Friday, November 9, 2007

Strike Update from DAYS and GH Writers

Tom Casiello ("Days of our Lives")
When last we left our heroes... I had left Marlena in quite a precarious position, and the countdown to a showdown began, as the Bradys and DiMeras all individually were heading to the same place at the same time...

And what will happen?

I have no idea. And I don't know if we ever will.

I'm sure everyone reading this as been overloaded with news segments and blogs re: the writers strike. You know the details, and if you don't, well they're certainly easy to dig up on the web. (www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com)

I understand and completely support my union, which is something I haven't always been able to say. But in this case, I believe they're in the right, and the AMPTP is trying to screw us.

But having said that, I feel alone this week. For the last eight years, I've spent much of my work week getting into the minds and hearts of various fictional characters. Some have stayed with me over the years, and I still check in with them time and again, as they left their mark on me and I miss putting words in their mouths. For the last year and a half, though... I've had my dream job. Characters I knew like the back of my hand... families I grew up with on my TV screen... and a love for my job that I've never really had until this point. Salem has truly become a second home.

Now my week consists of Q&A meetings, picket lines, my couch, and a bunch of video games (Guitar Hero, anyone?). It's only Day Four, and I miss Steve and Kayla, and Bo and Hope, and I'm nearly foaming at the mouth to dive into the big conclusion of the DiMera/Brady story. And I can't. I'm not even allowed to find out what happened with the Christmas episode I worked my ass off on a few weeks ago. Any phone call could elicit gossip, whispers of "scab", and "Why does a writer want to see it?"

You know why I want to see it? Because I care about how it turned out. Because I want to know the show will be good. I want to write more than anything, but right now... I just want to make sure our show is in good hands. And the sense of urgency we've been trying to build comes to real fruition - a smashing conclusion that we can all be proud of. And that's now been taken out of all of our hands. And I can live with that... what's proving difficult is putting Salem on hold for so long. I don't know who the residents will be when... or if... I return.


David Goldschmid ("General Hospital")
I've been walking the picket line for four days now and I still find other writers walking with me who are stunned when I tell them my show is being written by scab writers *as we speak.* Primetime and feature writers don't have to worry about this problem. But we do; we soap writers are the first/worst to suffer in this awful strike that will (hopefully) benefit us all. I just wish the rest of the writers in other parts of the entertainment industry knew how badly we daytime scribes were getting screwed for them...

And as for former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, who just yesterday called our WGA strike "stupid?" He can sit and spin on a lead pipe, for all I care! What's so "stupid" about trying to safeguard my future?? Eisner and his billionaire studio head cronies are trying to keep unions out of the internet - which is conveniently the future hub for ALL entertainment. These greedy studio heads aren't satisfied being richer than Midas; they're trying to become richer than God.


WeLoveSoaps Complete Strike Coverage

11 comments:

  1. When I first heard about the strike, I was encouraged by the unified front that writers, actors and executive producers were showing.

    From a professional writer and guild member's standpoint, do you see that unified front gaining strength, or is it waning? I'm hoping for the former, as that is the only way this issue can be resolved on all sides.

    Here's hoping to understanding, wisdom and a bit of compromise on everyone's behalf. Good luck! May you be given the opportunity to return to your jobs as soon as possible.

    ~ intellitainment.wordpress.com

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  2. I can understand Tom Casiello's feelings of concern about what he'll find when and if he returns to his job. Maybe he'll understand better how we fans feel putting the characters we care about at the writers' mercy day in and day out.

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  3. I am on the side of the writers in this. Even daytime is starting to see revenue from online episodes and series like L.A. Diaries. I hope they can find some middle ground without a prolonged strike.

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  4. I'll support the writers who bring John back to Marlena!

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  5. I think the writing of Days has been really bad for a long time, and now the show has compounded the bad writing by bringing in Dena Higley who, along Hogan Sheffer, is the worst Days writer ever.


    But I hope that the show improves. I would hate it for be off the air.

    I just wnat John and Marlena in a good story that is true to their characters adn history.

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  6. I certainly can see when someone cares about their bread and butter.
    But you don't serve up the premium loaf in the 11 hour, and then expect viewers to care if you go hungry or not. I've been starving for a well written, well rounded, intelligent thought provoking, emotion feeling soap opera for years now. I think anyone is justified in wanting fair compensation for a job well done, question is has the job been well done ?

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  7. The GH writers are the only professional I know who destroy their soap days in and days out, are not fired and are paid an obscene amount of money to do so!

    In any other area of real life, Guza and all is team would have been fired 9 years ago.

    From my point of view you don’t deserve your job because you don’t do it. Soap is all about great storyline on family, friendship, relationship and romance. GH looses his viewers in drove because we see none of it!

    I have no sympathy for you and I hope the scab writers can do what you are unable to do; write creative and interesting storyline!

    People deserve raise when they do a good job, not when they don't!

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  8. I hope both sides come to an agreement and soon. The strike affects everyone the actors,crew and fans. I'm enjoying GH, the Windemere Ball has all the cast working together and the spoilers have me anxious to see how everything plays out. I hope the interim writers don't change the direction of the show. The same for Y&R and OLTL the spoilers for November and the holidays are so exciting, I don't want the shows directions to change.
    Days is the only soap I'm hoping the interim writers will totally change the shows direction and give me and other viewers a reason to watch again.
    I stopped watching when John went into a coma and returned when he came out of his coma. Watching John and Marlena play back fiddle to a Dimera story was a huge turn off. I came back for John's death and left after Marlena's last scene.

    Maybe there's hope for Days with the change in the writing staff.

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  9. I sincerely hope a compromised is reached soon. The strike is a lose-lose-lose, the longer it goes on the worst it'll get. How can viewers help the writers?

    I was looking at the archived ratings for Days, I was stunned to see from 1995-1999 the show strongly maintained second place in the ratings.
    The executives should show reruns of this period during the strike to keep their viewers and to bring back viewers.

    The current stories are awful,the Sami and EJ hour, two rape stories going on at once,and the biggest disaster of all John Black was killed off.

    The show is at an all time low maybe showing reruns will give the show the boost it needs until it can get on track.

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  10. Sheffer killing off John Black was a terrible mistake for days. So if i were you i'd do anything to correct that mistake only to have a job later which is a place for you to write....So understand already that days fans interact with the vets as well - respect them!!! BRING JOHN /DRAKE BACK AND GIVE MARLENA AND JOHN A STORYLINE LIKE THE GOOD OLD DAYS...that we all love and miss...

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  11. I have to agree with the earlier comment about the writing on General Hospital. I've seen it plummit over the past few years, resorting to violence over quality story telling to attrack ratings. Shoot-outs are a weekly occurance and characters are packing, ready and willing to whip out a gun if they should find themselves in an arguement. I hope for the best for both sides in this strike, but I also hope for drastically improved writing on a show that until recently, I've enjoyed watching.

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