Deadlock: Writers’ Strike Reaches the Crisis Stage : NBC May Seek Programming From Alternative Sources

Saying that the 17-week-old walkout by members of the Writers Guild of America strike has reached “a crisis point,” NBC Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff vowed Wednesday that, if the strike continues, the network will still begin its fall season with “18 out of 22 hours of original programming” from alternative sources.

In a news conference at NBC’s Burbank headquarters, Tartikoff said that in the case of a prolonged strike, the No. 1 network will rely on: “writer-proof” programming such as news, reality shows or a possible variety show; British and Canadian scripts; Hollywood’s inventory of unused TV scripts; NBC’s large inventory of new made-for-TV movies, and what he called “American revivals”--a term for new programs that he said would be made from recasting and reshooting episodes from TV series from the last 20 years.

Tartikoff said NBC’s programming staff will begin its search for such material over the July 4th weekend. He added that if the strike is not settled by July 14, the network would put the new projects into development and would announce a revised fall schedule by July 24.

Tartikoff has maintained throughout the strike that NBC would be the network least affected by the walkout because it will open its fall season with the Summer Olympics and the World Series. He has also noted that NBC has 14 comedies on its fall schedule, which can be put into production when the strike ends more quickly than hourlong dramas.

But “today we’re going to take some action,” he said. “We’ve already seen our hopes for a summer of original programming bashed.

“We at NBC have worked too hard to drag ourselves out of the gutter” to allow the writers’ strike to kill NBC’s fall season, he added.

Tartikoff said the network is unwilling to waste its $300-million investment in the Olympics and its $50-million investment in the World Series on “promoting reruns of ‘J.J. Starbuck.’ ” He said the network would promote its alternative original programming during those sporting events.

Some of NBC’s fall shows, including “The Cosby Show,” “ALF,” “Amen” and “Highway to Heaven” continue in production under independent contracts. Tartikoff declined to identify which shows are most likely to be replaced by alternative programming in the fall.