Stranger Things, Yellowjackets and SNL: Which TV shows could be affected by the writers’ strike?

By Charlie Sawyer

Published May 3, 2023 at 02:06 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

43888

On Monday 1 May, while half of Hollywood mingled, posed, and purred at the 2023 Met Gala, the Writers Guild of America announced that all members would be ceasing work on Tuesday afternoon after negotiations between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) broke down. This action marks the first WGA strike since 2007.

Why are writers in Hollywood striking?

According to The Guardian, the strike came about due to issues deriving from the monumental growth, and continued domination of streaming within the Film and Television industry. The topic is quite complex so we’ve broken it down into three primary reasons as to why writers are officially putting their collective feet down.

First off, the guild has stated that, despite budgets for series increasing, writers’ share of that money has actually shrunk. In fact, the WGA has argued that writers who work on streaming shows are being penalised because success isn’t factored into the residuals a writer can earn (residuals refers to when a writer is financially compensated for the reuse of their work). While broadcast television uses a “reward-for-success” model which means if a show is a hit, writers can earn more in residuals, streaming doesn’t.

Secondly, most of the big streaming services, we’re talking Netflix, Amazon Prime etc, use much smaller staff—known in the industry as ‘mini rooms’. This cull in labour has resulted in a massive drop in sustained income writing jobs available.

And, finally, writers within the guild are also striking in part to try and push for regulation of AI-use in script-writing. It’s no secret that a lot of us have officially begun to consider artificial intelligence a direct threat to employment—c’mon don’t lie, I know I have. If two random software engineers can catfish a handful of Redditors with an AI-generated female model, who’s to say ChatGPT couldn’t successfully write season two of Netflix hit Beef.

Which shows will be impacted by the writers’ strike?

Quite a few shows are going to be impacted by the WGA strike, so let’s run through the ones we actually care about (sorry, not sorry, Jimmy Kimmel).

First off, according to Variety, the writers for the Emmy winning mockumentary Abbott Elementary were due to reconvene for the third season on 2 May, this of course didn’t end up happening. The comedy series has become a firm favourite among both industry professionals and the general public.

Next up is new kid on the block Yellowjackets. The thriller series exploded onto Showtime in 2021 and has since captivated audiences with its absorbing mystery and stellar cast. Following the announcement of the strike, co-creator of the show Ashley Lyle shared on Twitter: “Well, we had exactly one day in the #YellowJackets S3 writers’ room. 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.”

Everyone’s favourite 80s/ sci-fi/ rom-com/ thriller/ overall rush of a show Stranger Things may also be in danger. While the bulk of writing for the fifth and final season for the show has been basically completed, the strike may impact the release date—which had been rumoured to be around the beginning of 2024. However, with so much disruption currently afoot, the premier may end up being pushed till as late as 2025…it’s almost too tragic to imagine such a scenario.

Last but not least, fans of Saturday Night Live might want to look away for this next piece of news. SNL had been planning on having alumni and internet crush Pete Davidson return to their screens after a year-long hiatus. However, the WGA action has meant the Saturning night staple has had to scrap those plans. In fact, SNL has announced that they will have to rely on repeats for the foreseeable future, until the strikes are resolved.

It’s not completely known how long the strike will last, however, if you were to ask actor Amanda Seyfried for her opinion on the matter, she’d be sure to let you know: “Everything changed with streaming, and everybody needs to be compensated for their work. That’s fucking easy.”

@varietymagazine

Ahead of the official writers strike announcement on Monday night, Amanda Seyfried weighed in on the situation at the MetGala: “Everybody needs to be compensated for their work. That’s f---ing easy.”

♬ original sound - Variety

Keep On Reading

By Charlie Sawyer

Penn Badgley praised for opening up about fatherhood and raising sons on Call Her Daddy

By Eliza Frost

If everyone has an AI boyfriend, what does that mean for the future of Gen Z dating?

By Charlie Sawyer

Michael Cera reveals why he turned down a role in the Harry Potter franchise

By Eliza Frost

The Summer I Turned Pretty stars Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno caught in political drama

By Eliza Frost

How The Summer I Turned Pretty licensed so much of Taylor Swift’s discography for its soundtrack 

By Eliza Frost

We finally know why Conrad and Belly broke up in The Summer I Turned Pretty season 2

By Eliza Frost

Why is Taylor not Team Conrad in The Summer I Turned Pretty?

By Eliza Frost

UK to lower voting age to 16 by next election. A controversial move, but the right one

By Eliza Frost

Why do people want a nose like the Grinch? The Whoville TikTok trend explained

By Eliza Frost

Do artists really owe us surprise guests at gigs, or are our expectations out of control?

By Charlie Sawyer

Will Greta Thunberg reach Gaza safely amid Israel’s aid blockade?

By Charlie Sawyer

Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper accuses former soccer coach of sexual harassment in new docuseries

By Charlie Sawyer

First look at $1 billion UK mini city where controversial HBO Harry Potter series will be filmed

By Eliza Frost

Is the princess treatment TikTok trend the bare minimum or a relationship red flag?

By Eliza Frost

Bad Bunny is not touring the US due to fear of ICE raids at concerts

By Charlie Sawyer

This Oscar-winning actor is the top pick to play Voldemort in HBO Max Harry Potter reboot

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift is engaged to the boy on the football team, Travis Kelce 

By Charlie Sawyer

From breaking up families to spreading rumours about Joe Biden’s death, here’s what QAnons been up to

By Eliza Frost

All the Tea on the new app that lets women vet men and date safely

By Charlie Sawyer

SHEIN faces fines from EU for deceiving customers with fake discounts and misleading information