After 146 days, the writers strike is likely approaching an end.
The Writers Guild of America has reached an “agreement in principle on all deal points” with major Hollywood studios, with contract language hopefully being finalized in the coming days, according to a Sept. 24 WGA statement.
“We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership,” the WGA’s statement read.
The WGA, an alliance of two labor unions representing more than 11,000 film, television, news, radio and online writers, has been on strike since May 2, fighting for higher pay and clearer provisions in writers’ contracts around the use of artificial intelligence.
SAG-AFTRA, a guild representing actors and other members of the entertainment industry, also went on strike in July, and remains on strike.
The tentative end to the writers strike comes after days of negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), a group representing influential Hollywood studios. Comcast, the corporation that owns TODAY’s parent company NBCUniversal, is one of the entertainment companies represented by the AMPTP.
The entertainment industry has essentially been at a standstill over the past few months due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, with writers and performers barred from working on new projects or promoting existing projects.
Now that the writers strike is likely drawing to a close, what happens next, and what does this mean for TV shows returning? Here’s what to know about the writers strike ending.
When is the writers strike going to end?
No date has been set for the writers strike ending.
While a tentative deal has been reached between the WGA and the AMPTP, the strike will continue until an agreement has been approved by WGA leadership, then sent to the guild’s membership for a ratification vote.
“If that authorization is approved, the Board and Council would also vote on whether to lift the restraining order and end the strike at a certain date and time (to be determined) pending ratification,” the WGA explained in its Sept. 24 statement.
The guild added that “this would allow writers to return to work during the ratification vote, but would not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.”
The WGA’s leadership votes are “tentatively scheduled” for Tuesday, Sept. 26. In the meantime, the guild says its members should not return to work “until specifically authorized” by the WGA.
The guild added that while the strike is not over, they are suspending WGA picketing.
“Instead, if you are able, we encourage you to join the SAG-AFTRA picket lines this week,” the guild said.
When are TV shows coming back?
During the WGA strike, production stalled on dozens of TV shows, including “Stranger Things,” “The Last of Us”, “Emily in Paris” and “Severance.”
Once the WGA authorizes its members to start working again, it sounds like writing on some shows can resume, although acting work is still banned under the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Craig Mazin, the writer and producer of “The Last of Us,” voiced his support for the WGA strike and said he is “excited to get back to work” on Season Two of the HBO drama.
“The strike has not yet been officially lifted, but the second it is, we will spring into action!” he wrote in a Threads post after the WGA’s recent announcement.
While writers may soon be able to return to work, actors will still be on strike as part of the SAG-AFTRA labor action, meaning that any projects requiring acting work will remain on hold.
How about talk shows?
Talk shows are a different story. Once the WGA strike ends, talk show hosts can return to work under guild rules because they are covered by a different SAG-AFTRA contract not affected by the actors strike.
Late night talk shows including “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which have been off the air since for months, could return by early October, according to Variety.
Daytime talk shows, including “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “The Talk” and “The Drew Barrymore Show,” could also return by the second week of October, Deadline reported.
The likely return of daytime talk shows comes not long after Drew Barrymore, along with other TV hosts, drew criticism for her plans to air new episodes of her show this month amid the ongoing WGA strikes. Barrymore later reversed this decision and issued an apology.
As for scripted broadcast shows? The knock-on effects of the writers strike (and the ongoing actors strike) will no doubt be felt for months to come. Many shows that would have premiered new seasons this fall, including “Abbott Elementary,” “Gray’s Anatomy” and “Law & Order,” have been delayed.
Other scripted shows that finished production before the strikes began, including the Paramount+ “Frasier” reboot and Peacock’s “The Continental,” are going ahead with fall releases, according to Time.
However, the stars of these shows will not be permitted to promote their projects due to the terms of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.
What does this mean for the actors strike?
The SAG-AFTRA strike, which began on July 14, is still happening.
After the WGA’s tentative agreement was announced, the actors guild extended their “heartfelt congratulations” to striking writers.
“We applaud your dedication, diligence and unwavering solidarity over the last five months and are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as creative partners in the entertainment industry,” the actors guild wrote in a thread on X.
“We look forward to reviewing the terms of the WGA and AMPTP’s tentative agreement,” the thread continued. “And we remain ready to resume our own negotiations with the AMPTP as soon as they are prepared to engage on our proposals in a meaningful way.”
It’s uncertain how long the SAG-AFTRA strike will continue.
Fran Drescher, the guild’s president, said Aug. 1 on TODAY that she doesn’t “have a crystal ball” to predict how long the strike will last.
“We have financially prepared ourselves for the next six months,” she said. “And we’re really in it to win it.”