Strikewatch Exclusive (Updated)! TV Bosses Reveal What's Next for Our Favorite Shows

By Kristin Dos Santos Feb 11, 2008 3:12 AMTags
Kiefer Sutherland, 24FOX

24

Writer-Producer David Fury Says: "24 works best 24 hours in a row. I don't think we'll see it until 2009."

What We're Hearing:  Production on this season of 24 stopped short at hour 12. It's not likely they'll finish the final 12 in time for us to get a full season this year. So, mark your calendars for January 2009.

30 ROCK

What We're Hearing:  Coming off its recent Golden Globe and SAG Award wins, NBC is hoping for as much as Tina Fey and friends can possibly deliver. According to one writer close to the series, that is expected to be five to nine additional episodes to air in April and May.

Frank Ockenfels/SCI FI Channel

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

What We're Hearing:  The crown jewel of the Sci Fi Channel should finish out its fourth and final season, but per writer Jane Espenson, it's almost certain that, schedule-wise, the story will be split into two separate miniseasons. The show completed 14 episodes before the strike hit, and at least the first 10 will air beginning Apr. 4. The second batch could premiere in the fall or even sometime in 2009.

THE BIG BANG THEORY

Executive Producer Bill Prady Says:  "When we return, well, all of the characters will have superpowers and will fight crime. Seriously, we're going to start a week from Wednesday, which I would guess puts a new episode on the air in mid-March.

"How many episodes can we write before May sweeps? Well, it all depends on how many writers we want to kill in the process. Maybe it's okay to lose a few—a noble sacrifice. Realistically, though, I'd think eight or nine.

"By the way, please tell your readers that if any of them are in Los Angeles, they should try to come to our first taping in a couple of weeks. The fans have been so wonderful throughout the strike, and we would love to see them at the show."

HBO

BIG LOVE

Executive Producers Will Scheffer and Mark V. Olsen Say:   "We apologize to our fans that they are the ones who always suffer the most when corporations forget they're just the conduit through which writers and audiences connect . Writers should always receive their fair share of the profits the studios make by delivering our original content to our audiences. And we thank our fans for sticking by us and supporting us in this generation-defining labor action. We look forward to getting back to work and getting new episodes of Big Love into production and on air ASAP!"

What We're Hearing:  Big Love will go back into production in March and is likely to return on HBO sometime this summer.

Art Streiber/FOX

BONES

What We're Hearing:  One Bones castmember tells us the strike was "very emotional and surreal" and that while they don't yet know how many more episodes they might produce this season, things look good for a return to the set. Another castmember tells us: "I would assume that production would start back in two weeks or so." However, sources tell us there is no decision yet on whether Bones will go back into production this season.

BROTHERS & SISTERS

What We're Hearing:  Sources tell us they're doing just four more episodes to finish out this year. Those new episodes will no doubt air during May sweeps. 

BURN NOTICE

Executive Producer Matt Nix Says:  "The truth is that we were very lucky in that the strike corresponded almost exactly with what our hiatus would have been anyway. So, really, if it ends today, we go back into writer prep next week, and we go back on the air at about exactly the same time but with more episodes. I think this actually gave USA a little time to kind of be happy about the show. So, we're incredibly lucky. Honestly, in all this talk to show runners, there are a lot of shows that had to make really horrible sacrifices. We were not one of those shows."

What We're Hearing:  Burn will get a bump up to a 16-episode season this summer. That's four solid months of Michael Weston. Whoo!

CALIFORNICATION

What We're Hearing:  Sure to come back (did you hear about that Golden Globe?), but exactly when remains to be determined.

CSI: NY

What We're Hearing:  According to sources, the network probably wants to do seven more episodes this season, but no official decision has been made. 

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

Executive Producer Marc Cherry Says:  At the SAG Awards, Marc told us: "I think maybe I could cram in seven episodes [before the end of the season]. It would take us about two weeks to get back into production. I'm chomping at the bit. The moment the starting pistol is fired, I'm off and running. I'm ready to go, I just need the okay [from the union]."

What We're Hearing:  At this point in time, six episodes is more likely than seven, but don't worry, there will be plenty of Wisteria Lane hijinks on your TV come May sweeps.

DEXTER

What We're Hearing:  Absatively, posolutely assured of a third season, but exactly when remains to be determined.

DIRTY SEXY MONEY

What We're Hearing:  Sources say the cast and crew of Dirty Sexy Money will be back to work by the end of the month, but any new episodes produced will not premiere until this fall.

Virginia Sherwood/NBC

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Executive Producer Jason Katims Says:  "We all really want to get back to work. Everybody does, but on this particular show, Friday Night Lights, it’s a passion for a lot of us who do it, it’s a labor of love, so we all want to come back to work to finish the season and tell the stories that we are dying to tell."

What We're Hearing:  Peacock sources tell us it is not likely FNL will produce more episodes for the current season. However, with a huge fan campaign building to save this quality series (stand by for more deets!), anything is possible. Go Panthers!

(P.S.: As for Katims' other series, Bionic Woman, well, let's just say it's been hit by a truck and won't be coming back from the dead with new, fancy parts. Ever.)

AP photo/Louis Lanzano

GOSSIP GIRL AND CHUCK

Executive Producer Josh Schwartz:  "If the strike is over, then on behalf of Chuck and Gossip Girl we are all thrilled to get back to work. Both shows will be back for more episodes—when, I can't quite say, though Gossip Girl will most likely be on as soon as possible. Chuck may not be back until fall to relaunch with Heroes, or it may be back sooner, but both will be back!"

What We're Hearing:  Umm...Ditto what Schwartz says. Expect lots more Gossip Girl this season (the CW is crazy for this show and has requested as many as nine additional episodes to air this season), while Chuck is likely to return in the fall for its second season.

RON TOM/ABC

GREY'S ANATOMY

What We're Hearing:  Grey's will go back into production this season and is expected to produce a handful of new episodes to air in April and May. And yes, Josh Jackson is expected to finally fulfill his guest-spot duties as Cristina's love interest. So, yes, there is a god.

NBC/Michael Muller

HEROES (Updated)

What We're Hearing:  It looks like Heroes won’t return until next season—but it could launch a little earlier than usual (late summer). Insiders tell us Milo Ventimiglia just signed a movie (scheduling conflict) and, moreover, executive producer Tim Kring is busy at work crafting a “series bible.” Word is, he wants to map out exactly where the series is headed (for many seasons) before Heroes goes back into production. We hear from crew members that they’ve been told they aren’t expected back on set anytime before June. 

HOUSE

What We're Hearing:  House is expected to return with four to six new episodes beginning in April. Wheretofore Chase and Cameron? You'll know the minute we do.

Paul Fenton/ZUMAPress.com

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

Executive Producer Carter Bays Says:  "We're unbelievably stoked to be getting back to work. The chance to finish out the season is a dream come true in pretty much every way: getting our crew back on the payroll, getting our staff off the picket line and back in the writers room and, most of all, actually writing again. And doing eight more episodes will feel really good. And I couldn't imagine a season-three DVD with just those first 11 episodes on it. Eleven episodes didn't feel like a season. We're TV, not HBO.

"I'm glad we struck and I'm glad we got what we got, but at the end of the day we're writers. We all just want to write."

What We're Hearing:  CBS has made no official decision regarding HIMYM's fate this season, so we'd like to remind Les Moonves that a complete season would be legen—wait for it—dary! TV without Barney Stinson is like a world without sunshine.

John Stanton/WireImage.com

LOST 

Executive Producer Damon Lindelof Says:  "Indeed, it would appear that we are in the endgame of the strike. Personally, I couldn't be more psyched to be part of this union. Like any negotiation, some parts suck and some parts surpassed my wildest expectations for what we could accomplish, but most of all I'm left with a feeling of pride.

"As for Lost (pending the actual lifting of the strike, which we vote for on Tuesday), a game plan should begin to manifest by the end of the week. All I can say is that Carlton and I and the rest of the writers have every intention of making sure you guys get more episodes this season beyond the eight already completed. How many and how they will be aired is a conversation we'll be having with our bosses, but as soon as we've got a plan, we'll tell the fans first."

What We're Hearing:  Lost's actors are on standby, and the show is expected to produce more episodes this season. Fingers crossed! The bigger question is who'll keep the golden Thursday at 9 p.m. time slot once those Seattle Grace docs also return...How 'bout we put Sawyer and McDreamy in a cage and let 'em duke it out? ('Cause we know who'd win...)

MAD MEN

Executive Producer Matt Weiner Says:  "We went back last week, because Lionsgate signed an interim agreement with the guild—same as Letterman's—so we are in full preproduction, which means writing is under way now. We should be ready to air by the end of the summer. I don't have a date—and even if I did, I don't think it's my information to give.

"[As for the strike], I've never been prouder of being a writer or a member of the WGA. The solidarity, mutual respect and democratic open-mindedness of my fellow writers has been amazing. Equally, I am in awe of the heartfelt support and genuine sacrifices made by the artists, artisans, technicians and teamsters of our cast and crews—not to mention the people of Los Angeles who honked their horns, donated food and encouraged us with kindness. The strike has been a dark but important moment for many of us—generations of writers shared wisdom, laughter and resolve, and I believe, despite the hardships, this strike will be remembered in the end as an energizing and inspiring experience. We are grateful to do what we do, we are grateful we're all in it together, and now we are grateful that our studio partners feel the same way."

What We're Hearing:  The sound of Jen carving "I ♥ Matt Weiner" into her desk with an X-Acto knife.

Paul Drinkwater/NBC

MY NAME IS EARL

Executive Producer Greg Garcia Says:  "I've had some chats with people at the network and studio. We're going to try to do nine episodes, which will be very cool, because I was worried our order would get cut down. The only thing that could stop us is if we have story trouble for some reason, but I'm optimistic. We're gonna do an hour repremiere and an hour finale and five episodes in between. The plan is for production to start two weeks from today, so we have to have a table read a week from tomorrow, so we have a lot to get done."

What We're Hearing:  Two scripts that were mostly finished before the strike hit will be held back and become Earl's hourlong season finale.

Monty Brinton/CBS

NCIS

What We're Hearing:  A writer for the show tells us they're hoping to do six more episodes this season.

OCTOBER ROAD

What We're Hearing:  The show has three remaining unaired episodes of this season's 13-episode order, but it has not yet received any positive news about more episodes this season or next.

THE OFFICE

What We're Hearing:  Expected to produce six to 10 new episodes this season. Praise be! Heck, praise Jim and Pam. And Dwangela. Amen.

Fred Norris/The CW

ONE TREE HILL

Executive Producer Mark Schwahn Says:  "Although we have six new episodes left, no one is more excited about the end of the strike than we are at One Tree Hill.  With our four-year jump ahead, we're having an outstanding year creatively, and despite standing alone on Tuesdays, our numbers are routinely second only to Smallville for scripted dramas at the CW.  We'd love the opportunity to continue season five, and if the WGA's new contract is ratified, hopefully we'll be able to do just that. If not, we'll see you for season six."

What We're Hearing:  The See-Dub has requested five or six more eps to finish out this season!

PRIVATE PRACTICE

What We're Hearing:  ABC has confirmed it will return in fall '08 for at least 13 episodes. 

PSYCH 

Executive Producer Steve Franks Says:  "While we wouldn't dare call it over until the votes are counted, we all just want to go start writing again.

"We have our furniture rentals on hold and are excited to go down to Costco and purchase about $3,000 in bulk snacks for our office kitchen with the NBC p-card. So, if you're planning on going in for any Sweet & Salty Peanut bars in Manhattan Beach any time soon, you better hurry, because we're taking everything on the pallet and anything that says 100 calorie and cookie on it. For good measure, I'm going to put some all-weather tires on the credit card, too, since NBC/Universal will probably be too swamped to notice when the bill comes in, and I've never driven to Mexicali before.

"As for Shawn and Gus, I have no idea what will happen this season as I signed the 'pencils down' letter at the start of the strike and actually wrote nothing, then got used to writing nothing, started kind of enjoying writing nothing, and now I gotta come up with 16 good ideas and figure out what to get my wife for Valentine's Day? In the same week. Holy crap, I gotta run.

"Thankfully we have an awesome staff, and they probably figured out their Valentine dilemma on the own, which puts us halfway there.

"But whatever it is that happens, I know it's going to build on the shocker of an ending we have for our season finale Friday. Did I mention who directed it? Let's just say he's looking for Valentine ideas."

ABC/JUSTIN STEPHENS

PUSHING DAISIES

Executive Producer Bryan Fuller Says:  "We're all thrilled the strike is coming to a close and we can drop the politics and get back to the creativity. Many of the shows are getting 'return to work' letters this week from their studios, but we won't be one of them. Previously, Warner Brothers said they wanted us to start writing the moment the WGA allowed us to go back to work so we could get a jump start and begin stockpiling scripts for season two. But I got the call on Friday that they didn't want us to go back to work until March, regardless of the strike outcome.

"That's not to say there won't be some informal meetings with the writing staff beforehand to discuss arcs for season two, but we're essentially on hold until March (at least in an official capacity). The first order of business will be to sit down with ABC to discuss their thoughts on the nine completed episodes from what I like to call our 'teaser season'—what they liked and what they didn't—and then we'll set about crafting season two and continuing the adventures of the Pie Maker and friends."

What We're Hearing:  Hear that? It's the sound of die-hard fans around the nation chanting "We want Daisies! We miss Chuck and Ned!" So, it seems we'll get a lesson in patience while we wait for more eps of this show that is made of all kinds of awesome.

REAPER 

What We're Hearing:  Reaper will resume production shortly and finish out its first season with five new episodes. 

ABC/CRAIG SJODIN

SAMANTHA WHO?

Executive Producer Don Todd Says:  "I'm returning from Montana now, so it all seems like another world to me. But by tomorrow, I'm sure it'll be like I never left. Samantha Who? is definitely going back into production, but until the strike is over we won't know how many episodes ABC will want. We have three unaired, and I suspect we'll have another three or four new ones. I haven't read the deal yet (no cell reception/Internet in the Montana cabin), but I trust that it will do. I know that if the writers' spouses were in charge, we would have been out of the house months ago."

What We're Hearing:  According to reliable spouses, er, sources, Samantha Who? will be the only freshman ABC series to produce new episoes for the current season. Word is, they've been asked to shoot another six to eight eps. No word yet on whether Zachary Levi will guest star.

Dean Hndler/NBC

SCRUBS

What We're Hearing:  No matter what, creator and executive producer Bill Lawrence will write and produce the remaining six episodes of Scrubs' seventh season, but the open question is where will they air? Options include NBC, the show's home for seven years; ABC, since the show is produced by the ABC-Disney conglom; or even straight to DVD. NBC would be the obvious choice, but according to Lawrence, "It doesn't seem like NBC is superpsyched to air the finale, but we're trying to work something out."

SMALLVILLE

What We're Hearing:  Our all-time favorite Smallville source (SWAK!) tells us the CW wants the show to produce five more episodes this season.

Paul Fenton/ZUMA Press

SUPERNATURAL

Executive Producer Erik Kripke Says:  "I would say we can probably get three, maybe four episodes in the can. I think three is the safe number to say probably. So, I hope so...I just hope. Obviously we all love the show and want to get back to work!"

What We're Hearing:  Supernatural has been asked to produce five or six more episodes this season.

THE TUDORS

What We're Hearing:  Season two is already in the can and premieres next month.

UGLY BETTY 

What We're Hearing:  Cast and crew will be back at work shortly to churn out four to six episodes before the end of the season.

WEEDS

What We're Hearing:  Weeds is now in production on 12 episodes that are likely to premiere in July.

Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMAPress.com

WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB 

What We're Hearing:  Despite what you have been told, sources assure me, "WMC isn't dead. We're still in discussions with the network." Developing...

For more information on where the rest of your favorite shows stand, check out the Watch with Kristin section on E! Online (https://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/).

—Additional reporting by Korbi Ghosh and Jennifer Godwin