Now that the WGA is officially back behind their desks (it wasn’t officially until last night), NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press may be eyeballing a lawsuit against them. According to Nikki Finke, the two are bitter about the writer’s strike having forced the Golden Globes to become nothing more than a glorified press conference, as opposed to a glorified, televised revenue-generating ass-kissing ceremony of years past.

It’ll be interesting to see what their legal grounds are. I mean, they still had a Golden Globes ceremony, so they can’t say they didn’t get to have that. And I hardly think they can sue because the ceremony wasn’t as grand as before. The only legal ground I can think of is that they’ll sue for loss of profits from ad revenue. Which would just make NBC and HFPA look like even bigger assholes than before.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – MyNetworkTV is returning to the scripted arena with a new half-hour comedy series starring rap artist and reality-TV star Flavor Flav.

The network has ordered 13 episodes of “Under One Roof,” a show that network president Greg Meidel describes as “a classic fish-out-of-water story.”

Flav plays Calvester Hill, a former convict who moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother, Walter (Kelly Perine). Calvester turns the Hill family’s life upside down, parading his old prison cronies through the house, teaching his nephew to be a gangsta rapper and butting heads with Walter’s snooty wife.

“Roof” is directed by Brian Roberts and written by Danielle Quarles and Gelila Asres, non-Writers Guild of America writers. The show is in production in Toronto for a spring debut.

Flav, who was a founding member of hip-hop group Public Enemy, has starred in the reality series “The Surreal Life,” “Strange Love” and “Flavor of Love.”

MyNetworkTV launched in September 2006 with a lineup comprising only scripted drama strips but abandoned that format last year in favor of reality shows and theatrical acquisitions. “Roof” marks the network’s first scripted sitcom.

Today the Los Angeles Times posted an email from a key grip… sorry, EX-key grip of NBC’s The Office.

“Our show was shut down and we were all laid off this week. I’ve been watching the news since the WGA strike was announced and I have yet to see any coverage dedicated to the effect that this strike will have on the below the line employees.

I respect the WGA’s position. They probably do deserve a larger percentage of profit participation, but a lengthy strike will affect more than just the writers and studios. On my show we had 14 writers. There were also 2 cameramen, 2 camera assistants, 4 hair stylists, 4 makeup artists, 7 wardrobe people, 4 grips, 4 electricians, 2 craft service, 4 props people, 6 construction, 1 medic, 3 art department, 5 set dressers, 3 sound men, 3 stand-ins, 2 set PAs, 4 assistant directors, 1 DGA trainee, 1 unit manager, 6 production office personnel, 3 casting people, 4 writers assistants, 1 script supervisor, 2 editors, 2 editors assistants, 3 post production personnel, 1 facilities manager, 8 drivers, 2 location managers, 3 accountants, 4 caterers and a producer who’s not a writer. All 102 of us are now out of work.

I have been in the motion picture business for 33 years and have survived three major strikes. None of which have been by any of the below the line unions. During the 1988 WGA strike many of my friends lost their homes, cars and even spouses. Many actors are publicly backing the writers, some have even said that they would find a way to help pay bills for the striking writers. When the networks run out of new shows and they air repeats the writers will be paid residuals. The lowest paid writer in television makes roughly twice the salary than the below the line crewmember makes. Everyone should be paid their fair share, but does it have to be at the expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers. Nobody ever recoups from a strike, lost wages are just that, lost.

We all know that the strike will be resolved. Eventually both sides will return to the bargaining table and make a deal. The only uncertainty is how many of our houses, livelihoods, college educations and retirement funds will pay for it.”

The “the strike will be resolved” statement has been spewed over and over by hundreds of people. Everyone “hopes for the best.” Well, I’m not seeing anything being done to solve it. I understand the point of going on strike is to show the big wigs that the company suffers without their employees, but shouldn’t the point of having a union rep you be that they negotiate with the companies?? Nobody’s fucking negotiating! All I see is a bunch of grown people acting like babies throwing a tantrum.

Interesting bit of news from the only source I need to keep me up on the WGA strike, DeadlineHollywoodDaily It seems that NBC is firing the “non-writing” staff on the show (unless I’m mistaken you can’t fire someone who’s on strike?) at the end of next week. Yes, that’s right, the non-writing staff of The Tonight Show is getting canned the week before Thanksgiving. To make matters more interesting, since Leno won’t cross the picket line, NBC will be bringing in guests hosts to take his place.

I find it interesting not as a strike-related matter but because recently there’s been friction between Jay Leno and NBC, being that Leno is having second thoughts about retiring (he’s contractually obligated to quit in a few years so NBC can give his show to Conan O’Brien). NBC keeping the show going on without Leno is very much like telling him, “We don’t need you, you big chinned freak.”

(Update: rumors are indicating the agency cutting pay is ICM, a truly major H’wood agency)

There’s already another victim on the chopping block: live television. Shows like The Daily Show are already announcing they’ll be going into reruns for the duration of the strike since their writers won’t be working anymore. Some shows like The Late Show and The Tonight Show haven’t said anything about reruns, but how long can they last without writers?

According to Defamer, word in the secret lair of studio execs is that they now WANT the Writer’s Guild of America to go on strike next month, after their contract expires (btw, who the hell decides to make a contract expire on Halloween??). Apparently the execs are so mad at the crappy shows that have been premiering this season, that they’ll use the strike as a chance to abort all the ones that are failing, which is just about all of them. Although if they’re willing to go that far, I wouldn’t be surprised if even the GOOD shows get cancelled.

So it’s almost like the studios themselves are striking! “Oh, you want to strike? Okey dokey! Be sure to pick up a job application on your way out, ’cause your shitty show won’t be here when you come back! HAHA!”