Screenwriters at four major studios have had their contracts cancelled. The studios include 20th Century Fox Television, CBS Paramount Network Television, NBC Universal and Warner Bros. Television. Now for those of you that thought writers aren’t being paid enough, apparently they already get between US$500,000 and $2M per year to develop ideas for new shows.

This contract cancellation is going to be awkward for people who are writers as well as, say, producers. (But several producers are losing their jobs as well, under “force majeure” clauses in their contacts.) Then again, next season’s new shows are affected, it doesn’t really matter. But I wish that instead of all the crappy reality shows, broadcasters would put on some of the classic series of the past. (Anyone for Sliders or Quantum Leap?)