[MrVandemar]

> I gaze across at the writers on strike who have some legitimate concerns but who have also provided some bloody awful writing

Too often the writing of film and TV is dictated by the producers/studio -- people who have an interest in financial returns, not quality. Those writers would probably love to write their own show, their way, unhindered, and would probably produce something watchable.

Of course, writers subvert their instructions sometimes to great effect. On BSG I believe they were told their show was "too dark" and someone insisted someone have "a birthday party". Which they duly put in, and then had them all die in some kind of terror/bomb incident.