Well, this isn't exactly how I intended to return to the blog after the big 10th anniversary fete. Even so, things are how they are, and so I'm here to explain the situation and how things are going to go around here for the rest of 2023 and beyond. I'll try to use some of that 2023 brevity to explain, and really I've just done so to stretch this out to a paragraph or so. Wait, that's the opposite of brevity. Damn it, get with the program. Okay.
You are likely aware of the current strike going on in America, with both the Writer's Guild and Screen Actors Guild Of America currently on the picket line for a better deal with the big studios. They are standing up for their right to fair compensation for their work, and naturally I agree and stand in solidarity with them. Where this goes from just a moral stance to actually affecting my hobby here is when this deals with the notion of promoting struck work. I came across a video from Youtuber Council Of Geeks, explaining how she would not be covering anything Doctor Who-related due to the strike once a statement was released from them clarifying that Doctor Who did indeed fall under the strike order. As someone who's part of a weekly Doctor Who podcast, I was also concerned at the thought that we'd been crossing the picket line, and so I made this video aware to my cohosts. We thus decided that it was only right to stand in solidarity with the strikers and put any Doctor Who related talk on hold until such time as the strike resolved.
That led us to what we shall call an abundance of caution. Not only are we not talking about new Doctor Who, but we're not talking about old Doctor Who either. I don't know if classic Doctor Who falls under the umbrella of this, but Council Of Geeks isn't covering any either until the strike ends. Hell, we've gone one step further and aren't even making passing reference to struck media. I am saying the words "Doctor Who" on this blog, but we would have to bleep that out on our show under this new cautious rule. Is this taking things a bit too far? It could be, but better to be overly cautious than accidentally cross the picket line. Granted, none of us are affiliated with SAG-AFTRA in any official capacity and are all just podcast hobbyist, but it's about the moral principle of the thing. Of standing up for what's right and following the guidelines set out by the strikers, and going beyond that just in case.
So it is, then, that the blog must stand in solidarity as well and follow with these guidelines. Until the strike is over, this blog will not cover any media which could potentially fall under the strike order. For the rest of 2023, this will have three immediate effects which I shall now bullet point for you.
1) Waiting in the wings and almost ready to go was a critical analysis writeup of the first season of the Quantum Leap reboot from last year. As Quantum Leap is an NBC/Universal property, this will not be posted until the strike ends.
2) The yearly 16 Screams marathon for the month of October will not feature any media produced or distributed by struck studios. Off the top of my head, I did want to watch Scream 6 this year, but that obviously will not be covered. The marathon will go ahead, but with ethically-sourced media from other countries that falls outside of the strike order.
3) November will mark Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, and see the airing of three specials with David Tennant as the 14th Doctor. Again, as Doctor Who is confirmed to be struck, these specials will neither be discussed on this blog nor on our podcast until the strike ends.
As for the other currently running series on the blog, the Criterion Challenge Trip Reports, they will be going ahead. I will have to carefully vet the remaining films to make sure they aren't from struck studios, but with something as broad and artistic as Criterion, I think we can break out of the American studio system. Well, that's that, really. A statement of intent and planting my flag in the ground along with the strikers. A battle against the greed of capitalism and the fight for a living wage, a wage which would only cost fractions of studio wealth and should be paid to the striking writers and actors.
To those of you out there in America, fighting the good fight, you have my support and solidarity. I dig my heels in, in my own way, with you all. Here's to material social progress and things getting better. To the rest of you, I guess I'll be seeing you again in October, and hopefully this will be over and the strikers will be paid fairly for their work. When that happens, I'll talk about all the things I'd like to talk about. Until then, those passions will remain silenced and new thoughts will have to be shared. Until then, all.
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