US Strike: How many episodes were lost?

As the dust begins to settle on the most bizarre season of US TV in recent memory, today Tube Talk looks at the effects of the writers' strike. Which shows suffered the most from those trying three months? And which shows weren't even grazed? Read on to find out!

The Most Affected
The award for the show most affected by the strike undoubtedly has to go to 24. Rather than air the eight episodes completed pre-strike, Fox decided to hold off until it was in a position to broadcast all 24 episodes uninterrupted. Consequently, the much-anticipated seventh season has now been pushed back until January 2009, meaning that almost two years will have passed when the TV series returns. However, to help bridge the gap, a two-hour TV movie is planned for this Autumn. The lengthy break will also give writers time to rethink the storyline for season seven, which has already been changed several times.

The Severely Affected
Tube Talk favourite Heroes took a major hit as a result of the strike. Only eleven episodes of the planned 24 were produced pre-strike and the six-part summer spinoff Heroes: Origins was axed entirely. Show creator Tim Kring has admitted that the break will give his team of writers some breathing room to develop the storylines for season three, following the disappointing viewer reaction to season two. Season three is expected to be at least 24 episodes long, and the spinoff show could be back on the cards for summer 2009.

Another show to endure "creative struggles" this year was Prison Break, which finished its run early after just 13 episodes. Despite the lacklustre viewer response to season three, the ratings remained high and recently the show was renewed for a full, 22-episode fourth season.

Meanwhile, The Office only turned in 14 of its expected 25 episodes, although five of this number were hour-long specials. 30 Rock fell short by seven episodes.

The Reasonably Affected
Dramas Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters each lost six episodes through the strike, as did CBS crime dramas Numb3rs and Without A Trace. Cult favourite Supernatural only managed to churn out an additional four episodes post strike - taking the tally to 16 episodes of an expected 22 - but will still manage to wrap up the season's ongoing plot.

Long-running comedy Scrubs has only delivered 13 of the expected 18 episodes for its final season on NBC, although production has now begun on a new season of episodes for its new network, ABC.

Veteran crime drama CSI, comedy-drama Ugly Betty and forensic drama Bones all lost five episodes.

The Marginally Affected
Cult heavyweight Lost hit the ground running after the strike, quickly resuming production to deliver an additional six episodes, just two short of its target. These extra two episodes will be subsumed into each of the final two seasons.

Ghost Whisperer, NCIS and One Tree Hill each lost a tolerable four episodes. CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and outgoing medical drama ER were barely touched by the strike, each losing a couple episodes. CW teen drama Smallville lost two episodes and comedy My Name Is Earl three.

The New Shows
It was a year of mixed blessings for the new shows on the block. With fewer pilots in production, and in recognition of their unfair chances, US networks were unusually sympathetic to the newbies. Second season renewals were ten a penny (just don't mention Bionic Woman) as the networks prepared for huge "re-launch" campaigns this autumn.

Among the shows earning a reprieve were comedy drama Pushing Daisies after nine episodes aired (or eight, for UK viewers, but that's not for here); drama Dirty Sexy Money, after ten; Grey's Anatomy spinoff Private Practice, with nine; Josh Schwartz's Chuck, at 13; and Terminator spinoff The Sarah Connor Chronicles, with nine episodes aired.

Many new shows did not resume post-strike and instead concentrated on their second seasons, although The CW's much-lauded teen drama Gossip Girl stayed in production and came close to filling its 22-episode quota with an impressive 18 episodes in the can.

Meanwhile, spare a thought for...
... Las Vegas, which was axed during the strike with no chance to conclude its ongoing storyline. New series Viva Laughlin managed to produce a decent eight episodes but was cruelly dropped after only two had aired. Finally, the signs don't look good for CBS military drama The Unit, which stopped production at 11 episodes but failed to resume post-strike.

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