British Columbia’s TV industry is springing back to life, with most of the U.S. series having picked up where they left off before the Writers Guild of America strike shut them down this winter. But the threat of another U.S. strike – this time by the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists – means Hollywood blockbusters are on the back burner.

‘Our members are working on 13 shows – TV series…features – but it’s winding down as we wait to see what happens with the U.S. strike,’ says Ken Anderson, president of IATSE 891.

The existing SAG-AFTRA agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers expires June 30, so, unless the producers association reaches a new deal with the actor unions, shoots will have to wrap by then. The upcoming contract negotiations also hit a snag at the end of March when it was announced that AFTRA (the union that largely represents soap-opera stars, voice-over announcers and stunt people) split from SAG (which represents virtually all other actors), and will seek its own separate agreement.

B.C. film commissioner Susan Croome says productions have shown plenty of interest, but no one is buying just yet. ‘We’re getting activity around smaller shows, who are thinking they can finish before a strike, and there are several large productions interested in coming to B.C., but for now, everyone’s waiting to see what happens with SAG before making a commitment.’

Peter Leitch, chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. and president of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios, is pleased that the studios are buzzing with TV series that have geared back up since the WGA strike ended Feb. 12.

‘It takes six to eight weeks to ramp up for production. Scripts have to be written, crews and equipment brought back in, etcetera,’ explains Leitch, noting that now it’s back to business as usual.

At North Shore, Leitch reports that nearly all of the pre-strike TV series, including USA Network’s Psych (season two) and ABC Family’s Kyle XY (season two), are back or prepping to set up shop. Exceptions are USA’s 4400, which Leitch says ‘was cancelled during the strike, but not because of the strike,’ and Men in Trees, which wrapped in January. Leitch thought the latter was going to tack this season’s un-shot episodes onto next year’s season with a shoot start-up date sometime in April, ‘but we’re still waiting to hear if they’re coming back,’ he says.

Back at Vancouver Film Studios are Sci-Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica, shooting season four, and season three of Eureka. But, according to VFS EVP Pete Mitchell, Bionic Woman wasn’t all that bionic. ‘I thought Bionic Woman would be back, reworked and relaunched, but it’s not coming back,’ he says.

In Burnaby, cameras are rolling at The Bridge Studios on MGM’s Stargate Atlantis (season five), and on three CW programs: Smallville (season seven) at BB Studios, Supernatural (season three) at Canadian Motion Picture Park, and Reaper (season one) at Eagle Creek Studios.

Leitch says the revised schedules haven’t hurt B.C.’s studios or adversely impacted their work schedules.

‘Shows kept paying for studio space they’d booked, and we’re used to this – it’s like a hiatus and now they’re back,’ says Leitch. ‘But we are seeing a reduced pilot season, which is not surprising because the writers weren’t writing scripts, and it’s a changing world in terms of what sells in TV programming – reality TV sells.’

While studios rode out the strike storm, ‘equipment companies and crews were devastated,’ emphasizes Leitch. ‘They really took a hit.’

B.C. crews will be taking another hit if SAG members strike.

‘The threat of a SAG strike is like a cloud hanging over the industry,’ explains Leitch. ‘Because of the uncertainty, productions are hesitant to go forward.’

Mitchell agrees that uncertainty ‘is holding up the greenlighting of really big pictures. I know two or three big blockbusters are looking at Vancouver, but they’re waiting.’

Mitchell is anticipating a Columbia Pictures production and an NBC pilot to come through, although he declined to name them, as did Croome.

‘We’re working on big projects,’ says Croome. ‘There’s lots of interest in B.C., but we’re in no position to talk about it. In the meantime, we’ve still got several major films shooting here.’

The remake of the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (starring Keanu Reeves) and the X-Files movie sequel X-Files: I Want to Believe recently wrapped shooting in Metro Vancouver, while there are others still in production (see sidebar).

The consequences of American strikes have also overshadowed the effects of the strong loonie this year.

‘It’s ironic that people predicted that when the dollar rises above 86 cents, it’s the death of the industry,’ notes IATSE’s Anderson. ‘But we’re busier now than we were last year. Last year in January, I couldn’t find work.’

Bruce Scott, secretary treasure of Teamsters Local 155, says that ‘with the cycle of strikes impacting business, I’m very curious to see where we’ll land on our feet once SAG is settled. Then we’ll start to see the real effect of the Canadian dollar.’

Leitch laughs ironically: ‘Once these strike issues are settled, then we can go back to just having to fight the high dollar.’