch for.

Lost – The season returns Jan 31 with eight new episodes. Unfortunately, it’s only half of the original episode order but the eighth episode is supposed to be a doozy. Looking at the trailers on the internet, it looks like a lot of great action coming our way. The season will end on March 20.

Battlestar Galactica – The fourth season returns soon with 10 episodes to show us. Now that we know who four or the five remaining Cylons are, things should get pretty interesting. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see episode 11 which was going to directed by series creator Ronald D. Moore (the episodes made by the creators are always full of new information and twisting plot developments).

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – This new series takes place between T2 and T3. It looks pretty action-packed and they also have an attractive cast to work with. The series stars Lena Headey (300’s queen) as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker (Claire’s season one boyfriend on Heroes) as John Connor, and Summer Glau (Firefly’s River) as a terminator sent to protect the Connor clan. They have their complete order of 9 episodes and it starts Jan 13.

Eli Stone – This new series gets the advantage of premiering right after Lost. The story revolves around a lawyer who suddenly receives prophetic powers and decides to use them for good. John Lee Miller (Trainspotting, Smith) stars as Eli Stone but it’s Victor Garber (Alias, Justice) that will keep me coming back. They will be showing all of their 13 ordered episodes.

The Return of Jezebel James – This is the new series created by the people behind Gilmore Girls. Not that I watched that show. This one intrigues me because it stars Parker Posey (Christopher Guest mockumentaries) and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) and it should be fun to hear them talk really really fast. They only have 7 episodes and will be premiering in March.

That’s all I have on the TV front concerning the strike. Consider yourself informed.