A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

A NORMA RAE MOMENT: So, the Writers' Guild of America is, as of now, officially on strike against the major motion picture and television production companies. So, what does this mean? As best as I can figure out:

• All new writing by Union Members for dramatic or comic TV shows stops--"pencils down means pencils down" is the slogan. This includes late night comedy and daytime drama, with late night comedy being the first to shut down due to its almost live nature.
• Scripts already delivered may be produced, and Union Members with multiple titles (e.g. "writer/director," "writer/producer") may continue to work, but not on the writing side. Scripts get shot as is, where is, with no revisions by a WGA member.
• SAG cannot join the strike, but has indicated its support, as many of the WGA issues in this negotiation are similar to those faced by SAG, and its members will be walking picket lines.
• Reality, game show, news, and sports writing is apparently covered by a separate deal, and is relatively unaffected.

WGA members apparently may continue to blog or write other than for struck entities. ALOTT5MA is (as far as I know) not a struck entity, and we remain open for business. As usual in this sort of political matter, ALOTT5MA has no official position, but I suspect I speak for us all when I say that I hope the parties can resolve their differences and get back to entertaining us all.