The Observer, February 15, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 17
TV survived lengthy writers' strike, provided months of great reruns
The writer's strike has truly been the bane of a college student's existence. The Thursday night cults centered on The Office and Grey's Anatomy slowly dissipated as we all found other ways to spend our nights. And these days, the television gets much less use than it once did, now that our favorite shows are all out of episodes. After three months of striking screenwriters and a declining supply of quality television shows, it may well seem that television is losing its place in our lives. However, this is not the case.
In spite of the lack of new episodes, there is a distinct benefit to the exorbitant number of reruns on television. After having to choose between The Office and Grey's Anatomy, I can finally watch the show I sacrificed, courtesy of repeat episodes. The lack of old shows has also prompted me to search for new ones to replace the former. Instead of restricting myself to watch only Gossip Girl on Wednesday nights before turning to other commitments, I finally have managed to not only make time for Project Runway, but to spread the addiction to my other suitemates as well. We catch up on all the episodes we missed, courtesy of reruns. Moreover, rerun marathons make it easier to enjoy an entire season of a show all at once. While we normally only have time for a few hours of television per week, generally allotted to specific shows, our suite is constantly watching reruns of America's Next Top Model, a staple in the college television diet since the Writers' Strike. The reruns have brought television to a whole new dimension.
Just because the Writer's Guild of America is striking does not mean that the general public has lost its appetite for television. After going a few weeks without TV, I became accustomed to the quiet. However, when studying in a friend's room without the noisy blur of the television, she complained that it was entirely too quiet, and proceeded to include the contestants of Jeopardy in our homework party. As a way to kill the oppressive silence of an empty suite, TV is my savior. Moreover, on Super Tuesday, we were all glued to the television watching the primary results. The presidential primary race has all of us addicted to CNN, even if Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are not entertaining us as they once did. The television still occupies a permanent place in our dorms and in our lives.
As of Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008, the Writer's Guild of America voted to end the strike and both parties reached a tentative agreement. After one hundred days of reruns, the writer's strike is finally over. Television has survived the hundred-day lapse in sustenance, and from here on out, can only continue to solidify its role in our lives.
