Writers strike may silence Tinseltown

UNITED STATES: Hollywood’s scriptwriters are threatening to go on strike over pay in a showdown that could once again bring the multibillion-pound entertainment industry to a standstill.

Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major film studios and TV networks, face a deadline at the start of next month.

The WGA is balloting its 23,000 members this week on potential strike action. The action could paralyse a number of TV shows and films, and force many of America’s hugely popular live comedy shows - such as Saturday Night Live and Jimmy Kimmel Live! - off air.

Also at risk are sitcoms such as Modern Family, starring Sofia Vergara, and dramas such as The Walking Dead.

Writers say their salaries have decreased by as much as 23 per cent in the past two years, despite this being dubbed the era of ‘‘peak TV’’: the number of scripted television shows broadcast has increased by 71 per cent in the past five years.

In a letter sent to media buyers last week, the WGA estimated that its proposals will cost the industry $178 million - a snip compared with the $49 billion annual profit made by the six biggest media companies involved in the negotiations.

‘‘This industry, and television in particular, has experienced a tremendous growth in profitability,’’ said Ellen Stutzman, the director of public policy at WGA West. ‘‘It’s been driven by serious television, which is what our members create. The companies are doing extraordinary well but the writers who create that content are not.’’

The primary issue for writers is the shorter series cycles of many American TV shows, which now often run to 10 or 12 episodes, rather than 20 or 22 as they used to. Many writers are paid per episode.

The last time the WGA went on strike, for 100 days in 2007, the entire industry was thrown into chaos. Films such as Johnny Depp’s Shantaram were put on hold and never saw the light of day, while others took a critical mauling. The 2008 James Bond film Quantum of Solace was panned in part because of dialogue the lead actor Daniel Craig and director Marc Forster were forced to write themselves. About 25 per cent of scripted programming for the 2007-8 season was lost. Popular shows such as Breaking Bad and The Big Bang Theory had seasons cut short. - The Times