The Battle of Writer's Strike is Over

...and boy was it a nail biter. TV might suffer for about six months to a year as we recover. It will be interesting to see how we pick up the pieces. What shows are still in and which one's are out? It's been a LONG 3 months. It seems like it's been a year.

Comic Book Bin: The Writer's Strike: The End is Nigh!
BREAKING: The Writer's Strike is Officially Over!
Writer's Strike Officially Over!
Writers confirm strike end

from the Comic Book Bin:

The second season of Heroes is apparently finished. Any new episodes put into production will air as part of the third season beginning this fall. As the show is built around longer story arcs similar to the contemporary layout of comic books, to put only a couple of episodes into production would probably not add to the overall experience of the show.

The current season of Lost just began airing not that long ago, but with only the eight episodes produced before the strike. Executive Producer Damon Lindelof is hesitant about how many episodes can be produced and still aired without extending the show far into summer. A tentative plan of creating five episodes has been discussed, bringing the total of the current season’s episodes up to thirteen of the initial pre-strike plan of sixteen.


24: Possibly the worst off for all of the shows affected by the Writer’s Strike. 24 will likely stay off the air until a mid-season start beginning in January 2009, creating a year and a half gap between episodes. Being unable to have a complete 24 episode season would ruin the concept of the show and cause a story to end mid-season.

OT: I must say that I will be VERY HAPPY to see the writers return to "The" Daily Show. I didn't realize how much they actually contributed to the show. The fight between Stewart/ Colbert/ O'Brien was funny but I want that quick witted take on news back.

T-Mobile is Killing My Dreams of Using Twitter on a New BlackBerry Curve

For the past month of so, I've been mulling over buying a new smart phone. I'm fine with the $300 price tag for the device. What I'm not ok with is the service plans available with the device. Using AT&T's BlackBerry Curve is OUT because their phone doesn't have Wi-Fi. If it had GPS AND Wi-Fi AT&T's Curve would be IN. I decided on T-Mobile because they have the option of a one-year contract and an unlimited texting plan. This week, I'd pretty much decided to bite the bullet and sign a contract with T-Mobile. I was actually going out to do that today.

This morning on Twitter, I start seeing all of these tweets about T-Mobile blocking Twitter. This is a huge deal breaker. I was already iffy on going with a BlackBerry because I couldn't really use Skype with it. The whole point of me getting a smart phone is so that I could participate on Twitter at work without using the work computer. I also wanted mobile web browsing and a camera phone on the go. If I can't use Twitter or Skype on the service/phone, then the whole thing is useless. Now I have to find and decide on ANOTHER phone. *sighs*

Here are some links:
Alternageek: T-Mobile blocks Twitter?
CNET: Twitter doubly dead for some T-Mobile users
Techcrunch: T-Mobile Turns Off Twitter?
T-Mobile Shuts Down Twitter Service for Good?
T Mobile Blocking SMS Codes for Twitter (and potentially other third parties)
Letter to T-Mobile CEO: Killing twitter will be a PR nightmare


I am going to wait for an official response before I make my final decision.

[updated 4:56 p.m. CST]
Twitter's Blog: T-Mobile + Twitter-- Looks like Twitter is saying this is a glitch. I hope it's a glitch and the people that talked to T-Mobile's tech support just got bad support people who didn't know how to handle the call. I still want an official response from T-Mobile.


[updated 12/19/07] Turned out to be a technical issue. I was really hoping for this news. Also, I felt that the customer service email was served up by an employee who didn't really know what they were talking about. I've worked with reps like that who don't really care and play hard ball. Too bad that email got circulated. It's also too bad because I had the BlackBerry curve in my hands this weekend. I put it back because I wasn't sure about the whole blocking issue.
T-Mobile Mix-Up Was Technical

Writers Are Still Holding Out

Hollywood on strike: Impasse in 5th week

Looks like there is no end in sight to the writer's strike. It's a stand off party. Quite frankly, I'm bored with it. I want them to get paid what they are owed and move on. How long can this go on? Is this the longest writer's strike in TV history? I'm going to have to look that up.

Neil Gaiman is Hot!

I'm thrilled about all of the Neil Gaiman news lately. He has Beowulf, Stardust and now something called Coraline. All of that is cool but I'm dying for a Neverwhere re-make. Live action would be great but I wouldn't mind an animated version of the book. Keep up the awesome work Neil.

News Niblets: Nov. 11, 2007

---Winona Ryder is Spock's mom in the new Star Trek movie. Now they're just letting anyone on this film. I kid, I kid. Wow! They are really making a big deal out of this film. I'm impressed.
On another note, I've already bought my tickets for The Menagerie on Tuesday. I don't think they'll be a line but I'm take off of work early just to ease my mind.

---African fantasy. Awesome! I wonder what that is like? Would be cool to see a movie.

SF and fantasy author Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu told SCI FI Wire that her latest novel, The Shadow Speaker, is what she likes to call "African fantasy with elements of science fiction."

---Klaatu barada nikto. Jennifer Connelly has joined the cast of the The Day the Earth Stood Still re-make. YAY! Keanu Reeves is still in it. (crickets)

The Writer's Strike Back

Yes. I know. An incredibly lame headline.

When I first heard that there was going to be a writer's strike. I didn't pay it much attention. Seems like they've done this before and it's was smoothed over then forgotten. I don't recall a strike where shows we shut down and episodes not delivered. I didn't realize that writers had so much power. WOW! I respect what they are doing. At least they are not suing the viewers.

The LA Times has a great quick and dirty list of the shows affected. Bionic Woman isn't on this list, neither is Flash Gordon.

Here is some cutting and pasting from the LA Times as it relates to the science fiction genre:

"Lost"- Expected to have eight out of 16 episodes ready. Midseason, none have aired yet.
"CSI"- Will have 11 or 12 out of 22 episodes completed.
"CSI: Miami"- Will have 13 out of 24 episodes completed.
"CSI: NY"- Will have 13 or 14 out of 22 episodes completed.
"Criminal Minds"- Will have 11 or 12 of 22 episodes completed.
"Numb3rs"- Will have 12 of 22.
"Moonlight"- Expected to have 11 out of 12 episodes completed; has not received an order for a full season.
"Jericho"- Will have seven of seven episodes. (The fans fought so hard for it to return only for the show to be held up by a strike.)
"Medium"- Will have nine of 22 episodes completed.
"Journeyman"- Will have 12 of 13 episodes; has not yet received an order for a full season. (NO FINALE?!? That's just cruel)
"Smallville"- Will have 12 to 14 of 22 episodes.
"Supernatural"- Has 12 to 14 episodes completed; Those shows also have roughly five scripts that are ready to shoot.
"Beauty and the Geek"- Has six remaining for the fall season and a 10-episode run for early next year. (I've never watched this!)
"24"- Will have eight or nine out of 24 episodes completed. Originally scheduled for January, now premiere is delayed.
"Stargate Atlantis"- Expected to go on as scheduled.
"Battlestar Galactica"- Has 10 hours of episodes, plus a two hour movie to air this Fall.
"Eureka"- Will be affected. (Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

This is a nightmare. It's not the end of the world but I wonder when this will be over.

What is it About Lost Actors Getting Drunk and Driving?

Police Arrest a Fourth “Lost” Star in Hawaii

Every time there is local news about the Lost cast, it is always about them driving drunk. The article points out that this is the fourth actor to get busted for drinking and driving. These guys need to do some public service announcements.

What is it about the Lost show that has the actors drinking so much? I understand that acting is stressful but enough is enough. Also, do the Hawaii police go out looking to bust these guys. It sounds like a running joke. The cast needs to go down to the station and take pictures and give out autographs. The HPD shouldn't have to go to such extremes to get some face time with the cast.

September 11th and Science Fiction

I'm one of those people who do not handle remembering September 11th well. I don't have family in New York nor do I really know anyone there. I don't think you have to have that in order to still be saddened by this event. I'm not sure why but that day I felt like this country not only lost people but something else that I can't quite put my finger on.

Every year, I always think of two science fiction pieces that will forever be associated with this event in my mind.

When I first heard about the attacks, I thought of the pilot episode of The Lone Gunmen. Having seen that episode prior to the attacks and having the real life events mirror that episode so closely doesn't sit well. When you are young, conspiracy theories are fun but to have a science fiction scenario play out before your eyes like some sort of premonition is unsettling.

The second thing I thought of was Independence Day. Remember the scenes when the aliens first started destroying the cities and the debris clouds that rounded the buildings were so powerful that it consumed everyone one in its path? When I watched the attacks on the news the destruction was almost identical to me. I was amazed and horrified at how damned good the ID4 special effects team were.

When we watch these types of stories most of us hope to never see it play out in real life. I my guess thinking about these things is a way to detach from the horror of 9/11.

Moment of Silence for James Kim

I didn't know the guy...

...but when I first heard this story, it bothered me greatly. If it weren't for email and the internet, I would have never heard of this story.
James Kim, his wife and two children were stranded in the Oregon wilderness. James was a gadget guy that worked for CNet and they put out a massive call to everyone via their website to help with the search. Days had went by and no one heard from the ENTIRE family. People got worried. Eventually the wife and kids were found but James had perished in the wilderness when he went out to seek help for his family.

This sucks.

My thoughts go to his family and I wish them the best.

Click here for more information from CNet.