February 10th, 2008
The Writers Strike is Almost Over — Heroes Season 2 Fate
The news since Friday has been that the Writers Strike is almost at an end, and that is looking more likely now with the WGA members set to vote on the new deal on Sunday. Although Heroes fans now know that even the end of the strike won’t bring back Heroes until, in all probability, September, when the show’s Season 3 is set to start. Lost Season 2 production time, coupled with actors’ expected time off, means there is just no time to make up for the months lost to the strike. But that’s the bad news. The good news is that the strike is pretty much over, and Heroes Season 3 will run uninterrupted when the show returns in September 2008.
More on the strike’s impending resolution:
The WGA board planned to meet Sunday and decide whether to authorize a membership vote to lift the strike, according to a person familiar with the plan who requested anonymity because of a media blackout.
If guild members approve, they could be back at work on Wednesday, although formal approval of a contract would have to await ratification by members, which could take two weeks.
Giving writers a 48-hour window to vote on lifting the strike order would help alleviate concerns that the agreement was being pushed too rapidly by the guild’s board.
Still, writers seemed confident that the walkout, which cost the Los Angeles area economy alone an estimated $1 billion or more, was coming to a close.
So for all those who keeps asking when Season 2 will continue, chances are it probably won’t. It’s a good bet that Season 2 is over, and whatever episodes that were already shot, will be saved to kick off Season 3 in its regular timeslot in September 2008.
Of course, Tim Kring and NBC could surprise us and finish those three episodes that were almost in the can when the strike happen and air them, but that doesn’t seem very likely.
Update
Kristin over at E! Online basically confirms what I’ve been saying for the last couple of posts:
Though an official decision has not yet been made, the most likely scenario is that Heroes will not return to our small screens until this fall. We’ve heard from a few crew members that they’ve been told they are not likely to return to set this season. Word is, the writers want a bit of breathing room to get the storyline up and running. Stay tuned on this one…
Update
Variety adds that NBC is expected to put Heroes and Chuck on vacation for the summer, with a possible return in “late summer (after the Olympics) or early fall”.
“Heroes,” with its elaborate serialized storyline, is also expected to take the summer to regroup.
To be continued…
