Writers' Strike

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In support of the WGA strike, I'm going to pull all my ads for TV shows on iTunes and for Amazon Unbox. I also won't be linking to any more streaming video until this is settled. I'm very much in favor of legal online distribution of TV shows, but not when the writers get no residuals for their contributions to it. I don't think it's going to be too far in the future when online distribution becomes the major, or even only, means of distributing TV shows (and then they won't be TV shows anymore, but I digress), and if the writers get cut out of that pie now, they'll be relegated to flat fees and no residuals when that happens. That's unacceptable, which is why I support this strike.

According to recent reports, both parties have agreed to go back to the table on the 26th, so let's all keep our fingers crossed that they come up with an equitable settlement.

In addition, I'm getting a bit bored with doing recaps, so I'm going to see if I can come up with other ways to talk about TV. Watch this space--I'm just going to let the muse lead where she will.

First Four Drive Shooting Scripts Available for Download

via Whedonesque.

For those interested in such things (me! me! me!) TimMinear.net has made the first four full shooting scripts (these are original shooting scripts, not transcripts) of Drive available for download in .pdf format.

Interview with Tim Minear

Creative Screenwriting has a good interview with Tim Minear in their CS Weekly newsletter (published last week for subscribers [it's free!! go subscribe!!], in the archive this week). He talks about Drive and its journey to the screen.

Interview with Sera Gamble

Sera Gamble, the pen or co-pen behind some of my favorite Supernatural episodes, including "Faith" and "House of the Holy," has an interesting interview up at Sequential Tart. There are some spoilers for upcoming episodes, particularly the season finale, but they didn't seem to me to be major spoilers.

Sera also has a blog called Very Hot Jews, which doesn't have much about TV writing, but is interesting and opinionated and funny. There is some adult content here—Sera also writes erotica, which is just another reason why I love her.

I think Sera is rapidly becoming one of my favorite TV writers, right up there with the Incomparable Jane Espenson and the Ultimate Drew Goddard.

Where Have All The Writers Gone?

It's interesting to note how many writers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and/or Firefly, all shows I loved with a crazed and unreasonable passion, have gone on to other shows I've enjoyed or am now watching regularly.

Let's take a look...

Drew Goddard, after a stint on Alias, which I haven't watched since its series premiere, is now a supervising producer on Lost.

Drew Z. Greenberg is now a producer on Dexter.

David Greenwalt is now a consulting producer on Eureka.

The incomparable Jane Espenson has penned two episodes of Battlestar Galactica, which I watch but don't blog regularly (for reasons I might blather about in a separate post), and also was a co-executive producer on Tru Calling, where Douglas Petrie also served for a while as co-executive producer.

Ben Edlund is now working on Supernatural, where he penned the fabulous "Simon Said." He's joined there by many folks who were involved in another long-term obsession of mine, The X-Files.

Jeffrey Bell spent some time on the unfortunately cancelled Day Break, along with several other X-Files alumni.

And that's just the writers. Many of the actors, too, have moved on to do excellent work on other series. But that's a post for another day...