If the writers hit the picket lines, it'll be with the support of more than 90% of the 5,500 Writer's Guild of America members that voted to authorize. The vote allows guild leaders to strike anytime after October 31st, the date their contract expires.
The turnout was significantly large and while it doesn't guarantee anything, as in all labor disputes, the strong backing of the union should prove an asset when the two sides sit down to resume negotiations later today.
The strike has been looming over the entertainment industry for some time now and has already had a significant impact on the small screen. The past months have seen networks stockpiling scripts in hopes of weathering the storm, if and when it comes.
Even still, should the strike occur, the frightening prospect of more reality television and game shows is all but assured. And if the current crop of non-scripted programming is the best networks have, one can only imagine the horror that lies within what wasn't good enough to make the cut.
One potential run around for networks would be to look overseas and grab some of those fancy British shows we're always hearing about (and remaking). A few weeks ago, it was reported that NBC would look to Ricky Gervais' comedy hits The Office and Extras to try and fill its lineup.
Another tact would be for networks to start airing reruns of cable series owned by their own studios. For example, NBC Universal owns Battlestar Galactica and Monk, which have performed well enough they could work as a potential filler.
Of all the cablers, FX is sitting on the largest amount of original programming, almost all of it better than what the networks are actually airing now. However, given the creative freedom that's allowed over at FX, there isn't one series that could make it on network TV without heavy editing.
With the abysmal slate of new programming this year, the contract dispute comes at a really bad time. In years past, when shows like Arrested Development, Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, etc. were in danger of cancellation, a strike would likely be welcomed by fans of the ratings-challenged cult hits.
Unfortunately, in a year where Pushing Daisies and Private Practice are ahead of the pack and shows like Carpoolers, Cavemen, Bionic Woman and Big Shots are struggling to survive, the absence of midseason replacements does absolutely nothing to help keep quality programming on the air.
The major source of contention between the writers and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is the compensation that writers receive in the digital age of entertainment. With DVD sales, iTunes, webisodes and an entirely new method of conducting business, the writer's want a piece of the pie.
The last writer's strike took place in 1988 and cost the entertainment industry roughly $500 million.
