Back in late 2007 and early 2008, Hollywood writers went on strike for 100 days, and it sent numerous ripples throughout the industry. Loads of movies, many of whcih are now widely disliked, were rushed into production like Quantum of Solace, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Terminator Salvation. Additionally, network TV shows like Heroes halted production, and in lieu of paying writers, a bigger pivot to reality programming occurred. Hollywood lost over $2 billion as a result of the three-month strike. With the 2023 Writers Strike here, which has over 11,000 members of the WGA demanding fair pay, it's time to prepare for how the situation in Hollywood is affecting TV shows in the age of streaming.
Depending on how long the 2023 WGA Strike lasts, tons of productions of series and movies could be halted and changed. Here’s a timeline of everything we know about it.
The Origins Of The 2023 WGA Writers Strike
Fears of a writers strike have been looming over Hollywood since early this year, with the Writers Guild of America’s three-year contract set to expire on May 1. When the U.S. union met in February 2023, they voted on a “pattern of demands” regarding a proposed standardized compensation for writers. 98% of members approved of it back in early March, per Variety. Negotiations then began on March 20 and concluded on May 1, without an agreement.
The Writers Guild of America Call A Strike
On the evening of May 1, the WGA announced that it had voted “unanimously” to call a strike effective 12:01 AM, Tuesday May 2, per Twitter. Throughout the day on Tuesday, writers took their picket signs to studio buildings like Sony, Paramount, Warner Bros and more. Among the attendees were loads of TV writers, but even actors like Rob Lowe and Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein came out to support Hollywood writers.
#Shrinking writers @ZackBornstein and @BrettGoldstein talk to THR's @Snoodit on the ground of the WGA #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/cM7vTBo7P4May 2, 2023
Late Night Shows And Saturday Night Live Go Dark
Amidst announcements on Tuesday of the 2023 Writers Strike, the first major affected aspect of television to fall was the late night sector. It was announced that network shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, among others, would not be in operation this first week with support from its hosts, and they instead would air reruns. Though, one talk show host will push on: Fox News' Greg Gutfeld. It was later reported that late-night hosts like Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon will pay their staff personally out of pocket along with NBC additionally offering two weeks of pay, per Business Insider.
Additionally, Pete Davidson’s upcoming hosting debut on Saturday Night Live after saying farewell to the show last year was set to happen this weekend, but it has been cancelled as well. NBC said the show would “air repeats until further notice.”
Scripted Network TV And Streaming Shows Currently In Production Being Paused
On Tuesday, it was also announced that a handful of major shows are already being affected by the 2023 Writers Strike as well. Here's an updated list of TV shows that have reportedly been paused due to the strike.
- Night Court: The NBC series also reportedly gone dark for now on Tuesday, per Deadline.
- Abbott Elementary: Writer Brittani Nichols shared that the ABC writers room is currently closed as well. If the strike continues, both of these network shows’ tight schedules and episode content could be gravely affected by the strike.
- Cobra Kai: Creator Jon Hurwitz updated fans that there were “no writers on set” amidst the strike as the Netflix series films Season 6.
- Yellowjackets: The co-creator of the Showtime series has also shared that one day into Season 3’s production, amidst our many questions about what’s next for the show, its writers room closed too.
- Unstable: Season 2 of Netflix comedy series starring Rob Lowe and his son John Owen Lowe has seen a shut down in production, per Deadline, after six of eight scripts were written and production was set to begin later this spring. But, not every series is being affected by the strike. HBO's House of Dragon for example isn't shutting down Season 2 production because all the scripts have already been written.
But, not every series is being affected by the strike. HBO's House of Dragon for example isn't shutting down Season 2 production because all the scripts have already been written.
Drew Barrymore Drops Out Of Hosting The MTV Movie And TV Awards
Drew Barrymore was set to host the MTV Movie and TV Awards on Sunday, May 7, however with the writers strike going on she has dropped out, per THR. Barrymore reportedly decided to do so in solidarity with the strike, though she has signed on to host next year's show. Amidst the strike, MTV has additionally called off the red carpet for the event.
We’ll keep you posted regarding what goes down next for the 2023 Writers Strike. Until then, stay up to date with the 2023 TV schedule here on CinemaBlend.
