It's Wednesday. Explaining the looming Hollywood writers' strike. Plus, after so many winter storms, California is awash in potholes. |
 | | Writers say working conditions in Hollywood have not kept pace with the changes brought on by the streaming era.Andrew Cullen for The New York Times |
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It's been 15 years since Hollywood writers have been on strike — since a 100-day work stoppage ground TV production to a halt and cost the Los Angeles economy $2.1 billion. |
Now, a screenwriters' strike is once again on the table. |
Much like the last strike, which ended in early 2008 and centered on the emergence of online shows and movies, the current conflict comes at what feels like a turning point for the industry. |
Major studios have invested billions of dollars in scripted television as streaming entertainment has taken off. From 2012 to 2022, the number of English-language TV series in the United States jumped to 599 from 288. But writers feel as though their salaries have stagnated, John told me. |
"Some veteran writers have argued they are doing more work for either the same or less money from just a few years ago," he said. "Junior writers are finding it very difficult to break into the business." |
A strike isn't guaranteed, and there are still a few weeks to broker a deal to avert one, as happened in 2017. But things don't look hopeful, Brooks told me. |
"Given near-deadlock at the negotiating table this time around," he said, "agencies have quietly told their clients that they expect a strike, and some studios in recent days have changed their messaging to producers: Shift all of your focus to strike preparations — it's happening." |
Here's more of my conversation with John and Brooks about the looming strike and how it could affect Californians working in the entertainment industry, TV watchers and Angelenos in general: |
Why are union leaders calling this an existential moment for writers? |
John: Back in the days of traditional network television, episode orders could be as many as 22 to 26 episodes a season. Writers who landed in a writers' room for a show like "Friends" or "ER" could work on one show and make a very good living doing it. |
However, in the streaming era, episode orders could be as short as eight or 10 episodes, leaving some writers scrambling to find another job to keep themselves going for a year. |
So if a strike happens, what does that mean for people who, like me, love TV? |
Brooks: It depends on what kind of TV you love. Reality shows and news programs would not be affected because they are covered by different union contracts. HBO works so far ahead that shows would keep rolling off its assembly line as normal, at least for several months. The same is true, to an extent, at Netflix and the other big streaming services, which could keep their shelves full by importing more shows from overseas. |
But late-night talk shows would go dark almost immediately, because they use writers to massage the news of the day into comedic segments and monologues. "Saturday Night Live" could be forced to end its season early. Daytime shows that use union writers would struggle — "The View" is one — while soap operas like "The Young and the Restless" would run out of new episodes after about a month. A strike lasting into late June could threaten the fall returns of shows like "Abbott Elementary" and "Chicago P.D." |
Brooks: Your summer blockbusters and fall sophisticated dramas are safe: Film studios work roughly a year ahead. The challenge for movies could come next year, depending on a strike's length. |
What does a walkout look like if you work in Hollywood? |
Brooks: The making of television is a sprawling endeavor that depends on directors, actors, costume designers, set builders, electricians, hairstylists, camera operators, drivers, lighting technicians, casting directors, publicists — and, yes, writers. All of those people would be out of a job. |
A lot of ancillary businesses — flower shops, lumber yards, dry cleaners, hotels — would also be hurt. Agents would lose commissions. |
You wrote that the 2007 writers' strike cost the Los Angeles economy $2.1 billion. What else contributed to that loss? |
Brooks: The strike's effect was magnified because entertainment workers cut back on personal spending. Some restaurants and clothing stores that catered to Hollywood went out of business as a result of the 2007 strike. And it wasn't just Los Angeles that was walloped: The Milken Institute estimated that the strike took an $830 million bite out of statewide retail sales. |
 | | Members of the Vallejo Pothole Vigilantes and a motorcycle club repaired a road in Vallejo.Ian C. Bates for The New York Times |
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- Los Angeles teachers reach a deal: The Los Angeles Unified School District agreed this week to increase pay for teachers by more than 21 percent over three years, avoiding a second labor strike this year.
- Fraud scheme: A former doctor from West Hollywood convicted of fraudulently submitting nearly $120 million in insurance claims related to the 1-800-GET-THIN Lap-Band surgery business has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison, The Los Angeles Times reports.
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- Water deliveries: Communities in the San Joaquin Valley continue to rely on state-funded water deliveries even though the winter's major storms have boosted California rivers and reservoirs, The Los Angeles Times reports.
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- Crime: Seventeen people from rival gangs were arrested in connection with several shootings, including a mass attack at a Sikh temple, The Associated Press reports.
- Report leak: Anthony Becker, a Santa Clara councilor, delayed his plea on charges related to the San Francisco 49ers' influence and relationships with the city's officials, The Associated Press reports.
- Natural gas: A federal appeals court struck down Berkeley's ban on natural gas hookups in new buildings, ruling that the ordinance conflicted with federal law, KQED reports.
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 | | Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times |
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Spring carrot pickles with caraway. |
 | | Mia Monroe, a national park ranger, walked down the stairs to the Dipsea Trail in Muir Woods.Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images |
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Today's tip comes from Kathleen Zehner, who recommends an escape in Marin County: |
"I once joked that if you were having a nervous breakdown, Muir Woods is where you should go. Truly it is such a calming serene environment. The beautiful tall trees and fresh air — it is one of my very favorite places to have a nice walk." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
After a rainy winter, spring has arrived in California. Tell us your favorite part of the season, whether it's road trips, festivals, sunny afternoons or wildflower sightings. |
 | | A Lyrid meteor shower over Austria in April 2020.Christian Bruna/EPA, via Shutterstock |
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And before you go, some good news |
This week you'll have a chance to enjoy the Lyrids meteor shower, famous for sending particularly bright and large meteors known as "fireballs" shooting through the night sky. |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Soumya |
Briana Scalia and Isabella Grullón Paz contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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