I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! US Series 3

Caitlyn Jenner, 2017

 While all strikes eventually end, reality shows filled the vacuum since writers aren't needed.  Cops on Fox helped pave the way back in 1988, despite its reputation and also being an occasional target for parody (usually by another show on the network).  The turn of the millennium made "reality" a reality.

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is a franchise from the UK made by ITV and also has international counterparts.  Twice, they tried in the US, several years apart; Series 1 on ABC, which included the now-Caitlyn Jenner (she went to the flagship later), and Series 2 six years on at NBC.  Neither did well in the ratings and were cancelled, making it another yet thing that just didn't catch on here in the States.  We even had Ant & Dec themselves over once for their other franchise Wanna Bet?, and they can't get arrested here either!  I heard of the Tyneside duo through The Irish Sun years ago.

Whilst we wait for a truce, maybe a third season could be pitched to another network or streamer.  It could be seen as an all-star Survivor, if you like, or even like a Celebrity Big Brother in the wilds.  Forgotten or washed-up celebs like A Martinez, Roseanne Barr, or even Lori Beth Denberg could revive their careers by going on the show.  Martina McBride doesn't know if she'll ever sing again and recover like country competitor Shania Twain, so she can do all these challenges in the middle of nowhere.  Singer-actor Jill Scott may participate since the athlete of the same name just did the last UK series with Boy George.

I stopped watching this kind of show a long time ago because I have no interest.  Annie Lennox has spoken out about celebrity culture.  I know that she and four others I mentioned are more suited for the sister blog.  I love Boy George to bits, and he signed a big deal to do the show just after he and Culture Club were in town again despite a row with the ex.  Anyway, it's just an idea of what could be done for now, as this is a bridge that has to be repaired, not burned, if you will.  Even when everything's back to normal, IACGMOOHUS might be a reboot that reintroduces the overseas sensation to North American audiences.  There could also be two Canadian versions, each in English and French, for Canadian content purposes with people from there, and they can also go to Australia or South Africa, staying in the Commonwealth, or go to Costa Rica or another out of the way locale, like the US or UK versions.

WGA Strike

Tim Robbins at the 2007-08 strike downstate (WGA-E), November 2007 (the ex went to Albany instead this year)

 Here we go again.  The studios and the Writers' Guild of America have failed in negotiations and WGA are once more are on the picket line.  A strike is the last resort for any union.  The last one from November 2007 to February 2008 cost over a billion dollars in lost revenue just before the last recession to boot.  I just hope this one isn't as long.  They don't last forever.  Every union eventually have to return to the bargaining table and sort it out with management.  Streaming and now AI are everywhere, and residuals aren't as guaranteed after fifty years time.  The pandemic has also affected Hollywood and pretty much all of society, and has emboldened workers to fight for more, from a rise to benefits to better treatment.  We all want that, and it's frustrating to see an industry tied up when one side or the other isn't ready to haggle.  For less lucrative labour, when David or Goliath is at the end of his rope at it were, then it's time to settle.  Glad I was too young to notice when this happened in the late '80s.  This isn't the kind of business that can have scabs like a plant because of the money and lawyers involved.  We had less trouble with the railway row just a while ago, even though they didn't get everything they demanded.  I'm no Norma Rae myself, mind, but I was in a union myself once.

Writers, we all love you and appreciate all of your hard work.  Fight the good fight and go back to the table soon so history doesn't repeat itself.  I'm not trying to meddle or cross the picket line, but nobody wants this to drag on into next season.  I'll ask the spirits when we can expect you to reconcile with the studios with the crystal ball, the original AI or AP wire since antiquity, if you like (it says 13 May or 8 June [checked thrice], or even when strike funds run out).  Good luck in the trenches.  Come back soon.