Writer's Guild Wants Say In Product Placement Decisions For Fall TV

Posted on May 18, 2006

The major networks are having their upfronts this week where they present the fall tv lineup to potential advertisers and the Writers Guild of America wants to be involved in the process. The WFA wants a say in the burgeoning product placement deals that are driving writers crazy.

For example, the screenwriters work out a story arc, then are told that "Episode 3 must revolve around a chase scene with the two leads driving a Cadillac Escalade while wearing scuba suits made by Body Glove and drinking Mountain Dews." Of course that week the writers had written a character-driven episode where the two leads find love and relaxation in a beachfront hideaway on Martha's Vineyard, where no cars are allowed.

WGAW president Patric Verrone says, "As we speak, product integration deals are being made at upfronts," WGAW president Patric Verrone said. "These deals do not take writers into consideration and we believe this is unacceptable.

A presentation at the press conference showed how products can be worked into the scripts of television shows:

The presentation featured an "Extreme Makeover" clip which revolved around Wendy's, a "Pepper Dennis" segment promoting Crest whitening strips, and several clips from "Half & Half" that centered on Oil of Olay.
The showrunners present, Neal Baer from "Law & Order: SVU," John Wells from "ER" and "The West Wing" and Marc Cherry from "Desperate Houswives," said that since their shows had higher ratings than those shown in the clip package, they have not had to resort to this type of product promotion. But, they said this was the future of product placement, even for successful network shows, and they worried that this approach could alienate their already-diminishing audience and, according to Baer, "bring storytelling to a screeching halt."

Those idealistic, misguided souls at the Writers Guild: they actually still care about things like "storytelling" "integrity" and "writing quality." It's sweet, really. Now, get to your laptop and write that episode with the Escalade, the scuba suits and the Mountain Dew, or you're fired. Oh, and one more thing: when they careen around a corner on two wheels doing 90, the Mountain Dew is going to spill everywhere, at which point the female lead needs to whip out some Handi-Wipes to clean up the mess. Got it?