TV Executives Work on Strike Plans

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) â€” Television executives are hard at work on two schedules for their networks later this year â€” one they hope to use and another they fear they'll have to. <br><br>If a looming

Monday, January 15th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) â€” Television executives are hard at work on two schedules for their networks later this year â€” one they hope to use and another they fear they'll have to.

If a looming strike by actors and writers becomes reality, TV viewers can expect a lot of game shows, ``Survivor'' knockoffs and marginal series, and less of the fictional characters they've grown to love.

``We've had strike-planning meetings on a bimonthly basis for about 10 months now,'' said Scott Sassa, NBC West Coast president. ``And I hope that those plans are for naught.''

Too many people have talked about the strike as an inevitability to be confident Sassa's wish will come true. The Writers Guild of America contract, which covers 11,000 writers, expires May 1. Contracts covering 135,000 actors expire on July 1. Walkouts would virtually shut down the TV and movie industries.

A 22-week strike in 1988 cost the industries millions of dollars and delayed the start of the fall television season.

In the contingency plans, nonfiction programming plays a big part.

``Everybody has a lot more reality in development, which is not union-dependent,'' said Leslie Moonves, CBS Television president.

CBS has already scheduled its third ``Survivor'' installment for next fall. Bet on ``Big Brother'' coming back if there's a strike, despite its lukewarm reception last summer. NBC has signed the first ``Survivor'' winner, Richard Hatch, to be host of an American version of a popular British game show, ``The Weakest Link.''

``The Cube,'' a series where 10 strangers are locked in a room with 24 hours to figure out what they have in common, is due from the WB, along with ``Kiss the Bride,'' which films real-life wedding proposals.

A game show starring Paul ``Pee-Wee'' Reubens called ``You Don't Know Jack!'' is being prepared by ABC.

Because ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' already airs four times a week and could be shown more, ABC may be in a more enviable position that its rivals.

``We're not looking to just throw something up on our airwaves that we don't believe in,'' said Lloyd Braun, ABC entertainment chief.

ABC has also bought the rights to 13 classic James Bond movies that could air next fall in the event of a strike. Overall, movies on TV â€” which have faded in popularity this year â€” could become more prevalent.

Expect more newsmagazines or news specials, too. ``There will definitely be more of a news presence on prime-time,'' Moonves said.

The WB has already ordered 13 episodes of four entertainment series for the fall that will be prepared before the strike deadline, including the long-running comedies ``For Your Love'' and ``The Steve Harvey Show.''

For actors, the payoff for the extra work is a guarantee their shows will be around for another season.

``While no one wants to see a strike happen, we have taken some steps to ensure that we are ready for the fall with original episodes that will take us through the first of next year,'' said Susanne Daniels, the WB entertainment president.

Some networks are shelving new series that they might have tried out this winter and spring in order to have them for the fall. One example: ``When I Grow Up,'' a romantic comedy from producer Glenn Gordon Caron that was ordered by Fox.

Network executives would love to see their producers stockpile episodes of established series and, in many cases, have asked for extra shows. But some believe that's an attempt to undermine the union; producer John Wells (``ER,'' ``The West Wing'') wrote to fellow guild members that he wouldn't cooperate.

Producer Dick Wolf has promised to help NBC by making extra episodes of ``Law and Order'' and ``Law and Order: SVU.'' NBC has also ordered 13 episodes of a third spinoff, ``Law and Order III: Criminal Intent.''

Linwood Bloomer, executive producer of Fox's ``Malcolm in the Middle,'' won't be doing extra episodes. He said he's running out of ideas and time in the current season.

Despite all the plans, a strike would likely leave network television looking like a summer rerun season with no visible end, with cobbled-together schedules and â€” executives fear â€” viewers getting out of the habit of watching.

``When I say I really hope there isn't a strike, I really would like to emphasize my sincerity,'' said Gail Berman, Fox's entertainment chief. ``It would do no good to the television business for there to be a strike.''

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