Why you have to wait to see ABBOTT ELEMENTARY and STRANGER THINGS again
Studios are refusing to bargain with writers. It's going to change what you see and when.
A Quick Guide to the Writers Strike and the Shows and Movies already delayed
The writers strike started last week, and I’ve had a number of people reaching out to ask what exactly this means.
Here’s the quick skinny:
Every three years the Writers Guild of American meets with the studios and streamers (the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) to discuss things like minimum pay, health care and retirement for writers employed by the studios.
This year, the discussions didn’t go well. Studios refused to engage on a number of issues raised by the WGA.
There were 21 proposals put on the table. Of those, the studios and WGA managed to find some common agreement on six topics. On NINE topics the studios flat out refused to engage in the conversation. And in at least one, they countered with what I assume must have been intended as an insult (WGA asked for something that would eliminate some of the “free work” that screenwriters do; AMPTP offered to set up meetings so executives could be “educated” about “free work concerns.”
Likewise, instead of engaging in a real conversation about AI and how it can/should be used in script writing, the studios essentially said, “We can talk about this sometime later.”
The studios insisted that the WGA jettison a number of conversations if we want any reasonable discussion on other core issues.
So, those of us in the Guild voted overwhelmingly (97.85%) to strike.
No one wants to strike. We all want to work. And striking has real consequences far beyond the writers who strike, including thousands of people who are now out of work or in danger of being out of work until the strike concludes. The last strike, in 2007/2008 cost LA somewhere in the 2.5 BILLION dollar range… that was a 100 day work stoppage.
Why writers stopping work shuts down Hollywood
Writers are the main engine of television. Obviously, without writers you wouldn’t have the shows at all, but in the TV infrastructure, writers are involved in every step of the process from imagining the world to the moment that show hits your device. Showrunners and co-creators are typically writers. Those same writers are generally producers on their shows. Writers come to the filming of every episode and are on hand to fix issues with the script (an actor doesn’t like a line; we can’t film in the location we wanted; something’s not working in the script and we need to change it; a joke isn’t landing and we need a new one).
The film-world is more director-centric BUT writers are often still involved in rewrites during production.
As the writers strike goes on, here’s what happens:
Shows that write during the week a show premieres have to shut down completely. No writers = no show.
Shows that don’t have their whole season written yet have to stop mid-season. No writers = no show.
Some shows that are completely written can go forward, but with zero “tweaks” to the script.
Some shows that are completely written CAN’T go forward because their showrunner or producers are on strike because they are in the WGA or in solidarity with the WGA.
Some shows in production are having slow downs or stoppages because people in other unions refuse to cross picket lines (some people aren’t able to do this because of their own union agreements with the AMPTP).
When a TV show or movie stops filming, it’s hundreds of people out of work. We’re talking about the people who do the lights and sound, the folks who cater food for the productions, assistants, makeup artists, set designers, prop masters, and on and on.
As the strike continues, more and more shows and movies will be impacted. Release dates will get pushed back. Seasons will be shortened. Projects will be canceled completely.
Here’s a list of some of the current shows impacted by the strike (and we’re less than week into the strike, remember):
TV seasons that will be coming to you later than originally scheduled:
STRANGER THINGS has stopped filming.
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY writers room is shuttered.
YELLOWJACKETS was one day into writing the next season when the strike started.
COBRA KAI
HACKS
LOOT
UNSTABLE
NIGHT COURT
BIG MOUTH
Many live shows have a complete work stoppage mid-season:
THE LATE SHOW
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
THE TONIGHT SHOW
LATE NIGHT
THE TALK
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Also:
Michael J Fox refused to cross picket lines to attend a premiere for his documentary, STILL.
The MTV MOVIE AWARDS lost its host, Drew Barrymore, who resigned in solidarity with writers. And tonight the movie awards will have a lot of pre-taped sections to try to avoid issues that could happen because of picketing.
The MCU movie BLADE has also been put on pause because of the writer’s strike.
That’s a week in. It will get worse.
As of right now, the WGA has told the studios to let them know when they’re ready to have a conversation that includes all their demands, not just cherry-picking a few.
It might be a long wait.
More details in a clear and accessible way here.
I’m reading SUMMER IN ORCUS
Summer in Orcus is a middle grade novel about a girl who goes into a magical land seeking her heart’s desire. I’m not quite done with it yet, but I’m really enjoying it. Beautifully written and definitely in the tradition of Narnia in a variety of interesting ways.
I’m talking about God and gender
With pastor JR. Forasteros and our good friend, pastor Tara Thomas Smith.
What’s fascinating to me about this topic is that it has not been particularly controversial in the past… theologians of all different persuasions have largely agreed that God’s gender is a metaphor to help us understand God better. That’s changed in recent years as our culture has been wrestling with questions about gender. Tara and JR. both had some great thoughts, and Tara in particular gave me some things to really wrestle with and consider since we talked.
You can listen here!
Ever wondered what it’s like to soar like an eagle?
We got you!
And lastly, your weekly picture of Bruce:
Have a lovely week, my friends. Peace to you!
— Matt
So glad you’re reading Summer in Orcus! Sorry about the strike. Hope it’s resolved soon 🤞🏻 (even though I doubt that will happen)