NBC layoffs?

So, if NBC MSNBC and the whole corporate ladder have a slew of layoffs...

Will Studio 60 write a big round of layoffs into an upcoming plotline...or
will they not survive long enough to go that route?

evwill...

The real life Saturday Night Live counterpart already got hit by an
earlier layoff wave so the analogy was already there to use.

According to the Wall Street Journal report, the upcoming layoff will
be mostly in the news departments (NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC owned and
operated stations).

Obveeus...

The show, Studio 60, has a network President character (Amanda Peet) as well
as her 'boss' Steven Weber, as well as his 'boss' Ed Asner. With those
three characters on the show, it would be easy to write in network layoffs
without it being specifically about the Studio 60 staff.

On the other hand, they do need some layoffs at Studio 60...starting with
that room full of writers that they don't use and can't trust.

Rob Jensen...

Or to bring it to the real world for a minute, I wonder if, seeing
some of the writing on the wall, Sorkin, Whitford and Perry might like
working together so much that they each decide to take substantial pay
cuts to keep the show going, since none of the three likely needs the
money at this point. (Geez, especially not Sorkin & Perry.)

Obveeus...

It would be nice if Hollywood stars occasionally thought that way, but aside
from doing movies that might get them award nominations, we don't see it.

Rob Jensen...

Not true. It's one of the reasons that 7th Heaven plagues us for yet
another year (several of the lead actors took substantial pay cuts,

Obveeus...

Did they take pay cuts? I thought they just restructured the pay to take
more back end from syndication/DVD sales.

not that we should thank them in the case of 7H). George Clooney
famously refused to take a pay *increase* the entire time he was on ER
as he felt he was honor-bound to abide by the terms of the contract.

That's just to name two famous examples.

Obveeus...

I don't see how 'honoring a contract that you have already signed' qualifies
a person for sainthood.

Barry Margolin...

When the normal behavior in your community is to request (often demand)
a renegotiation when your character has become popular, it puts you
significantly above the norm.

Obveeus...

I doubt that an actual count of actors on popular TV shows would reveal that
most of them demand more money before they will honor contracts they already
signed. In any case, it still isn't the same as taking a pay cut to help
keep a struggling show going, which is what we were talking about.

Rob Jensen...

Oh you poor, naiive little fool.

-- Rob

In any case, that example does not represent an actor taking a pay cut to

Obveeus...

Feel free to print off a list of actors that demanded more money before thye
would honor a contract they already signed. Make sure that your list covers
'most actors' so that you will be able to support your claim.

keep a show on the air.

-- Rob

Everett W.