Now back to regular scheduling

The 2007 Writers Guild of America strike is legitimately over.

Members of the WGA voted Tuesday to put an end to the strike.

The strike began back in November when writers marched out of their offices, trading in their laptops for picket signs, in order to get money for shows being streamed online.

Now that the strike is over, the television networks of NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and The CW are back in production.

This is a good thing. The strike has crippled the entertainment industry and cost the Los Angeles economy exactly $2.1 billion, according to L.A. economist Jack Kyser.

Now that it’s over, the 80th Annual Academy Awards can officially take place, unlike the 65th Annual Golden Globes that was reduced to a mere press conference in January.

It may take up to two whole months for our favorite shows to return to the airwaves.

Only two months are left in the 2007-2008 television season, and only a few new episodes of these shows can be produced.

Every television show isn’t returning. Among the shows that will not be back are NBC’s disappointing “Bionic Woman” and ABC’s lackluster “Big Shots.”

New shows such as “Private Practice” and “Pushing Daisies” have been held off until the fall, and “24” won’t even premiere until January 2009.

The strike was a long and messy one, but it was justified.

The WGA is an invaluable asset to the television industry, and it has proved just how priceless writers really are.