Writer Strikes Reached a Deal, What This Means for TV

Stacey Addo | Arts and Entertainment Editor

Writers Strike/ Vogue, Mario Tama/ 2023

After 146 days, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) was able to reach a deal with studios that has finally put an end to their strike. The strikes caused the shutdown of dozens of television and film productions.

The WGA represents writers in film and TV. They work to negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents large production companies like Disney and Netflix. On May 2, 11,500 members of the WGA walked off the job.

As a result, a lot of the programs that were in production, were put on pause. Along with the writers and actors, the pause in production has led to the loss of jobs.

One of the most significant reasons writers wanted their contracts rewritten was because of residuals. With shorter seasons, the undoing of the traditional writers' room, and the increase of AI, writers have been fighting for a more livable wage.

Now that the writers' strike has ended, here's how a few shows will be affected.

• Stranger Things: The fifth season of Stranger Things has been highly anticipated since the dramatic finale and cliffhanger at the end of season 4. The filming came to a stop during the writers' strike but on Sept. 27, the Duffer Brothers announced that they were back to filming on X (formally Twitter).

• Euphoria: Before the writers strike, season 3 of Euphoria was planned to premiere in 2025. After the death of Angus Cloud, who played the role of Fez in the show, a major character, the writers will likely have to make big plot changes. The writers will have to scramble to create a script before the actors become too old for their characters. In the past, the show has been under fire for its subpar writing, so the planned quickness to finish the season may hurt the show in the coming years.

• The Summer I Turned Pretty: On Aug. 3, Prime Video that the popular show will be renewed for a season 3. The show has not begun production due to the strikes and it is unknown when it will begin.

Since the SAG-AFTRA actors union is still on strike, many shows are still up in the air. The results in the coming months will predict how long it is before we know when our favorite TV shows and movies will be coming back.

References

Barnes, B., & Koblin, J. (2023, September 25). On Day 146, screenwriters reach deal with studios to end their strike. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/business/media/hollywood-writers-strike-deal.html

Dalton, A. (2023, September 25). Writers Guild reaches tentative agreement with Hollywood Studios to end strike. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/writers-guild-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-hollywood-studios-to-end-strike#:~:text=About%2011%2C500%20members%20of%20the,in%20the%20creation%20of%20scripts

Katsuda, K. (2023, May 16). What you need to know about the WGA writers’ strike. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/wga-strike-explained-writers-guild-of-america