Writers' Strike Hits "Desperate Housewives"

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

06 Nov 2007 03:31 PM

Oh sure, now the truth comes out.

Prior to writers actually hitting the picket line yesterday, producers of popular primetime TV shows such as "Desperate Housewives," "Two and a Half Men," and "CSI" maintained their series' wouldn't be sent into reruns until January.

Fat chance.

Turns out production has already stopped on at least six sitcoms because of the Hollywood writers' strike.

According to studio heads, my favorite show of the new season "Back to You," starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, will not return from a planned hiatus.

Sniff. Sniff.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus told TV's "Entertainment Tonight" production has also stopped on her CBS show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine."

In addition, network execs also announced today that "Til Death," which airs on Fox, and "Rules of Engagement,""Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," all on CBS, will also end filming this week. Execs would not reveal how many episodes are already in the can, but according to insiders, there are very few series that have enough material shot to last until the end of the year.

That includes ABC's "Desperate Housewives." One of the stars of the show James Denton told Arizona radio station KISS FM Phoenix that new shows will air until Thanksgiving week and if the strike continues past November viewers will be forced to watch reruns. (By the way, the last writers' strike went on for 22 weeks.)

Denton also revealed an interesting tidbit regarding how his fellow co-stars were taking the news of the writers' strike. The actor dished on how actress Eva Longoria was a bit too blasé about the work stoppage. Mrs. Tony Parker reportedly said that she wasn't going to complain about the strike because when production shut down on the set she could go on vacation. Denton says that's when he interjected and pointed out a detail she had overlooked.

"I felt the need to point out to her that it was going to cost her $26,000 a day," Denton told the radio station. He added that his costar failed to realize that no writers would eventually mean all production would cease, "meaning no one on the show would get paid."

Apparently $26,000 a day isn't enough for some people to buy some common sense.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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