Hollywood Writers’ Strike Leaves Late-Night in the Dark
Various network late-night programs have been halted due to the writers’ strike by The Writers Guild of America (WGA). This impacts major late-night talk shows such as, Tonight with Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
The Writers Guild of America’s East and West unions have negotiated with the firm representing Hollywood’s studios for months. The firm is the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios, streamers, and production companies. The primary point of contention is the payment of writers on streaming content.
The contract between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers ended on May 1. The last time the WGA went on strike was in 2007. The strike spanned from 2007 to 2008, lasting 100 days.
Writers play an essential role in television, especially the late-night schedule. They produce funny and relevant content for their series daily, building up viewership levels. That is why late-night series, for example, NBC’s Tonight and Late Night, CBS’ Late Show, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Comedy Central’s Daily Show, will not air without its writers.
Weekly series such as Saturday Night Live, Real Time with Bill Maher, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver will be similarly impacted. The HBO productions will be shut down, but the decision on SNL’s future is expected later in the week.
‼️| @sethmeyers on the impending writers strike:
— Stephanie Aly (@latenightist) April 28, 2023
“I … 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’s an organization that looks out for the best interests of writers.” #WGAstrong pic.twitter.com/2UUaY3Ucc7
I support the writers. All the great TV series of the last 20 years have one thing in common: excellent writing. Yes, there are good actors, but w/o writing, there is nothing.
— The Simpson (@dallasguy2) May 1, 2023
In the streaming era, late-night viewership levels have fallen. Viewers are turning away from cable television, worsened by events like the Coronavirus pandemic. During that time, multiple series moved to an at-home model without the draw of performances or a live audience. The strike likely will not help these programs maintain viewership levels.
Networks have also begun to minimize their late-night portfolios. NBC has stopped programming the 1:30 a.m. hour, and CBS is replacing James Corden’s late-night slot with a game show.
You can love or hate James Corden, but the fact that his late night show is being replaced with a game show is just the first of many shifts we’re about to see on television.
— Joshua Patterson (@GroverDavid) April 28, 2023
Some film releases may take longer as a result of the strike. The strike’s impact on scripted series will take longer to be present. Even daily soap operas often have banked scripts to ensure no production delay.
The beloved late-night series will likely be off the air for a few weeks minimum. NBC, CBS, and ABC will air repeats of the programs in the meantime.
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