Enjoy Your Late Night Shows Tonight

When the WGA meets tonight at the LA Convention Center, the leaders will be telling the writers it is time to walk out. Union leaders have been advising all members to take their personal items with them when they leave work this afternoon. Although a strike could have begun at midnight, the general consensus was that Monday would be the soonest a strike would occur because the WGA wanted to look as if they were trying to negotiate with the new federal mediator. Now that may change.

While your favorite comedies and dramas have enough episodes filmed to keep you happy for a month or two, the late night talk shows will only have enough for tonight. Say goodbye to Jay Leno, and Conan O'Brien. Say adios to Jon Stewart and David Letterman. Love SNL on Saturday nights? Say buh bye. These shows all depend heavily on writers on a daily basis and will shut down after tonight if a strike is called. So enjoy them tonight, because it may be awhile before you see a new show again.

You notice I didn't mention Jimmy Kimmel saying goodbye? That's because he may stay on and take advantage of the other shows going dark to pick up some ratings for his struggling show.

The WGA will be all alone on the picket line as the other Hollywood guilds including the actors and directors have specifically reminded their members about the no-strike clauses in their contracts. SAG did say that if members wanted to picket with WGA members on their free time they could, but were not encouraging it.