1 of 1- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline 
Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
After weeks of negotiations, the producers and the actors who work in their movies were miles apart, leading the latter to officially go out on strike as of midnight Wednesday. It's the first time since 1960 both writers and their fellow thespians are off the job at the same time.
What does that mean for Canada? For a while Hollywood North was getting by on a reduced schedule using previously completed scripts. But with no one to star in them, just about everything will be shutting down, putting crews out of work with them. And there's no timetable for when they'll be back. It means the fall TV season, already behind, may not debut any new shows until well into the New Year. And streaming companies will eventually run out of new episodes to show.
What's likely to take their place? The CW has already bought out several Canadian-made shows. And NBC will pick up where CTV's Transplant left off a few years ago. The rest of the U.S. networks (and by extension, the CTVs, Citys and Globals) will fill with movies, reality shows and reruns.
There could also be foreign made programs from England and Australia that might conceivably turn up on your TV screens. But original programming? That could be gone for a long, long time.
Issues remain wages, residuals from streaming, and guarantees against the encroachment of Artifical Intelligence.
By the way, can someone tell me what the panic over A.I. is in the case of the actors? I can't see any big star being replaced by a computer-generated character, unless it's a specific plot point in a story. I don't think the audience would ever accept it.
Hollywood actors join screenwriters in historic industry-stopping strike as contract talks collapse
- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
interesting info on the strike in the 1960's and Ronald Reagan
could the major networks end up dusting off their catalogues of some of their old tv shows from the 60's 70's and 80's with an "encore presentation" spin to keep viewers entertained?
Last edited by betaylored (July 13, 2023 7:19 pm)
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
betaylored wrote:
could the major networks end up dusting off their catalogues of some of their old tv shows from the 60's 70's and 80's with an "encore presentation" spin to keep viewers entertained?
Oddly enough, I had this idea as a summer stunt before either of the unions went on strike. Imagine if CBS, for example, could re-create its famous Saturday night line-up from the 70s, consisting of classics like All In The Family, Bob Newhart, M*A*S*H and The Carol Burnett Show.
All reruns and very old, yes, but it's for one night and frankly, reruns are all they have to present anyway as long as this continues. The biggest problem might be getting the rights for a one-time presentation and I'm not sure it would even be possible or economical, with so many of these greats now in syndication and owned by others. Add in a few vintage original commercials from that era and it could be a fun "special event" in a fallow time, recalling a different era every weeknight.
Maybe ABC could repeat "Roots," giving them enough for an entire week's programming.
NBC could give the public a new taste of Must See TV Thursdays (although perhaps without The Cosby Show!)
I'm betting more people would watch any of those than the 17th rerun of "FBI: Most Wanted."
At the very least, expect a repeat of what happened during the COVID production shutdown, where selected dramas and comedies from their streaming services wound up on the over-the-air networks, so they'd have something new to show to non-subscribers, while encouraging them to sign up to see the rest of the series and programs they're missing.
- •
Thread Starter- paterson1
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
I wouldn't worry about Canadian TV so much since this strike if it goes for a long time would hurt US OTA networks more than here. Some Canadian production will still continue whereas stateside nothing is happening. And CTV can always scoop some programming from their many specialty channels or even Crave. Same with Global.
I have been noticing that CTV has been certainly pumping their original product much more- Amazing Race Canada, Farming For Love, Sullivan's Crossing, Battle Of The Generations, and a few months ago Shelved among others. Even original shows that are on their cable channels are getting a higher promo profile on CTV.
Also means that they are not selling much national advertising with all of the promo. Summer is a down time anyway but this year must be softer than normal. CTV Kitchener I am seeing more local advertising in prime time which is what they should be doing anyway.
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
I wouldn't worry about Canadian TV so much since this strike if it goes for a long time would hurt US OTA networks more than here. Some Canadian production will still continue whereas stateside nothing is happening.
I don't take issue with the rest of your post, but I'm honestly not sure about this one. ACTRA and actors on this side of the border have expressed firm solidarity with their U.S. counterparts and it's possible they may withdraw their services here so no programming is available. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
A Canadian director who was interviewed on CTV's Noon News explained how Hollywood North has already come to a standstill - and that was just with the writers' walkout. Take Sullivan's Crossing. Many of those actors are members of SAG. Can they work here, knowing that same show is going to wind up on the CW? I'm not saying yes, but who knows? It's a tricky conundrum and it will be interesting to see if they drag Canadian based productions into this mess.
- •
Thread Starter- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
On that last post, this is from the Canadian Press:
"Canada’s actors union, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, which represents 28,000 members across the country, expressed their solidarity with SAG...
“We recognize that their fight is our fight and is for the good of all performers,” ACTRA president Eleanor Noble said in a statement." Together we will continue working to ensure performers are respected and achieve fair compensation for the value we bring to every production."
But you're right, it says some Canadian shows might continue. It just depends.
"Shaftesbury Films CEO Christina Jennings said a SAG strike would not impact Canadian shows with Canadian casts, such as Shaftesbury’s “Murdoch Mysteries” and “Hudson & Rex,” both currently shooting.
But she said it could affect future unannounced Canadian projects with a SAG cast."
About the only thing certain is that this is a huge mess and it doesn't appear likely to be cleaned up anytime soon.
Canadian film, TV industry braces for impact of Hollywood actors strike
- •
Thread Starter- Tomas Barlow
- Banned
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
By the way, can someone tell me what the panic over A.I. is in the case of the actors?
I read in one of the trade papers that the studios have suggested using and paying minor actors for one day of intense filming and then using their AI likeness wherever needed by the studio in perpetuity with no further compensation. The actor wouldn't have any rights to their likeness whatsoever.
- Mavridis
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
The studios say it would only apply to 'background' actors (basically extras and non-speaking roles). I've got a lot of actor friends who live off those jobs and who the hell is desperate enough to sign away their likeness for 535 bucks? As for the networks, this is actually good for their corporate bottom lines. They'll make a killing on reality and competition shows, which is basically their main source of revenue now. The longer this goes, the better it'll be for CBS (Paramount+), ABC (Disney+), NBC (Peacock) and the rest.
The pandemic made TV a distant second to streaming and as long as people have access to 'Friends' and 'The Sopranos', they'll forget all about 'Chicago Fire'. As for re-runs from the 70s?... don't hold your breath.
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
I had no idea this was the case - or the reason why.
Why Daytime Soap Operas Won't Be Impacted by the SAG-AFTRA Strike
- •
Thread Starter- betaylored
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
Canadian writers take a stand.
- Paul Jeffries
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
could the major networks end up dusting off their catalogues of some of their old tv shows from the 60's 70's and 80's with an "encore presentation" spin to keep viewers entertained?
Oddly enough, I had this idea as a summer stunt before either of the unions went on strike. Imagine if CBS, for example, could re-create its famous Saturday night line-up from the 70s, consisting of classics like All In The Family, Bob Newhart, M*A*S*H and The Carol Burnett Show.
Sounds like a good idea, although that might not be practical, given that CBS doesn't own at least three of those shows. All in the Family is currently owned by Sony Pictures and The Bob Newhart Show and M*A*S*H are owned by Disney. I'm not sure about The Carol Burnett Show.
If CBS were to run a "nostalgia night" it would probably more than likely be filled with shows they own, like Happy Days, Cheers, Taxi or Frasier, even though they originally ran on competing networks.
PJ
Last edited by Paul Jeffries (July 14, 2023 9:30 pm)
ClassicHitsOnline.com...The place where all the cool tunes hang out!
- Mavridis
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
I had no idea this was the case - or the reason why.
Why Daytime Soap Operas Won't Be Impacted by the SAG-AFTRA Strike
Same for the news depts. CBS, ABC and NPR anchors and correspondents are SAG-AFTRA too, but it's separate collective bargaining agreement.
- paterson1
- Member
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
Saw the head of ACTRA talking about the impact of the negotiations and strike. He said that the ramifications will be felt in many countries around the world with TV and movie productions. Alistair Hepburn mentioned that in the Toronto area production was starting to slow down even prior to the writers strike, simply because US producers were expecting the writers to pull their services.
In Ontario about 40% of TV and movie production is domestic according to Hepburn and this for the most part will continue. But the remaining 60% which is mostly US based has trickled down dramatically with only shows that had scripts already written and begun able to continue with some production. Nothing new will be coming in from the US during the strike.
Last edited by paterson1 (July 15, 2023 4:36 pm)
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Hollywood Actors Going On Strike. What Will It Mean In Canada?
Well, this won't help settle things any time soon. Netflix has been caught placing a "Help Wanted" ad for an Artificial Intelligence Content Creator, one of the main disputes in the ongoing actors and writers' strike, despite previous conciliatory messages from the company's CEO. And boy, does it pay well.
Bad Optics? Netflix Advertises For $900K-a-Year AI Product Manager to 'Create Great Content' While Its Writers and Actors Strike ... Over AI Fears
- •
Thread Starter