What's the buzz in Hollywood? the threat of a writer's guild strike!
Last night I was at an event for a non-profit organization -- Storytellers -- and it was packed with TV writers. All the writers (and their significant others/dependents) talking anxiously about whether they'll be forced to be unemployed for months... in that particularly frustrating, didn't want to give up their gig kind of way. Now this isn't just an inside-baseball story-- the strikes would be big bad news for the nets and their parent companies. The last time there was a writers strike the nets turned to reality TV and packed their schedules with Survivor and The Bachelor and every other reality TV concept -- all because reality TV "writers" weren't part of the guild (and yes, of course there are writers for reality TV). Well now that reality TV writers are working on getting included in the guild, then the networks will really be in trouble. So what's the solution if reality TV can't be? Syndication and more syndication. If they can't settle it's going to be rough.
I'm off to interview Sony Pictures chief Michael Lynton. With 12 number one films this year he should be in a good mood.
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