Is the end in sight for the Writers' Strike?

I don't watch much TV. Still, I get a little irked when I hear other people who don't watch TV snobbishly say, "Well, who cares that the writers are out on strike?" On the other hand, I was more than a little frightened when I found myself in a very slow-moving lane in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago and began paging through that week's issue of TV Guide. There was a page filled with letters to the editor about the strike, and one seemed to capture the mood of many of the others. It said something along the lines of "Our brave soldiers are off risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they aren't going out on strike! The government should force the writers to go back to work!"

Ummmmm...

The strike, in case you haven't been paying attention, is about a lot of things, including compensation to writers for internet, DVD, and other (perhaps as-yet undeveloped) mediums. During the last writers' strike, the home video market was still in its fledgling stages, and the union essentially bargained away fair compensation from home video sales as a concession for other items that they valued more highly. By the time 2007 rolled around, it was quite clear that this concession had been a grave error, and the union was eager to make sure it had these bases covered this time around. The studios, naturally, see things otherwise.

So how will this strike end? Will the folks with all the talent and none of the money be forced to bargain away everything of value? Will the side with all of the money and none of the creative talent decide to treat the writers fairly, realizing that any concessions made now will pay huge dividends in the future?

I dunno. We'll have to see in the postgame analysis. As of this posting there is an offer on the table, and the union leadership is recommending that the rank-and-file vote to accept it, and call off all active picketing until the votes have been cast and counted. So, soon, all of you TV watchers will be able to look forward to new episodes of your favorite TV shows. In the meantime, you can follow the latest developments at the United Hollywood blog. I'll also be keeping up with the story over on Adam Felber's Fanatical Apathy. I hope everything works out for the best!