Hollywood panel discusses strike
Greg Daniels, others preach 'future' of business
"In a strike, there are no victors," he told the audience Tuesday at a Hollywood Radio and TV Society-sponsored panel. "To look at a win or lose is the wrong question."
The luncheon, dubbed "Where Do We Go From Here?" repped one of the first major industry panel discussions since the writers strike ended last month -- and HRTS' first event after taking a strike-induced hiatus.
"The Office" exec producer Greg Daniels said he believed the sacrifice made by scribes wouldn't be made up by their new gains, but that it was a price they had to pay for future generations.
"If our kids want to be writers, they'll have a better framework," he said.
In the end, studios and talent won't be able to make up for those losses experienced during the strike, the panelists said.
"I don't think anyone will be able to break even," said Endeavor partner Richard Weitz. "That time was lost."
Will the town smooth over any lingering bitter feelings? Daniels said, at the very least, gestures have been made: Universal Media Studios threw a dinner for writers on its shows, including "The Office."
"The executives were so glad to see us," he said. "All I'm getting is a feeling of relief to be back to work. There's a great spirit of gratitude for everyone on my show."
Of course, the Peacock is pushing for as many episodes as possible, so "we may lose that feeling of gratitude awfully fast."
Meanwhile, with the threat of an actors strike, Ziffren shared his advice for averting another industry-crippling work stoppage: "If the parties involved in the negotiations stay in the room instead of going to the press, they'll get it done and they'll do it well."
Panelists debated whether the town was settling back to normal operations.
"The business had been changing slowly before the strike," Daniels said. "But the strike forced everyone to pay attention to the changes. We needed a framework on how to do all this stuff. Now we have that framework."
Fox Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly suggested that industry players stop trying to figure out whether there even is such a thing as "normal."
"The quicker we stop trying to cling to what's normal, the more fun we'll have," Reilly said. "We should be moving away from 'one-size-fits-all' (definitions of normal). There are lots of different ways to get there."
Reilly argued that the business was "all gummed up under the old models" anyway. The biz may struggle through some painful times over the next few months or years, he added, "but in that will be opportunities."
Lionsgate's Sandra Stern said she believed the industry has to redefine its business, and perhaps not even call it "TV" anymore.
Also on people's minds: As the nets and studios trim rosters and produce few pilots, what happens to all that money? According to Reilly, much of it will be removed from the bottom line.
"It's already being removed from the marketplace," he said.
