Strike odds and ends

Hey, there's almost no scripted programming to write about at the moment, but at least the various factions involved in the strike are helpfully providing some news fodder. The latest:

• Jimmy Kimmel followed Jay and Conan's lead and will be back on the air, sans writers, on Jan. 2.
  
• Rob Burnett, head of Worldwide Pants, Letterman's production company (as well as co-creator of "Ed" and "Knights of Prosperity") put out a statement about attempts to cut a separate deal with the WGA: "We are willing to agree to the writers demands that are within our control, so we have no reason to believe that an interim agreement can�t be achieved with the WGA. As a result, our only focus is on returning January 2nd with writers."
• The WGA refused to grant a waiver for the Golden Globes to use WGA writers to write the monologues, introductions, etc., and for the Academy Awards to show footage of WGA-written movies. (The Oscars haven't asked yet for the writing waiver, but I'm sure the WGA will refuse that one, too.) If the strike's still going on when each show airs, they'll be picketed and the celebrity turnout could be minimal.
  

Meanwhile, after the last post, some people asked me whether, with the strike eliminating so much original programming, I'm still planning to do another series where I go back and revisit an old series on DVD. The answer to that is yes, though I may not get a chance to do it properly until the new year. Still debating what show to start with -- maybe "Cupid" on YouTube, maybe "The Wire" season one (as a parallel to my planned blogging on the final season), maybe "Sports Night," maybe something else -- but I'm looking forward to it, and soon.