The Hollywood strike, which has lasted for months, is nearing its end, and it’s the right time to reflect on the shows that faced disruption during this period.
What Happened: Negotiations between the major film and television studios and the striking writers from the Writers Guild of America or WGA have yielded a tentative agreement, marking a significant turning point in the labor dispute.
In an email to members, the WGA expressed their gratitude, saying, “What we have won in this contract – most particularly, everything we have gained since May 2nd – is due to the willingness of this membership to exercise its power, to demonstrate its solidarity, to walk side-by-side, to endure the pain and uncertainty of the past 146 days,” reported CNN.
While the agreement terms are not immediately known, the WGA hailed the tentative deal as exceptional, promising meaningful gains and protections for writers across all membership sectors.
See Also: Netflix, Iger Lead The Way As Hollywood Studios Offer A New Deal To Striking Writers
The strike’s effects rippled beyond the realm of writers. The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, representing approximately 160,000 actors, has been on strike since mid-July in solidarity with the writers.
Both strikes have cascaded the entertainment industry, leading to production delays, financial losses, and layoffs in various sectors.
One crucial issue that emerged during the negotiations was the role of artificial intelligence in content creation. Writers expressed concerns about the rise of AI and its potential to replace human writers in the industry.
While the tentative agreement is a significant step forward, it does not immediately end the strike. The WGA is clear that members should not return to work until authorized by the Guild.
However, the report noted that the WGA has suspended picketing activities, suggesting a shift in the tone of the ongoing dispute.
A Look Back At The Shows That Have Been Affected By This Strike
Late-Night Shows: ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” CBS’s “The Late Show,” NBC’s “Tonight” and “Late Night,” and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” and “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” all went on hiatus, with reruns replacing live broadcasts.
Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” was also paused during this period.
Abbott Elementary: The third season’s writers’ room for the Emmy-winning show “Abbott Elementary” closed, potentially impacting the number of episodes for the upcoming season.
AMC Shows: Despite completed scripts, production for AMC’s Anne Rice series and “Walking Dead” spinoff remained halted.
American Dad/Family Guy: The teams behind “American Dad” and “Family Guy” stopped working in support of the strike.
Andor: Showrunner Tony Gilroy discontinued all activities on the Disney+ show “Andor.”
Big Mouth: The Netflix animated series was affected during the writing of its final season.
Blade: Marvel halted pre-production on the vampire reboot “Blade.”
Cobra Kai: The writers’ room for “Cobra Kai” season 6 closed, and no writers were on set for production.
Evil: Production on Season 4 of the Paramount+ series wrapped earlier than anticipated due to picketing WGA members.
Good Omens: The long-awaited season 2 of “Good Omens” faced uncertainty as creator Neil Gaiman supported the writers’ strike.
The Last of Us: Warner Bros. Discovery’s “The Last of Us” also encountered a setback as production was put on hold, and the show’s co-creator Craig Mazin advocated for the rights of fellow writers.
House of the Dragon: Scripts for the second season of “House of the Dragon” were turned in, but executive producer Ryan Condal remained working on the series in a non-writing capacity.
Jeopardy!: Mayim Bialik stepped away from hosting duties on “Jeopardy!” to support the strike, with Ken Jennings filling in for her.
MTV Movie Awards: Host Drew Barrymore exited her role, and the red-carpet event was canceled.
Rap Sh!t: Production on the second season of the Issa Rae series wrapped in April.
The Rings of Power: Production for the second season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” continued, but executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay supported the strike.
Saturday Night Live: The live sketch show went dark, supporting the writers’ strike.
Stranger Things: The show creators, the Duffer brothers, halted production on the Netflix series, saying it would continue until an agreement was reached between the WGA and AMPTP.
The Talk: “The Talk” ceased filming, but previously recorded new episodes continued to air.
The Upshaws: Production on the Netflix sitcom “The Upshaws” was suspended, with already completed episodes set to premiere.
Yellowjackets: Writing for season 3 of the Showtime drama “Yellowjackets” halted after just one day of progress.
Editor’s Note: Artificial intelligence was used as a secondary aid in writing this story.
Photo by CLS Digital Arts on Shutterstock
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Read Next: Double Strike In Hollywood: Actors And Writers Unite In Work Stoppage
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