It took me a couple of days to realize why so many of the talk shows are showing repeats, and I finally came up with the writers strike.
Pardon me, but don't comedians usually get their own shows and do their comedy skits from their own brains? Aren't Leno, Stewart, Colbert, Letterman, Maher, etc. capable of talking anymore? Do they lose their capability when they get their own show? They're called TALK shows. So what if they do away with the 15 minute standup portion, usually it's not worth bothering with anyway. Can't they introduce their guest, and sit down and talk to them? They are all comedians which means they should have a quick wit and sharp tongue - does the $1,000,000.00 paycheck strike them so stupid that someone else HAS to write for them?
I'm in a real quandary about this. Someone who knows, can you explain it to me?
Anne
WRITERS STRIKE
WRITERS STRIKE
Anne
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John:
You're the only one who answered, so you get my fury. Are you old enough to recall Steve Allen, Jack Paar, or Mike Douglas? They didn't have skits, nor did Dinah Shore, they TALKED to their guests. This is what gets me so angry about writers - they can't write decent movie or TV scripts, so what the heck are they striking for? More money . . . . for nothing? Most scripts today are so patternesque, you can almost point out the outline they are written from.
Again, as I said, Leno and all the others are supposed to be ex-standup comedians, why do they need a team of writers to write for them?
I realize you're looking at this sensibly and I'm not, but I don't feel sensible when someone is trying to get something for nothing, and to me, the only writers I've seen lately who might deserve some extra kicks would be the Kesslers who just did the Damages series, the writers of Deadwood (although they're a little too philosophical for the old west, IMO), the guys from The West Wing and a few movies that I can't think of just right now.
Anne
You're the only one who answered, so you get my fury. Are you old enough to recall Steve Allen, Jack Paar, or Mike Douglas? They didn't have skits, nor did Dinah Shore, they TALKED to their guests. This is what gets me so angry about writers - they can't write decent movie or TV scripts, so what the heck are they striking for? More money . . . . for nothing? Most scripts today are so patternesque, you can almost point out the outline they are written from.
Again, as I said, Leno and all the others are supposed to be ex-standup comedians, why do they need a team of writers to write for them?
I realize you're looking at this sensibly and I'm not, but I don't feel sensible when someone is trying to get something for nothing, and to me, the only writers I've seen lately who might deserve some extra kicks would be the Kesslers who just did the Damages series, the writers of Deadwood (although they're a little too philosophical for the old west, IMO), the guys from The West Wing and a few movies that I can't think of just right now.
Anne
Anne
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Lzcutter
- Administrator
- Posts: 3149
- Joined: April 12th, 2007, 6:50 pm
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Anne,
Comedians such as Bob Hope, Steve Allen and others always worked with writers on their television shows. In the early days, it was less likely the writer got any credit but as the medium evolved Hope would acknowledge his staff writers, often at their own expense, when a joke or skit bombed.
The late night talk shows have evolved from the days of mainly talking to the guest to more comedy skits and stand-up. We as a country are less interested in listening to guests on talk shows and more interested in yucking it up. Go figure.
As for the writers strike, it is a thorny issue. The majority of writers working in Hollywood today are a talented lot. But the big fly in the ointment is that the studios are owned by mega corporations such as Time/Warner, Viacom, News Corp and others where the bottom line rules the day.
This has been a major shift in the industry. Studios are now expected to be profitable all the time. The men and women who make the decisions about which projects to green-light are very dollar and bottom line cautious so it is less about how good is the script but more about how can we change this script to appeal to the majority of television watchers and movie goers. That is one reason so many movies are getting made based on television shows from the 1970s and 1980s because the people in charge are familiar with them from their youth.
Another element for television was the FCC ruling that finally allowed networks to own their own shows. Prior to that change, networks contracted with independent companies to make the shows that were aired. Today, because the network owns the majority of shows that are broadcast, the network suits feel they have the right to enforce their creative opinions into shows even though they may have no experience at writing, editing, or directing.
Writers and others who balk at those notes get labeled difficult.
Once we started sacrificing creativity for the bottom line and trying to second guess what appeals to the teen age and the young adult demographic, we started down a slippery slope that has resulted in more mediocre television and movies than ever before.
I still contend there is good television and movies being produced but not on the scale there was in the past.
Comedians such as Bob Hope, Steve Allen and others always worked with writers on their television shows. In the early days, it was less likely the writer got any credit but as the medium evolved Hope would acknowledge his staff writers, often at their own expense, when a joke or skit bombed.
The late night talk shows have evolved from the days of mainly talking to the guest to more comedy skits and stand-up. We as a country are less interested in listening to guests on talk shows and more interested in yucking it up. Go figure.
As for the writers strike, it is a thorny issue. The majority of writers working in Hollywood today are a talented lot. But the big fly in the ointment is that the studios are owned by mega corporations such as Time/Warner, Viacom, News Corp and others where the bottom line rules the day.
This has been a major shift in the industry. Studios are now expected to be profitable all the time. The men and women who make the decisions about which projects to green-light are very dollar and bottom line cautious so it is less about how good is the script but more about how can we change this script to appeal to the majority of television watchers and movie goers. That is one reason so many movies are getting made based on television shows from the 1970s and 1980s because the people in charge are familiar with them from their youth.
Another element for television was the FCC ruling that finally allowed networks to own their own shows. Prior to that change, networks contracted with independent companies to make the shows that were aired. Today, because the network owns the majority of shows that are broadcast, the network suits feel they have the right to enforce their creative opinions into shows even though they may have no experience at writing, editing, or directing.
Writers and others who balk at those notes get labeled difficult.
Once we started sacrificing creativity for the bottom line and trying to second guess what appeals to the teen age and the young adult demographic, we started down a slippery slope that has resulted in more mediocre television and movies than ever before.
I still contend there is good television and movies being produced but not on the scale there was in the past.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
Avatar-Warner Bros Water Tower
