Entertainment

After reading this article from the New York Times, I now believe that TV as we know it is about to change dramatically. Already, internet TV is gaining ground, but even more so since the writer's strike began four months ago. Popular, prime-time, TV shows have been disrupted since the strike began, forcing most shows to cut their seasons short. Some shows, such as Fox's 24, have been delayed in defiantly. With nothing to fill the slots, the networks have been showing reruns and, in some instances, replacing the shows with some other show.

According to this article from CNBC, a deal has been struck and the strike is now ending. Of course, we've heard this before but hopefully this time it's true. Regardless, the damage has been done. The studios are now in an uncomfortable position. They were already in a budget crunch before the strike, and now they will do what they have to in order to keep making money

What does this mean for us as viewers? A near-complete takeover by sitcoms and reality shows. Since they are much cheaper to produce, the studios will likely end the prime-time shows we all know and love over a period of time in favor of less expensive programming. This would ruin Hollywood as we know it, as actors would only be needed for movies, and would inadvertently put many writers out of a job, in an already competitive job market. It would also further independent programming found on the Internet. The transition from TV to Internet will eventually happen, but the writer's strike may have just accelerated this transition.