The writers strike is essentially over, but as it comes to an end, television will not immediately change, nor has it significantly changed TV.

Because new episodes of scripted dramas can take more than a month to produce, the end of the strike doesn't mean that new episodes of series will suddenly appear. Most industry observers are predicting that only about four to six new episodes of suspended dramas such as "Grey's Anatomy," "CSI," and "Desperate Housewives" will air in May.

Half-hour sitcoms may return earlier, as they take far less time to write and shoot, especially those few that use the traditional three-camera format. Most late-night shows returned during the strike, which means the first series to make its post-strike debut may actually be "Saturday Night Live."

“We would need time to ramp up, write the episodes, get the episodes ready to go and then shoot them,” Russ Friend, a writer for FOX's hit medical drama House, told TV Guide on Saturday from the Shrine Auditorium, where the WGA's tentative deal with AMPTP was formally announced. “A typical episode takes about nine days, so basically almost two weeks. And then you have to post[-produce] it, which takes another few weeks....”