The writers’ strike might last a while

It’s been almost two full weeks since Hollywood’s writers strike began. And when Hollywood’s writers go on strike, one thing is certain: the picket signs are gonna be good. “AI cannot draw the hands that wrote these stories,” read one.

“I didn’t survive 12 years of all male comedy rooms to have a robot replace me,” said another.

🍿 What’s happening: Late-night TV shows were the first to feel the strike’s impact. Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, Last Week Tonight, and Saturday Night Live have all been airing reruns since the strike began on May 2nd.

And it doesn’t look like the end is coming any time soon. According to a lawyer familiar with the negotiations, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (which represents Hollywood’s studios) and the Writers Guild of America aren’t close to a deal.

👀 What to expect: Because of their long production cycle, movies should be in the clear. Everything else, not so much.

• Soap operas have about a month of runaway before they run out of new episodes.
• TV shows slated to premiere in the fall, like Abbott Elementary, will be delayed and may release shorter seasons than planned. You can find a full list of affected TV shows here.
• Production for shows with early 2024 releases like Stranger Things have also stopped shooting. This will likely push their release into late 2024, at the earliest.

Wondering what will replace all of these shows? A whole lot more reality TV. Per Deadline, NBC is planning an additional season of America’s Got Talent, while CBS is considering adding a new season of Big Brother to its schedule.