Primetime Shows Cutting Back on Writers

Variety published a new story on Friday on how cost-cutting at the networks is leading to smaller writing staffs. Networks execs believe there is fat to be trimmed and that writing staffs have ballooned beyond necessity.

Industry sources say studios producing skeins for Big Four nets are pushing for cuts of as much as 10%-15% in the writing budget for returning series, while new shows will start out with smaller staffs than first-year shows in recent seasons. Where skeins once had as many as 10-12 writers, not including the showrunner(s), the new norm is becoming six to eight.

The new era of austerity for the nets began with the jolt to the network system caused by the writers strike, and has only accelerated as the economy went into a tailspin last fall. That inescapable one-two punch has made the creatives -- and their agents -- more understanding, however begrudgingly, of the nets' need to be hawkish on spending. Like so many areas of the U.S. workforce, TV writers in this economy are simply happy to have a job, tenpercenters say.

The trend of shows adding "consulting producers," who might write one or two scripts per season and offer their wisdom in the writers room a few days a week, will continue, insiders say. Consulting producers generally command about $20,000-$25,000 per episode, and have the freedom to work on other shows at the same time, unlike other staff writers.

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