Forum - View topicAbout the writers strike...
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coldspider
 Posts: 187 |
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So many of you already know that the writers strike has caused the production of most TV shows to go on hiatus,and the networks are currently airing re-runs for the most part.
What I'm wondering,is if this strike is a good opportunity for all of the major anime companies to potentially pitch a handful of anime series to all the major networks. Take Death Note for example.Isn't it possible for all Death Note premiers to move to a network like The CW,and then re-runs of the series would air on CN on it's usual Adult Swim slot? (I use The CW and CN since both are owned by Time Warner) I'm pretty sure NBC and the Sci-Fi channel did this with Heroes right? Or what about Monster? Viz just picked up the rights to that series,wouldn't it be a good idea to shop around the series to all the networks during the strike? It seems to me that this exactly what the anime industry needs right now,a chance to bring anime to the masses.But this chance won't last forever,I personally don't think the networks are going to give in,and all the writers (if most of them haven't been fired) will eventually go back to work. So am I nuts? Or is this actually possible? |
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emory
Posts: 615 |
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You're nuts. The networks will just play reruns, order shows that don't need WGA writers, or in CBS' case they'll port over Showtime shows.
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coldspider
Posts: 187 |
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So is the WGA involved with the production of a licensed anime series then? =/
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Monster in a box
Posts: 671 |
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It's a factual statistic that reruns of Family Guy get 5x the ratings of new episodes of anime. And by factual I mean I just made it up, but they get better ratings all the same.
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KyuuA4
 Posts: 1361 Location: America, where anime and manga can be made |
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Anime's biggest obstacle is the constant view that "it is foreign". Someone mentioned that in one of the long fansub "debates". As widespread anime has been -- compared to the 1990's -- it's still a niche market. Even worse -- the market shrunk by 30%.
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ikillchicken
 Posts: 7272 Location: Vancouver |
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I think the bigger problem nobody has yet mentioned is that networks just won't go out and get "replacement" shows, anime or other. It’s just not practical. By the time they even got the details all finalized odds are the strike would be long since over.
Its more efficient and simple to just show a lot of reruns until the strike ends. |
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zaphdash
 Posts: 620 Location: Brooklyn |
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The writers won't be fired because it is illegal under federal law to fire strikers. The studios will cave. It's only a question of when. Already, almost all of the big scripted TV shows have run out of episodes. One movie, the Da Vinci Code sequel, has already been delayed and if the strike drags on, more will follow. It may not happen soon; the last time the writers went on strike, it dragged on for 22 weeks. But it'll happen. The writers aren't even asking for anything unreasonable, and eventually, when the studios begin to lose too much money, they'll crack. And I don't think this represents much of an opportunity for anime to break through. Quite frankly, I don't think anime will ever be much more mainstream than it is now. Pretty much everyone I know is perfectly aware of the existence of anime, but virtually all of them are just not interested in it. Anime just doesn't have widespread appeal in American culture; you suggest that Death Note could air on the CW, and I guess your assumption is that then more people will watch Death Note. But I think it's more likely that, in reality, fewer people will watch the CW. Certainly, it'll gain a few new viewers who wouldn't have seen it otherwise, but it'll also lose everyone who doesn't want to watch anime (which is a pretty substantial part of the population). Regardless how long the strike drags on, anime will never get a shot at network TV. They'll keep showing reruns, they'll add more reality TV, they'll start broadcasting series from their sister networks on cable, they'll trot out new shows that have already been filmed (such as the midseason replacements that had already been planned or shows they hadn't initially intended to pick up for broadcast), but they'll never show anime because there isn't a big enough market for it. Anime fans tend to overestimate the appeal that anime has for everyone else. They think that just because they love it, everyone else would too, but it's not true. The same way many anime fans thumb their noses at American productions and stubbornly refuse to watch Western TV shows, many other people have no interest whatsoever in watching anime. So it'll stay on cable, and perhaps some children's anime will continue to get shown in syndication, and that'll be that. If you're dreaming of a world where NBC shows Ghost in the Shell in primetime, keep dreaming. |
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Samurai-with-glasses
 Posts: 628 |
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zaphdash: Agreed at everything you said.
 I'm betting my money (well, not really) on the studios cracking first. And they deserve it too, the way writers and writing in general are treated in Hollywood is abysmal. Workshop formulas and mass productions don't make for good artistic entertainment.
I do hope the writer's strike gives everyone some extra time not spent in front of the TV screen though. And I must respectfully disagree with the OP's contention. Anime doesn't necessarily carry mass appeal to the average TV viewer, and it's not likely to draw much mainstream attention either. |
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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Well, the reality of the strike is that, if the studios caved today, it would still be late spring before a single new episode of television (that hasn't already been writen and filmed) will appear. It takes that long to get the wheels back in motion, apparently. If the strike actually lasts into the winter, it'll be until summer or later before anything fresh is ready. Given that there's pretty much nothing but reality shows to run, and most of them will suck, they really wouldn't be hurt too badly by showing some of the better anime out there, particularly the more adult freindly material. I doubt they would though.
I could maybe see CW trying it (relaying off of CN's stock), and maybe Fox, but they won't because they actually do have some shows that might work (Terminator and Idol), so they aren't as totally screwed as, say, NBC is. NBC probably wouldn't because they are too old and scared. ABC might scrounge something actually, by backchanneling Disney's ties to the industry. They might at least show some Miyazaki movies or something. |
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marie-antoinette
 Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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That's quite a bit longer than the estimates that I have heard, which is that it will take 1-2 months to get going again. Remember that some shows already have episodes that have had some shotting continued and probably there are a decent number of scripts out there that just need fine tuning before they can be filmed. So while there will definitely be a break between the strike ending and new episodes airing, it will not be as long as you say it is. And yes, I realize you said episodes not written and filmed and maybe for those you are right, however I would expect that almost all the shows have partial episodes filmed and scripts that are almost ready. However, the studios won't be caving today, most likely. I'd guess that it won't be until January when all the written shows are out of episodes (most of them seem to be now, but not quite all of them) and the networks are really hurting for material. |
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samuraiwalt
Posts: 647 |
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Adult Swim showed the ratings numbers for Sat. recently and Death Note couldn't even beat the 3 am repeat showing of The Boondocks. |
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zaphdash
Posts: 620 Location: Brooklyn |
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"Better" anime is all relative, and most American TV viewers have no interest in watching anime regardless of its supposed quality. You may think most reality shows suck, and god knows I agree with you, but the ratings don't. Anime has no chance. Even on Cartoon Network, anime never draws as many viewers as CN's own original comedy programming. What makes you think that Death Note could outdraw Survivor? It's not gonna happen, and the reason isn't that Fox already has their own shows or that NBC is "too old and scared," but because there is no market for it.
If ABC was going to give up on shows and just start broadcasting movies, they have a huge catalogue of movies made by Disney and Disney's subsidiaries like Miramax, as well as a virtually unlimited ability to buy up broadcast rights to any other movie out there that isn't already owned by someone else; and any of those movies, based on name recognition alone, is likely to draw far more viewers than any Miyazaki movie. It's a moot point anyway -- no network is going to just start showing movies to fill airtime. But even if they did, anime movies would be just about the last thing they'd show. |
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Ohoni
Posts: 3421 |
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Well, it does depend on how much production goes into the show. Some shows work "hand to mouth" filming each episode one week and airing it a couple weeks after, mostly sitcoms, and those would probably be out more quickly. Others are finlmed piecemeal, maybe several episodes at once depending on actor commitments, and those could come fast or slow dpeneding on where they're at right now. Then of course there are shows with special effects, like Heroes, Pushing Daisies, even House (those CG bits), which will be all that, plus however long it takes to do the effects shots,probably additional weeks or so. It still doesn't look good for the Winter Season.
They should put the Boondocks on network. That would really add some color to the peacock network.
I'm not picking fights or anything, and rest assured that few of the shows I'm watching right now would qualify in the "better" category, I just meant shows that had elements likely to appeal to network audiences. More realistic dramas with high production values, or broad appeal slapstick comedies perhaps. Few shows really come to mind though.
I don't, but there are some REALLY bad reality shows coming down the pipe. God, what was that one I saw a comcercial for on ABC. . .oh Dance War, some kind of competition between the judges of Dancing with the Stars. I think Deathnote could beat that.
I don't see how a third-string reality show is any less "filling air" than a good movie. It's not like there's any aftermarket on reality shows, whereas a performance of a movie might push some DVDs for the parent company. |
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marie-antoinette
Posts: 4136 Location: Ottawa, Canada |
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Actually, I'm pretty sure the source I got for the time it will take for production to get up and going and new episodes airing was about Pushing Daisies, so I don't think that their special effects would really slow things down too much. I do agree it doesn't look good for winter at the moment, but we might be able to get something in the early spring.
The sad thing is, I think I'd be safe putting money down that you're wrong about that. There are a lot more people out there who would rather watch Dance Wars (or whatever it is called) because they watch Dancing with the Stars than would switch over to watch "some cartoon." |
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zaphdash
Posts: 620 Location: Brooklyn |
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In terms of quality, it's not. But in terms of viewership, there's a big difference. For one thing, if we're still talking about anime specifically, the mere fact that it's animated will turn off many viewers before they even have a chance to see that it's a good movie. If we're talking about any movie, it's more about the time investment required by a movie. There's a reason that timeslots are split up into hours and half hours, that two-hour episodes and movies and miniseries are all billed as unusual special events: people don't always want to sit and watch something for that long. So a one hour reality show is preferable to a two hour movie on the schedule. Another thing that people tend to forget: reality shows exist because they draw viewers. You may think they're awful, and I would tend to agree with you, and I'm sure a lot of the other people here would too, but millions of viewers out there don't. I have long since stopped trying to understand the appeal of Dancing with the Stars-type shows, but clearly some sort of appeal is there for somebody because these shows exist and refuse to go away. So you're not just talking about two bad choices here; the "third-string" reality show really is pulling in viewers, and probably more than a movie (especially an anime movie) would. You've got to remember, the networks are in business to make money, and while they're certainly not infallible, generally capitalism does a pretty good job of ferreting out the most profitable course of action. Networks are very aware of what's out there, anime and otherwise. That they choose to air Clash of the Choirs over Grave of the Fireflies is not the result of ignorance but market studies. They know what people will watch and clearly it's not anime. |
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