Showrunners Outraged At Dumbass Emmycast Change: WGA Charges “Clear Violation Of Longstanding Agreement”

COMMENTS (61)

• 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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  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 PDT  Reply to this post