Writers' Strike - What It Means for TV Fans

You've been hearing a lot about the possibility of a Hollywood writers strike on Oct. 31, right? If the writers do strike, how it will affect you and the millions of other TV fans in America? Read on for our 12 question primer on all things strike-related...

-- By Kimberly Potts

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1. Why do the writers want to strike?

Members of the Writers Guild of America, which includes TV writers, want their residuals to include a bigger piece of the profits for things like TV-on-DVD releases and TV episodes shown on the Internet.

2. Will 'Lost' and '24' still return in early 2008?

Yes, as both of those shows have been in production for many weeks now. But a strike might mean unplanned cliffhangers if the nets run out of new episodes.

3. Will NBC air the British version of
'The Office'?

That's the rumor. Word is that the network would pair airings of the U.S. show with episodes of the British original.

4. Will my new fave show be canceled?

A lingering strike would definitely make it more difficult for new shows to continue building a loyal audience, so yes, it could hit those series the hardest.

5. Will we be stuck with repeats right away?

No. Most shows will have at least a handful of new episodes on tap, and nets might alternate new eps with repeats to make them last longer.

6. Will reality TV take over?

Not right away. Shows typically work six or seven episodes in advance. But if a strike lingers, expect more 'Biggest Loser' and less 'Heroes' and 'The Office' on NBC, for example.

7. Have the writers gone on strike before?

Yes, in 1988 for 22 weeks. New seasons of hits like 'Cheers,' 'Roseanne' and 'The Cosby Show' were delayed, the nets lost $500 million and almost 10 percent of viewers tuned out and never came back.

8. Would Leno have to write his own jokes?

Either Leno pens his own bits, or NBC airs reruns of 'The Tonight Show.' Tough call. But yes, all daily shows, including 'The Daily Show,' would be immediately affected by a strike.

9. Did the threat of a strike really get Regis Philbin another job?

Yep. The Reeg just signed on to host an update of the game show 'Password.' Game shows and repurposed cable shows, like 'Psych' and 'Monk,' will be used to ward off repeats.

10. Will the new season of 'American Idol' still launch in January?

Yes. Reality shows don't rely on WGA writers, so 'Idol' is all set. In fact, the show would benefit from a strike, which would pit Simon and Ryan against repeats every week.

11. Will soaps be hit by the strike?

Yes. Soaps film two to three weeks ahead of time, meaning they'll run out of storyline pretty quickly. And, outside SoapNet, soap repeats aren't a hit with advertisers.

12. If the strike lasts through winter, will it be all reality and repeats?

And Bart Simpson. Lengthy production schedules of Fox's Sunday night 'toon line-up means those shows have about a year's worth of scripts ready.