(S03E18) So, Thursdays are back being the biggest night on television, and last Thursday had a lot to offer. One of the comedies on that night was My Name Is Earl, but I hadn’t had a chance to watch it then. After that I have to admit I spend some time not really watching anything, and it’s not before today that I (finally) got to see the latest episode of Earl in his coma.
I might add that if this plot had been over already, I might have watched this 24 hours sooner, but it was still going last time and I never really liked it, so maybe I wasn’t so excited about the new episode, fearing that The Hickeys might come back…
As unfortunate as this news is, it was doomed to happen. After Carson Daly a little while ago – no I don’t feel like mentioning Ellen, I mean she had her show went dark for that, 4 minutes? – then the announcement that both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien would return on January 2nd, followed recently by Jimmy Kimmel to return the same day, and with Letterman still working with the WGA to return in early January as well, Comedy Central’s late night talk were the only ones not to return.
And this changed, as it was announced by Comedy Central that both The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report will return with new episodes starting January 7 :
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report will resume production on January 7 with both shows returning to air that night without their respective writing staffs. The January 7 return follows a scheduled two-week, end-of-year hiatus that was previously built into the shows’ production calendars. We continue to hold out hope for a swift resolution to the current stalemate that will enable the shows to be complete again.
At first, the rumor was that the People’s Choice Awards were simple canceled this year, CBS was not going to broadcast a show were most celebrities were likely to not show up (read: would refuse to cross picket lines). Thinking about simply canceling a show that usually does pretty good, network executives weren’t too happy, obviously.
But don’t worry, because they have an idea !
Forget the strike, this has nothing to do about a strike or some writers or anything, things will go as planned, but they just had an idea for a new format : magazine format !
I’ve had it, I can’t stand those assholes from the AMPTP and those fat greedy studios’ exec. Yes, I do support the writers and I believe what they’re asking is nothing but fair, and that they should get what they’re asking for. But even trying to put my own beliefs and opinions aside, at least the writers aren’t a bunch lying motherfuckers ! Yes, it’s nothing new that those greedy fucks would lie and try to manipulate everyone and do everything they’re doing right now.
Of course this shouldn’t be much of a surprise – but haven’t they realized that they’re putting the future of the television media in jeopardy. Because let me assure you, them, everyone, that many people will move away from their TV, find new ways to get their entertainment and pass the time, and if they do, they might not ever come back to television. Ever.
There were concerns whether or not the Golden Globes (airing January 13) and the Oscars (February 24) would be able to actually happen or not, with the strike going on and all. The Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes) and the AMPAS (Oscars) have both asked the WGA for wavers that would allow writers to work on the show, to prepare material and use clips from previous shows.
Following on announcements that both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien will go back on the air next year, without their still striking writers of course, as one could have expected Jimmy Kimmel has now announced that he too would return on the air, starting January 2nd as well.
Jimmy Kimmel has been supporting the writers from day one, has been seen picketing himself and serving lunch to fellow picketing writers, has also been quietly paying his non-writing staff ever since the strike started, and his show went off the air – despite being payed much less than other big late night hosts.
Remember back when I said that we should stay away from reality TV, games and all the crap networks are intending to use to do without the writers ? That still holds, of course, if you like TV, and watch your selection of series that you do love, or at least you used to before they got taken out, if you miss them and want them back soon : don’t want anything else.
No reruns, no reality crap, no games, no television until the strike is over ! Well, you can even extended that, of course, to on-line streaming and even buying DVDs. Want to know more about this ? Here’s a bunch of writers explaining it all in a very nice and colorful way :
- NBC announced that, after Law & Order: Criminal Intend, which was sent back to USA before the strike, then brought back to the big network to help during the strike, two more series will be treated the same : both Monk and Psych are scheduled to appear on NBC on Sundays in March. New episodes still air on USA first, of course. Meaning at NBC, there’s not hope that by March the situation will be resolved.
- Many people are guessing that it might takes weeks if not months only to get the AMPTP and the WGA to talk again. Producer Dick Wolf – of all the Law & Order series fame – kinda agrees, although he wishes people (read AMPTP and co) would realize how important things are, and how badly they’re hurting the television business : “This is a disaster for the television business. My sincerest hope (…) is that people get their heads on straight. It’s an absolute necessity. (…) I have a horrifying feeling it’s going to be longer unless it solved in the next 10 days or two weeks. It could be a horrifically long strike.”
- Not strike-related : CBS had an explosive year, and they are hoping that 2008 will be even better :
There were only rumors at first, but then official announcements from the network and press release from the hosts themselves followed, leaving no doubt that both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien would indeed come back to work, and have their show back on the air starting January 2nd, 2008.
While stating that they were only doing so reluctantly and only in order to save jobs – as this move would allow for about a hundred non-writing staff members per show not to be let go – questions are are rising in the mind of many people, and writers’ supporters : wasn’t this move just a cave in to NBC’s demands, will this not be seen as an act going against the writers’ strike, should we or should we not hate NBC’s late night hosts ?
So now that both Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien have announced their intention to go back in the air, the Writers Guilds of America is reminding everyone, including the two hosts, and members of the WGA, of the pre-approved “Strike Rules pertaining to Comedy/Variety” sent to all comedy writers before the strike.
This, to make sure that, while writers themselves and able to come up with material on their own, they should not. The writer in them is still striking, and they are only returning on the air as hosts, to allow non-writing staff to work. A WGA spokesperson said that “these are the rules we expect all the hosts to adhere to if they go back on the air without their writers, who will still be on strike“.
By fred | April 27, 2008 
(S03E18) So, Thursdays are back being the biggest night on television, and last Thursday had a lot to offer. One of the comedies on that night was My Name Is Earl, but I hadn’t had a chance to watch it then. After that I have to admit I spend some time not really watching anything, and it’s not before today that I (finally) got to see the latest episode of Earl in his coma.
As unfortunate as this news is, it was doomed to happen. After Carson Daly a little while ago – no I don’t feel like mentioning Ellen, I mean she had her show went dark for that, 4 minutes? – then the announcement that both 
At first, the rumor was that the People’s Choice Awards were simple canceled this year, CBS was not going to broadcast a show were most celebrities were likely to not show up (read: would refuse to cross picket lines). Thinking about simply canceling a show that usually does pretty good, network executives weren’t too happy, obviously.
I’ve had it, I can’t stand those assholes from the AMPTP and those fat greedy studios’ exec. Yes, I do support the writers and I believe what they’re asking is nothing but fair, and that they should get what they’re asking for. But even trying to put my own beliefs and opinions aside, at least the writers aren’t a bunch lying motherfuckers ! Yes, it’s nothing new that those greedy fucks would lie and try to manipulate everyone and do everything they’re doing right now.
There were concerns whether or not the Golden Globes (airing January 13) and the Oscars (February 24) would be able to actually happen or not, with the strike going on and all. The Hollywood Foreign Press (Golden Globes) and the AMPAS (Oscars) have both asked the WGA for wavers that would allow writers to work on the show, to prepare material and use clips from previous shows.
Following on announcements that both 
