For the longest time I have talked about how much I love the Vanity Cards that Chuck Lorre posts at the end of shows Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, but I kept forgetting to post one of the serious ones that he has been using at the end of his shows since the WGA strike started. So in honor of the talks resuming today, I decided it was about time to post Chuck Lorre's message about the strike! It is s good thing he has the number one sitcom on TV because otherwise he would not get away with airing that Vanity Card! It is nice when the big guys talk for the little ones that can't! Way to go Chuck Lorre!
P.S. Don't forget to watch The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men on CBS starting at 8:30p!
Pencils2MediaMoguls is a campaign to give the fans a voice in the current negotiation between the Writers Guild of America and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers. All pencils purchased through this widget will be sent to the moguls who run the big six media conglomerates. We will be sending, along… (more) with the pencils, contact information for non-profits who deal with child literacy. If the moguls refuse delivery of the pencils, we’ll donate them ourselves. Any money left over after the deliveries are complete will be donated to the Union Solidarity Fund, an assistance fund set up to aid union members not in the WGA affected by the strike. Make your voice heard! We’re all on the same page.
Help the WGA writers give the Networks and AMPTP a woody and send them a box of pencils for a whole dollar! That is write, I mean right, $1.00 a box is all it costs! It worked for Jericho lets try it for all the scripted programs and movies!
Variety is reporting that David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno are in talks to come back in December (either the 3rd or 10th) whether or not the WGA strike is over.
Since none of the shows wants to be the first to return to production, the behind-the-scenes conversations seem to be aimed at reaching an informal agreement that would result in at least two shows from separate networks returning on the same date.
While Letterman, Leno and O'Brien all want to be respectful of their writers, they're also deeply concerned about the impact of a prolonged strike on their non-WGA staffs.
Letterman and Worldwide Pants announced that they will pay the staffs of his show and Craig Ferguson's until the end of the year out of their own pockets. Leno does not own his show unlike Letterman which is why he has not made the same offer.
Hopefully they will all be back soon with their writers.
The article did not mention if Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson were part of the talks. I don't know about you guys but I am having Latenight talk show withdrawal.
On November 13th, this blog and the blogs listed below will be on strike for the day in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America. As fellow writers and as TV fans, we are coming together to express our strong support for the writers and their goals. We believe that when a writer's work makes money for a company, that writer deserves to be paid.
Many writers depend on residuals for a stable income, and that income shouldn't be based on an outdated formula which ignores the existence of new media and all but a tiny percentage of DVD sales. The talented writers responsible for so much of what we love about television should and must be paid fairly and equitably, and we will stand with them until they reach that goal. For everyone's sake, and for the sake of television, we hope both sides can come to an agreement quickly.
To further that goal, we are calling on our readers to sign this petition and to contact the following television networks, voicing support for the writers and for a return to the negotiating table:
ABC 500 South Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 (818) 460-7777
FOX 10201 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90035 (310) 369-1000
CBS 7800 Beverly Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 575-2345
NBC / Universal 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608 (818) 777-1000
After the blackout, we intend to continue our campaign to support the WGA until the dispute has been resolved fairly. Since we will not be posting any new content on the 13th, we encourage our readers to visit United Hollywood instead for frequent updates about the strike.
According to Broadcasting & Cable NBC is threatening to lay-off non-writing staff of The Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien if the shows don't start up again on Monday because of the strike. NBC is also saying they are willing to use guest hosts for the shows if Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien choose not to cross the line. Whoever does the cross the line could face the same fate that Ellen Degeneres is facing with the WGA boycotting her for crossing the line. It is a tough decision that the hosts have to decide who that want to back the striking writers or nonwriting staff. A decision Johnny Carson made in 1988.
“We want to protect the staff, who have been loyal to this show for decades, in the same way that Johnny Carson reluctantly returned without his writers in 1988,” Debbie Vickers said.
David Letterman will remain in repeats next week, while there is no word whether or not Jimmy Kimmel will go on or continue driving a taco truck to the different striking locations!
