Folks were just putting away their Halloween candies when the writers’ strike started last year. Now folks are scrambling to get Valentine’s Day chocolates for their honeys and the strike is now finally ending. Yes, the strike is nearing its conclusion and writers will be going back to work, some as soon as today. This is definitely good news for the many striking writers who had to endure the holiday season picketing. This current strike has cost the economy an estimated $350 million and has led to the Golden Globes cancelling its telecast. Although they still have to vote on the agreement, it is assumed that the WGA members will approve the current deal. Members will be voting tomorrow.

The Writers strike may be over! A tentative deal between the studios and the Writers Guild has been reached but still needs approval by the Guild in a vote that is scheduled for Saturday. After being out of work for three months the writers will likely approve the deal, which means more scripted and less reality t.v.

It was exactly three months ago today, on November 5 of last year, when the Writers Guild of America went on strike. With the strike came thousands of movie and television writers leaving their jobs. The strike glided through Thanksgiving and Christmas and every other holiday since. The first few weeks of the strike had the media’s attention, but like everything else in Hollywood, interest in it soon fizzled out. Now, with the Oscars coming up on February 24, many are wondering if another big awards show will be affected. Many of our favorite television shows are already running reruns and I’ve never seen so many game and reality shows on TV as I have since the strike. News from this weekend claimed that the studio execs and the striking writers are very close to a new agreement. Very close, but there is still no agreement. You may not see them picketing anymore, but the writers are still on strike. The update is that, unfortunately, there really is no new update - yet. I’ll keep you posted.

And Angelina Jolie won’t be the only celebrity not showing up to the Golden Globes this year. The awards show, which is airing on January 13, will have to do without a few of its bright stars on the special day. The Screen Actors Guild announced that its membership will show support to the striking union writers and will boycott the show. Some of the biggest names nominated including Jolie, George Clooney and Keira Knightley are all SAG members. Unfortunately the writers strike continues and this is just one of the negative effects. It will definitely be a strange red carpet scene on January 13, unless some miraculous event gives way to an end to the strike before the show.

Now that Christmas is only a week away and folks are scrambling for the perfect gifts, news or updates on the WGA strike have subsided. The truth is the strike is still going on and talks between WGA and AMPTP have come to a standstill. This is definitely unfortunate news, as many shows have called off taping because of the strike. News today however paints a different picture in the late-night arena. Variety reported today that both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien will be returning to their shows starting January 2. Jay Leno commented that the standstill in talks between the two parties assisted in his decision to bring back his show. David Letterman has yet to announce such a return. I’m very excited that Conan is coming back with new episodes in the new year, but I’m really saddened that the writers’ strike has lasted this long. Hopefully some sort of miracle take place in the next few days and talks resume. We’ll keep you posted on any progress.

The Writers Guild of America resumed their strike today after breaking last Thursday. Talks with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) also continued today, although an agreement has yet to materialize. The four main networks are already changing up their TV lineups and some say the strike could continue until next year. It must be tough for the striking writers to even know what’s going on sometimes, as new rumors abound everyday. The Associated Press reported that the strike could cost ABC, CBS and Fox over $300 million, and this doesn’t even include NBC. It has so many facets to it, but the main thing is that writers would like to get paid for any work they’ve done that are shown on the internet, DVDs and other formats besides television. There’s more to our simple explanation of course, but they really just want a fair share of the millions the networks get from their labor. It’s been a few weeks of striking but it’s still a sad thing, especially through the holidays. We’ll keep you posted.

How we wish there was good news attached to this post, but alas, there isn’t. The WGA strike is in its third week, resuming today after the Thanksgiving holidays. Since folks are busy with holiday stuff and are less inclined to really pay attention to the tube, most don’t realize the impact of the writers’ strike. It will probably sink in that a lot of our favorite sitcoms and dramas are running on reruns when we’ve finished the last of our holiday shindigs. Come new year, folks will be yelling at their TVs. There’s so much more to this strike than a few writers not wanting to do their jobs. In fact, I’m sure all of the strikers would rather be doing what they do best (like giving us the best word play they possibly can) than standing outside with picket signs. Hopefully the big studios and the writers come up with a feasible and fair agreement soon.  

Just a quick update on the Writers Guild strike. According to the WGA website, there was a scheduled march today in Hollywood, with local unions standing in solidarity with striking writers and the Hollywood community attending in support. SAG member Sandra Oh was scheduled to make an appearance, as was singer Alicia Keys. Ben Stiller (above) has been very vocal during the strike, as well as many of his peers. The strike will convene after the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26th. We’ll be sure to give you updates as they arrive.

The WGA was joined on the picket lines by various members of the Screen Actors Guild and S.A.G. Television and Films were represented by a who’s who of classic television. Seinfeld alums Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander were representing, as well Everybody Loves Raymond’s Ray Ramano and his on screen brother, Brad Garrett. The Friends cast saw Lisa Kudrow and Matthew Perry picking up some picket signs, and our all-time favorite teenage doctor genius, How I Met Your Mother’s Neil Patrick Harris making an appearance.  And least we forget CSI’s Gary Dourdan, who lent his support for the striking writers.  Maybe he should start some investigative work with Grissom and Catherine and get this strike moving out of the picketing phase and on to the negotiating phase.  Hmmm.  If only the writers could write a happy ending to this.  Oh wait, that’s right – they’re on strike.  Darn.  I guess the studios will have to get their law or accounting departments to become the storytellers.  We can’t wait to see those episodes.  For more pictures of the ever-present members striking for their rights to party, er, write (sorry, had a Beastie Boys moment), please see below.