Fox Screws Actors and Us

POSTED BY: Succatash
UPDATED: Saturday, March 8, 2003 06:21
VIEWED: 6281
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SUCCATASH

Wednesday, February 26, 2003 4:13 AM

Tue Feb 25, 3:01 PM ET
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030225/ap_on_en_mo
/actors_merger_2

"In a deal negotiated last year among the unions and the Fox network... but not before agreeing to let producers pay some actors the lower AFTRA rates — a compromise that pleased neither union.... "

"....The unions already have joined independent TV producers in lobbying the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) to prevent networks from airing only shows that the networks produce, something critics say has squelched diversity in programming and led to a glut of inexpensive "reality" shows.

The reduction in scripted shows has meant fewer jobs for actors."

Has YOUR mom seen Firefly, lately?

SLOWSMURF

Wednesday, February 26, 2003 5:21 AM

For those of us who don't get what you just said, huh?

I understood the reality shows bad for actors part, but not the rest.

SUCCATASH

Wednesday, February 26, 2003 6:45 AM

Sorry for being confusing.

The TV/Radio actors union and Movie actors union are joining, because life sucks for them.

TV/Radio actors make less than movie actors.

A FOX movie was recently filmed digitally, and Fox decided that they only needed to pay TV standard salaries, instead of movie standard salaries, since they didn't use film. The actors got "screwed" in that deal. By Fox.

Thought it was worth mentioning, especially the part where the two unions are joining in a fight against Reality TV.

The actors are suffering, and we, the viewers are too, because Reality TV sucks, and there's nothing to watch anymore.

Has YOUR mom seen Firefly, lately?

TJANUS11

Wednesday, February 26, 2003 3:34 PM

While I am appalled by reality television myself, since I'm not really interested in watching preening, talentless wannabes backstab, lie and "compete" for their fifteen minutes, I gotta say: the ratings are there, the numbers are big and it looks like reality TV is here to stay.

Does this mean scripted dramas and comedies are going the way of the dodo? I doubt it. And there may not even be fewer of them because, with the proliferation of cable channels wanting to produce their own stuff, it will just be spread out around the dial more. I now watch The Shield on FX and Dead Zone on USA, channels which didn't even rate a glance a couple of years back because they were full of re-runs and old movies.

We're in a classic period of glut right now. Game shows were all the rage a couple of years back and now they are again missing from prime time. Reality shows will burn themselves down to a few glowing embers--Survivor and Real World seem like institutions these days -- as the more outrageous concepts get used up and begin to bore even the lowbrows who flock to such things. There are, after all, limits. At least, I hope so. Eventually the next logical step will be to make death an element of the game and I hope to God we as a society don't ever go there.

*Sigh*. Where is Paddy Chayevsky when you need him? He was satirizing this trend thirty years before it crested in the movie Network.

Tj

TALLGRRL

Saturday, March 1, 2003 6:02 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Succatash:
Tue Feb 25, 3:01 PM ET
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030225/ap_on_en_mo
/actors_merger_2
"In a deal negotiated last year among the unions and the Fox network..."

"....something critics say has squelched diversity in programming and led to a glut of inexpensive "reality" shows.

HBO, Showtime, Bravo, A&E et al...here I come!!!

ADDENDUM:
Actually, it's not just the actors and the audience that are being screwed.
Don't forget the writers. Of course this slide into the abyss all began with the threat of a writer's strike.
*sigh*

TLLGRRL
"Take me, Sir. Take me hard."

BROWNCOAT1

Wednesday, March 5, 2003 1:29 PM

Mind boggling.

Pretty soon I suppose FOX will have nothing but CGI shows w/ voiceovers so they don't have to pay actors/actresses. Even better, they could go back and take all of the audio from all their past shows and splice it together for audio for their new programs, that way they don't have to pay for the voiceovers either. Then, they could train chimps to do the work of their staff so they don't have to pay them either.

"May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one."

FEENIX

Thursday, March 6, 2003 5:06 PM

Well i have to admit, i was intrigued to see some reality TV, fear factory is histerical at points, because its amazing to see what people will do/eat/etc for 50k, and i was interested to see the end of joe millionare, cause the premise was interesting and i wanted to know if the woman would smack him silly for lieing, but despite the occasionally interesting premise, most of these shows a) run on too long, or b) are completely moronic (married by america, another survivor). The only one good reality show i saw, well 2, one was bootcamp, but it got waaay old to fast, and the other was combat missions...which was good the whole way through. i think firefly in some respects WAS sorta like a reality show, In a way that is why it was so good, It was ordinary people, in extradorinary situations, they werent all powerful slayers, or rich people who could throw money at a problem to make it go away. They were like normal people, working their respective butts off, to feed themselves, and keep alive, and they have fun along the way, im rambling now, ill attempt to form more coherent thoughts next time i post....i just get really passionate on this issue: FOX you blew it big time,

F U FOX, FU, FU ALL, I AM TIRED OF THIS CRAP!

KAYTHRYN

Thursday, March 6, 2003 5:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by FeeNiX:
i think firefly in some respects WAS sorta like a reality show, In a way that is why it was so good, It was ordinary people, in extradorinary situations, they werent all powerful slayers, or rich people who could throw money at a problem to make it go away. They were like normal people, working their respective butts off, to feed themselves, and keep alive, and they have fun along the way, im rambling now,...

Yes you are, but we all do.

Now it’s my turn.
**takes a deep breath and tries to hold back sizzling contempt for reality shows**
As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve watched bits of these reality shows to see if they are any good. FeeNiX, I see what you mean about how Firefly is in some way like real , original reality shows, but today’s reality shows are not even close to reality. Two people marrying each other sight unseen? 20 women competing for the affections , jewelry, and possible marriage proposal of a millionaire who lies to them on national television? A group of people trying to survive on an island, (they are given rice, and canned goods like doggy treats when the accomplish a good mission) while plotting and scheming dramatic alliances and competing in contests to win immunity tokens so they won’t get voted off. Yeah, that sounds real to me. I can totally relate to the stress of immunity tokens, obstacle courses, and the disgusting plethora of lies. Reality shows used to be reality caught on camera, just another day, but now, reality is just unscripted nonsense. And it’s not even that anymore. These shows are directed, coached, and edited to show exactly what they want views to see. Now, with Firefly as an example, the completely scripted and directed shows seem more real than the reality shows. There, that’s my daily allowance of rambling for now.

-------------------------------------
Jayne: Hey, I didn't fight in no war. Best of luck, though.

LJSQUARED

Thursday, March 6, 2003 6:28 PM

The only reality show I ever really watched was Big Brother (1st series, Australian version). There was an interesting scenario where it looked like a "character" (the gay guy, shock horror) was back-stabbing the rest of the "cast", being their greatest friend here and voting them out there, while enticing the others to do the same. The end result was when he finally got voted into the 3 potential leavers group he was voted out by the public. It soon became obvious towards the end of the show that the entire thing was a result of some very clever editing. This was shown through previously unseen footage and cast interviews.

When they have SOOO much footage its very easy to make a passable soapie. REALITY SHOWS SUCK

Firefly@Trekvideo.com
http://www.trekvideo.com/firefly

FEENIX

Thursday, March 6, 2003 9:43 PM

dont misunderstand me fellow brown coats, none of these shows can come close to touching something like firefly, Firefly was the ultimate reality show, about beleivably real characters, living a real life, even though it might be in the future, Firefly was incredibly original, and one reason i will love it till they bury me 6 feet under. I guess Joss' problem (in the eyes of the network execs) was that his show was Too real, people you can relate to, and no all powerful super person. again the rambling, im just super pissed off about the cancelation, if it wasnt for the simpsons i would rip the fox channel out of my TV

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