Hollywood faces the clock: End strike or risk a fall TV season of reality shows & reruns
As the WGA and SAG strike lingers, the entertainment industry races against time. Unless resolved swiftly, the looming Fall TV season could be dominated by a deluge of reality shows and reruns.
Updated : October 20, 2023 05:28 PM ISTAs the WGA and SAG strike lingers, the entertainment industry races against time. Unless resolved swiftly, the looming Fall TV season could be dominated by a deluge of reality shows and reruns.
Writers Strike (Source: Vanity Fair)
With no end in sight for the WGA and SAG strike in Hollywood, it seems likely that without a quick solution, viewers will be forced to watch reality shows and reruns instead of fresh content this fall season.
Currently, the strike has been going on for over 130 days and multiple planned movies and shows have either been put on hold or canceled.
The Countdown Begins: Hollywood's Race Against Time
Studios have been forced to add a ton of reality shows to their lineups such as Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Shark Tank, AFV, and The Bachelor.
According to one report, the motion picture and sound recording industries have lost 17,000 jobs due to the strike. Warner Brothers Discovery has lost an estimated 500 million since the strike began.
Behind the Scenes: The Underlying Strife in Tinseltown
The rise of streaming and how studios have used it as a way to pay writers less and cut residual payments from actors is one of the leading causes of the strike.
The other major factor is the studio's plan to use AI as a substitute for both writers and actors in their upcoming projects.
The WGA and SAG are demanding better pay, better pensions, and healthcare benefits, the strike shows no signs of slowing down with organizers clearly stating that they are prepared to continue well into next year.
Currently, projects like Deadpool 3, Stranger Things, Blade, and Wednesday have been affected by the strike, and major TV shows like The Tonight Show, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show have also been affected.
According to a report by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, if the studios cannot make a deal with WGA and SAG by October 1st, things are only going to get worse for the big studios.