What to expect when you’re expecting an end to the writers’ strike

It’s only been three months, but it seems so much longer. Finally, an end to the writers’ strike appears imminent. (Even Cindy Adams has written about it, kids.) No word yet on what was the tipping point. Fatigue? The upcoming Oscars? The DGA settlement?

So what’s changed? Of course there’s a potential new deal, which may or may not resemble the package the Directors’ Guild ratified a few weeks ago. And The New York Times speculates writers may experience some grudges when they return to the set. In fact, several high-profile development deals (Joan of Arcadia producer Barbara Hall, Brothers & Sisters creator Jon Robin Baitz, among others) have already been axed, with studios citing force majeure.

When are existing shows coming back? Some ABC titles – Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty – expect to crank out scripts for four to five episodes which would then air in April and May. Newer shows, like Pushing Daisies, will likely send its writers back to the table but won’t have new shows on air until the fall. (Sigh.) The handful of multi-camera sitcoms on the air nowadays (Back to You, Two and Half Men and The Big Bang Theory) could be on the air sooner, thanks to shorter production schedules. Mindless reality programming will continue to be a staple until scripted content is available. And maybe even longer, as long as episodes of American Gladiators pull in twice as many viewers as Friday Night Lights. (Double sigh.)

CBS is bringing back living-room voyeurism this month with another edition of Big Brother. However, Black Rock execs are borrowing from premium-cable sibling Showtime for Dexter, which will make a sanitized debut on CBS on Sunday, February 17.

Daily comedy shows – The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Late Night with Conan O’Brien – have been trooping along admirably, mocking the fact that they’re officially writerless yet still churning out an entertaining product every night. Those shows should see an uptick in both laughs and general tenor once they’re reunited with their writers. And hopefully it’s not too late for an Andy Samberg digital short on Saturday Night Live about Chuck Norris’ support for Mike Huckabee. (Goodness knows we've been denied the comedic stylings of Kristen Wiig for too long, while off-the-air Amy Poehler has gone stir crazy.)

As far as the business of show business goes, the pilot season has changed forever. Traditionally, networks would sink millions of dollars into filming pilots that programming execs would use to determine their slate of shows for the fall. Only a handful of those shows ever saw the light of day. Expect more “backdoor” pilots spun off of existing programs, much the way Private Practice emerged from the, er, loins of Grey’s Anatomy. And get ready for pilots masquerading as TV movies. Cue the Knight Rider music. And expect just fewer pilots in general. The three-hour extravaganzas in April that unveil the fall schedules – the Upfronts – will change. Probably smaller and less puffy.

And last but not least, fingers are crossed and double crossed that we’ll still get a few more episodes of 30 Rock – “the best show on TV” according to NBC’s Co-Chairman of Entertainment Ben Silverman – this season.