The Writers Guild also drew a group of writers from "America's Next Top Model," who went on strike last week in an attempt to get the same pay and benefits -- and union representation -- that writers on so-called scripted shows receive.

I say so-called because the writers -- who work six days a week, taking hundreds of hours of raw footage and finding the stories in them that make "reality" shows so compelling -- also produce scripts for their shows, though those series are most often referred to within the industry as "unscripted."

The Guild, meanwhile, has picked "Next Top Model" to make its point because the new CW network plans to launch Sept. 20 with the show, expected to be one of the new network's highest-rated series.

One of writers' arguments: Most of the other people associated with the behind-the-scenes production of these series are union members, so why shouldn't they?

My guess: Besides the age-old desire to save money, most "reality" producers would rather not focus on how much of their unscripted programming just isn't.