Prepare for a potentially lackluster fall TV show.
With the first Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike in 15 years in full swing, the more immediate future of some of your favorite content is up in the air.
The strike began last week after six weeks of high-stakes negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers trade group. Thousands of unionized scribes say they are not being paid fairly in the streaming age. (The WGA represents some of the employees of NBCUniversal’s news division. Comcast, the corporation that owns NBCUniversal, is represented by the trade group.)
The strike has virtually halted the production of some broadcast shows and streaming shows, which has revolutionized the entertainment industry.
But viewers may not yet notice a difference in the programming, according to Oliver Mayer, professor of dramatic writing at the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts. But that will likely change if the strike continues as expected premiere dates for shows or seasons come and go.
“There will be many reruns. There won’t be as much content,» said Mayer, a WGA member emeritus. «It is a matter of weeks, not months, that a good consumer of this material will notice the drought.»
What shows are already affected?
Late-night shows were the first to feel the impact.
NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers”; CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”; «Jimmy Kimmel Live!» from ABC; and HBO’s «Last Week Tonight With John Oliver» and «Real Time With Bill Maher» were blacked out as soon as the strike began.
“Saturday Night Live” on NBC also halted its 48th season. The show will air reruns for the foreseeable future, Variety reported
Actor and talk show host Drew Barrymore has stepped down as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards show, which aired on Sunday.
“I have listened to the writers and, to truly respect them, I will stop hosting the live MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity with the strike,” he said. in a statement to NBC News. «Everything we celebrate and honor about movies and television is born from their creation.»
Production on some returning shows was also halted. Many television showrunners shared their solidarity with other writers in updates to viewers on the status of their shows.
Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer Brothers, announced they have halted production on the fifth season of their hit Netflix series «Stranger Things.»
“The writing does not stop when shooting begins,” they wrote in a cheep Saturday. “While we are excited to begin production with our incredible cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope that a fair deal can be reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then, over and out. #wgastrong».
Jen Statsky, the creator of «Hacks,» tweeted that the HBO show is halting production.
“Writing happens at every stage of the process, including production and publication. It’s what makes good shows and movies,» he wrote in his cheep.
Quinta Brunson, creator and star of the Emmy Award-winning sitcom «Abbott Elementary,» saying she is also part of the WGA and is on strike «demanding fair compensation for writers!»
Writing on the third season of Showtime’s «Yellowjackets» has been put on hold after a day, according to co-creator Ashley Lyle.
she said in a cheep that he hopes to return to the writers room after reaching a fair deal.
“Cobra Kai” also closed its writers room for season six until a fair deal is agreed, co-creator and writer Jon Hurwitz said on Twitter last week.
“We hate to strike, but if we must, we will strike hard,” he wrote.
Mayer said viewers can expect the writing of their favorite shows to suffer after the strike, even if the union manages to negotiate sooner than expected.
“We all have to rewrite and as the world changes, a story that could have been on a show that you like, depending on what’s going on in politics or whatever, the story will change,” he said.
How about internationally filmed shows?
«Game of Thrones» creator George RR Martin has confirmed that the second season of the «House of the Dragon» spinoff began filming on April 11 in the UK and will continue production.
“The scripts for the eight episodes of s2 were finished months ago, long before the strike started. Each episode has gone through four or five drafts and numerous rounds of revisions.» wrote in a blog post on Sunday. “There will be no more reviews. The writers have done their job; the rest is up to the directors, cast and crew…and of course the dragons.»
Martin stressed his «unequivocal support» for the strike, saying the writer’s room for his other «GOT» spin-off, «A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,» «has closed for the rest.»
Amazon Studios’ «Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power,» which is shooting in the UK, is continuing production, a studio spokesperson confirmed.
Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which is filming in Canada, has halted production on its next season. Creator Bruce Miller announced his involvement in the strike and has been retweeting other writers’ updates since the picket line.
“We are on strike, we apologize. excuse me? What do we have, seven years? No need to apologize, thank you,” he wrote in a cheep.
International writers guilds, including The Writers Guild of Great Britainthe Writers Guild of Australia, The Writers Guild of Canada and The New Zealand Writers Guild have given their support to the WGA.
“As a guild and a member of the Writers Guilds International Affiliation, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) will support the WGA during its strike to the fullest extent possible,” the WGC wrote in a memo. «The compensation issues raised by WGA writers are the same concerns plaguing writers around the world.»
What happened during the last strike?
The 2007-2008 strike lasted 100 days and cost the California economy at least $2 billion, according to Mayer. He said the strike affected not only the television and movie industry, but also the entire city of Los Angeles.
“It was a really painful period, restaurants suffered,” said Mayer, who also serves as associate dean for strategic initiatives and associate dean of faculty at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. «In a city like this, when the industry shuts down, everyone feels it.»
In a town like this, when the industry shuts down, everyone feels it.
-Oliver Mayer, Professor of Dramatic Writing at the USC School of Dramatic Arts
Viewers at the time also pointed out that some show endings or storylines didn’t make sense or were shortened.
The Emmy Award-winning series «Pushing Daisies,» whose first season was cut from 22 episodes to just nine, was canceled after two seasons, some in the industry say It happened as a result of the strike.
The second season of «Friday Night Lights» was cut from 22 episodes to 15. Viewers criticized the season’s plot surrounding Landry, a polite and humble student at Dillon High, played by Jesse Plemons, killed a boy. The third season did not follow up on previous storylines and provided little explanation for some events that happened in the previous season.
«Heroes,» «Lost,» «Grey’s Anatomy,» «Chuck,» «Breaking Bad» and «Scrubs» were also among the popular shows that were interrupted by the strike.
the strike too helped lead to the rise of reality television shows like «The Apprentice» and «Keeping Up With the Kardashians.»
(NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC News, as well as NBC, which previously aired «Heroes,» «Chuck» and «Friday Night Lights,» and «The Apprentice.» day with the Kardashians.»)
So what can viewers watch?
Mayer said he hopes networks and studios have piled on projects, especially as the potential for a strike loomed over the industry.
Thus, new shows and movies that were finished months before they were released may be released.
Producers can finish the project in one go, “but they hold on to the material they can deliver over the months, even into the fall, to see how long they can last without having to commit to our guild. Mayer said.