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WGA strike won't delay most DVD series box sets

17 November 2007 17:51 by Rich "vurbal" Fiscus | 5 comments

With the Writers Guild of America (WGA) on strike, studios are being forced to rethink what will be included in box sets for television series being affected. Despite the fact many shows may have shorter seasons that usual, and there may not even be as many special features to include, studios have no intention of changing release schedules.

The reasoning is simple. Most TV show releases happen in the summer, timed for maximum marketing effect, and intended partly as a warmup for the upcoming season to be broadcast. This period is also typically when TV ratings are low as people spend more time outside the house, and re-runs rule the U.S. television landscape.

�We are in the process of figuring out our options right now,� said one studio source. �I don�t think it would be a surprise to see us release truncated seasons. It would still [represent] a full season but just shorter than what was originally planned.�

Some retailers are even taking this as good news. Virgin Megastores senior category manager Chris Anstey said. �Many TV shows could easily stand to have its seasons broken out into two parts, particularly network shows that [normally] have over 20 episodes. It�s not the perfect scenario, particularly with serialized shows that work better as complete series sets, but it�s a short-term remedy in keeping sales strong if the strike persists.�

Retailers are also helping that consumers will fill the new episode void by checking out existing box sets for established series. �There could be an entertainment void to some extent,� Best Buy spokesman Brian Lucas said. �It�s a good question. There is no 24; maybe that will be a chance for someone to get into Lost [on DVD]. There is a chance that will happen.�

Source: Video Business

Permalink to this article

Is it too late to avoid long term affects from WGA strike? (19 January 2008)

Directors guild starts negotiations in Hollywood (12 January 2008)

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Discuss this article!
mspurloc (Member) 18 November 2007 17:45
I wonder if this hiatus will help people realize that American TV is crap and has been for a decade. The current stack of writers is talentless and more interested in pushing an agenda than writing good fiction. At least the loser Saturday Night Live staff got canned. [ + quote]
M4DHATT3R (Newbie) 18 November 2007 22:01
This sucks, now I'm hearing the new season of Lost will be pushed back to 2009 b/c of the strikes. [ + quote]
ogryzek (Member) 19 November 2007 2:06
Just wondering.... Would such 'truncated' season be sold for the same price as the full season ? Or would it defy common sense, and actually be more expensive... ? [ + quote]
7thsinger (AfterDawn Addict) 19 November 2007 12:51
Isn't this studio mentality of "anything to make a quick buck" the whole reason the writers are on strike anyway? And now that they are on strike the studios are focusing on a way to still package and sell seasons of shows instead of focusing on getting their writers back. Hmmm... [ + quote]
borhan9 (AfterDawn Addict) 11 December 2007 22:41
now it makes sense this is why all our shows ended faster than i expected. [ + quote]