Writers Strike is over *update*

[mocklife573]

Question: I hear that the strike is over! Is it true?— Danouk
Ausiello: Nothing’s official, but the buzz is that a tentative agreement has been reached, with an announcement coming as early as tomorrow. But it’s hard to tell what’s solid intel and what’s just spin. To wit: In the past 24 hours, one source close to the negotiations insisted that talk of a resolution was way premature. “There’s no deal,” maintained my spy. “That’s just misinformation put out by the AMPTP to pressure the WGA.” But moments before I put this column to bed, I heard from another very plugged-in source that the deal is done. Short story shorter: There’s cause for optimism, but not celebration. Yet.

Question: If the strike ends in the next week or so, can the current TV season be salvaged? — Donald
Ausiello: Depends on the network and the show. A source at one of the Big 4 tells me that should the strike end by mid-February, one best-case scenario being bandied about has established series going back into production and working through June, making more episodes for this season and some for next. Then they’ll take a summer break before starting regular production on next season. The reason for this is twofold: They don’t want to bail out on this season, but they also don’t want to go to the expense of putting shows back into production for just two or three episodes. One industry observer describes this as “a smart plan,” while acknowledging that there’s another variable in all this: the actors. “The trouble is, a lot of actors schedule hiatus movies, or just elaborate vacations. And if they ask them to work through certain dates, that could trigger some contract issues.”  

[mocklife573]

UPDATE!!
Despite numerous reports that the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers have reached an agreement and are currently hammering out the wording, the Screen Actors Guild on Wednesday urged its members to show up in force at the Walt Disney Studios today (Thursday) "to let management know that we stand firmly with our brothers and sisters at the WGA." Meanwhile, Sid Ganis, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, repeated his plea to leaders of the WGA to allow preparation for the Oscars to go forward. In an interview with Daily Variety, Ganis noted that the show involves complicated production numbers and making travel arrangements for presenters and nominees. "I'm nervous," he told the trade publication. "We're getting down to the final moments; we need to make plans." The 80th Annual Academy Awards telecast is scheduled to take place on February 24.