Actress Sandra Oh chants along with striking members of the Writers Guild of America, West during a rally in Hollywood, California Nov. 20, 2007.--Xinhua/Reuters

Striking Hollywood writers have begun to reach deals with individual entertainment companies after they launched an industry-wide work stoppage nearly two months ago, drawing accusation from the studios side for their negotiating strategy.

Television comedians David Letterman and Craig Ferguson's late night talk shows will be returning to the air Wednesday after Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company, which produces both shows, struck a deal with striking writers, the writers union said yesterday.

The deal reached on Friday "is a comprehensive agreement that addresses the issues important to writers, particularly new media," according to a statement by the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

"Worldwide Pants has accepted the very same proposals that the guild was prepared to present to the media conglomerates when they walked out of negotiations on December 7," said the WGA.

The strike initially began over a dispute focusing on residual payments to writers for work distributed via the Internet, video iPods, cell phones and other new media.

The new agreement means that when the two CBS hosts resume production next week, they will be the only late-night comedians back on the air with their writing teams, giving them a substantial advantage over their competitors.

The WGA is also working on a similar agreement that would enable Comedy Central channel's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart to return to the airwaves. Stewart is a popular comedian who has been chosen to host the 80th Academy Awards show in February.

However, any subsequent deal the guild would negotiate with the AMPTP would supersede its agreements with individual production companies.

The AMPTP used the occasion of the interim agreement to again criticize the writers union for its negotiating strategy.

"While it is good news for viewers that the jokes will be back on the late night shows, the biggest joke of all appears to be the one the WGA's organizers are pulling on working writers," said the AMPTP in a statement.

The group accused WGA officials of insisting on their own power by prevailing on jurisdictional issues such as reality shows, animation programs and sympathy strikes.

Friday's agreement was the latest indication that the WGA organizers may not have what it takes to achieve an industry-wide deal that will create a strong and sustainable economic future for writers and producers alike, it said.

Earlier reports said that the WGA had adopted a strategy to approach studios and production companies on an individual basis, a move meant to exploit the cracks between Hollywood companies.

The writers' strike has so far shut down about 60 TV shows and affected numerous film projects, leaving more than 10,000 people out of work. Officials estimated that the strike could cost the Los Angeles area's economy at least 1 billion dollars if it continues into the new year.