As the Writers Guild of America (WGA) enters its third week of striking against the networks and studios of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the walkout has incited melodrama worthy of a Daytime Emmy.

Now the very real-life consequences of the strike are starting to emerge, as well. With popular series, including The Office, Desperate Housewives, and 24, already on indefinite hiatus, both the WGA and the AMPTP are under pressure to make amends before once-devout viewers ...