Writers Strike Update: Which Comedy Series Are Shutting Down and When
…if they haven’t already.
Here you go, television comedy lovers, thanks entirely to Jace, the blogger with the magic touch over at Televisionary (be sure to click the link and give him a visit so that he can get proper traffic and respect for his immense contribution to the TV section of the blogosphere).
Via a “well-placed” source, Jace managed to get his hands on a list of the TV shows that have been adversely affected by the strike, even at this early date just three days in (as of my writing and his post).
What follows is a summary of those shows of interest to sitcom and dramedy fans. Read it and weep.
30 Rock: Shooting episode #210 through November 9th. No additional scripts have been written.
Big Bang Theory: Production shut down.
Carpoolers: Production shut down 11/16.
Cavemen: Shooting episode #113 between November 7th - 13th. No additional scripts had been ordered.
Desperate Housewives: Production shut down.
Greek: Shooting episode #1018 starting November 15th. No additional scripts out of the 20 episode order written.
The Office: Production shut down. One additional script written.
[The New Adventures of] Old Christine: Production shut down.
Rules of Engagement: Canceled production on episode #210 (meant to shoot 11/7-11/13). No additional scripts written. Production shut down.
Samantha Who: Production shut down 11/12
‘Til Death: Episode #212 completes production on November 9th.
Two and a Half Men: Production shut down.
Ugly Betty: Shooting “Odor in the Court” between November 9th and 20th. Prepping “A Thousand Words Before Friday” next week. No additional scripts available after that.
Yes, dear readers, that’s a whopping total of thirteen series all together: ten half-hour sitcoms and three hour-long dramedies.
Why so many shows so soon? It’s primarily because the current writers strike has had a pervasive domino effect on entertainment workers whose duties fall outside of writing, such as actors, for instance.
Wednesday, the showrunners of almost every major series on television right now—more than 125 showrunners, in fact—declined to report to work in order to join the picket lines and express their solidarity with the goals of the writers strike.
To be clear, many showrunners are writers, as well, in addition to Writers Guild of America members. Consequently, although their WGA membership forbids them to conduct any writing-related work, such showrunners are allowed (and expected by networks and production companies) to complete non-writing-related tasks, including overseeing activities on-set.
The massive empathy demonstrated by certain actors and numerous showrunners even extends beyond country borders. Also Wednesday, the Writers Guild of Canada released a statement expressing its members’ support of the WGA strikers, too.
I suspect there’s a long road ahead for this dilemma, but ultimately the writers will deservedly prevail.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Programming, Writers Strike
3 opinions for Writers Strike Update: Which Comedy Series Are Shutting Down and When
In Their Own Words: Cast Members Discuss Why ‘The Office’ Is Closed
Nov 9, 2007 at 9:38 pm
[…] you’ve been following the ins and outs of the current writers strike, you may know that production on NBC’s The Office has been shut down for several […]
b5media - November Spekked Entertainment News
Nov 16, 2007 at 10:08 pm
[…] favorite comedy shows mostly last into early 2008; though The Office has already reached its end […]
The Current State of TV Comedy: How Many Episodes Remain?
Nov 21, 2007 at 5:05 pm
[…] Here’s a summary of the situation as of today, courtesy of TV Guide and the Los Angeles Times. For comparison to a week ago, see the November 14 article “Writers Strike Update: Comedy Shows’ Remaining Episodes.” For the forecast a week before that, refer to the November 8 article “Writers Strike Update: Which Comedy Series Are Shutting Down and When.” […]
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: