Entries Tagged 'WGA strike' ↓

So I just got done watching the much-anticipated return of The Office on NBC. This is the first new episode of the show since the WGA Strike, and I, like everyone else, had high hopes.

Sadly… it kinda sucked.

This new episode finds all of the major players of the Scranton branch at Michael Scott’s house for a dinner party. It’s couples-only, so just Jim/Pam and Andy/Angela are there with Michael and Jan (at first). Since we’ve last seen them, Jan and Michael seem to have gone even deeper into the Heart of Darkness. They’re completely insane, with Jan especially taking the cake for most outrageous. But really, what’s presented here in terms of their relationship isn’t really very new; instead, they’re just taking jokes of Jan’s dominance and Michael’s wackiness to absurd extremes.

The biggest, most immediate issue with this return episode was that it took place almost entirely out of the office. That means that aside from a brief cameo in the beginning, some of the show’s funnier supporting characters are M.I.A. Even Dwight doesn’t show up in full force until the very end of the episode. What we’re left with is Andy repeating the word “Tuna” a lot, and Jim making his befuddled “WTF” face.

That isn’t to say there weren’t a few funny moments in this episode, because there certainly were (I seem to remember a joke about afterbirth that made me chuckle). Rather than a return to form from last year, this new episode reminded me of the few aspects of the show that I disliked lately—mainly, the need for a reboot. “The Office” needs to reign things in a bit, cut down on all the romantic triangles and get back to work. This may have just been a leftover idea from the pre-strike days, so I’m holding out hope that the rest of this season will be better.

Happy April, loyal television viewers! This has been a rough few months, with the strike annihilating our viewing schedules and dousing us in mediocre reality-themed programming and re-runs. But fear not! Today is April 1st, and April will be a fantastic, fantastic month, because the vast majority of hiatus shows will be returning to the airwaves! Rejoice!

Just to recap, below is a list of shows returning in April, so get your calendar cleared:

April 2 - Criminal Minds, CSI: NY
April 3 - Without A Trace, My Name Is Earl, CSI
April 4 - Battlestar Galactica, Numbers, Ghost Whisperer
April 8 - NCIS
April 10 - The Office, 30 Rock, Scrubs, ER
April 11 - Moonlight
April 14 - Rules of Engagement, One Tree Hill, Bones
April 15 - Law & Order: SVU
April 17 - Smallville
April 20 - Brothers & Sisters
April 21 - Gossip Girl
April 22 - Reaper
April 23 - Law & Order
April 24 - Lost, Ugly Betty, Supernatural, Grey’s Anatomy
April 28 - House
April 29 - Shark

Shows missing in action until next Fall: 24, Private Practice, Heroes, Friday Night Lights (if it doesn’t get canceled)

April is going to be a busy month. My Tivo has been dangerously under-used lately. I hope the poor girl can take the strain.

(via EW)

ABC to offer shows on-demand, with commercials:

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — ABC said Monday it will release hit shows like “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” for free over video-on-demand cable services, with the hitch that viewers will have to sit through commercials without being able to fast-forward.

The Walt Disney Co., parent company of the network, is aiming to profit from ads sold for the video-on-demand offerings while expanding its digital strategy beyond programs distributed on its Web site, abc.com.

“We’re trying to drive everyone back to television but very much understand that with everybody’s lifestyles, they can’t necessarily watch that way and we don’t want to lose them altogether,” Disney spokeswoman Karen Hobson said.

…

Under the deal, local affiliates will be able to sell one 30-second ad on the content, while ABC will sell from four to nine other commercials to national advertisers.

I’m of two minds on this. Part of me thinks that this is an attempt to recapture the viewers lost during the strike–after all, it’s not like there can be a steroid-fueled assault on a home run record to bring viewers back.

At the same time, the cynic in me says that ABC had this ready before the settlement, just wanting to make sure the new agreement would keep these profits in the clear.

WGA West president Patric (no it’s not a typo) Verrone reported the results of the membership ratification vote earlier this evening… “Today, it is our pleasure to inform you that members of the Writers Guilds of America, East and West, have voted to ratify the MBA contract with 93.6% approval. These numbers reaffirm the tremendous level of support and commitment our membership has continuously demonstrated over these last few crucial months.” He went on to say, “As we close this chapter in our union’s history, what we together have accomplished should not be underestimated. The 2008 MBA establishes a beachhead on the Internet and in new media that will guarantee our share of a potentially vast and bountiful future. Language in the contract will allow us to monitor and audit these new technologies and new business models, but it will take vigilance on the part of our membership to make sure that original Internet writing is done under a WGA contract and with appropriate terms and conditions.”

Next hurdle for the industry: The SAG/AFTRA contract which expires June 30.