WGA strike explained: How your favorite shows have been impacted
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After failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers, Hollywood writers are taking to the picket line to demand fair pay from multibillion-dollar studios like Netflix, Disney, and Warner Bros. It's the first Hollywood writer walkout in more than 15 years, and it means production on a number of TV series has come to a halt.
Wondering how it will affect the viewer — the reality TV fan, the SNL devotee, or the Roman Roy Succession stan? We've got answers. Below, read how your favorite shows have been impacted by the writers' strike, and just how long it may go on.
What happens to late-night shows?
Randy Holmes via Getty Images Jimmy Kimmel
Late-night shows are the first to go dark because they are written with extremely tight schedules to capture topical stories. Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night With Seth Meyers will all air reruns. Saturday Night Live canceled its Pete Davidson–hosted May 6 episode and will run old shows as well. If you need your Jimmy, Jimmy, or Seth fix, we're sure you can find some YouTube compilations to remind you of happier times.
What about network TV?
ABC/Scott Everett White Sam Lerner, Hayley Orrantia, and Wendi McLendon-Covey on 'The Goldbergs'
Most network TV shows have wrapped production for the summer and are already on hiatus (thank goodness we got to see what happened between Janine and Gregory on Abbott Elementary!). But the writers' strike could go on for months (the last strike, in 2007-08, went on for 100 days) and could disrupt the fall premiere schedule if an agreement can't be reached before the end of May or June, when many writers' rooms start to convene.
Speaking of Abbott, the writers' room was set to convene for season 3, but writer Brittani Nichols told Democracy Now! that a strike could ultimately impact the upcoming season in a number of ways: "If this strike goes on for a significant period of time, our show will not come out on time, and that could change the amount of episodes, which people I'm sure will be very upset about."
Hollywood screenwriters of @WGAWest are going on strike. They are fighting for a living wage in the streaming era, says Abbott Elementary writer @BisHilarious, who calls the industry a "gig economy," where studios prioritize Wall Street, not workers. pic.twitter.com/GDxWvfi5ZJ
— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) May 2, 2023
Many shows set to air their season (or series) finales in May completed filming before the strike. For example, a source tells EW that the current seasons of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med won't be affected and will wrap as planned.
Jumping to cable, both Succession and Yellowjackets have finished filming their current seasons, so you have nothing to worry about there. However, Yellowjackets co-creator Ashley Lyle described something similar to the Abbott situation when tweeting about the show's season 3 writers' room, which was only able to meet and work one day before the strike kicked off.
Well, we had exactly one day in the #YellowJackets S3 writers’ room. It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal. #1u #unionstrong ✊🐝
— Ashley Lyle (@ashannlyle) May 2, 2023
Meanwhile, the Starz series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, which was in production for season 3, has shut down its writers' room.
Does the WGA strike include streaming too?
Liane Hentscher/HBO 'The Last of Us'
Yes, but there's a catch: Streamers tend to produce their shows way ahead of schedule and will likely have plenty of episodes banked for now, though which shows and just how much they have ready is unknown.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently said on an earnings call that Netflix could "probably" serve their subscribers "better than most." So while XO, Kitty and Queen Charlotte are safely hitting streaming services soon, new seasons of popular shows like The Last of Us and The White Lotus may not be, as they are still inching toward production.
Some good news? A source tells EW that all of the House of the Dragon season 2 scripts have been completed, so that series will remain in production without interruption.
If you're in the middle of a show you love right now, odds are, you're okay. Series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Ted Lasso, for example, wrapped shooting a while back.
However, certain streaming shows have been affected. Cobra Kai co-creator Jon Hurwitz tweeted that the series has shut down its season 6 writers' room less than a month after writers returned to work.
We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard. Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren't fun times, but it's unfortunately necessary. The moment a fair deal is in place, we'll get back to kicking ass. In the meantime, sending strength and… https://t.co/99UulF7HeW
— Jon Hurwitz (@jonhurwitz) May 2, 2023
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer said the fifth and final season of their Netflix sci-fi hit will be impacted. "Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike," the brothers posted on their writers' Twitter account. "We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work."
Duffers here. Writing does not stop when filming begins. While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then -- over and out. #wgastrong
— stranger writers (@strangerwriters) May 6, 2023
Paramount+'s Evil, HBO Max's Hacks, Apple TV+'s Loot, and Paramount+'s 1923 have also stopped production on their upcoming seasons.
WE WON. Evil (the show) shut down around 1 am. A handful of us walking in a tiny circle cost them the day’s shoot. We were told the producers were pissed They kept the crew there for hours, sitting on the sidewalk. We felt the solidarity. We’ll win this whole thing together pic.twitter.com/LygVt77c30
— Starlee Kine (@StarleeKine) May 6, 2023
We are devastated to not be with our incredible crew and cast right now, but there was no other option here. Writing happens at every stage of the process - production and post included. It’s what makes shows and movies good. It’s what makes them possible. #wgastrong https://t.co/aU8QqUDEwu
— Jen Statsky (@jenstatsky) May 5, 2023
Okay, but reality and daytime won't be affected, right?
ABC Gabi and Zach on 'The Bachelor'
Reality shows, entertainment news, sports, and daytime talk shows are not subject to the WGA agreement and will be unaffected by the strike. One major exception in the daytime space is The Talk, which employs WGA scribes, so the CBS staple will halt production and air repeats.
When will the mess be over?
As of publication, no one knows. But the longest WGA strike in history was in 1988, lasting a record 153 days. In 2007-08, the strike lasted about 14 weeks, helping reality TV snare its tendrils even deeper into the industry.
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