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'Red Widow' Gets The Axe
As the strike winds down, what's next?
Depending on who you want to listen to -- or believe -- the end of the writers' strike is a done deal. Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO and current CNBC host, thinks "it's over," as he told the network's Fast Money show. Nikki Finke, in her usual subtle way, takes pains to debunk Eisner's expertise on the matter, saying that "Eisner hasn't mattered since 2004-2005 when he was kicked to the curb by Disney and its shareholders."Still, Finke does give a timeline of how she's been informed the next few days will go; tomorrow seems to be the crucial day, as the WGA membership on both coasts will have "informational meetings" before the governing board of each coast's guild decides whether to put the tentative deal up for a vote. If the informational meetings go well, the union bigwigs may call off the strike before the vote, anticipating the deal will win with the rank-and-file.
So, what will happen when the writers get back to work? According to multiple sources, the shows that are the biggest, most reliable hits for their networks will likely come back starting in late March (though more likely in mid-April), airing a limited number of episodes before the season officially ends in late May. Newer shows with full-season pickups, like Chuck and Pushing Daisies, will likely not resume until shooting for the fall season begins. Mike Ausiello at TVGuide.com has posted a list of what the networks' tentative plans for each show are. As he says, everything is subject to change, but it does look like the pattern mentioned above will hold.
Hey, an 18-episode season is better than an 11-episode season, right? I just hope these episodes don't look or sound like they're rushed into production. Either way, looks like there's good news all around.
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