‘Family Guy,’ ‘Desperate Housewives’ Feel Effects of Strike (Robin Williams walks the line)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: NY Times

By Brian Stelter

Fox said yesterday that under its revised schedule, the Sunday night animated comedies “all will continue with original episodes” in the spring.

But one of those comedies, “Family Guy,” may move forward without the involvement of its creator, Seth MacFarlane. “The show’s final produced episode — at least with his involvement — is set to air this Sunday,” Variety reports. “He hinted his relationship with producer 20th Century Fox Television could suffer if the studio uses other talent to finish remaining episodes.”

Mr. MacFarlane and the creators of other hit television shows joined forces “to picket the headquarters of the Walt Disney Company as the strike by television and film writers entered its third day,” Edward Wyatt of The New York Times.


Actor Robin Williams, left, marches in the picket line with others during the fourth day of a strike by television and film writers, Thursday Nov. 8, 2007 at the Time Warner Center in New York. (Tina Fineberg/AP)


Meanwhile, other programs, including “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” on NBC, were wrapping up production as producers ran out of fresh scripts, according to today’s New York Times. And the cast and crew of “Desperate Housewives” on ABC were expected to stop filming by tomorrow, a studio spokeswoman said.

Read more: http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/strike-day-four/?hp

[mduffy31]

1. Don't know how Fox could do that

MacFarlane voices the majority of the characters, so why even try to do it without him.

[knitter4democracy]

3. I was wondering about that, too.

People like Tina Fey who aren't just producers but also writers and actors. Cut them out as writers, you cut them out entirely.

[Mojambo]

4. I don't think they'd be bringing in voice talent

As far as I've heard they have all the voice stuff done, they'd just need to bring in someone to edit and produce the final product. Which is normally MacFarlane's job.

We'll see if they do it. With his already kinda rocky relationship with that network that could really lead to some bad feelings.

[tridim]

5. It is FOX after all, I wouldn't put it past them.

Ironically a FG episode had a joke about "wrong sounding muppets".

[knitter4democracy]

2. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Screw a group like the writers long enough that they finally fight back and then, poof, no new shows, no new stuff, no ad revenue, nothing. Maybe the producers should reconsider their stance that no one's making money on the internets and get back to the table.

[mduffy31]

6. There was one writer who had the best take

The studio puts out a DVD that takes $0.60 to make and sells it for 29.99. All we want is $0.50, that is what this is all about right there.

[Cha]

7. Wow! The execs are saying

no DVD cut for writers whom without there would be no DVD.

[mitchum]

8. Is Williams carrying a sign which had already been used by someone else?