History MediaNotes / TVStrikes

* Creator/DrewBarrymore [[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/drew-barrymore-mtv-movie-tv-awards-writers-strike-1235603357/ pulled out of hosting]] the 2023 Creator/{{MTV}} [[UsefulNotes/MTVMovieAndTVAward Movie & TV Awards]] in a show of solidarity with striking WGA members. This year's show went without a host [[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/mtv-movie-tv-awards-writers-guild-strike-picket-1235604950/ and transitioned from a live show to a pre-taped ceremony]] instead, with Barrymore agreeing to host their 2024 show.

* All of the shows Creator/DiCEntertainment were working on as the strike was occurring weren't affected as [=DiC=] was, at the time, very anti-union, and thus did not have to deal with having to hire scab writers.

* Soap operas have been mostly unaffected: soap opera actors, while SAG-AFTRA members, [[https://people.com/why-soap-operas-daytime-tv-wont-be-impacted-by-sag-aftra-strike-7561061 continued to work as they are covered under a separate ordinance for SAG-AFTRA members known as the National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting]], which covers daytime television performers and workers. In addition, scripts for soap operas are often written months in advance and stockpiled until they're ready to start filming. ''Series/GeneralHospital'' was the first one to switch to non-WGA writers, with the first [=FiCore=]-written (see the 2007-08 WGA folder for more details on [=FiCore=]) episode airing on July 25. Despite being in official solidarity with the WGA, SAG-AFTRA has to tolerate non-WGA soap writers, since they realize that contractually-bound soap actors still need material during a strike, but individual actors who were out of the loop about how soaps work (especially Creator/LisaAnnWalter) got into dustups on Website/{{Twitter}} with soap fans after denouncing ''GH'' for using "scab" writers.

* Four entries to the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse -- ''Film/{{Deadpool 3}}'', ''Fantastic Four'', ''Film/CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld'' and ''Blade'' were delayed to 2024 and 2025.

* The 2023 Primetime UsefulNotes/{{Emmy Award}}s [[https://consequence.net/2023/07/2023-emmys-postponed-strikes/ were postponed]] from their planned September 18, 2023 airdate. Due to Creator/{{Fox}}'s existing fall commitments, [[https://deadline.com/2023/08/2023-emmys-january-2024-date-martin-luther-king-jr-day-fox-delay-hollywood-strikes-1235458917/ they later dated it for January 15, 2024]], which coincides with UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr Day and is squarely within the film awards season.

* ''Film/GhostbustersFrozenEmpire'', the sequel to ''Film/GhostbustersAfterlife'', was pushed from December 20, 2023 to March 29, 2024 due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

* Creator/SonyPictures also had a last-minute chance to push ''Film/{{Gran Turismo|2023}}'' from its planned August 11th release date to the 25th. ''Film/{{Kraven the Hunter|2024}}'' was also delayed to August 30, 2024 and ''Madame Web'' was delayed to February 14th of that year. Also, ''Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse'' was delayed indefinitely[[note]]However, some sources suggest ''Beyond the Spider-Verse'' was planned to be delayed anyway due to production on ''Beyond the Spider-Verse'' not having started until after ''Across the Spider-Verse'' was released, combined with burnout from the crew due to ''Across''' TroubledProduction.[[/note]] and they delayed their ''Franchise/TheKarateKid'' reboot to December 13 of the following year.

* Creator/SonyPictures also had a last-minute chance to push ''Film/{{Gran Turismo|2023}}'' from its planned August 11th release date to the 25th. ''Film/{{Kraven the Hunter|2024}}'' was also delayed to August 30, 2024 and ''Madame Web'' was delayed to February 14th of that year. Also, ''Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse'' was delayed indefinitely and they delayed their ''Franchise/TheKarateKid'' reboot to December 13 of the following year.

Because TV involves [[UsefulNotes/UnionsInHollywood unionized people]], and unionized people sometimes go on strike. When the Writers Guild of America (WGA)[[note]]Actually two separate unions named the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW); yes, East adds a comma in its name and West doesn't. They do some common activities, however, including presenting the WGA Awards.[[/note]] goes on strike, this largely shuts down the Hollywood process, since writers are needed for script rewrites on-set and act-er, teamsters aren't keen to cross picket lines (in fact, they have it in their contract that they're immune to punishment should they honor any picket line). Strikes come as a result of bargaining falling apart with management, as represented by the UsefulNotes/{{AMPTP}}. As a result, a lot of shows hit by the strike may suffer through having a large batch of their [[WhatCouldHaveBeen unproduced scripts and stories slashed]]. They also tend to result in the proliferation of {{Talk Show}}s and RealityTV, since both require no writers and are dirt-cheap to produce compared to, say, {{Prime Time Soap}}s.

* All of the Big Four networks (Creator/{{ABC}}, Creator/{{CBS}}, Creator/{{NBC}}, Fox) are baking in on sports broadcasts, reality TV and animation during the strike duration. After the strikes, most shows that were planned for the season (new and returning) would return.

* The ''Series/StrangerThings'' production staff announced production on the fifth and final season would go on hiatus in solidarity, stating "[[https://twitter.com/strangerwriters/status/1654955071631765506 Writing does not stop when filming begins]]".

** Similarly, Creator/MayimBialik decided against hosting the final taping session of season 39 of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' (episodes in that session aired that July) to stand in solidarity with striking WGA members. Ken Jennings would host those episodes instead. The strike also affected season 40, which will exclusively use pre-written clues and former contestants from previous seasons.

* In December 2023, shortly after the strike ended, Bialik announced that she had been released from her ''Jeopardy!'' contract and that Jennings would continue as the sole host of the series. Although she didn't say it in so many words, her participation in the strike is believed to be a key factor in this decision.

* Similarly, Creator/MayimBialik decided against hosting the final taping session of season 39 of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' (episodes in that session aired that July) to stand in solidarity with striking WGA members. Ken Jennings would host those episodes instead. The strike also affected season 40, which will exclusively use pre-written clues and former contestants from previous seasons.

While seen as a victory, there was still trouble as the contract was scrutinized by people who still had concerns that the proposed AI protections for actors were still insufficient. Despite a campaign to try and reject the contract, it passed with 78% of those who voted to approve it.

** However, she would later be at the center of a huge quagmire of controversy when [[https://ktla.com/entertainment/drew-barrymore-slammed-for-talk-show-return-amid-wga-and-sag-aftra-strike/ she announced that production was resuming her daytime talk show]], ''The Drew Barrymore Show'', with the first week of shows taped and slated to start airing on September 18. Barrymore was roundly criticized, and the WGA and SAG-AFTRA announced plans to picket outside the studio where her show is produced (Barrymore was clear to host the show via the National Code of Fair Practice, mentioned below in the SoapOpera entry, but the show's writing falls under the WGA contract, and Barrymore being a high profile SAG-AFTRA member defying the WGA strike drew SAG-AFTRA's ire). Given [[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/drew-barrymore-daytime-talk-shows-wga-strike-1235725462/ the precarious position that syndicated talk shows are in during a work stoppage]]--they have to answer to their local affiliates and their advertisers rather than a network, and they have contractual obligations to provide new episodes--Barrymore likely got pressured to resume production. But after a week of enduring brickbats over the decision, Barrymore [[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/drew-barrymore-daytime-talk-show-not-returning-strike-1235725739/ announced on September 17 that the show would pause production]], and the already-taped episodes wouldn't air. Even so, the original decision to restart production during the strike led to [[https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/drew-barrymore-writers-decline-return-strike-1235745464/ Barrymore's entire writing staff quitting]] after the strike, forcing her to scramble to find new writers with just two weeks to spare before the revised season premiere. Her original announcement also caused her to be pulled from hosting the 74th National Book Awards.

* Creator/{{Amazon}} has cancelled both ''Series/{{A League of Their Own|2022}}'' and ''Series/{{The Peripheral|2022}}'' due to the dual strike. Also, ''[[Series/MrAndMrsSmith2024 Mr. & Mrs. Smith'' was delayed from 2023 to February 2, 2024.

* Creator/{{Amazon}} has cancelled both ''Series/{{A League of Their Own|2022}}'' and ''Series/{{The Peripheral|2022}}'' due to the dual strike.

Despite this victory, there was still trouble as the contract was scrutinized by people as there were concerns over the AI protections for actors, believing that they were not enough. Despite a campaign to try and reject the contract, the contract was passed by 78% of those who voted.

** Even Disney CEO Bob Iger has stated that both union's demands were "very disruptive". this comes after a number of {{Box Office Bomb}}s for their titles, content purges, their ongoing recovery from the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic and an ongoing transformation of the company. Many Hollywood veterans have criticized his remarks for being "tone-deaf" and "out-of-touch". Despite this, he [[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/bob-iger-strike-disney-earnings-1235559863/ later stated a month later that he is personally committed to working to achieving these solutions]].

On December 5, despite a campaign designed to reject the contract due to a possible lack of safeguards towards AI-related loopholes, the contract was ratified with a 78% approval, fully ending the strike, though a number of members felt defeated with the number that approved of such a contract.

On December 5, despite a campaign designed to reject the contract due to a possible lack of safeguards towards AI-related loopholes, the contract was ratified with a 78% approval, fully ending the strike.

* When series creator Joel Hodgson announced the fundraiser for ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' season 14, he could only say that the previous actors were "invited" back for the new season since they were all union workers and the strike was still going.

The result was the nearly total shut down of ITV for ten weeks (10 August to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeROdRz8wxs 5.43pm on 24 October]]) and the loss of around £100m in revenue for the striking companies. Channel Television sustained itself with extended regional news bulletins and Western movies.

* Creator/SonyPictures also had a last-minute chance to push ''Film/{{Gran Turismo|2023}}'' from its planned August 11th release date to the 25th. ''Film/{{Kraven the Hunter|2024}}'' was also delayed to August 30, 2024 and ''Madame Web'' was delayed to February 14th of that year. Also, a ''Film/GhostbustersAfterlife'' sequel was delayed to March 29, ''Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse'' was delayed indefinitely and they delayed their ''Franchise/TheKarateKid'' reboot to December 13 of the following year.

SAG-AFTRA remains on strike, even [[https://www.axios.com/2023/09/26/video-game-actors-strike-sag-aftra authorizing another strike aimed at the video game industry]], and the WGA has encouraged its members to keep supporting SAG-AFTRA's efforts. AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA would jointly announce their return to the negotiating table on October 2, 2023, but despite strong momentum going into the talks, negotiations stalled and were paused on October 11; they resumed on October 24.

[[folder:2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike]]