Strike Watch: Strike on Hiatus? Plus, You Are the Scab!

I think they should get non-union writers to create an inspirational tv movie about a bunch of lovable strike-breaking replacement writers who triumph over adversity. Like "The Replacements" with Keanu Reeves but about TV.

Also, if you're going to do the Time Machine deal, you have to get the advertisers to play nice (like with old Coke ads, etc.) Otherwise, the magical spell is broken.

I have no idea what the networks should be doing now...

but since everyone in the media seems to be continuing to pay their TV critics anyway, why not do some actual criticism of television as an institution -- especially the p!ss poor job it does in reporting "the news".... and how that impacts our society as a whole.

For instance, if TV news was doing its job, do you think that Joe Klein could ever write something as completely ignorant of the key facts as "Unfortunately, Speaker Nancy Pelosi... supported a Democratic bill that... would require the surveillance of every foreign-terrorist target's calls to be approved by the FISA court." This is just dead wrong -- but its the kind of nonsense that you can hear unrebutted from Republican operatives every day of the week -- and this disinformation is so pervasive that even a (supposed) liberal will go out of his way to base his fundamental criticism of Democrats on the basis of this kind of flat out lie.

Now, I don't expect you to p'wn Klein for this stupidity (Greenwald has already done it anyway: see http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2007/11/21/klein/index.html ) despite the fact that you Time-blog colleague Justin Fox eviscerated the recipient of Time's latest in-kind contribution to the wingnut welfare establishment, Ramesh Ponnuru. Just examine how what passes for television "news" isn't just doing its job of informing the American people, its making them dumber.

After all, while I understand the earthshaking importance of multiple blog posts on the Caveman phenomenon, isn't examining the impact of television on society at least part of your job?

I think they should get non-union writers to create an inspirational tv movie about a bunch of lovable strike-breaking replacement writers who triumph over adversity. Like "The Replacements" with Keanu Reeves but about TV.

or better yet, how about a sentimental sit-com about a TV critic desperately searching for something to write about during a WGA strike?

I kinda like the rejected pilot idea - maybe with a spin where they show a variety of rejected pilots and have the country vote on which to turn in to new series. It could be a thing. . . .

I'm gonna be oh so sad when my shows run out. Apparantly most of the shows I like only have like 4 more episodes left And The Office is out of episodes already

I would also be down with marathons of already-aired episodes of shows - so folks could potentially get interested in shows they haven't gotten around to watching yet.

"Retro Night" is not that far removed from my own strike contingency plan: load up the Netflix queue with TV-on-DVD selections I missed the 1st time around.

Who likes being called a scab?
How about some old Tarzan movies, Shirley Temple, Laurel & Hardy, and some old Mickey Rooney while we're at it.
Hold the Coke, and give me a Faygo.

@P_luk: "...while I understand the earthshaking importance of multiple blog posts on the Caveman phenomenon, isn't examining the impact of television on society at least part of your job?"

Do not understand! How are the two different?

Seriously, to get earnest for a minute, you point out one of the tricks of news-criticism-of-the-news, which is that there's a fine line between critiquing and dilettantism--between critiquing the gestalt, tone and priorities of TV news and pretending to be an expert in every beat it covers. I have been talking to my editors about doing more on the media of, about and by the presidential campaigns--in the print magazine but hopefully here as well. As you say, the strike could give me more time to focus on that.

@Mary: Remember when you were a kid? Well, part of you still is. And that's why we make Faygo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQqyDj7RX6Y

If you want pilot burnoff theater, the best place to do so this season would be through the futon critic. That site has the best and worst of the rejected pilots from 2007 pilot season. All you have to do is click on the pilot previews in the fall preview section, and the rejected pilots will come up under the pilots or "dreck" picked up this season.

I don't know if they would be able to do it, but I would love to see them run through entire seasons of good but relatively unwatched shows, like Friday Night Lights. Or even put Battlestar Galatica on network TV, since I know a ton of people who reflexively think 'SciFi channel show = no way I'm watching it,' no matter how much I try to convince them that it's an incredible show.

I also like the idea of airing various pilots and maybe letting the viewers have some input into what we'd actually like to see. Though I'm pretty sure Babylon Fields would not be on my list, since zombie crime procedural + relationship 'drama' sounds pretty heinous.

A cheap and easy show to do is to have Ryan Seacrest do an "American Idol: Behind The Scenes and Bloopers" show. I believe that this would be beneficial because it would build up momentum for FOX. Other networks could do the same thing and show behind-the-scenes and blooper footage from shows that were already shot. TV is easy do, if you are smart.

One possible upside I can think of is a proliferation of game shows. I've always thought that one day, there will be so many game shows that one out of every 5 Americans (or an even higher percentage) can say that they've been on one and won something. The more game shows there are, the better the chance I might get to win something. Who wouldn't want to go on Deal or No Deal?

And why would people watch endless gameshows? Well, here's my thought process. If we have tons of game shows, then that means tons of people have a chance of going on. So random people sitting at home might say to themselves "Man, I better watch at least some of those game shows. Then I can apply, and if I ever get picked, I'll at least know the mechanics of the game or get a feel for what others are doing right or wrong." In a sense, watching the game shows could be like research. (aside from the fact that some game shows are actually interesting).

And one last question (sorry I always type super-long posts). I've sometimes wondered why all the "below-the-line" workers on sitcoms and dramas can't find substitute jobs. Let's say the strike lasts a long time and networks replace scripted shows with reality shows, game shows, and news shows. Don't those shows need "below-the-line" personnel as well? They need camera crews, right? The hosts/million dollar briefcase models/news anchors need people to dress them and make-up, right? That should mitigate some of the job losses.

I caught a couple episodes of "To Catch a Predator" for the first time this week. They're absolutely riveting. I don't see a problem with running them in primetime on every network, other than the fact that it's an NBC property. Think of the variations:

Celebrity Predator -- Instead of an anchorman suit intercepting the pedophiles, you could have celebs do it. Can't you picture Donald Trump surprising one of those creepy dudes with his self-important banter. That guy gets holier-than-thou with just about everything, I can't even begin to imagine him in the Chris Hansen role.

To Scare a Predator -- You've seen the scare shows, like Punk'd with a horror theme. It would be pure entertainment. Picture the scene. A greasy creep shows up like usual. The decoy girl would greet him, only to have a realistic-looking alien chest-burster violently emerge from her thorax before the cops show up to bust the terrified perp.

Predator Bloopers -- I'm sure it's happened. A clueless mailman shows up at the door and encounters curiously provocative dialog from the decoy. Before you know it he's got tazer bolts sending amps through his protesting body as he pleads innocence to the police. Eventually, the misunderstanding is cleared up and everybody laughs over a round of lemonade.