The new year is still unwritten
Yes, those countdown shows on New Year's Eve need writers, too. Jill Barshay reports Dick Clark had his show in the can months ago, but other network programs will go unscripted and rely more on music.
The "2008" sign waits to be fully lit at Times Square. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)
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Scott Jagow: Hollywood writers will ring in the New Year -- on strike. But all those network countdown shows will go on as planned. They just might be a little less scripted. Jill Barshay has more.
Jill Barshay: Some parts of the New Year's Countdown shows kind of write themselves. Just as well. At Dick Clark Productions, all the writers are on strike.
Terry Fahn's an executive at Dick Clark. He says the show his firm produces every year for ABC will be the same as always.
Terry Fahn: The strike will not have an impact on Dick Clark New Year's Rockin' Eve. Our producers were aware of the potential for a writer's strike and prepared accordingly prior to the strike beginning.
In other words, the writers got all those corny lines down months ago. Ryan Seacrest will fill in with some ad-libbing.
Not all the networks were so prepared. NBCs Carson Daly will be unscripted.
The good news is the shows will have fewer words and more music instead. Programs will feature Alicia Keys, Plain White T's and Mary J. Blige.
In New York, I'm Jill Barshay for Marketplace.
Jagow: And in Los Angeles, I'm Scott Jagow. Thanks for listening -- and from all of us at Marketplace, happy new year!
