from apProduction of the hit show "Desperate Housewives" and at least six sitcoms filmed before live audiences will be halted as a result of the writers strike - developments that raised the stakes Tuesday in the walkout targeting movie studios and TV networks.
Producer Alexandra Cunningham said "Desperate Housewives" will stop production on Wednesday after running out of scripts. Shows that have already been completed won't last until Christmas, she said.
"It's unfortunate. We want to get back to work," Cunningham said.
Sitcoms that will stop the cameras include "Back to You," starring Kelsey Grammer and Patricia Heaton, which will not return from a planned hiatus, said Chris Alexander, a spokesman for 20th Century Fox Television.
Star Julia Louis-Dreyfus said production also stopped on her CBS show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine."
In addition, "Til Death," which airs on Fox, and "Rules of Engagement,""Two and a Half Men" and "The Big Bang Theory," all on CBS, will also end filming, according to people familiar with production of the shows who were not authorized to be quoted and requested anonymity.
