The first to fall off the air were the late-night shows. After host Drew Barrymore dropped out, the MTV Movie & TV Awards were shown pre-recorded instead of being live. And production on the finale of the smash hit Netflix series “Stranger Things” has stopped.
As the strike by 11,000 TV and movie writers that began last week continues, productions throughout Hollywood are feeling the strain. The Writers Guild of America wants higher minimum wages and more uniform residual or royalty payments, among other things.
Picketers outside studio offices have included actors like Cynthia Nixon, Rob Lowe, and Natasha Lyonne in recent days, and others have brought attention to the strike via social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
Here are some shows that had to be delayed because of the strike.
Stranger Things‘
The Duffer brothers announced late Sunday night on Twitter that production on the final season of “Stranger Things” would be put on hold until the strike is over. The show’s creators and executive producers have spoken out in support of the strike, saying, “Writing does not stop when filming begins,” and adding that they hope a fair compromise is reached “soon” to let production restart. Filming for Season 5 was scheduled to start in June. It’s bad news for fans of 2022’s most-watched show on streaming services.
Cobra Kai
Co-creator Jon Hurwitz revealed that the show’s writers had put down their pens and were no longer present on set of the Netflix martial arts comedy-drama. “These aren’t fun times, but it’s unfortunately necessary,” he wrote on Twitter.
‘Yellowjackets’
According to creator Ashley Lyle, Season 3 of the Showtime psychological thriller was scrapped after only a single day of writing. She tweeted, “It was amazing, 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.”
Good Omens
Events planned to promote the fantasy series created by Neil Gaiman and streaming on Amazon Prime Video may also be cancelled. Gaiman, a member of the WGA, tweeted last week that he may not be able to help promote the show even though the second season is finished and will be released this summer.
“I wish this weren’t occurring, but I fully endorse it. This time tomorrow I’m going on strike,” he declared. Members of the WGA are not allowed to participate in any promotional activities during the strike.
Late Night Shows
A photo researcher for the show, Sarah Kobos, said on Twitter that NBC would pay the employees for two weeks and Fallon would pay for a third.
In a show airing in late April, Meyers also brought up the strike.
At the end of the program, he added, “It affects not just the writers, but all the incredible non-writing staff on these shows.” “And it would really be a miserable thing for people to have to go through,” the speaker continued, “especially considering we’re on the heels of that awful pandemic that affected, not just show business, but all of us.”
Variety claimed, citing an NBC statement, that the show would be airing reruns of “Saturday Night Live” for the foreseeable future. Pete Davidson was supposed to return as host over the weekend, but the show did not air.
CBS has announced that it will be airing reruns of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” while the strike continues.
‘Blade’
The Hollywood Reporter claims that the strike will create a delay in the release of the Marvel Studios vampire thriller starring Mahershala Ali. Blade, which was scheduled to begin filming in Atlanta in June, is now the first major motion picture to be delayed.
“The Lord of the Rings”: Rings of Power
Variety reports that Prime Video’s prequel “Lord of the Rings” series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings is one of the few projects to continue production throughout the strike. According to the article, production on the series, which is expected to wrap up within the next 20 days, is continuing even though two executive producers are unable to work due to the strike.
What’s your take on the ongoing strike? What shows are you still hoping to see this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. Have a great week!
