WGA Gives Ozzy Thumbs Down

The Writers Guild of America has warned its members not to work on a new TV variety show featuring Ozzy Osbourne and his family because the organization says the show would pay reduced fees to Guild-represented writers for skits, interview material and scene outlines.

The hour-long variety show, hosted by Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, is tentatively titled “The Osbournes: Loud and Dangerous,” according to the New York Times. Fox television network announced in July it ordered six episodes of the show and there were discussions of a December or January premiere. The show is being produced by Fremantle Media North America, the producers of “American Idol.”

A letter to WGA members said they could be fined up to 100 percent of their compensation for work on the show.
The WGA wrote that Fremantle Media North America asked the Guild to accept a contract that would treat the program as “half-scripted.”

To the Guild, this is bad news because reality shows often employ non-Guild writers to write scripts for show introductions and host remarks. WGA has been working to organize employees on reality shows, including members picketing “poor and illegal working conditions” at the site of regional auditions for the upcoming season of “American Idol.”

The Guild said Fremantle offered to “pay greatly reduced writing fees” to some writers while other portions of the Osbourne show would not employ Guild-represented writers.

Jeff Hermanson, an assistant executive director of the WGA West, said the show is “a completely straightforward, traditional comedy-variety show” and the Guild has traditionally covered 100 percent of the work on similar programs, according to the Times.

David Shall, a Fremantle executive, said the company had hoped “to employ Guild writers for a nontraditional show that combines elements of both variety and reality programming.

“Unfortunately, after only a few phone conversations with our representatives, the Guild chose to end discussions. We are disappointed that our effort to meet the Guild halfway has been summarily rejected, and as such, we don’t believe the Guild’s membership has been served.”

The Guild’s letter also warned members against working on Tyler Perry productions like “House of Payne” after four writers, seeking Guild representation for their work on the series, were fired.