11 November 2007Tonight
After a week of protests backed by stars like Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria and Julia Louis-Dreyfus of Seinfeld fame, more than 3 000 film and television writers on Friday joined picket lines in the fifth day of a strike which has hobbled the entertainment industry with no resolution in sight.Thousands of writers brandishing placards and clad in red T-shirts gathered outside Fox Studios in Century City to protest, in the biggest single demonstration since the strike began on Monday.The writers' stance has earned sympathy from many Hollywood celebrities, including Louis-Dreyfus, Longoria and Kelsey Grammer of Cheers and Frasier, who attended Friday's rally."Now people are, you know, drawing their lines and I'm hoping that the lines can be blurred enough that people come back together and start talking," Grammer told local television station ABC7. "It affects the economy of Los Angeles."The Writers Guild of America (WGA) pressed ahead with a strike after last-ditch talks with Hollywood producers over the issue of payment from Internet sales and downloads broke down on Sunday.
The industrial action is the first by the WGA for nearly 20 years and has plunged the industry into turmoil, halting production on hit television shows like Desperate Housewives and forcing the postponement of 24.Popular late night chat shows hosted by Jay Leno and David Letterman have also shut down this week because of the strike, which industry analysts believe may last several months.Most major movie studios have sought to insulate themselves from the strike by stockpiling scripts. However, the longer the dispute goes on the greater the risk of film productions being disrupted.The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that the entertainment industry's top five talent agencies - William Morris, International Creative Management, Creative Artists Agency, United Talent Agency and Endeavor - have met WGA leaders to help find a solution.
