WGA clashes with Osbourne variety show

The WGA has told its members not to work on the Osbourne family's new comedy-variety show.

The guild has taken issue with production company FremantleMedia North America, which has offered potential writers on the show a "sub-standard contract" that reduces writing fees to that of a "half-scripted" programme.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fremantle believes that part of the show, provisionally titled The Osbournes: Loud And Dangerous, should be treated as a reality programme, and therefore not covered under the new WGA contract.

The WGA earlier criticised American Idol producers for offering sub-standard working conditions to writers and behind-the-scenes staff.

A letter from the guild read: "Now it is clear that Fremantle's intention is to bring their low-cost, non-union business model into traditional genres - first games shows, then comedy-variety

"Soon, no WGA-covered writing will be safe from their aggressive undermining of our contract. We cannot allow this encroachment to continue."

Fremantle's David Shall hit back at the WGA, claiming that the guild broke off discussions with them, "ordered its membership to not write for the show and implemented their usual mendacious strategy of feeding misleading and erroneous information to the press".