Night-show hosts and producers have been frantically dialing into group calls like it’s a conference hostage situation. They’re discussing contingency plans like how to keep their audience entertained with shadow puppets and interpretive dance (who doesn’t love a good mime performance?) if 11,500 TV and movie writers decide to walk out as soon as next week.

Union officials and screenwriters, on the other hand, are busy brainstorming and designing picket signs with slogans like “The Future of Writing Is at Stake!” and “Save Us From A Lifetime Of Reruns!”. Their artistic flair knows no bounds when it comes to fighting for their rights.

The possibility of a television and movie writers’ strike has taken over the industry’s water cooler talk for weeks. Everyone’s become an amateur Nostradamus, trying to predict whether the strike will happen or not. But now, the conversation has changed – it’s all about how long it will last. Will it be like a short-lived summer fling, or a long, drawn-out, break-up where the writers and the producers are fighting over custody of their intellectual property?

“It’s the first question in every meeting, every phone call. Even my Uber driver had a hot take on it,” said Laura Lewis, the founder of Rebelle Media. People are now claiming to have insider information on how long the strike will go for, as if they’re psychic or have a direct line to the strike gods. But let’s face it, there’s always that one person who insists they know everything and has a tendency to exaggerate even the smallest details.

Everyone’s scared that the directors and actors might join in on the fun and boycott the industry too. If that happens, it’ll be like hosting a party and no one shows up. There will be tears, tantrums, and maybe even some regrettable actions (like eating an entire cake by yourself in one sitting). Okay, maybe that’s just us.

In the meantime, night-show hosts are practicing their shadow puppetry and brainstorming funny one-liners. Producers are digging through old scripts, trying to find content that hasn’t already been made into a movie or TV show. And the writers? Well, we can only assume they’re kicking back, sipping on a fancy cocktail and enjoying their newfound power. Because, for once, they’re the ones who have the industry in the palm of their hand.

Serious News: nytimes