Call to action: write a letter!
Friday, November 9th, 2007Tori said it in her review. The Office’s Michael Schur and Jen Celotta said it in the chat room. And now I am officially appealing to Tallyheads and Office fans everywhere –
The best thing you can do to support the writers during the WGA strike is to write a letter. Specifically, write a letter to Jeff Zucker, President and CEO of NBC/Universal.
Be articulate. Be polite. Tell Mr. Zucker that you’re an Office fan and you want your show back. That you won’t watch any replacement programming until The Office returns.
Check out various Tallyhead letters in the comments below.
Let’s get the entire Office staff back where they belong, doing what they do best: making our favorite show.
Mail letters to:
Jeff Zucker
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112
P.S. The Office staff has heard every other idea that you guys have had — from boycotting DunderMifflinInfinity.com, to not watching The Office online, to turning off your TV altogether. Again, Michael Schur says “we can’t quite figure out what the right move is with digital media stuff for right now, but we do know that writing letters is good.” As for a DMI boycott, I spoke to another Office writer who says, “DMI has nothing to do with the Writers’ Guild strike. The strike is only about scripted content, so keep on participating in DMI and reading the character blogs. It’s all we’ve got right now!”
This post is now closed to new comments.
Remember, the intent was to share your letters with other Tallyheads so that they could write their own letters.
Get out that pen and paper and mail those letters!
P.S. I mailed my own letter recently. Read it here.
78 | tanster Mon. Dec. 3, 2007 at 9:14amDear Mr. Zucker
I just was writing to tell you I’m the biggest fan of the office and I want the writers to come back.
I feel I have supported your company a little bit by buying some of your dvds and stuff.
Let’s get the entire Office staff back where they belong, doing what they do best: making our favorite show.
I look up to you in your success in television, you inspire me. My birthday’s coming up in December
So if “the office” would go on the air this would be a dream come true and certainly the best birthday ever!
Thank you for reading my letter and not throwing it out if your reading this.
Sincerely,
a office fanatic
77 | sergio Fri. Nov. 30, 2007 at 1:25pmHey guys, just a gentle (and probably obvious) request — you need to actually mail your letters to Jeff Zucker — I’m pretty sure he doesn’t read OfficeTally. ;)
76 | tanster Thu. Nov. 29, 2007 at 8:58amDear Mr. Zucker,
I clear my schedule every Thursday and know many who do the same just to watch The Office. Now, however, I do not bother turning on NBC on Thursday. While the other shows are entertaining, they just don’t match up to The Office. My thoughts are; why bother? I no longer follow any of these shows and do not want to waste my time with storylines that I am not unfamiliar with.
However, seeing as how I have cleared my Thursdays for months just to watch your Thursday night lineup, I found something to fill this time; Grey’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty. While it is a poor replacement, I find that I just have to find out what happens next week and so I keep watching.
So thank you Mr. Zucker! Because of your strength in conviction and obviously attachment to the mere 4 cents that the writers are asking for, I have discovered the wonderful shows that ABC has to offer. If I get anymore into these shows over however long you plan to continue the strike, I may not even be able to switch back to The Office.
Sincerely,
75 | Emily Thu. Nov. 29, 2007 at 8:20amEmily
Dear Mr. Zucker,
This is more of an open letter to any one that would be affected by such a letter. Please, for the sake of the show, keep it going while the fan base is still present and strong. Business deals should be done behind closed doors, not demonstrated in the streets. When action is called for, action should be taken, give the writers a fair deal and please just bring back my favorite show.
74 | Dan Steude Sun. Nov. 25, 2007 at 9:42pmDear Mr. Zucker,
Your Thursday night episodes of the Office followed by Scrubs, was the only moment every week that I would watch TV with all the ads, unmuted, so that I would not miss anything. Actually with such programs, ads become bearable.
Writers striking makes me search for alternative means of entertainment. It is like a product which is going to be discontinued, hence I do not see why I should trust such a company….which programs will go next and why? Are there too little people watching? Then perhaps end the show in style….
Whatever your argument with the writers, they are your laborers, and I am sure you can recover any increase in costs by asking for more in advertising revenue. Or perhaps you could cut costs somewhere else?
Nonetheless, please do agree to the sensible requests of strikers. They make your product- I would like to buy your product….
What are the obstacles?
Trust me, the majority of people will move away from TV in the long-term if reality TV is all we are left with- no matter how intelligent reality TV will become (which I highly doubt).
Sincerely,
73 | Amit Sat. Nov. 24, 2007 at 8:03pmAmit
Mr. Zucker,
Without a fair and equitable payment plan for the new digital media for WGA members and writers of the Office we will not have quality writing or shows worth watching. Reality shows just don’t cut it! As a fan of the Office I implore you to seek a solution that will allow the writer’s to continue to earn a living wage in the age of emerging digital technology. Please settle this fairly and soon. Thank you,
72 | Jessica Wed. Nov. 21, 2007 at 11:17amDear Mr. Zucker,
Over the last two years this show has been the one thing i’ve always had to look forward to. When I’ve had a bad week, or I just need a good laugh this has been my most powerful source. Please don’t take this from the many people who have invested so much time in supporting.
Chad,
71 | Chad Andrulonis Tue. Nov. 20, 2007 at 4:08pmI am a huge “office” fan and devastated that I will not be able to watch it anymore. Please stop the strike and let the writers get back to what they do best and WRITE.
70 | Kelly Tue. Nov. 20, 2007 at 11:26amMr. Zucker:
I am very faithful to your network. The only TV I watch comes on NBC. The only television advertising that I am exposed to is yours. I wouldn’t do this, however, if you didn’t have incredible programming like “The Office” on your schedule. This show and others are made excellent by the writers that you employ. While I watched the online episodes for several programs, I have immediately stopped upon learning of the mistreatment of the members of the WGA.
My support for the WGA is unflagging. I will not watch any WGA programming while the strike continues. While I will miss the many programs your network offers, most important to me is the fair treatment of those who create them.
Sincerely,
69 | Annelise W. Sun. Nov. 18, 2007 at 1:59pmAnnelise W, age 13
Dear Mr. Zucker,
Typically, viewers of “The Office” are more receptive to dry, smart humor intermingled with low brow “that’s what she said jokes.” It is the balance of these two that make the show as wonderful as it is and it is the writers who create this balance. I’ve heard that NBC plans to replace “The Office” with reality tv and game shows. Please realize the tremendous difference between a Dwight/Jim interaction and Jeopardy (”I don’t think you understand the rules of Jeopardy”). If you think viewership will stay strong on Thursday night, you are mistaken. Office viewers are not the traditional tv population. Most of us might not watch any additional shows other than Thursday night. We listen to NPR. We know what books are. While most tv seems like a compromise, “The Office” is not. The Office is what tv should be. Intelligent. Funny. Dramatic. I will not watch what you put in place of “The Office” and I strongly urge you to reconcile with the WGA. I support them fully and only blame you for their strike.
68 | Ms. Williams Sun. Nov. 18, 2007 at 11:03amDear Mr. Zucker,
Please Please allow the writers to have their very reasonable requests. This strike negatively affects so many people, not only the viewers (such as myself) who are saddened by the loss of their favorite telivision shows, but more importantly all of those that work on these shows. The writer’s strike has ceased production on many shows. This is not only a lack of new funds for the writers, but also the actors and crew members. The actors and writers are okay, as Jenna Fischer from “The Office” said in her blog, but the many crew members often live on a pay check to paycheck basis. Without the shows, their income is non-existent. I can only imagine what they must be going through. I can see hungry children, powerless homes, and homeless children in the near future. Please consider someone other than yourself when you deliberate.
Sincerly,
A concerned fanatic
67 | Beer_Me_Strength Sat. Nov. 17, 2007 at 12:26pmDear Mr. Zucker:
I am a 30-year-old attorney living in xxx, North Carolina. I would like inform you of how your refusal to pay your writers for “new media” is affecting me. I have always wanted to cut down on (or eliminate) my television-watching, and the studios’ intransigence is making this goal more attainable than ever. To quote Pam from The Office: “Table-making never seemed so possible.”
The strike provides a wonderful opportunity for me to get un-hooked from the shows I always watch (and then re-watch online): The Office and 30 Rock. Unlike at the end of a season, there is now no cliff-hanger and no countdown date for the next season premiere, so I think I might be able to do it. My God, I was about to start watching Friday Night Lights. Now I can resist.
What will I do instead? Read more books. Included on my to-read list are Their Eyes Were Watching God and Middlemarch. Feel free to share these suggestions with other (soon-to-be-former) viewers of the above-referenced shows because, clearly, these viewers appreciate good writing. I can also now tell my numerous friends, spanning both coasts, most of whom are 18-34, highly-educated, and nearly as good-looking as I am, to read these books instead of bugging them to watch your shows.
Regarding the writers’ eminently reasonable demands, I would like to make a request: Please don’t give in too soon. I need time to be able to forget these shows, the way that time lets you forget even a fantastic lover. If you let fairness and decency triumph too quickly–say, before the end of November, such that there is perhaps enough time for the writing and filming of the Christmas episode of The Office, which is always my favorite–I fear for my willpower. Just to be safe, I may sign up for that Thursday night yoga class. And pay in advance. And start a book club. With your help, I know I can do it. I can kick these shows, permanently. Bless you.
Sincerely yours,
66 | yeppers Sat. Nov. 17, 2007 at 11:12amDear Mr. Zucker,
I cannot accurately describe how displeased I have become over the continuing saga of the WGA strike. One of the shows that heretofore regularly aired on your network, The Office, was by far the smartest and most enjoyable show on evening television. Period. The writing, more than anything else is what made that show a success. Generally, the most highly-rated shows are successful in the largest part as a result of the writing. This is why I can’t understand why you won’t give the writers a fair cut of the profits from the forms of media that will soon dominate your industry. With digital formats becoming ever more prolific, it is chicanery of the highest order not to compensate the writers sufficiently for distributing their materials via these venues.
I can only hope that you work to resolve this matter quickly. Until then, I will not be watching any programs on your network.
Most Respectfully Yours,
65 | Justin Sat. Nov. 17, 2007 at 9:16amDear Mr. Zucker,
As you know better than anyone, TV pretty much sucks.
The only time my family watches TV — and thus, the only time we are ever exposed to your advertisers — is during the half hour when The Office is broadcast. It is the only show well-written enough to make me care about watching television. It also happens that many of the actors are writers and production staff. And while I admire the behind-the-scenes work of people who don’t get much credit for their contribution, I watch The Office because of the actors and the writing, period. I would literally watch this show (*including* the commercials you are paid so richly to broadcast on the strength of its time slot) even if it were filmed in grainy video from the interior of a cardboard box.
So I am asking you to give the creators of your hit show an increased percentage of the revenues you get from The Office, including residuals from streaming on the Internet. It is not a high-production value program, and you are getting way more out of it than you are putting in.
I plan to write to your advertisers as well.
Pay up!
Liz Jeffers
64 | Liz Jeffers Fri. Nov. 16, 2007 at 3:51pmDear Mr. Zucker,
My name is Matt Mabe and I am a huge fan of your network and its programming. Foremost, I am a fan of your network’s hit comedy, The Office.
The recent strike by the Writer’s Guild of America members definitely caught my attention, as I am a recent Radio/TV/Film graduate from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. In my Business of Media class, we learned all about the WGA and other various union organizations in the media.
I would have to say that I agree with the WGA’s stance one hundred percent. They are only asking for their fair share of profits made from DVD sales and Internet content.
The Internet content I think is the bigger issue here. This way of viewing shows is the new wave of television programming. Your network is airing shows like The Office free of charge on NBC.com, and the ads that are run during those online shows are an obvious source of revenue for your company. The writers, who after all are responsible for the content being viewed, just want and rightfully deserve some compensation for their creative work.
DVD sales are also an issue here. As everyone at your company has probably noticed, DVD sales have become a huge profit-making alternative for television shows. People have bought complete seasons of many TV shows in huge numbers over the past few years. At first, when the very low percentage was given to WGA members for home video compensation, that was because nobody knew if home video would have a place in the market, but it obviously has a huge place in the market today.
The Writer’s Guild members are not being greedy here Mr. Zucker. They are asking for a very reasonable portion of the profits gained by DVD sales and Internet content. I also applaud the actors for striking and sticking by their writers in this tough time because without the writers of The Office, the actors wouldn’t be on the show.
Myself and many others won’t want to view whatever reality shows you will air instead of our favorites. It’s just a waste of time and a slap in the face to your network’s fans.
So, I demand as a true fan of NBC and The Office that you do everything in your power to help end this strike Mr. Zucker.
We want our show back.
Thank you for your time,
Matt Mabe
63 | Mabby Fri. Nov. 16, 2007 at 2:38pmDear Mr. Zucker,
There are two shows that I look forward to watching every week. Those shows are “The Office” and “My Name is Earl”. Well, last night was the last episode of “The Office”. I find it unfortunate that you could not come to an agreement with the writers. Without the writers, you have nothing. I can’t imagine what the Thursday night line-up will be like without our beloved shows. I know I won’t be watching. I hope that you all see what this is doing to everyone involved. It’s time to start the negotiations again so that the right resolution can be found. I know you have it in you to do the right thing. You just have to take that first step.
62 | Jessica Fri. Nov. 16, 2007 at 1:47pmDear Mr. Zucker
Please rehire the writers for the Office all know that is one of the greatest shows out there.
I am a HUGE Office fan as most of my friends and we all our show back!
The creators of this show are amazing and deserve to be compensated accordingly.
You know it’s true –and you know it’s only fair.
Thank you very much for your time,
61 | Jessica Rowe Fri. Nov. 16, 2007 at 12:53pmHere’s mine:
Dear Mr. Zucker,
I am a HUGE Office fan and I want my show back.
The creators of this show are truly brilliant and they deserve to be compensated accordingly.
You know it’s true.
And you know it’s fair.
Drop what you’re doing and get them back to work!
Thank you very much for your time,
Amberla Tepe
60 | Amberla Fri. Nov. 16, 2007 at 10:09amTulsa, OK
Dear Mr. Zucker,
I would like to express my extreme disgust and disappointment regarding your network’s behavior during the WGA strike. It is unconscionable to fire non-writing staff to prove a point, to ruin the
lives of families simply to avoid paying your writing staff their rightful compensation. Your actions, such as firing the non-writing staff of The Office, are those of petulant child who tantrums when asked to share his toys.
Therefore, as of tomorrow, I am boycotting your network, your affiliated networks (CNBC, Bravo, Telemundo, the Arts & Entertainment Network, the History Channel, the Sci-Fi channel, and ShopNBC),
General Electric products and those of its subsidiaries (Universal Studios, October Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, and Rogue Pictures) and blocking nbc.com and msnbc.com from my computer.
I will wait till tomorrow to start the boycott, because I will watch NBC tonight to determine who your advertisers are so that I may write them and let them know that I will be boycotting their products as well as long as they support a network as unethical as yours with their advertising dollars. I will also pass the information along to my friends and family, and post it on the internet, so that they may boycott you and your advertisers as well.
Also, since I will not be watching NBC, I will note which advertisers are paying for time on non-NBC networks and will write their advertisers to thank them for advertising on networks that have not taken such ill-advised tactics to, essentially, punish the innocent studio staff for the network’s theft of services from the writers. It would be ironic, would it not, if your reckless, mean-spirited participation in the AMPTP’s policies led to the loss of your own
position?
If you reverse your current reprehensible actions, I will of course begin once again watching your channels, and will discontinue my boycott of your advertiser’s products. Until then, I hope that you and
your colleagues richly reap what you have sown.
Sincerely,
59 | Mary Ann Fri. Nov. 16, 2007 at 10:06am