As had been expected, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced that they were going on a nationwide strike for the first time in 15 years. The announcement came following negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers who refused to bargain over many of the WGA’s proposals to improve conditions for writers in a new contract. The union’s demands are built around attempting to make writing a profession with greater stability by addressing pressing subjects like a need for greater residuals in a landscape of growing streaming programs, data transparency when it comes to their metrics, higher minimum staffing levels for rooms, and increased regulation on the use of artificial intelligence in writing. Both in solidarity and out of necessity, many shows have since announced they will be halting production for the foreseeable future.This will be a running list of all the various shows who have announced they will be pausing and will be updated over the course of the strike. In the wake of this article's publication, it was announced that production on Andor, House of the Dragon, and The Rings of Power will reportedly continue without any further writing happening, despite the integral role writers play in shaping these still unfolding stories. However, in regards to Andor, showrunner Tony Gilroy said he would cease all activities on the show.
Abbott Elementary
The acclaimed ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, in addition to being paused, may also end up having a shorter third season. In an interview with Democracy Now, writer Brittani Nichols explained that this is because they write while the show is airing and expressed a desire for their work to be more valued in the future.
"We are demanding that this industry be one that can sustain a career. It's sort of as simple as that. We have a consistently profitable business, but right now the actions of the studios are ones that seem like they only care about Wall Street. They're chasing a rabbit that they're never going to get and in that pursuit, they're running over the workers of this industry," Nichols said. "The studios have devalued our contributions. They have shifted the industry to prioritize streaming while not following that up with the actions of making sure that our pay reflects those changes. A lot of the ways that writers are able to sustain a career is through residuals, that means we're taking part in that profit participation when a show gets re-aired or a show gets sold. That's when we get a little bit of that pie and the amount of the pie we're getting in streaming is almost nonexistent."
American Horror Story
Production on the next season of FX's American Horror Story was similarly impacted thought it is not fully clear to what extent it has brought to a halt. While Teamsters refused to cross the picket line, it was reported by Deadline that actors on the show were going in through a back entrance.
Big Mouth
According to a report in Variety, writing on the 8th and final season of the Netflix animated series Big Mouth was close to completion though has now since been paused.
Billions
The seventh and final season of the Showtime series Billions faced a production delay before resuming shooting. According to a story in Deadline, a line of picketers blocked an entryway to the studio and successfully prevented a two truck driver from crossing. However, after what was an approximately four-hour shutdown, filming did reportedly resume.
Cobra Kai
Another one of the first showrunners to announce they were pausing production was Jon Hurwitz, co-creator of Netflix’s hit series Cobra Kai. In a statement on Twitter, Hurwitz said, “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 support to the negotiating committee. You got this.” The show had been working on its sixth and final season.
Evil
Production on the fourth season of the Paramount+ series Evil has been brought to an early end after at least members of the WGA held a picket late into the night. The IATSE members working on the production also reportedly refused to cross the picket line.
Hacks
It was also recently announced that the acclaimed HBO series Hacks would be halting filming. In a statement posted to Twitter, co-creator Jen Statsky said "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."
Late Night with Seth Meyers
One of the most noticeable and immediate impacts of the strike will be the pausing of various beloved late-night shows who will air reruns of past episodes. The first of these is Late Night with Seth Meyers which announced it will be pausing. A longtime writer himself for both Saturday Night Live and his own show on NBC, Seth Meyers closed out his corrections segment last week with a statement of support for the union and their continued fight for better working conditions.
“I am deeply proud of the fact that I get to be a professional writer and I bring this up because as of Monday at midnight, there might be a writers' strike and if a writers' strike happens, that would shut down production on a great many shows,” Meyers said. “I also feel very strongly that what the writers are asking for is not unreasonable and as a proud member of the guild, I’m very grateful that there is an organization that looks out for the best interests of writers.”
Loot
Production on the second season of the Apple TV+ series Loot was halted as well. According to a story in The Hollywood Reporter, the pause came after picketers arrived at the central Bel-Air mega-mansion location used for filming.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Next in the talk show world is CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert which also announced it will stop airing following the strike announcement. In his show Monday night, comedian and host Stephen Colbert addressed the news and expressed support for the writers to get a fair contract.
“[Our writers] are so important to our show. They write the monologue, the meanwhile, the cold open, and without these people, this show would be called The Late Show with a guy rambling about the Lord of the Rings and boats for an hour,” Colbert said. “I think that the writers' demands are not unreasonable. I’m a member of the guild, I support collective bargaining. This nation owes so much to unions. This is true, unions are the reason we have weekends and, by extension, why we have TGI Fridays. So the next time you enjoy a whiskey-glazed blaze burger, you thank a union.”
