After 100 days the members of the WGA have finally called off their strike and are headed back to work. Today 92.5% of the writers voted in favor of going back to work. A 2nd vote on the new contract is due in a couple of weeks, but it is assumed that will be approved easily. What Next? TrekMovie.com has compiled a quick guide to the effect on the new movie and many favorite genre series and shows with Trek-connections…see below.
"Lost"
- Already aired: 2 episodes; Remaining: 6 episodes
- This season: At least 5 more episodes.
- Next season: Renewed for at least 16 episodes (more could be produced depending on how many are completed this season).
"Boston Legal"
- Already aired: 13 episodes; Remaining: 1 episode.
- This season: Up to eight additional episodes to air in April/May.
- Next season: on the bubble, cancellation possible.
"24"
- Season 7 will premiere in January, 2009.
"Heroes"
- Already aired: 11 episodes; Remaining: no pre-strike episodes are left to air.
- This season: No additional episodes.
- Next season: Renewed for fall ‘08. Episode order unknown.
"Battlestar Galactica"
- Premieres on April 4th; 10 Episodes Completed.
- This season: 10 episodes. Production could begin on the second half of the final season as early as March. Could premiere as early as January 2009.
"Chuck"
- Already aired: 13 episodes; Remaining: no pre-strike episodes.
- This season: No additional episodes.
- Next season: Renewed. New episodes could begin airing in late summer (after the Olympics) or early fall ‘08.
"Ghost Whisperer"
- Already aired: 12 episodes; Remaining: no pre-strike episodes are left to air
- This season: Four to seven episodes are expected to be shot to air this season in April/May.
- Next season: Renewed for fall ‘08. Episode order unknown.
"Medium"
- Already aired: 3 episodes; Remaining: 6 episodes.
- This season: Up to 13 episodes could be shot to complete a full season.
- Next season: Unknown. Would premiere in fall ’08.
"Moonlight"
- Already aired: 12 episodes; Remaining: no pre-strike episodes are left to air.
- This season: Not currently planned, but up to seven additional episodes could be completed to air before next season.
- Next season: Renewed for fall ‘08. Episode order unknown.
"Pushing Daisies"
- Already aired: 9 episodes; Remaining: no pre-strike episodes are left to air
- This season: No additional episodes.
- Next season: Renewed on Monday, February 11 for fall ‘08. 13 episodes ordered.
"Reaper"
- Already aired: 10 episodes; Remaining: 3 episodes
- This season: Five to six additional episodes are expected to air in April/May.
- Next season: Unknown. Would premiere in fall ’08.
"Smallville"
- Already aired: 11 episodes; Remaining: 4 episodes.
- This season: Five to six additional episodes are expected to air in April/May.
- Next season: Unknown. Would premiere in fall ’08.
"Supernatural"
- Already aired: 10 episodes; Remaining: 2 episodes
- This season: Five to six additional episodes are expected to air in April/May.
- Next season: Unknown. Would premiere in fall ’08.
"Terminator"
- Already aired: 5 episodes; Remaining: 4 episodes.
- This season: No additional episodes.
- Next season: Unknown. Would premiere in fall ’08.
"Jericho"
- This season: 7 completed episodes, 1st airs tonight
- Next season: Unknown. Would premiere in fall ’08.
"Samantha Who?"
- Already aired: 9 episodes; Remaining: 3 episodes
- This season: ABC is expected to produce 3 more episodes to air alongside the new season of "Dancing With the Stars" which premieres this March.
- Next season: Renewed on Monday, February 11 (for fall ‘08). 13 episodes ordered.
"House"
- Already aired: 12 episodes; Remaining: no pre-strike episodes are left to air
- This season: Four to six episodes by April/May. An additional four to six episodes could air into June, or in August.
- Next season: Renewal expected (for fall ‘08). Episode order unknown.
What about the Star Trek movie?
Director JJ Abrams and the writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman developed the script assuming that the film would be made during a strike and felt it was ready. However, there have been some cases where they have wanted to make tweaks and those will now be possible. Some may be done during production and others can be done during post-production and/or the eventual re-shoots.
The Trek writers (Orci & Kurtzman) also have another big project that is slated to go into production this summer, Transformers 2. As of now there is no script for that film (although director Michael Bay told Variety he has got one started). Paramount/DreamWorks are keen to get the sequel to their megahit Transformers out during the Summer of 2009. So Bob and Alex may have to hunker down on that one, but in this case the duo have brought in an additional writer (Ehren Kruger) to help carry the load.
NOTE: The above is what is known right now. Of course things can change as the first post-strike weeks commence.
(Primary Source: Variety)
Anybody home?
Finally, and I am glad the writers got some of what they needed.
Oh, Roberto!
Get to work!
LOL
Awesome, sounds good , bring back our shows!
About bloody time.
Finally, the writers are getting their due.
Accoring to superherohype.com, Michael Bay has written the/a script for Transformers 2, which he will hand off to his screenwriters.
Bob and Alex’s first job is to remove 1700 references to a “QUICK CUT,” 1133 mentions of a “HAZE FILTER,” 37 notes regarding “FLAMES ON OPTIMUS,” 3 product placement suggestions about changing the “ALLSPARK” to “ALLSPRITE,” and 2 thinly-veiled masturbation jokes.
Gonna be tough!
I’m glad this whole thing is over with!
Well, it’s a short season. Guess American Gladiators is the big winner here, not the viewers. Sometimes, strikes like this rachet down the overall viewing numbers and they don’t come back. TV and movies are a habit. Lose it, sometimes it never comes back. We’ll see. Might also help me check out competing shows.
Still, very glad for everyone associated with my favs, ST, BSG, Heroes, Lost, and occassionally Daisies.
Right here friend…….watching Jericho, but here!
Capes….
Glad to see Battlestar Galactica will get its full send off!
Someone forgot to mention that THE OFFICE will be coming back as well!
Arrghh! No more Heroes ’til next fall! :-(
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Finally, the stories can begin again and the movies will begin. Are Orci and Kurtzman going to begin writing the Star Trek sequel? Or even a new series? Let’s see.
@12 Vulcanista – after the disappointment of Season 2 Heroes is the lucky benefactor of this strike. Time to retool and refocus otherwise the series will be remembered as a one season wonder.
Glad the ST movie still has a chance for tweaks!
The adventure continues….
Time now for the writers to write more scripts and the producers to write BIGGER cheques! :)
Yikes. My “vacation” is over.
Did I mention that Jericho is back on? Back to work Bob…..
Capes….
Yay!
what about Journeyman? My gut instinct tells me it was on the fence ratings wise and the strike sealed its fate
19
Journeyman was cancelled, sadly. My brother was a writer on that show.
what about scrubs?!?!?!?!
only 6 episodes have been aired, and i’m jonesing for more
Bob
without revealing ANY details……..how goes the Star Trek shoot?
Is it everything you hoped and dreamed? :)
Welcome back, Boborci! Best of luck to your brother on getting more work.
#14 Canuck Lou, I suppose you’re right. I’ll just have to wait. And wait.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
With the strike over, the movie has a chance for tweaks
Lucky us as they’re only shooting for a few more weeks
They’ll give us a bang-up ending
Leave us high without offending
With spies on the set, maybe we’ll be privy to some leaks!
Ahhh so that was your brother Bob! Everytime Journeyman would start and I saw Orci in the credits, I kept wondering if it was you using a different first name or a relative. I’m sorry it was cancelled, it was just coming into it’s own.
Cheer up everyone! Think of the money we’ll all save when we buy boxed DVD sets this year. With the short TV season, the sets won’t cost as much…
A whole year and a half without 24?
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
Were shows filmed in Canada (such as Battlestar Galatactica, Stargate Atlantis or Flash Gordon) affected by the writers’ strike?
#27
[lays TrekNerd’s head on shoulder]
There, there, sweetpea… It’ll be okay. You just let it all out.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
Roberto,
Do you think your guild leaders are really gonna live up to their “threats” to monitor scripts that were in the mix before the strike, and see if they were “worked on” during said strike?
28
Just because they lens up there doesn’t mean that they weren’t written elsewhere. You can see many pix of Ron Moore (BSG) in strike lines…
I’ve never seen ’24’ before… and I saw ‘Jericho’ for the first time last night…
Doug
“24” is an amazing show. Rent it on DVD and BE SURE to watch it in chronological order!
30
Yes
enforcement maybe another matter, but they’ll at least figure out who did what for next time.
28
Yes. I’ve been here for the last two weeks filming our new show “FRINGE” and I couldn’t change anything.
22
I’m biased, but I think it’s going FRIGGIN’ GREAT.
Hey now you writers can write in Shatner!!! :p
“FRIGGIN’ GREAT”
um……that’s a technical term, right?
p.s. how are you enjoying ALL THE SNOW here in Toronto?
#35
When do we get to hear more about “Fringe”?
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
38
I’m actually really LOVING the snow here. You can hardly tell the seasons are changing in LA, so this is great. You? I hear it’s been atypical.
39
What do you want to know?
Bob
yes, it is unusual to get THIS much snow for Toronto…..I know, when you were younger, you lived in North York, so you can understand…..I just shudder to think how others visiting here for the first time will jump to the conclusion that Toronto (and all of Canada) suffer from this kind of weather most of the time…..
By the way, aren’t you up rather late for being on Toronto time?
I tell you what I wanna know…when do we get our first look at the Uniforms, because I get the feeling we’ll get a look at the toys before the actual legit ones…which is gonna make baby Jesus Cry…
…Bob?…
#41
Anything you can/want to tell us about it! Basic plot, characters, etc.
I heard John Noble had been cast as a somewhat disturbed character, and it’s piqued my interest. Loved him in LOTR. He does crazy good!
And the “unexplained phenomena” thing is something I’ve been eating up with a spoon since I was a little kid.
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
“since I was a little kid”
So, Vulcanista, you’re saying you’ve been eating this stuff up for, what, 8-9 years? :)
Vulcanista, in addition to whatever Bob says here…we have been covering FRINGE in our new SciFi Saturday articles and I will be doing more coverage too. I am very excited about the show and look forward to talking to Bob and Bryan about it.
So Bob…how much longer is the FRINGE shoot? and do you have a network commitment for 13 yet?
#46
And I thank you very, very much for bringing to our attention!
I was just angling for a little more detail, since we have the Exec/Co-Creator here, and all! :)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|
oh by all means pump bob for anything he will give up.
I am just pimping Rosario’s new SciFi Saturday column…I think he does a good job (he wrote the above article too).
#27 I feel your pain)))))
^
#32 man where have you been?????? If you even like Jericho a little your going to love “24” and yes you need to watch it in order.
^
So there it is Mr Ballz reviels his love for 24, I knew it!!!
Its gonna be a great season coming up bro!
Trust me……
#48: Love the SciFi column!
#45: Harry, you’re gonna have to issue a “spew alert” before you post anything like *that* again! Do you have any idea how bad wine is for a computer monitor? I mean, really! ;)
Peace. Live long and prosper.
The Vulcanista }:-|