Hollywood studios are in hot water for underpaying writers.
(Image credit: NBC)
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 WG 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 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.
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. 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 Start 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. NBC’s Night Court has also reportedly gone dark for now, per Deadline. It was also announced by Abbott Elementary writer Brittani Nichols 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. Additionally, Yellowjacket's co-creator also shared that one day into Season 3’s production, amidst our many questions about what’s next for the Showtime series, its writers room closed too.
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.