Comments (61)

• The only peps who should be concerned are those running the bad series that always get nominations.

  But by all means Numbers, Lie To Me, Navy NCIS, CSI and Human Target… make your voices heard!

  Comment by Tara Reid's Tube Sock — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 4:56pm PST  Reply to this post

• it’s been said a million times and will be said a million more but the disrespect for writers in this town is astonishing. not only is this entire industry fueled by scribes but these goddamned award shows, of which there are far too many, are all founded on the sweaty backs of unrecognized writers.

  award shows can’t exist if there’s nothing to award, where do they think the content comes from? the prevailing stupidity is mind-blowing.

  Comment by almostawriter — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:01pm PST  Reply to this post

• This is insane.

  Comment by tf — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:03pm PST  Reply to this post

• Thanks Nikki, now I don’t have to put a list of show runners and TV writers together.

  Comment by HWood Asst — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:14pm PST  Reply to this post

• Hell, let them produce the Emmy Awards without any WGA writers to write the show… Oh, wait a sec, that won’t work. Hmmm, maybe not such a good idea to cut out the creators of the medium after all.

  Comment by Bill Johnson — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:15pm PST  Reply to this post

• This is just another sign of Hollywood’s obsession that celebrity is all they need, and that the last thing the great unwashed of the nation need to know is that someone actually has to put the words into the actor’s mouths.

  Why’d you think the networks love “reality TV” so much? Because it’s all about making someone famous without any actual creativity involved. It’s celebrities without all the extras.

  Comment by Furious D — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:15pm PST  Reply to this post

• why do writers continue to think they are as important as actors and producers? when will they learn?

  Comment by Really? — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:19pm PST  Reply to this post

• Just one step away from moving the writer’s to the ‘technical awards’ portion …

  Comment by ClearingStuffUp — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:24pm PST  Reply to this post

• Um, the shows are all about the writing. I don’t get it.Is this to people please the audience while dumbing them down at the same time and making them think this all happens by magic? I won’t be watching unless the writer’s awards are on the prime time Emmy show.

  Comment by crew girl — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:27pm PST  Reply to this post

• Unbelievable that the ATAS would kick drama writers off the telecast and keep drama directors. Nothing against drama directors, but the move shows a fundamental and willful misunderstanding of the fact that writers run television. And is almost certainly a fuck-you to the writers for daring to differ with the PGA about what constitutes a writer-”producer.”

  Comment by Ashley Gable — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:29pm PST  Reply to this post

• This is absurd. Writers deserve credit for the work they do. That work is so valuable but treated as if it were easy to come by. The focus seems to be only on pretty people and pretty things. Those are well and fine, but we need to recognize who created the lines for those pretty people to say. All artists are important.

  Comment by Mike — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:35pm PST  Reply to this post

• These shows would not even EXIST (and therfore no freakin emmy show) if it weren’t for the writers who create them and write them every week. This is so offensive it just boggles the mind… just another slap in the face by an industry that seems to enjoy dismissing the writer at every possible opportunity it can afford itself…

  Comment by dumbasshater — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:43pm PST  Reply to this post

• Writers are dull squat hairy bald men who don’t deserve camera time.
  Seth McFarlane and I are the sole exceptions.
  Writers is da n’s of da world.
  No need to express concern at this late stage in the game…

  Comment by Roy Rogers Oldenkamp — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:55pm PST  Reply to this post

• When will the Powers That Be in Hollywood ever learn that without writers, NOBODY else in this town would have a job, including the moguls?

  At the risk of stating the obvious, you can’t make a movie or TV show without a script, even so-called “unscripted television.”

  Wait a minute! They already know. That’s why they constantly try to downplay the importance of writers through tactics like this.

  Comment by SoCalScribe — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 5:56pm PST  Reply to this post

• No writers = no show. Even I can do that math. Let them have their moment.

  Comment by Cat — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 6:03pm PST  Reply to this post

• Gotta agree with them. Without writers we’d all be out of a job. Let ‘em have their awards onscreen. Most of them have a lot more interesting things to say than the actors, after all.

  Comment by Querulous — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 6:10pm PST  Reply to this post

• Oh my god, the writer’s guild’s whining again. Is this really an issue anyone cares about???

  Comment by debbie — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 6:15pm PST  Reply to this post

• Face the facts, showrunners, writers are pretty much dorks who will look crummy no matter how much prepping they do, and they talk too much. Viewers want to see stars, not the ink stained wretches who write the scripts. The petition writers can do all the imploring they want, but these writers should be more concerned that scripted TV shows are dwindling away. Soon, Jay Leno will replace five hours of NBC’s prime time schedule this fall, costing writers about a hundred hours worth of hourly scripts. Now that is something to complain about, as opposed to a few minutes in the limelight for a couple of writers at the Emmy award telecast.

  Comment by Judge Crater — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 6:19pm PST  Reply to this post

• Wow that’s a long list of people that needs some serious props from their peers.

  Comment by Andrew — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 6:50pm PST  Reply to this post

• Do you get it yet?

  The Academy and the studios do not want writers to get any credit, and therefore money, in this industry. They want to perpetuate the myth that the actors make it all up.

  Have you ever listened to an actor talk? If you didn’t want to kill yourself, it was because a writer wrote their fascinating/hilarious story for them.

  Comment by writer — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 6:51pm PST  Reply to this post

• C’mon Nikki! At least get the “journalism” piece correctly. Only TWO writers award are getting this treatment. Your piece clearly misleads to suggest that writerS are getting “screwed” (your words). There will probably be equal treatment (or, in your lingo, “screwing”) of performers and directors and producers. But you really should insure your readers understand that the primary impact is to save broadcast air time traditionally wasted as winners work their way up to the podium. ALL winners AND their full acceptance speeches are, I understand it, still going to be there—just not live as they happen. Of course, if you watch the broadcast in the home town of “Deadline Hollywood”, you are watching three hours after actual “live” awards (i.e. 5pm PDT/8pm EDT)–so none of it is “live” on the West Coast!

  Comment by Todd P. Leavitt — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 7:08pm PST  Reply to this post

• What’s amazing to me are the “writers” who comment on this page. One minute shows like 30 Rock and Samantha Who are lambasted for horrible writing (along with bundles of other projects), the next minute the industry can’t survive without writers. On one hand you tear apart all award shows and in the next breath, the minute you feel slightly mistreated by one, you’re up in arms. I really get the feeling that the only people that comment here are the perpetually unemployed.

  Comment by RBP — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 8:14pm PST  Reply to this post

• Wow. Even Scabtastic Johnny Wells signed this! I’m surprised he’s not telling us why this is a GREAT DEAL for writers.

  Comment by WGAlltheway — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 8:40pm PST  Reply to this post

• Is there any show-runner NOT on this list? This should send a message loud and clear!

  Comment by DenW — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 8:44pm PST  Reply to this post

• Unbelievable. This is not “whining” at all! The actors should boycott the awards. This is completely demeaning and downright wrong.

  And just a newsflash for those snarkers out there: Writers have to eat, so they’re forced to write drivel! Do you think that anyone in their right mind would want to write an episode of Hannah Montana or The Suite Life with Zack and Cody if they didn’t have to? Come on. Those shows are hardly resume enhancers.

  Comment by Jim — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 9:18pm PST  Reply to this post

• We scream negative sh@t about what’s being written for television and the lack of quality, and then we scream when the academy acknowledges that we are right and will not air the writers award live.

  Why?…….We finally won one.

  Comment by writersareus — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 9:45pm PST  Reply to this post

• Writers — this is about ratings and interest. Audiences don’t care about the Emmys, or judging by the free-fall in ratings for all broadcast networks, much of TV itself. Reality or scripted.

  Audiences don’t care about seeing writers in awards shows. Why would they? They barely care about the shows themselves. WSJ had a story the other day, ALL networks are down from audiences in 2005, and only CBS posted a marginal increase from last year. Everyone else (Fox, NBC, ABC) posted a constant downtrend. Together, ALL Networks combined have about 12.6% of viewers 18-49 (excluding Hispanics, they watch Spanish Language TV as shown by Nielsen).

  Reality — unless Writer-Producers change and start producing broadly appealing shows for men and women, young and old alike, there’s no margin for anything, even a back-slapping Emmy Awards show. Most Emmys go to shows few watch but get “buzz” by being pay-cable edgy (predictable “shocking” moments parodied by South Park in the “Cop Drama” episode).

  Let me repeat: ALL four broadcast networks (CW was not listed) combined get 12.6% of audiences 18-49. I’m frankly surprised there’s enough spare cash to produce and broadcast a show (the Emmys) that few will watch in the first place. [You can derive this figure from the WSJ article about the TV networks audience decline from last week, combined with US Census Bureau data, both online/free.]

  That’s Hollywood writers for you. Instead of growing the business by writing broadly appealing stuff (most of the writers just can’t write anything that is not formulaic “shocking”) they fight over meaningless awards no one outside their families will care about.

  Quick, who won for best writing, drama, last year? Who cares?

  Comment by whiskey — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 9:51pm PST  Reply to this post

• Thank you Nikki for stating the obvious. To take writing of a drama series and shove it into a “Time shift” presentation just blows. CBS has no nominations in writing for a drama and that is why they want it off.

  Comment by Crystal Geiser — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 10:09pm PST  Reply to this post

• So where does the Academy they think shows come from? The Show Fairy? Those people called “writers” just collect the statues for the Fairy, so they can pretty much just hand them the statues anywhere.

  Comment by Ella — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 11:06pm PST  Reply to this post

• Well, once again, the WGA shows it is the only union in this town with the appropriate spine…

  Comment by HelenofPeel — Monday August 3, 2009 @ 11:08pm PST  Reply to this post

• Since Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof are entertaining enough for Jimmy Kimmel, they should be entertaining enough for the boring Emmy Awards show.

  Comment by D girl — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 12:06am PST  Reply to this post

• Yeah, but lets face it – these awards shows don’t exist for the talent; they’re just another excuse to sell ad time. Its complete BS.

  Comment by Anonymous — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 1:23am PST  Reply to this post

• First they segregated the “techies” and you said nothing then they segregated the supporting actors and you said nothing……………

  Comment by jonasbros. — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 1:33am PST  Reply to this post

• I agree that it’s not a sign of disrespect for writers, but rather an acknowledgement that it’s an entertainment show, where they want to maximize the amount of screen time for people the public knows and wants to see and people who are trained to appear effectively in the media.

  I think it’s up to writers to build their media presence if they want to appear on shows like this. Give lectures, produce YouTube videos, take media training, hire publicists, do radio interviews, get on local television shows, write books, do book tours, and so on. Once a sufficient number of writers create publicity platforms like this, they’ll be known and in demand to be invited to live awards shows.

  Comment by Tommy — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 2:48am PST  Reply to this post

• RBP — August 3, 2009 @ 8:14 pm:

  I see what you’re saying, but at the same time you have to acknowledge that the sum total of the commentary here doesn’t comprise a single entity that’s suffering from a serious multiple personality disorder. Everyone has and expresses an individual perspective, and that’s bound to result in contradictory opinions. Assuming arguendo you could manage to place everyone that comments here into one category you’d be unable to put a “Writers” label on it and make it stick; not everyone that comments here is a writer.

  Comment by Captain Obvious — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 4:30am PST  Reply to this post

• Here’s a simple solution. ATAS moves the event from a broadcast outlet to cable. After all, it’s where the audience is going these days. Why? Because it’s where an audience can reliably find good material (good writing).

  Comment by Deborah — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 7:27am PST  Reply to this post

• When will the Powers That Be in Hollywood ever learn that without writers, NOBODY else in this town would have a job, including the moguls?

  At the risk of stating the obvious, you can’t make a movie or TV show without a script, even so-called “unscripted television.”

  Wait a minute! They already know. That’s why they constantly try to downplay the importance of writers through tactics like this.

  You are such an idiot SouthCalScribe. You don’t know that without the director you’d only have a stack of pages? You don’t know that without the producer’s money you’d only have a stack of pages? You don’t know that without the actors you’d have a stack of pages? You don’t know that without the cameramen you’d have a PLAY?

  You writers are the scum of the earth.

  And you SouthCalScribe must be just a wanna be writer that never will be. I have a board for you: go to DD. You’ll be in good company.

  Comment by anonymous — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 8:05am PST  Reply to this post

• Why can’t they just air the shows as a pre-show or even on another night — like what they do for the creative emmys.

  Comment by james — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 9:38am PST  Reply to this post

• Yes, take a away one of the very few opportunities writers have to stand and be counted for their ESSENTIAL contribution. And for no good god damn reason. This town is going to shit and no one seems to care.

  Comment by azazello — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 9:49am PST  Reply to this post

• Judge Crater writes… “Soon, Jay Leno will replace five hours of NBC’s prime time schedule this fall, costing writers about a hundred hours worth of hourly scripts.”

  Leno’s show has writers. If he had retired after doing The Tonight Show his writers would be out of work. Had he not gone to 10pm, the writers on Jimmy Fallon would not be working.

  Dateline NBC had two of those 10pm slots. Not writers of scripted TV. Given NBC’s dire position Dateline probably would’ve gotten another night if Leno didn’t make the move.

  Comment by George Glass — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 9:51am PST  Reply to this post

• Wait, they still broadcast the Emmys? No one watches that elitest crap.

  Comment by Bob the Dalek — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 10:58am PST  Reply to this post

• Without writers present, I think we shall have to call them the SEMMYS from now on.

  Comment by Lytton Strachey — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 11:17am PST  Reply to this post

• The business is always looking for new and improved ways to insult writers…

  Comment by innereal — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 11:33am PST  Reply to this post

• Hey, “Really?”–

  The writers ARE the producers in television. Just FYI. And not in title only. They ACTUALLY write and ACTUALLY produce every single episode.

  So you can understand why in many cases, they are far more important than any member of the show’s cast. When actors become a problem, their characters sometimes get hit by buses… or married off… or sent to college… or reassigned to other precincts. Sure, sometimes the star is too important and we all grit our teeth. But often… they ain’t. Often, the SHOW’s what’s important. And the showrunners on this list? ARE the show.

  That’s why they’re called showrunners, honey.

  Comment by writer/producer — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 12:36pm PST  Reply to this post

• No offense, but since this awards show is really a televison show designed to get ratings, which in turn is really about ’selling soap,’ who cares what the writers think? It’s the actors that the average person wants to see up there, not the writers. So don’t participate if you don’t like it, but don’t force the people who pay for the show to suffer in ratings because of your integrity. Come up with your own show and put it out if you don’t like it.

  Jeez. The writers seem to think that these awards shows are about something other than selling things to the public. Get over yourselves, already.

  Comment by Greg — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 1:00pm PST  Reply to this post

• If someone, anyone in Hollywood, would wake up we’d have a chance of seeing this isn’t about writers. It’s about corporations moving to devalue its workers– all its workers — to a point where we all think we should be tankful for a job, any job, regardless of how unfair the compensation will be–how impossible it is to live on the wage.

  It’s the corporate push to amass wealth and distribute it among their CEOs and shareholders. (Well maybe not the shareholders.)

  If the unions in this town don’t bury their petty egotistical differences–each thinking they are the most important cog in the wheel– and join forces the corporations will continue to chip away and cut away at us until we can’t get a proper credit, can’t have a quote, can’t make a living, and can’t survive.

  I have to say if we keep on the track we are going believing each as individuals we are then ONE who can navigate these waters alone without our union or our community, we will all get exactly what we deserve– nothing.

  Wise up people, and team up. The giant is getting bigger and we’re arguing among ourselves.

  Comment by zackery — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 1:25pm PST  Reply to this post

• I’d like to offer a different perspective. How about I think it is time for writers in this biz to eat a big fat piece of humble pie. We, and especially the studios and networks, have had enough of your whining. We are still reeling from that stupid strike (well that combined with this awesome economy). You’re lucky any shows and movies are still getting made. Stop biting the hands that feed you and be thankful for once that you are employed (for now).

  Comment by Enough — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 2:25pm PST  Reply to this post

• “You are such an idiot SouthCalScribe. You don’t know that without the director you’d only have a stack of pages? You don’t know that without the producer’s money you’d only have a stack of pages? You don’t know that without the actors you’d have a stack of pages? You don’t know that without the cameramen you’d have a PLAY?

  You writers are the scum of the earth.”

  Comment by anonymous — August 4, 2009 @ 8:05 am

  Hey Anonymous. You are really, really, really delusional. I mean out of it. To the point of start taking drugs to better your mind. A director without that stack of pages is a guy sitting on chair without his “pages” to look at every 10 seconds. A producer has nothing to produce without that stack of pages. He’s broke. And the actor? Ask him to ask another actor – ‘what’s next’? What do we do now? Or do a one man show for a few hours by being witty and urbane without the movie clips to fall back on. That stack of papers is the gold that makes this town run. It’s the oil, you moron. It’s the blood in your veins. And the cameraman? Let him drive to an empty building when there’s no actors because the producer had nothing to raise money on and there’s no director because there’s nothing to direct. Are we still the scum of the earth? If you’re in this business we paid for your house. We support you.

  Comment by Better Anonymous — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 2:53pm PST  Reply to this post

• The writer’s were to television what the directors were to motion pictures. During all their walkouts in the eighties and nineties and the latest in 2oo8 they lost jobs and power and now are acting as if they themselves were not responcible. The have lost power on the set, in the deals where they once ruled the roost. Well, you dug your own hole and now try to climb out of it.

  Comment by hollyvet — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 5:15pm PST  Reply to this post

• It never ceases to amaze me the ignorance of people like “anonymous” when it comes to arrogantly ignoring the obvious.

  Without taking anything away from directors, producers, actors, camera people and the small army of artists and craftsmen it takes to produce a movie or TV show, if there’s no script (i.e. that “stack of pages” Anonymous rants about), there’s nothing for the directors to direct, nothing for the producers to finance and produce, nothing for the actors to say… Need I go on?

  It all begins with the script. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage.”

  In the immortal words of a certain wascally wabbit (and writers like Michael Maltese who put the words in his mouth via Mel Blanc), “What a maroon.”

  Comment by SoCalScribe — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 10:36pm PST  Reply to this post

• .Showrunners are more than “writers”… They are often the people who decide if a show should be produced in Canada, or not — meaning: they decide if you ignorant bastards should remain employed, or not…

  Comment by D girl — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 10:42pm PST  Reply to this post

• I don’t know about all of the Wall Street Journal’s numbers are, but we could maybe also factor in San Diego Comicon’s jump in revenue and attendance, if we might look at those and factor them in, since people like Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof started showing up there.

  Many times writers go on to become directors, producers, showrunners themselves. I’m sure if asked to do so, some of them still might speak on the current crop’s behalf. Steven Spielberg wrote the stories to his most famous films. George Lucas as well. Ron Howard, Joss Whedon, Chris Carter. All engaging and humorous individuals, in some case possessing considerable acting abilities themselves, who have proven cabaple of rescuing flagging ratings for networks and studios.
  A great actor may be saddled with a bad show, as may be a great writer. But, with the writer, there’s more of a chance that the show itself might be worth watching. Many shows have drawn viewers and kept them because of the writers’ names safeguarding and vouching for the actors’ performances being less likely to be mired in poor plotting. Jane Espenson, David Fury, Vince Gilligan, Frank Spotnitz, these are the names which draw viewers. Fury has acted, and even in special features to DVD sets seems also to be a funny guy and engaging story teller. Same with the others. Rebecca Rand Kirshner even seems to be in the Hollywood beauty category enough to where she’d look just right on Brad Pitt’s arm. There are many good writers who can save awards shows ratings and that of the networks in general. Why don’t you use them to maximum effectiveness?

  Comment by SobekSings — Tuesday August 4, 2009 @ 11:30pm PST  Reply to this post

• Why are we arguing about which creative elements are most important? Entertainment is a collaborative medium – writers, actors, directors, dp’s, and their hardworking teams are all necessary parts of the process and, since filming stuff costs money, so are producers/moguls, who, it’s worth noting, are no more attractive on tv, or interesting to the public than writers…

  Comment by What's the Point — Wednesday August 5, 2009 @ 12:38am PST  Reply to this post

• No one took up my suggestion last week and now there is a crisis. At that time, there was a controversy because Family Guy, an animated show, was nominated as Best Comedy. I proposed at that time that the whole Emmycast be animated. I don’t mean exciting, that’s beyond the realm of possiblity. I mean animated as in cell or computerized. That way, the acceptance speeches of writers (a cartoon Matt Weiner or Shonda Rhimes, say), could be limited to three or four words or, better, funny sounds. It really slows things down when people who aren’t great looking or who we don’t know or recognize, show their gratitude.

  Comment by Ib Ewerks — Wednesday August 5, 2009 @ 6:35am PST  Reply to this post

• I even bored myself on that damn HBO show. Do we really have to take Emmy broadcast time away from network shows about finding cum stains on gum wrappers to give precious minutes to HBO and their semi-literary elitist product? American history — it’s history! Who cares? And I was there! What do they have up this year? I don’t even watch. But I bet they have their nose in the air. I bet millions and millions of people watch it. As always, under the delusion they’re seeing something engaging. I was talking to Jefferson and he said nothing they ever do will match ‘The Jeffersons’. So what does that tell you?

  Comment by John Adams — Wednesday August 5, 2009 @ 6:54am PST  Reply to this post

• A few years ago when writers were up for awards they did a voiceover reading a few lines of the actual script. Everyone I watched the show with found it very interesting and really liked it.

  There may be a problem with acceptance speeches but it’s certainly not coming from the writers. If anything it’s these crying actresses or obscure documentary guys. Or the ones who can’t speak english.

  You’re going to tell me the writers speeches are the worst on there? Or they have the least “sexy” of all the vocations on live TV?

  What’s really going on here?

  Comment by azazello — Wednesday August 5, 2009 @ 11:48am PST  Reply to this post

• There was a time when to be a “Writer” meant that you were one of the intelligentsia. That was because your books could influence thousands. People knew your name, they wrote about you in the newspapers… What is the modern equivalent of that notoriety?

  Then came movies and television. The writers fought back with copyright laws. But Corporate money trumped copyright. Somehow somebody figured out how to “own” the books & stories without having to actually “write” the books and stories (which they couldn’t do, though they tried.) Soon only the Actors were intelligentsia. They even could stop Wars and become presidents. (With the right help.) But then the corporations leaders were jealous and wanted there fame and notoriety. After all, they actually “owned” the written word…

  So the writers, having nothing better to do in their spare time, invented The Internet. They began to hook their word processing machines together and send each other notes, and stories for comments, and stuff. Lots of stuff. I was there. I was there when there were three University machines hooked together and people began to talk to each other. E-Mail came first, then mailing lists, and then USENET groups. It was The Writer’s Revenge for taking their copyrights away. No writer actually thought this through, it just sort of happened. You get a whole bunch of free-thinking writers together and you never know what will happen. But I know this, I’ve been to movies, I’ve been to Music Concerts, and I’ve talked with Writers.

  I had an afternoon with Donald Hamilton down in Santa Fe at The Palace Restaurant that tops any Music Concert or Movie I’ve ever seen. And I can name at least a dozen writers that would be equally as much fun… Hell, I just bought the Harlan Ellison movie and I still love him. So if you are looking to be entertained, keep the writers employed and eliminate the chance that their next invention will be more World Shattering than the last one.

  Comment by Dave — Wednesday August 5, 2009 @ 5:27pm PST  Reply to this post

• I am sick to death of stars, of acting stars, of stars that do nothing.

  Give me some writers to gawk at! Seriously. Some writers & directors & hurry the f up before they all drop dead.

  Comment by TV Viewer — Thursday August 6, 2009 @ 4:34pm PST  Reply to this post

• There are more Stars in the heavens named after Writers than there are stars in the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

  Be careful about how you treat the Writers… Perhaps it is coming up time for all the Zombie movies to feature Emmys in the bookcases of all the “temporary” Zombies.

  Comment by Dave — Thursday August 6, 2009 @ 6:34pm PST  Reply to this post

• I respect the (politely worded) opinions given thus far. From my perspective, I not only want to see the people I “know” (i.e. the actors), but also the people behind what I see on screen. TV shows and movies are collaborative efforts. Take away any one element and what is left, if it exists at all, is greatly diminished.

  A terrific actor can sometimes carry a show that has poor writing and/or directing, just as stellar writing and/or directing can sometimes lessen the negative impact of poor acting, but that same show is so much better when the individual elements are all working together to their full potential.

  I don’t want to see shows that are merely adequate, I want to watch something that is captivating and worth spending my time watching. I want to see the people behind the scenes and get to know them as well.

  Think about this – all those memorable lines from your favourite tv shows and movies…where did they come from? Would “Titanic”, “The Godfather”, or “Star Wars” have been the same with unskilled directors or mediocre cinematography?

  Writing, directing, casting, cinematography, costumes, sets, location, etc, etc, etc,…the list goes on and on. Each element is important to the whole.

  In your own job, are you one of the few “visible” players, or are you working behind the scenes to support the “main characters”? Most of us work behind the scenes in our jobs, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want (and deserve) to be recognized and valued for our contributions.

  Comment by MyVamp — Monday August 10, 2009 @ 7:14am PST  Reply to this post

• Dear Anonymous (you know which “Anonymous” you are, the asinine one without two damn brain cells to rub together),

  First, you completely missed SoCalScribe’s point and argued against a stance he or she never took. Demanding that the writers be acknowledged as the creators of the material in no way diminishes the contributions of everybody else in the process. SoCalScribe didn’t denigrate any of the other jobs in the chain leading up to a finished show — the point is simply to credit writers as being PART of that team. Specifically, the part that comes up with the damn story in the first place.

  Second, you’re a moron.

  Comment by Tired of the morons — Tuesday August 18, 2009 @ 2:15am PST  Reply to this post