"Yellowjackets" is one of the shows temporarily shuttered in the wake of the WGA strike.
The Writers Guild of America, aka the plot-makers behind the onscreen stories that entertain the masses, are officially on strike, effectively bringing the gears of scripted productions in Hollywood and beyond to a grinding halt.
In the first strike for the WGA in more than a decade, the labor union hopes to correct what it sees as “lower-paid models for writers’ work” amid the ongoing streaming content boom. The last one spanned 99 days in 2007 and boasted a lasting impact on what we watch thanks to the subsequent rise in the unscripted genre of reality TV, which filled in the blanks on network schedules as popular shows paused.
Only time will tell how long it takes the current strike to be resolved and what, if any, long-term changes will be seen on the small screen. But the short-term fallout is already obvious as fan-favorite series close their writers’ rooms.
Here’s a running list of the shows affected so far:
Jimmy Fallon and his fellow late-night hosts are taking a break.
Viewers who enjoy winding down with late-night talk shows will have to make do with reruns for the foreseeable future. All of the nightly talkers, including ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, CBS’ The Late Show, Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, and NBC’s Tonight Show and Late Night are now on hiatus, as are HBO’s weekly shows Last Week Tonight and Real Time With Bill Maher.
Daytime TV viewers aren’t facing the same dearth of options as late-night lovers. So far, only CBS’ The Talk plans to go dark after airing the last of its pre-taped episodes next week.
Writers on ABC’s Abbott Elementary were scheduled to return to work May 2 and begin penning stories for Season 3, but those plans were dashed the same day the strike began.
Class is not in session on ABC's "Abbott Elementary."
Show star, creator and Emmy-winning writer Quinta Brunson told her fans and followers on Twitter that the situation was simple: “I am a writer. I’m in the wga. I’m also on strike! I have no real power here other than to join my union in demanding fair compensation for writers! #wgastrong”
Writers on Netlix’s Big Mouth have been at work on the final season of the animated coming-of-age series for weeks, but they were far from completing it when the strike forced a break.
The writers working on the sixth season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai have put their “pencils down,” as creator and scribe Jon Hurwitz revealed on Twitter Tuesday.
“These aren't fun times, but it's unfortunately necessary,” his tweet continued. “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.”
While Good Omens creator Neil Gaiman took to Twitter to assure fans that Season 2 of his Amazon Studios series “is completed and handed in,” he warned that as a member of the WGA, he “may not be able to promote it” as he’d hoped.
According to Deadline, the Starz crime drama Power Book II: Raising Kanan was in the midst of production on Season 3 when the writers went on strike.
Pete Davidson opportunity to host the show he starred on for years is now on hold.
Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson was scheduled to host the show for the first time soon, but that opportunity will have to wait.
"The previously announced Saturday Night Live hosted by Pete Davidson and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert is cancelled due to the writers' strike," NBC noted in a recent press release. "SNL will air repeats until further notice starting Saturday, May 6."
Yellowjackets co-creator Ashley Lyle revealed that work had barely begun on Season 3 of the Showtime series before the strike put an end to it.
“Well, we had exactly one day in the #YellowJackets S3 writers’ room,” Lyle tweeted. “It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal. #1u #unionstrong ✊????”