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WGA Strike Roundup: Wednesday, Jan. 30

Jan 30, 2008  •  Post A Comment

‘Celebrity Apprentice’ Benefits From Strike
NBC has ordered a second season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” The reality show’s ratings have been helped by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike, which has prevented new episodes of competing shows in the time slot, Daily Variety reported. The show, a partnership between Mark Burnett’s and Donald Trump’s production companies, has averaged a 3.9 national Nielsen rating among adults 18 to 49 and has attracted celebrities who want to be in next season’s show, the newspaper said, citing NBC executive Craig Plestis.
Directors, Actors Unions Squabble as Strike Nears Three-Month Point
Directors Guild of America President Michael Apted accused Screen Actors Guild head Alan Rosenberg of trying to disrupt the informal WGA talks with the studios after Rosenberg questioned whether the DGA’s interim agreement was a model for a proposed WGA deal, Daily Variety reported. Apted called the DGA pact “great” while Rosenberg said it would be “premature” to call it a solution to the strike, which is approaching the three-month mark, the newspaper said.
Prospect of Shuttered Oscars Has Little Effect on SAG Awards Ratings
The prospect of the Academy Awards being shut down by the Writers Guild of America strike didn’t do much to boost ratings for the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing the Associated Press. The SAG Awards had a television audience of about 6.1 million on TNT and TBS, up from 5.8 million last year. However, that’s still far less than its all-time high of 12.5 million, when the SAG Awards were broadcast on NBC, the newspaper said.
CBS Orders Canadian Drama
CBS ordered 13 episodes of the one-hour Canadian-produced police drama “Flashpoint,” giving the network a show to premiere amid a pilot process shut down by the Writers Guild of America strike, Reuters reported. The show, which stars Eliot DiMauro (“Just Shoot Me”), will begin shooting in April in Toronto and will start airing later this year.
—Danny King

2 Comments

  1. Re: CBS Orders Canadian Drama
    Actually, the show stars Enrico Colantoni, who played a character called Eliot DiMauro on “Just Shoot Me.” Kind of a big difference there.

  2. “Elliot DiMauro” is the name of the character portrayed by Enrico Colantoni (“Just Shoot Me”) who will be starring in “Flashpoint”. Spelling and fact checking as a plus.

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