WHAT IS THE WGA STRIKE?:

The WGA strike which began May 2nd has many wondering if and when it will end. For those who are unaware of this topic, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) went on strike to demand higher pay and a more stable pay structure. Protesters are also fighting for fairer contracts and better work conditions. This is the first writers strike in 15 years which not only affects the entertainment industry. It also impacts those organizers who help stage events or caterers who provide services. This also means that many scripted projects have been put on pause for the meantime (some permanently).

 SHOWS/PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN STOPPED:

-American Dad/Family Guy: Family Guy show runners Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin, American Dad show runners Brian Boyle and Matt Weitzman, and Seth Macfarlane (the creator of Family Guy and the co-creator of American Dad) have all stopped working on their as a sign of support for the movement.

–AMC: Scripts for “Anne Rice” series and the “Walking Dead” spin-off shows are already completed but production has been paused. 

-Blade: Marvel has stopped pre-production on the vampire reboot Blade.

-Cobra Kai: The writers room for season 6 of Cobra Kai has been shut down. Series co-creator Jon Hurwitz tweeted, “pencils down” as an act of solidarity. No writers are on set for production.

-MTV Movie Awards: Host Drew Barrymore left her role as host for the MTV Movie Awards. The red carpet was also rolled up. 

-Stranger Things: The Duffer brothers (Stranger Things creators) shared a statement that production would be put on pause until further notice.

-Saturday Night Live: This show has also gone dark due to the strike. Former cast member Pete Davidson was supposed to host the May 6 episode alongside musical guest Lil Uzi Vert.

-Yellowjackets: Co-creator of the series, Ashley Lyle tweeted that all progress on season 3 writing has stopped after only a day of progress. “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.”

WHEN WILL IT END?:
Close watchers of the strike estimate that the earliest the WGA and the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) will begin talking is early July; however, some experts believe it could drag on through the end of summer.