As the writers’ strike continues, CBS is looking for programming to beef up their weak schedule – enter Showtime’s “Dexter.” “Dexter” may just land on the CBS lineup, with CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves commenting, “Dexter is probably the first one to go on — with some edits. It fits with our crime shows.” It’ll be interesting to see a) if it does indeed join the lineup and b) just how much editing will need to be done.
How much do we love Conan O’Brien? The late-night funny man is sharing his wealth by paying 75 staff members on his show while the strike continues. Conan O’Brien’s non-striking staff on “Late Night” will face layoffs after today, so O’Brien plans to pay their salaries next week.
According to NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks, “He’s paying the staffers’ salaries out of his own pocket.” “Late Night” production has been suspended since November 5th, when the writers’ strike began. Up until this point, NBC has been paying non-writing staff members, but whether the network will continue paying staff salaries for shows on hiatus is unclear. Conan O’Brien is ready to pick up where NBC drops off, however. For that, give Conan some love. Oh, and this too: Read the rest of this entry »
James Franco and Mila Kunis show us what it would be like without writers to provide quality scripted material – and god forbid, we were subjected to even more of the lame dialogue on “The Hills.” How do you think James Franco and Mila Kunis do as Justin and Audrina in this FunnyorDie.com clip?
Apparently Carson Daly, who is not a member of the Writers Guild, doesn’t give a flying crap about the writers and has decided that as of next week he will cross picket lines and resume taping new episodes of his late night talk show. All other late night talk shows have been showing re-runs in order to stand by their writers.
I’ve heard Carson Daly is a bit of a jackass. Apparently this is true.
Check out all of the big names lending their faces to the writers’ strike “speechless” video.
We can only hope an end to the writers’ strike is not too far down the road. At least both sides are back at the negotiation table today.
The Writers Guild of America has been on strike since November 5th, looking for payment for their work that gets aired online. Writers picked up their strike efforts by using the Internet to voice their displeasure – blogs, videos, MySpace, Facebook and other areas of the web have all been employed by those on strike.
Check out the Writer Boi WGA video below – a hip hop anthem for the striking writers.
Television may be about to implode if the Writers’ Strike doesn’t get resolved soon (cheap bastard executives, give the writers what they deserve dammit!), but some people are helping out any way they can. George Clooney donated $25,000 to the Actors Fund to help all the entertainment industry workers who are currently facing hard times because of the lock out. He said:
“To people like myself, the strike is a forced vacation, but with the rhetoric high, and two other strikes looming, there is the fear that a prolonged strike can destroy people who make a living in this industry,” Clooney, 46, said. “My hope is that people who can afford it will take responsibility for this and help out. This felt like the right place, because the Actors Fund is the most inclusive. It helps writers, and everyone from craft services workers to agency assistants who have been laid off.”
More reasons to love George Clooney.
Ever the giver, George Clooney is giving a generous donation of $25,000 to an actor’s fund to help those struggling actors impacted by the writers’ strike. If the strike continues, he’ll contribute more and hopes others will do the same:
“To people like myself, the strike is a forced vacation, but with the rhetoric high, and two other strikes looming, there is the fear that a prolonged strike can destroy people who make a living in this industry. My hope is that people who can afford it will take responsibility for this and help out.”
