When the Writers Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers first sat down to their very first talks in over 3 months a few weeks back ... no one was particularly hopeful about a breakthrough.

But now writers and producers are scheduled to talk again .... tomorrow.

And this time there is guarded optimism that at the very least the contract negotiations will be meaningful.

It's not just the fact that the two sides are talking ... it's about WHO they're bringing to the talks.

Miranda Banks chairs the department of Film, Television, and Media Studies at Loyola Marymount University.

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)