Strikewatch: It's (Almost) Over!

We just got back from the big WGA press conference in Hollywood, where it was announced that, assuming the writers don't go loco and for some reason drastically change course between now and the official vote (don't worry, they won't), the strike is officially over as of this Tuesday night, and the writers will be back to work on Wednesday.

Man, it feels good to type that.

Some of our favorite show runners will be back to work in a producer capacity as early as tomorrow, and some (not all) of the shows we love will produce more episodes for this season.

News to Know
Okay, so here's more of what we heard at the press conference from WGAW president Patric M. Verrone, WGAE president Michael Winship, chief negotiator David Young and negotiating committee chair John F. Bowman. 

• The president always starts the State of the Union Address with, "The state of our union is strong," and I think that pretty well sums up how the WGA guys feel as of today.
• The Academy Awards will be happy-slappy, so you are all welcome at E! Online's digital Oscar party on Sun., Feb. 24. We'll have pictures, we'll have gossip...It's gonna be great.
  
• There will be no picketing tomorrow or Tuesday.
• The official vote, done by paper ballot or faxed-in proxy vote, will take place Tuesday afternoon at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hills and at the Crowne Plaza in NYC.
• If you see Peter Chernin (Fox), Bob Iger (Disney) or Les Moonves (CBS/Viacom) at Whole Foods, feel free to slap them on the back. The guild chiefs gave those CEOs mad props for helping get the deal done. On the other hand, should you run into any AMPTP staff negotiators, feel free to sneer. They apparently weren't quite so helpful.
  
• WGA: We ♥ SAG and you the fans for your support during the strike.
• One interesting comment from Verrone was that if the 1988 writers' strike opened the door for content without writers (Cops, America's Most Wanted), this strike opened the door for content without conglomerates. (Hello, YouTube!) The Mentos and Diet Coke guys actually even got a shout-out.
• Verrone also noted that while they were all told prestrike that organizing the writers would be like "herding cats," the cats turned out to not only be very well-behaved, striking, picketing and holding out, but "they roared."
• Labor leader Young said that the best time for any labor-management issue to be resolved is at the point of highest pressure on both sides. The impending Academy Awards and the risk of losing the remainder of the TV season coincided perfectly to make that happen.

All in all, I think it's fair to say: Woo-hoo!

(Check back soon for status reports from specific shows.)

—With reporting by Jennifer Godwin