On May 2, Hollywood movie and television writers went on strike for the first time in 15 years after petitioning for increased wages. The strike will without doubt cause late-night and variety shows to go on pause for the time being.
The Writers Guild of America, which consists of around 11,500 screenwriters, began negotiations with studios in March 2023 but a contract agreement has happened as of May 1. The Guild is seeking increased minimum pay, less short-staffed writing rooms, shorter exclusive contracts, and a reworking of residual pay.
The Board of Directors of the @WGAwest and the Council of the @WGAeast, acting upon the authority granted to them by their memberships, have voted unanimously to call a strike, effective 12:01 AM, Tuesday, May 2.
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) May 2, 2023
Nightly talk shows such as “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” are set to go dark immediately, and weekly shows like “Saturday Night Live” will get a final decision regard the immediate future for them later in the week.
Mnay shows will have to resort to re-runs for now, leaving fans questioning when will be the next time they’ll be able to see new content.
This not only means the writers will be out of jobs for this period of time, but the talent on the shows will have to find other things to do as the negotiations ramp up again.
