The kind folks over at TV Squad are reporting this morning that the studios and writers appear to have some to an agreement on contract terms. While the negotiators must still present the proposal to the union leaders, this might mean a short end to the current strike. More importantly, it might mean an end to the strike prior to the much-heard-but-somewhat-unofficial February 15th deadline, after which studios felt it would be impossible to salvage the upcoming TV season -- and possible next year's pilots as well.
Our big question: does this mean that we'll see the remaining twelve episodes of BSG's fourth and final season? Will Ron Moore, cast, and crew get a chance to finish the story as planned? Hopefully we'll know soon.
(Thanks to sushiesque for the great CC-licensed photo.)
Studios And Writers Agree To Contract Terms [TV Squad]
The notion of the show simply not ending and the actors going on to other things and therefore not being available to film again is a very depressing thought!
let’s keep our fingers crossed, hope the writer’s get their due and we’ll be bathing in new show for months to come! Yayyy!
SS
Can’t wait to hear everyone is back in the studios shooting again.
Here in LA the news is saying that the writers will be back to work on Monday… We shall see.
Personally, I think that…
1) They wanted to split Season 4 into two halves to create two seasons for the price of one, before the strike. The strike now forms the perfect excuse.
2) Even if the strike ended today there is about an 8 week lead time between writing an episode and starting to film it. That means no new episodes will not start filming until May assuming you can get together directors, actors, set builders et al, who have dispersed and moved onto other projects, so you can probably add another 4 weeks to that.
If the union accepts the agreement and everyone goes back to work until it expires in 2011, it will take a mighty heave to get the BSG family reunited to start filming again. And being that the execs feel like the point of no return is just around the corner, I feel like it’s unlikely that NBC will press Sci-Fi to get something in the can now in order to complete the season, and thus the series, this year.
What I feel like will most likely happen is that Ron and David will get the nod to begin working on the last half of the season, with the goal being an early 2009 air date. Cast, crew, writers, etc. will thus have time to focus on other projects that they might be currently in the middle of before heading back up to ‘Couver.
Katee’s got Bionic Woman, and Trucco’s in a sitcom pilot I believe. Both are with NBC, however, which gives them flexibility to work on BSG. The others, like Mary, have other projects. Mary’s got a movie in pre-pro right now, but I don’t know what studio it’s with.
I think if there was more than hoping and wishing, as far as anything in the works for the last 10-12 eps of the series, I would feel much better about getting only “half a season” in 2008. If there was a definite push to reignite the engines on the Battlestar Galactica, and finish the show, I would be more than happy to wait until 2009.