Writers get most of their income from residuals. The last contract was negotiated when most of the money a network would make from a show was in reruns. Now however more and more money is coming from DVD sales and the growing internet video on demand sector. Writers are trying to get paid residuals on all uses of their work at a similar rate to reruns, networks are holding out on that. Also, most networks at the moment are saying that internet viewings don't count, even though they include adverts. Instead they class internet viewing as "promotional" work.
Well, all I know is that there's a lot of prop guys and engineers sitting on their asses without work while they bicker about it all.
Jenna Fischer from The Office explains it pretty well on her Blog. Not to mention, with the webisodes that The Office had online during hiatus last summer, the writers weren't paid a dime, since NBC declared the webisodes to be promotional material. Still, one would think they would get paid for writing "commercials" as well. I don't think the writers on BSG got paid for those New Caprica webisodes either (again, NBC-Universal sucks peacock). Also, actors and directors often aren't paid for online things either. It will be interesting to see, if this strike continues, what happens when their contracts are up for renewal in a few months. Edit: Several shows have also halted production, since the producers are sometimes writers as well, and wish to show solidarity or whatever. And God knows, many actors, directors, and producers wouldn't wanna be labeled as scabs and be blacklisted from ever working on a project that involves the WGA once the issue is resolved. Some of the studios (CBS and FOX I think) are threatening to fire everyone from certain shows if they don't return to work next week.
I'd agree that most of what's on TV is pretty awful, but that's mostly due to reality television. There are a handful of good TV shows on network television that are worth watching.
I'm more of a 'Nick at Nite' kind of guy. Back when TV was great and wasn't eat up with political correctness. You knew it was great television because you can still remember the theme songs. The theme from Friends makes me want to take a fucking hostage. I can't even get past that. EDIT - I hear Dr. D storming his way in...
Yeah, unfortunately Nick at Nite is starting to show TV shows that ended, well, less than a year ago.
