Because sometime in the last three years, I discovered TV

[rymenhild]

I've been reading about the WGA writers' strike and completely support the WGA aims. I have been known to buy TV seasons on DVD and watch shows online, and quality writing is more important to me than quality acting. If I'm paying for a show, I'd prefer to support the writers involved. (If I thought anyone but the studios would benefit from my buying shows off of iTunes, I would be much more likely to buy them there than I am now!)

There's nothing I can really add to the more knowledgeable and well-written posts out there about the strike -- Diane Duane has some excellent links-- so I'll link to one article that isn't about the strike.

Tim Kring admits that the second season of Heroes isn't quite working. "In retrospect," he says, "I don't think romance is a natural fit for us." No surprise there.

Comments

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

No surprise there.

And kind of a relief.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Yes. Maybe the show will give up on cardboard (or worse!) love interests soon, and focus on saving the world with bad science! I can hope.

[ajodasso.livejournal.com]

And heaven knows Mohinder delivers only the very worst <3

[ygrane.livejournal.com]

Hey, if you can't save the world with pseudo-science and bad Latin then it just doesn't deserve to be saved! ;-p

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I feel that this can be extended into a general principle. Harry Potter uses bad Latin; Madeleine L'Engle uses pseudo-science; various comic books use either or both. In fact, I cannot, offhand, think of an instance of world-saving that does not involve either pseudo-science or bad Latin! Can you?

[genarti]

I can think of some Marvel ones that used just plain magic without bad Latin. Marvel as a universe is entirely based on horrifically ridiculous pseudo-science, though, so I'm not sure it counts.

Also, Diane Duane tends to use entirely created languages instead of bad Latin! Still with the words, of course.

[genarti]

Also, duh, tDiR. Although again with the words and other languages. Saving the world with Welsh and Arthuriana?

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Diane Duane also uses pseudo-science. See: Whatever that sentient white hole's name was.

[genarti]

...Yeah, good point. Okay, pseudo-science she is.

How about in the Door Into books? It's been way too long since I read them; I can't remember if they apply or not.

[rushin-doll.livejournal.com]

Just a quick clarification: Writers do get the (admittedly ridiculously low) 0.5% residual payments on episodes sold through iTunes and similar services. It's the same (insulting) rate they get on DVD sales.

The cornerstone of the dispute at the moment is that the studios want to count showing an entire episode online (like at the NBC site or similar) doesn't count as a showing and instead is a form of "advertising". So while writers get paid a cut of iTunes, the studios want to claim that "there's no money being made on our websites" so of course there's nothing to give the writers.

Yeah, it's a prett weak argument,
Ana

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Okay, so if I were to buy a $2 episode on iTunes, half a cent would go to the writers, but if I were to watch a free episode on NBC.com, and there was an ad before or after the episode, no fraction of the advertising revenue would go to the writers (or actors, et al). I see. Thanks for the clarification.

[rushin-doll.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much it. The studios are insisting that those ads aren't actually making money...

...

Yep,
Ana