For the first time in 15 years, Hollywood’s film and TV writers have walked out on strike. The strike was announced on Tuesday morning by the Writers Guild of America — the union that represents the industry through branches on the east and west coasts of the US — and came into effect immediately.
What does this mean?
The Guild has asked its members to stop writing with immediate effect. The guild includes not only behind-the-scenes writers, but also familiar faces who pen some of their own material, such as Seth Meyers, who used his Late Night show on Monday to call for “fair compensation” for writers. Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon also expressed support for his “whole staff” from the red carpet of Monday’s Met Gala.
The strike call follows weeks of failed negotiations with the major studios — Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, NBC Universal, Paramount Plus and Sony — under the umbrella of their own trade association, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The Guild described AMPTP’s response as “wholly insufficient given the existential crisis writers are facing".
Why are they striking?
In simple terms, they want more money, but it’s also more complex than that. As with so many changes in the recent film and TV market, streamers are in large part to blame. Under the old linear TV system, writers would generally be paid a fee for writing a show, then be paid “residuals” each time the show was repeated.
This system became irrelevant with the rise of streaming. New contracts were negotiated between the Guild and the streamers, but it’s fair to say they’re significantly less generous than the old TV deals.
According to the Guild’s contract with the AMPTP, a single rerun of an hour-long, primetime show on ABC would currently net its writer $24,558 in domestic residuals. Put the same show on Netflix and the writer would earn a maximum of $20,018, assuming some impressive viewing figures.
The figure also drops by the size of the streamer, so the same show on HBO Max would earn a maximum $13,346. Queens and Woke scribe Kyra Jones took to Twitter in the earliest days of the dispute last year to illustrate this even more starkly — “My first residual check for the broadcast show I wrote on was $12,000. I just got my first residual check for my streaming show… $4.”
Another practice the streamers have adopted is simply removing entire shows from their platforms. No one promised that your favourite show would hang around in cyberspace forever, but it wouldn’t be overly cynical to suggest that the practice of writing pulled shows off against tax may have a small role to play.
The highest profile case of this is Warner Bros Discovery’s decision last August to write off a host of all-but-complete projects spearheaded by Batgirl — a film it had already spent about $90 million on, and which had finished shooting when the rug was pulled.
The decision made a lot more sense when the studio filed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in September — Warner Bros had saved about $2.5 billion in what its accountants referred to as “content impairment and development write-offs” and “pre-tax restructuring charges". This is at the extreme end of the scale, but accountants can employ the same process to the smallest series that are pulled from libraries too.
When a show disappears completely, so do writers’ residuals. They may be a pittance for studios compared to the vast tax sums, but they’re more than a pittance for writers. Other concerns the Guild has raised include the trend towards smaller writers’ rooms and the increase in shorter episode orders — another consequence of streaming, with no traditional half-hour or hour-long broadcast slots to fill.
Have there been writers’ strikes before?
There have — five in total.
The first was in 1960 and lasted more than four months. The longest was in 1988, and lasted five months exactly. The most recent, lasting 100 days, was in 2007-2008, just as streaming began to emerge.
A key concession won during this walkout was that the nascent streamers would have to have to hire Guild writers on shows more than a certain budget, as well as a new deal for a percentage payment of the exotic new concept of “digital distribution".
How will it affect viewers?
Initially, hardly at all. As with previous writers’ strikes, the studios have been stockpiling scripts to prepare, and many dramas will have plenty of episodes already in the bank. The first shows affected are those which rely on topical content — Saturday Night Live and the late-night chat shows will be immediate victims.
If, as expected, the strike drags on, the 2007-8 strike suggests we’ll see plenty of (unscripted) reality shows, repeats and new seasons abruptly ending.
A few shows may turn to non-unionised writers, although this will be acrimonious and probably not widespread — Power Rangers was an unlikely strikebreaker last time. Another new weapon streamers have in their arsenal this time around is their international content, which is unaffected by the strikes.
Audience monitor Nielsen’s figures showed that streaming became the single most popular form of viewing in the US for the first time last July, with 34.8 per cent of total viewing time. That still means that more than 65 per cent of viewing takes place on broadcast or cable TV.
The idea that 65 per cent of American audiences would be pleased to see their favourite channels follow Netflix down the route of K-Drama and European arthouse is probably fanciful at best, so it could be a bumpy ride.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.2-litre, turbodiesel
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Power: 160hp
Torque: 385Nm
Price: Dh116,900
On sale: now
The%20specs
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Racecard
6.35pm: American Business Council – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm: British Business Group – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: CCI France UAE – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
8.20pm: Czech Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,400m
8.55pm: Netherlands Business Council – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Indian Business and Professional Council – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
The years Ramadan fell in May
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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RESULTS
Light Flyweight (48kg): Alua Balkibekova (KAZ) beat Gulasal Sultonalieva (UZB) by points 4-1.
Flyweight (51kg): Nazym Kyzaibay (KAZ) beat Mary Kom (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (54kg): Dina Zholaman (KAZ) beat Sitora Shogdarova (UZB) 3-2.
Featherweight (57kg): Sitora Turdibekova (UZB) beat Vladislava Kukhta (KAZ) 5-0.
Lightweight (60kg): Rimma Volossenko (KAZ) beat Huswatun Hasanah (INA) KO round-1.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Milana Safronova (KAZ) beat Lalbuatsaihi (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Valentina Khalzova (KAZ) beat Navbakhor Khamidova (UZB) 5-0
Middleweight (75kg): Pooja Rani (IND) beat Mavluda Movlonova (UZB) 5-0.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Farida Sholtay (KAZ) beat Ruzmetova Sokhiba (UZB) 5-0.
Heavyweight (81 kg): Lazzat Kungeibayeva (KAZ) beat Anupama (IND) 3-2.
Book%20Details
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
5pm: Reem Island – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Farasah, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
5.30pm: Sir Baniyas Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: SSR Ghazwan, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Astral Del Sol, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Al Maryah Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Toumadher, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
7pm: Yas Island – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Saadiyat Island – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,400m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Gary Sanchez, Ismail Mohammed
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
