The WGA Writers Strike has had many consequences, many intended, some completely unintended. To understand what one of the MAJOR unintended consequences is, we have to take you, the home viewer, into the murky backrooms of how stuff gets on TV. From the time a writer gets an idea to the time a pilot is made and accepted for airing on a network and a schedule is set for the network, comes a glitzy insiders showcases, innocuously called The Upfronts, where all the new programs are paraded “in front” of advertisers and local affiliates, kind of like a Strip Club for programming, where instead of waving singles, they get advertising minutes and/or the blessings of local programmers from all over this great nation. Like a salesman with an expense account, these “locals” are wined and dined, say perhaps having  a burger with Hasselhoff or perhaps a quiet personal Meet and Greet with Tina Fay, all leading up to the big September Kickoff, when the 3 um 4 major networks slap you in the face, like a 3 day old carp, with everything they can. Read More »