Kate Purdy only started working as a writer for CBS' Cold Case this year, but this has not stopped her from joining the show's writing veterans on the picket lines for the ongoing writers' strike.  In fact, she's currently serving as a strike captain, organizing a group of 50 picketers each day.

At the root of the strike, Purdy said, is the “huge impact” of the world wide web.  "We're asking for 2.5 cents on every dollar they make from revenues resulting from shows being downloaded on the Internet,” she explained, adding that the “unfortunate thing is we can't even get the CEOs to negotiate or listen to any of our proposals.  They seem to be hoping we'll cave without them having to give anything."

Although she has pledged her full support for the strike, Purdy said that if it stretches on, she, along with other young and relatively low-paid writers, will face tougher times.  If the strike continues into the next year, she said she'll most likely have to get a part-time job.

The strike affects the quality of Cold Case, too, Purdy said.  Unlike some other television shows, which are already experiencing a shortage of scripts, the writers of Cold Case have drawn up episodes that will last the procedural drama into January.  However, this does not mean that the show is out of danger, as Purdy said the episodes have not gone through rewriting and editing, and will not do so without a writing staff.

Thus, a long-term strike will not bode well for the show, which consistently lands in the top 15 of weekly Nielsen ratings.

Purdy is hoping the writers' strike will end as quickly as possible, not only for the sake of the show, but also for her own well-being, considering she is no longer receiving much-needed paychecks.

CBS' Cold Case revolves around a fictional Philadelphia Police Department division that focuses on investigating cold cases.  The series stars Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, Tracie Thoms, Thom Barry, John Finn and Jeremy Ratchford.  It airs Sunday nights at 9pm ET/PT.


-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: mysanantonio.com        
(Image Courtesy of CBS)