Writers Strike History

Major strikes have occurred all throughout history, however, some garner more attention than others. The writer’s strike that occurred between 2007 and 2008 was one that was watched by the entire nation. Called the Writers Guild of America strike, or Television Writers Strike was a strike by both the East and West branchs of the Writers Guild of America. The strike was over the disparity in royalties that were acquired through the viewing of television over the internet, or a cellular device. The whole thing lasted around 100 days, between November of 2007 and February 2008, and was supported by actors and writers alike. Not only would this strike garner huge media attention, it would also change the course of television, some of the effects

Television was affected by the strike, due to the nature of the writing process. Shows aren’t written years in advance the way that movies are, so many shows were stopped in the middle of production. This meant that many shows went on hiatus, as no new episodes could be made without the writers being present. For some shows this hiatus was permanent, while others had to completely change major storylines in order to make up for the lost time. This meant a huge change for many fans of television shows, as well as lost revenue. The writers strike is also where viewers can see a spike in reality television. Studios relied heavily on reality tv, as the writers of these shows were not under the Writers Guild, and therefore were not required to strike. Reality television is also easiest during a strike, as not as many writers are necessary. This form of television has become extremely popular, and has become ingrained in our culture in a major way, and much of this has to do with writers

It was the third in a string of strikes by the Writers Guild, that fought against the studios poor treatment of Hollywood writers. It fought for the writers rights to their own work, and fought to compensate writers fairly for their creative works. The strike lasted 100 days, and cost the film industry over $3 billion, as well as cost many people their jobs. The strike was negotiated by the Writers Guild and the AMPTP, as well as individual studios. This strike changed the television we see today, changing story lines in popular television shows, bringing reality television to the forefront of our minds, and pushing production back on many movies. The writers strike will be remembered for years to come, as it had such a huge impact on such an influential