Refried Screens

With the Writer’s Guild Association contract expired, many have wondered what effect an impending strike will have on the shows we love.

Speculation of cliffhanger episodes delaying your favorite shows is a popular theory.

Others believe network moguls will be able to cancel underperforming shows to save a buck or a million:

As for Chernin, Iger, Barry Meyer, Moonves, and also Zucker, they actually welcome a strike because they believe the 2007/2008 TV season is dead on arrival anyway. So many new shows are tanking in the ratings and/or going over budget and/or having production problems (Fox’s Back To You, Nashville, K-VILLE; CBS’ Kid Nation, Cane and Viva Laughlin; NBC’s Journeyman, Life and Bionic Woman; ABC’s Cavemen, Big Shots, Dirty Sexy Money, and Pushing Daisies.) Even returning hit shows are losing their Nielsen luster (NBC’s Heroes, ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Grey’s Anatomy, CBS‘ CSI:Miami and Cold Case) that they feel this is as as good a time for a strike as any.

Speculation be damned.  It turns out that there might be some truth to mogul cancellation love, as Heroes: Origins got its plug pulled:

Fears of a writers strike may have already contributed to a decision NBC made Wednesday to pull the highly anticipated spinoff miniseries of its hit “Heroes” from a midseason launch…Sources indicated “Origins” may be just the first of many projects lined up at the broadcast networks in 2008 that will get downgraded as a result of the potential strike, which could severely affect the TV industry. Budget allocations made months ago for a range of scripted programs, many of which will not be feasible without sidelined writers, will likely be reconsidered and potentially shifted to strike-proof material like reality and news programs.

The only viewers who win from a prospective strike? 

Fans of trashy reality television shows!

Has-been celebrities of the world, get your headshots ready!  If Flavor Flav and Bret Michaels can comeback, you can too!

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