And while it’s nice that the networks recognize the need to let fans know the shows so near and dear to our hearts are returning. This TV Addict can’t help but think that fans are owed a little more for having to endure over three months of reruns and reality TV. Not to mention CROWNED, CLASH OF THE CHOIRS and the glorified two hour car commercial that was KNIGHT RIDER.

Now obviously I’m not expecting NBC to have Tina Fey knock on my door and personally invite me over to watch 30 ROCK [The TV Addict's address just in case!]. But as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.

So with that in mind, this TV Addict thought he’d throw out a few ideas that the networks may wish to pursue in order to put the past three months behind us. Seriously, no pressure….

1. Donald Trump must shave his head on THE APPRENTICE series finale.

2. GENUINE CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER featuring the following television stars: T.R. Knight, Isaiah Washington, Katherine Heigl, Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush, Lauren Graham and Scott Patterson.

3. Each network must automatically renew their most popular on-the-bubble show. Meaning HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE, MOONLIGHT, JERICHO, CASHMERE MAFIA, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, JOURNEYMAN and REAPER should all get last minute reprieves. And yes, I realize CBS has a little more work to do than others.

4. SUPERNATURAL showrunner Eric Kripke must turn one Fan Fic into reality. And no, I’m not talking about that kind of Fan Fic. Seriously Winchester fans. Get your minds out of the gutter!

Got your own ideas as to how the networks can make up for lost time. Post away.

In other TV news, the CW continues to fan the flames of speculation by signing Justin Hartley [SMALLVILLE'S Green Arrow] to a talent holding deal. Not surprisingly, the network refused to comment on what exactly they’re holding him for. But if they’re smart, we should expect a GREEN ARROW spin-off announcement any moment now. That said, with the recent cancellations of VERONICA MARS and EVERWOOD [Yup, still bitter], the words ’smart’ and the ‘cw’ don’t exactly go hand-in-hand.

And finally, in sadder news. After eight seasons, the CW officially cancelled its longest running sitcom GIRLFRIENDS. When asked to comment, the show’s small yet vocal group of fans had this to say, “Yes we’re still on the air!”

On Tuesday, members of the Writers Guilds East and West voted by a 92.5% margin to lift the restraining order that was invoked on November 5th. The strike is over.

Writing can resume immediately. If you were employed when the strike began, you should plan to report to work on Wednesday. If you’re not employed at an office or other work site, call or e-mail your employer that you are resuming work. If you have been told not to report to work or resume your services, we recommend that you still notify your employer in writing of your availability to do so. Questions concerning return-to-work issues should be directed to the WGAW legal department at 323.782.4521 or the WGAE’s assistant executive director Ann Toback at 212-767-7823.

The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these fourteen weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries. Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.

We hope to build upon the extraordinary energy, ingenuity, and solidarity that were generated by your hard work during the strike.

Over the next weeks and months, we will be in touch with you to discuss and develop ways we can use our unprecedented unity to make our two guilds stronger and more effective than ever.

Now that the strike has ended, there remains the vote to ratify the new contract. Ballots and information on the new deal, both pro and con, will be mailed to you shortly. You will be able to return those ballots via mail or at a membership meeting to be held Monday, February 25th, 2008, at times and locations to be determined.

Thank you for making it possible. As ever, we are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Michael Winship
President, WGAE

What if fans who had just begun to fall for the romantic comedy have, like the lead character, developed a case of amnesia, forgetting over the past few months that it even exists?

What if DIRTY SEXY MONEY’s prolonged absence sent those who’d begun to get into the primetime soap’s groove feeling shopping elsewhere for entertainment?

It’s long been said that the daytime soaps — which have been in a downward spiral for years — lost their momentum after being bumped for endless weeks by coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. Eventually, viewers who’d spent years making daily visits to places like Pine Valley and Genoa City found other ways in which to spend their time.

That’s exactly the situation currently facing execs as the writers strike finally seems to be wrapping up. Established shows such as UGLY BETTY or LAW & ORDER will have less trouble luring viewers back, seeing as the channel surfers already have had time to develop loyalty to the characters and storylines.

But will shows like SAMANTHA WHO?, which was one of the biggest hits of the fall season before the strike left the brain-addled beauty with no more scripts to memorize, be able to regain their momentum? And how will what remains of this season play out, given the odd situation developing in which new scripted fare — which will no doubt be rushed onto the screen as fast as possible — finds itself competing with offerings such as BIG BROTHER, which is usually reserved for the summer (read: rerun) season? Can BIONIC WOMAN come back better, stronger, faster and, more importantly, with better ratings? Will PUSHING DAISIES wind up six feet under, while LIFE receives a premature death sentence?

If the networks find themselves struggling to lure viewers back, I’d like to offer up a reminder that they brought this situation upon themselves. By attempting to have their cake (”Let’s create new shows for the internet and stream all our existing ones there as well!”) and eat it too (”Sure, we’re only doing this in the hope of making more money, but you can bet your ass we’re not paying the writers a dime more!”), the execs created a scenario that could really only end as it did. There was never any doubt that the writers would, in the end, prevail.

Here’s hoping that the fall’s most promising shows didn’t fall prey to the winter of the writers’ understandable discontent.

Also on tonight:

• *Season Finale* – Girlfriends – CW @ 9/8c & 9:30/8:30c (2 New Episodes Including Season Finale due to the Writers’ Strike)
• *Season Premiere* – Flavor of Love – VH1 @ 9/8c
• *Season Premiere* – The Salt n Pepa Show – VH1 @ 10/9c (Winter Premiere)
• *New* – American Gladiators – NBC @ 8/7c (90-Minute New Episode)
• *New* – Celebrity Expose – My Network TV @ 8/7c
• *New* – Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann – ABC @ 8/7c (91-Minute New Episode)
• *New* – Deal or No Deal – NBC @ 9:30/8:30c (90-Minute New Episode)
• *New* – Girlfriends – CW @ 9/8c
• *New* – In Treatment – HBO @ 9:30/8:30c
• *New* – Jon & Kate Plus 8 – TLC @ 9/8c
• *New* – Kyle XY – ABC Family @ 8/7c
• *New* – Making the Band – MTV @ 10/9c
• *New* – Notes From the Underbelly – ABC @ 9:31/8:31c
• *New* – October Road – ABC @ 10:01/9:01c
• *New* – Paradise Hotel – My Network TV @ 9/8c
• *New* – Paranormal State – A&E @ 10/9c
• *New* – Prison Break – FOX @ 8/7c
• *New* – Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – FOX @ 9/8c
• *New* – The New Adventures of Old Christine – CBS @ 9:30/8:30c
• *New* – Welcome to the Captain – CBS @ 8:30/7:30c
• *New* – Wildfire – ABC Family @ 9/8c

With the WGA Strike (almost) over, this TV Addict must now take a moment to ask the obvious yet slightly painful question. Was it worth it?

Sure the WGA got their foot in the door when it comes to internet residuals, but at a pretty hefty price. The reality of this unfortunate situation is that this three month old work stoppage may have irreversibly changed the television industry forever.

Writers returning to work may soon find themselves facing fewer jobs, fewer shows and worst of all, fewer viewers.

So post away with your thoughts. Good Deal or Raw Deal?

With a tentative agreement now official (did I mention, best day ever!?), showrunners could be back to work as early as Monday with writer’s heading back to work by Wednesday. That is of course assuming the WGA membership ratifies the agreement, which those in the know say will happen almost definitely.

Congratulation’s Writer’s Guild of America. We at theTVaddict.com are giving you a good fifteen minutes to celebrate before you get back to work figuring out how to rescue the surviving members of Oceanic 815, ensure the crew of Galactica makes it to earth in one piece and finally finds Liz Lemon a boyfriend.

Related strike news from around the web.

WGA Leaders Declare “Huge Victory” [Deadline Hollywood Daily]
Deal Points Revealed [Variety]
Writers May Be Doin’ It For Themselves [TV Decoder]
Vote to end strike set for Tuesday [Hollywood Reporter]
An Entertainment Lawyer’s Perspective [Digital Media Law]
Union Boards Back Deal to End Writers’ Strike [NYTimes]

To Our Fellow Members,
We have a tentative deal.

It is an agreement that protects a future in which the Internet becomes the primary means of both content creation and delivery. It creates formulas for revenue-based residuals in new media, provides access to deals and financial data to help us evaluate and enforce those formulas, and establishes the principle that, “When they get paid, we get paid.”

Specific terms of the agreement are described in the summary on our website and will be further discussed at our Saturday membership meetings on both coasts. At those meetings we will also discuss how we will proceed regarding ratification of this agreement and lifting the restraining order that ends the strike.

Less than six months ago, the AMPTP wanted to enact profit-based residuals, defer all Internet compensation in favor of a study, forever eliminate “distributor’s gross” valuations, and enforce 39 pages of rollbacks to compensation, pension and health benefits, reacquisition, and separated rights. Today, thanks to three months of physical resolve, determination, and perseverance, we have a contract that includes WGA jurisdiction and separated rights in new media, residuals for Internet reuse, enforcement and auditing tools, expansion of fair market value and distributor’s gross language, improvements to other traditional elements of the MBA, and no rollbacks.

Over these three difficult months, we shut down production of nearly all scripted content in TV and film and had a serious impact on the business of our employers in ways they did not expect and were hard pressed to deflect. Nevertheless, an ongoing struggle against seven, multinational media conglomerates, no matter how successful, is exhausting, taking an enormous personal toll on our members and countless others. As such, we believe that continuing to strike now will not bring sufficient gains to outweigh the potential risks and that the time has come to accept this contract and settle the strike.

Much has been achieved, and while this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve for the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice, our strike has been a success. We activated, engaged, and involved the membership of our Guilds with a solidarity that has never before occurred. We developed a captains system and a communications structure that used the Internet to build bonds within our membership and beyond. We earned the backing of other unions and their members worldwide, the respect of elected leaders and politicians throughout the nation, and the overwhelming support of fans and the general public. Our thanks to all of them, and to the staffs at both Guilds who have worked so long and patiently to help us all.

There is much yet to be done and we intend to use all the techniques and relationships we’ve developed in this strike to make it happen. We must support our brothers and sisters in SAG who, as their contract expires in less than five months, will be facing many of the same
challenges we have just endured. We must further pursue new relationships we have established in Washington and in state and local governments so that we can maintain leverage against the consolidated multinational conglomerates with whom we bargain. We must be vigilant in monitoring the deals that are made in new media so that in the years ahead we can enforce and expand our contract. We must fight to get decent working conditions and benefits for writers of reality TV, animation, and any other genre in which writers do not have a WGA contract.

Most important, however, is to continue to use the new collective power we have generated for our collective benefit. More than ever, now and beyond, we are all in this together.

Best,

Michael Winship
President
Writers Guild of America, East

Patric M. Verrone
President
Writers Guild of America, West

We have a tentative deal.

It is an agreement that protects a future in which the Internet becomes the primary means of both content creation and delivery. It creates formulas for revenue-based residuals in new media, provides access to deals and financial data to help us evaluate and enforce those formulas, and establishes the principle that, “When they get paid, we get paid.”

Specific terms of the agreement are described in the summary at the following link and will be further discussed at our Saturday membership meetings on both coasts. At those meetings we will also discuss how we will proceed regarding ratification of this agreement and lifting the restraining order that ends the strike. Details of the Los Angeles meeting can be found here.

Less than six months ago, the AMPTP wanted to enact profit-based residuals, defer all Internet compensation in favor of a study, forever eliminate “distributor’s gross” valuations, and enforce 39 pages of rollbacks to compensation, pension and health benefits, reacquisition, and separated rights. Today, thanks to three months of physical resolve, determination, and perseverance, we have a contract that includes WGA jurisdiction and separated rights in new media, residuals for Internet reuse, enforcement and auditing tools, expansion of fair market value and distributor’s gross language, improvements to other traditional elements of the MBA, and no rollbacks.

Over these three difficult months, we shut down production of nearly all scripted content in TV and film and had a serious impact on the business of our employers in ways they did not expect and were hard pressed to deflect. Nevertheless, an ongoing struggle against seven, multinational media conglomerates, no matter how successful, is exhausting, taking an enormous personal toll on our members and countless others. As such, we believe that continuing to strike now will not bring sufficient gains to outweigh the potential risks and that the time has come to accept this contract and settle the strike.

Much has been achieved, and while this agreement is neither perfect nor perhaps all that we deserve for the countless hours of hard work and sacrifice, our strike has been a success. We activated, engaged, and involved the membership of our Guilds with a solidarity that has never before occurred. We developed a captains system and a communications structure that used the Internet to build bonds within our membership and beyond. We earned the backing of other unions and their members worldwide, the respect of elected leaders and politicians throughout the nation, and the overwhelming support of fans and the general public. Our thanks to all of them, and to the staffs at both Guilds who have worked so long and patiently to help us all.

There is much yet to be done and we intend to use all the techniques and relationships we’ve developed in this strike to make it happen. We must support our brothers and sisters in SAG who, as their contract expires in less than five months, will be facing many of the same challenges we have just endured. We must further pursue new relationships we have established in Washington and in state and local governments so that we can maintain leverage against the consolidated multinational conglomerates with whom we bargain. We must be vigilant in monitoring the deals that are made in new media so that in the years ahead we can enforce and expand our contract. We must fight to get decent working conditions and benefits for writers of reality TV, animation, and any other genre in which writers do not have a WGA contract.

Most important, however, is to continue to use the new collective power we have generated for our collective benefit. More than ever, now and beyond, we are all in this together.

Best,

Patric M. Verrone
President, WGAW

Michael Winship
President, WGAE