Strike out:

The following are excerpts from conversations I've had with dozens of people recently:\nTV fan: "It's January and you know what that means -- time for '24.'"\nMe: "Actually, because of the Writers Guild of America strike, they weren't able to complete all the episodes so Fox decided '24' will be off-air indefinitely."\nTV fan: "That's complete bullshit, but at least I'll have the winter returns of my other favorites such as 'Heroes.'"\nMe: "Well, again due to the strike, they've run out of episodes and will be off-air indefinitely as well."\nTV fan: "What the hell, man? What are they striking for?"\nWhat's the deal?\nTherein lies the sad truth: Aside from the writers themselves, no one is affected by this strike more than the fans, but I'd guess less than eight percent of fans really know what's been going on the last two months.\nThe WGA -- which includes all Hollywood writers, not just TV -- is striking against the studios primarily over residual money from DVD sales and compensation for creations of "new media," such as online content. Both mediums provide much more money than box-office numbers or advertising dollars, and currently the writers receive very little (0.3%) for DVDs and absolutely nothing for new media. \nThe two sides haven't sat down at the bargaining table since early December, and the WGA has decided it wants to deal with individual studios, only dragging out this awful process longer. \nHow does this affect the viewers?\nThe main problem is that the effects of the strike didn't appear immediately. Most prime-time shows continued to run episodes throughout November and then took their normal break over the holiday season. But now is the time fans are going to be hit hard. \nAlmost all the programs that began in the fall are either fresh out of new episodes or have only a handful remaining. Shows such as "Heroes," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives" and "CSI:" have nothing new left for 2008 and won't resume production until the strike ends. Even the shows that are premiering in the new year such as "Lost" or "Medium" won't provide a full season, even in the case of the smaller-than-average 16-episode order of "Lost," which will have eight episodes complete.\nAnd with the lack of new scripted programming becoming a stone cold reality at the end of March, what will the studios turn to? Reality TV. Be on the lookout for a winter version of "Big Brother" or the resurrection of "The Mole," not to mention whatever awful reality shows FOX concocts. \nMuch worse is that as the strike continues, no new shows will be created for the 2008-2009 season, therefore killing the pilot season and up-fronts, which will drain the studios of advertising dollars. We could easily be looking at no new episodes from our favorite shows until this time next year. \nEven the good news hasn't been that good. The late-night shows, which went dark as soon as the strike began, returned two weeks ago, but have struggled without writers. David Letterman and Craig Ferguson's shows returned with writers due to Letterman's deal with the WGA, but it gives them an unfair advantage against everyone else.\nThe season's award shows are also becoming casualties of the WGA's lack of support for them and the actors' refusals to show up. The Golden Globes became a press conference, and the same could happen to the Oscars as well.\nFans won't see much effect on the film industry until sometime in 2009, because completed scripts have piled up, but it's possible that terrible scripts which have been on the shelf for a while will get produced out of necessity. \nWhat can we do?\nAside from sending pencils to the studios in recognition of support for the WGA, it seems to me that fans have three options once the scripted shows end in the spring: Pray George Clooney's new strike-breaking task force works, stock up on TV shows on DVD or actually go outside and do something active. I've said this before and I'll continue saying it -- WGA, studios: Please don't let it come to that.