Many actors are joining the striking writers on the picket lines. At first it seemed to be filled with writers/actors like Tina Fey and several cast members of “The Office” who are also writers. Jon Stewart has said that his production company will continue to pay the salaries of the striking writers on “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Production has ceased on “The Office” after Steve Carell refused to cross the picket line. Now several actors are joining the writers and picketing alongside them, including the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy.” I think all their “Mc” cuteness is really annoying, but I would love to see McSteamy all fired up and holding angry picket signs.

The cast of the top-rated medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy” joined striking Hollywood writers on a picket line Wednesday and said they were shooting scenes for their last scripted episode. Stars Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, Sandra Oh and T.R. Knight, who plays Dr. George O’Malley, spent their lunch breaks outside the Prospect Studios, where “Grey’s” is filmed. “We’re supposed to be going until the end of May and right now our last shooting day will be Tuesday or Wednesday,” Knight said. “As actors, we’re paid a different way than the writers, but there’s also the crew to keep in mind. They are out of work as of next Wednesday.”

Said Oh, who plays Dr. Christina Yang: “This matter is way too important not only for our writers, but ultimately everyone who makes movies, everyone who makes entertainment here in this town and again for the rest of the world.” Other cast members included Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr., Sara Ramirez, Eric Dane and Katherine Heigl, who portrays Dr. “Izzie” Stevens. “You’ve got to have a story,” Heigl said. “You’ve got to have a story in order to perform anything, to have any ideas on where to go and what to do, and where the character, story lines, arcs, everything. They’re everything. We can’t do it without them.”

“It’s really a big tragedy to be out here striking at all,” said Dempsey, who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd. “I think there are going to be a lot of people affected by this, that have families, that live paycheck to paycheck, that upsets me profoundly. But at the same time, I do feel that the writers deserve a better break on the deals they have been getting.”

[From the Associated Press]

The Writers Guild of America strike began Monday when negotiations fell through with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The main sticking point is over how much writers are paid when shows are available on the Internet. Considering how hard they work and how integral they are to the very foundation and success of a show, most writers deserve a lot more than they’re getting. Equally important, though far less principled, (okay so not so equally important) is what happens when writers strike: more reality shows. Remember when all that crap started? You know why? Writer’s strike. You don’t need writers to make someone eat a bunch of bugs while balancing on a bar 300 feet off the ground over a pool of snapping sea turtles. Or whatever it is they do on reality TV. So let’s hope the producers give in soon, for the sake of the writers, the rest of the production staff who aren’t getting paid, and the rest of us who might have to watch incredibly crappy TV. Or we could just read. You would think the writers would like that, too.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Sandra Oh and Katherine Heigl joining the picket lines during their lunch. Header image of Ellen Pompeo.