LOS ANGELES (AP) — The bargaining table is deserted and the talks have stopped again five weeks after Hollywood writers went on strike against studios, shutting down production on dozens of TV shows.

So what's the problem?

Here's a look at key issues and developments in the contract dispute between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Why did negotiations break off last Friday?

After four straight days of negotiations, the alliance refused to bargain further unless the union dropped a half-dozen proposals that included the authority to unionise writers on reality shows and animation projects.

After the guild refused to back off, each side blamed the other for the collapse of talks. The alliance claimed guild leaders were trying to increase their power at the expense of members. Union leaders accused the alliance of "lies" aimed at sowing doubt and dissension in union ranks.

What will it take to restart negotiations?

The union says it's willing to return to the table, but the alliance insists there is no purpose in talking unless the guild trims its agenda.

The best hope could be for a Hollywood powerbroker to work with both sides to overcome the animosity and get them back together. A leading candidate is attorney and noted industry dealmaker Ken Ziffren.

Pressure to move forward might come from the Directors Guild of America, which could begin early negotiations on its contract that expires in June.

A deal between directors and studios could undercut the bargaining power of writers by serving as an industry template for labor contracts.

What are the key issues?

Both sides say the central issue is compensation for programs, movies and other content streamed or downloaded over the Internet.

Writers want a framework for residual payments now, citing what they considered raw deals in the 1980s involving what ultimately became lucrative home-video and DVD markets.

Producers say it's too soon to know how much money they can make on the Web or even which formats will work. They're offering limited proposals that would end in three years and be renegotiated.

How far apart are the two sides on those issues?

The alliance, for instance, is offering a flat $250 payment for a year's use of an hourlong TV show on the Web.

Writers are balking, citing the $20,000-plus residual that writers now earn for a single network rerun of a TV episode.

The guild wants residuals to be based upon a percentage of a distributor's gross receipts, which the alliance said is an unworkable and unacceptable formula.

Regarding reality and animation writers, the alliance insists there was an agreement to take those issues off the bargaining table, which the guild denies.

How has the strike affected TV and film production?

The most immediate effect has been on prime-time and late-night network television, with production of dozens of shows ending as scripts are depleted.

There are new episodes of some midseason dramas and sitcoms in the wings, but networks are planning to fill out their schedules with reality shows, news programs and theatrical films.

Late-night hosts such as David Letterman, Jay Leno and Jon Stewart, who depend on writers for monologues lampooning events of the day, refused to cross picket lines and their shows immediately went into reruns.

The latest breakdown of talks, however, could be the impetus for the hosts to consider returning to work.

The production of feature films based on completed scripts has not been hurt by the strike. But shooting of a few major films, including Johnny Depp's drama "Shantaram" and Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons," a prequel to "The Da Vinci Code," has been postponed.