A number of television shows and films were affected by the writers’ strike after negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance bogged down.
The writers have been picketing locations across Los Angeles and New York City, as the union seeks transparency in viewing from signage, an increase in the minimum wage, protection against small rooms and the use of artificial intelligence.
After the first week of the strikes, many scripted productions were stopped, either by selection or disruption due to either the lack of showrunners or writers on set, or by takers. Some of those affected include Netflix Weird thingsApple TV+ Looting And Marvel’s code.
During the last writers’ strike, which was 15 years ago, productions on shows and movies faced similar closures and delays. They, as well as California’s economy, were affected financially by the WGA strike in 2007, which lasted more than three months – the fallout was about $2 billion (or $2.8 billion in 2023) and experts predict that the financial losses may be equal. Bigger this time.
Although late-night talk shows get dark quickly (as they are scripted up to the moment of broadcast), it can take viewers longer to notice the impact due to the dramatically changing media landscape (most notably the stock of on-demand viewing options). Timing also plays a role, since it’s nearing the end of the broadcast TV season, plus studios have been quietly planning the strike for months and taking action in preparation.
Find a list of TV shows and movies affected by the Writers’ Strike below.
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Weird things
Image credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Production is in the fifth and final season of Netflix Weird things It was delayed due to labor unrest between the WGA and AMPTP, and creators Matt and Ross Duffer were also involved. Read more.
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‘code’
Due to a writers’ strike, Marvel Studios is shutting down pre-production code, the vampire thriller starring Mahershala Ali, which was set to begin shooting next month in Atlanta. Read more.
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‘Looting’
Image credit: Courtesy of Apple TV+
Production is currently on hold for Apple Looting. Sources said the show was halted after protesters disrupted filming of the comedy starring and directed by Maya Rudolph. Hollywood Reporter. Read more.
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“Saturday Night Live”
The NBC comedy show went dark due to the WGA strike. Pete Davidson, Kieran Culkin, and Jennifer Coolidge are among those set to host the final weeks of Season 48. Saturday Night Live. Read more.
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Late night talk shows
Image credit: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC; Scott Kowalczyk/CBS; Lloyd Bishop/NBC; ABC/Randy Holmes
Late-night talk shows are also affected by the downtime, including ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!CBS’ Late Show with Stephen ColbertNBC The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon And Late Night with Seth MeyersComedy Central The Daily Show and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher And Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Read more.
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‘the talk’
Although the daytime landscape wouldn’t change much due to the writers’ strike, CBS’ the talk, which is working on a WGA book, will cease production. Read more.
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