WGA Reaches Deal with United Artists
Now Hiring: United Artists
According to Variety, the Writer’s Guild of America has reached an interim deal with United Artists that would allow its members to return to work. This is a similar deal to the one reached with David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants, and could point to other deals with small studios such as the Bob and Harvey Show and Lionsgate.
Dave McNary at Variety writes that this deal with the Tom Cruise/Paula Wagner-run UA is part of the WGA’s “divide and conquer” strategy of signing individual deals, thus forcing studios left out in the cold to settle up — it doesn’t affect parent MGM or grandparent Sony, but it could have a trickle effect.
If so, consider this: my ideal scenario would have a network — say, for instance, fourth-ranked NBC — strike a deal with the WGA. Then, NBC could claim that it will be the first to come back with your favorite shows — that is, if you haven’t fallen in love with “American Gladiators” or “Celebrity Apprentice.” The other networks would be persuaded to ink deals in short order.
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The only good thing about the writers’ strike – the ONLY good thing – is that Big Brother 9 will be back on CBS come February. I can already feel my brain cells being snuffed out.