Hit television shows could be impacted by writers' strike

If the work stoppage becomes protracted, TV networks will increasingly fill their programming lineups with unscripted reality shows, news magazines, and reruns

Hollywood writers are engaged in 11th-hour contract talks with film and television studios in an effort to avert a strike that would completely disrupt TV production.

The Writers Guild of America could call a work stoppage as early as Tuesday if it cannot reach a deal with companies such as Disney and Netflix. A strike would be the first by the WGA in 15 years.

Writers say they have suffered financially during the streaming TV boom, in part due to shorter seasons and smaller residual payments. They are seeking pay increases and changes to industry practices that they say force them to work more for less money.

Half of TV series writers now work at minimum salary levels, compared with one-third in the 2013-14 season, according to Guild statistics.

Artificial intelligence is another issue at the bargaining table. The WGA wants safeguards to prevent studios from using AI to generate new scripts from writers' previous work. Writers also want to ensure they are not asked to rewrite draft scripts created by AI.

The negotiations take place against a difficult economic backdrop for the industry. Entertainment conglomerates are under pressure to make their money-pit streaming services profitable, after investing billions of dollars in content to attract subscribers.

They also are contending with declining television ad revenue, as traditional TV audiences shrink and advertisers go elsewhere. The threat of a recession also looms.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Comcast Corp, Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix, and hundreds of production companies, has said it is committed to reaching a fair agreement.

If a strike is called, late-night shows such as The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Saturday Night Live, which use teams of writers to craft topical jokes, are expected to immediately stop production.

That means new episodes will not be available during their traditional TV time slots or on the streaming services that make them available the next day.

Soap operas and other daytime shows will also likely be disrupted. 

Further ahead, the strike could delay the autumn television season. Writing for autumn shows normally starts in May or June. If the work stoppage becomes protracted, the networks will increasingly fill their programming lineups with unscripted reality shows, news magazines, and reruns.

Netflix may be insulated from any immediate impact because of its global focus and access to far-flung production facilities outside of the US.

Studios do not want another disruption after the covid-19 pandemic halted production worldwide for months. But budgets are tight, and a new era of fiscal austerity has dawned in Hollywood, with studios laying off thousands of employees and curtailing spending on content.

"The writers have legitimate issues here," said one talent agent close to the bargaining process. 

"But the studios and the producers have very legitimate issues also.

Their stock prices are down. They've overspent on content. 

"They need to show profits to their shareholders."