Will Hollywood writers strike? Labor drama unfolds.

As the deadline for a new contract nears, writers and producers are negotiating, but some are braced for the worst.

from the October 19, 2007 edition

Page 2 of 2

Page 1 | 2

Just the possibility of a writers' strike is reverberating through the industry. Like farmers before a tornado, production houses are taking steps to weather any writer shortage. Some longstanding TV shows, such as "Law & Order," continued to shoot after others had gone on summer hiatus, with the aim of stockpiling episodes.

But a frantic air hangs over many freshman dramas, particularly ones such as CBS's "Moonlight," a vampire serial that arrived late to the schedule. A work stoppage could be a stake to the heart to that show and others like it, observers say.

"It will just kill a new show like us," says Chris Fisher, who directed the seventh episode, which airs in a few weeks.

Most scripted shows work only four to six weeks in advance. That means the current crop will run out of original episodes just in time for the holidays. Hollywood has weathered such strikes before, but they've had lasting impact on creators and yielded gaps in quality for viewers.

The stakes are higher this time, say many observers, because the industry seems more fragile and fragmented. Because viewers have so many new options, it's not as easy as it used to be to hold onto them.

"Who even knows what TV or all this will ... look like pretty soon?" asks Mike Langworthy, a veteran scriptwriter for shows as diverse as "8 Simple Rules," "The Drew Carey Show," and "Cybill." If loyal viewers are left hanging, he worries, they won't come back.

"Everybody is watching YouTube and two-minute movies online. That's why this is all so important, economically," says Mr. Langworthy, adding that he's moving on as well – an option that he says will beckon many writers, young and old, if the strike happens.

The prospect of a labor action was the tipping point in a career move he'd planned to make later in life: to become a high school teacher. "The thought of having to rebuild a career after a long, divisive strike made it easy," says the comedy writer. "My son had been pushing to go to school back east, so we just put it all together and the strike was the last straw."

1 | Page 2