“Screenwriters by a sizable majority authorized their leaders to call a strike against Hollywood’s producers as early as Nov. 1, in votes disclosed Friday,” Michael Cieply reported in Saturday’s Times.
The Writers Guild of America wants studios and networks “to take a serious look at the Guild proposals — which seek a doubling of DVD residuals, spelling out terms of new media work and broadening WGA jurisdiction over new media, reality and animation,” wrote Dave McNary of Variety.
“Writers do not want to strike, but they are resolute and prepared to take strong, united action to defend our interests,” said Patric Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West, in a statement Friday. “What we must have is a contract that gives us the ability to keep up with the financial success of this ever-expanding global industry.”
What would a strike mean for viewers? “Depending on the timing and length of a strike, some television shows would grind along just fine, while others would jerk to a halt,” Brooks Barnes wrote in Saturday’s Times. ” ‘The Simpsons’ is safe, for instance, but light a candle for ‘Lost.’ And reality shows, whose writers are nonunion, will become even more of a television staple than they are now.”
Rebecca Winters of Time magazine said that viewers “would have to find alternatives to some of their favorite scripted shows” by December, as writers stopped churning out scripts for television episodes. She expects “a heavy dose of reality and game shows” in prime time, fewer late-night jokes, more content from abroad, and lots of reruns.
沪江小编：美剧的成功是我们有目共睹的，很多美剧能够一连播出十几季，其中编剧是功不可没的。眼看现在的制片人们赚的盆满钵满，编剧们不干了，于是今年7月，美国编剧协会（The Writers Guide of America）和制片人协会开始了续约谈判。编剧们要求自己的作用和地位得到认可，具体的体现就是要求得到DVD的双倍利润，在合约中注明新媒体的条款，并能在新媒体、真人秀和动画中有更多的权利。结果编剧协会和制片人协会谈判破裂，旧合同将在10月31日到期，于是编剧协会号召编剧们争取在11月1日开始罢工，这一提议以90%的通过率高票通过。
如果近期没什么意外，编剧罢工已成定局，这就意味着一些我们喜爱的美剧将受到影响，根据上面的新闻，《辛普森一家》是安全的，但是《迷失》就没那么幸运了，而一些不属于协会的真人秀编剧们也许会迎来他们的春天。
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