A Writers’ Strike Killed ‘Girlfriends’ & ‘The Game’. Now A NEW Writers’ Strike Is Happening & Black Shows Are At Risk. 

Posted on by theYBF

The film and TV industry is in crisis mode as writers go on strike, bringing production on many shows to a halt. In 2007, the WGA went on strike which caused the cancellation of “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” and tons more. Now, more Black shows are at risk. Details inside…

It appears history may repeat itself.

The Writers Guild of America is officially on strike.

Negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have hit a wall, resulting in a stalemate on a new film and scripted TV contract.

“Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal … the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing,” said a statement from the union leadership. “They have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership.”

Below is a clip of the writers protesting outside of Warner Bros. in Los Angeles:

“WGA proposals would gain writers approximately $429 million per year; AMPTP’s offer is approximately $86 million per year, 48% of which is from the minimums increase,” stated the guild.

The strike has the potential to immediately halt the production of numerous television shows, and it may even delay the start of new seasons later this year. The WGA’s leadership has stated that despite negotiating for a fair deal, the studios’ responses to their proposals have been inadequate, leaving writers facing an existential crisis. The union feels that the studios have closed the door on their labor force and are seeking to turn writing into a fully freelance profession, which is unacceptable to the WGA membership.

It’s a bold move that could have far-reaching consequences for the future of TV shows and movies alike.

Which shows will feel the strike first?

Late night talk shows, including NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” all went dark effective May 2nd, and plan to air reruns.

“Saturday Night Live” was set to air a new episode this Saturday (May 6th), but it has been canceled due to the strike. Pete Davidson was set to host, and Lil Uzi Vert was scheduled to perform. The sketch comedy institution will air repeats “until further notice.”

CBS’ “The Talk” will not be filming this week as production has stopped, sources tell Deadline.

Most primetime broadcast shows, cable dramas, and streaming shows are OK…for now. However, if the strike continues for months on end, some of our fave shows, like “Bel-Air,” “Succession,” “P-Valley,” and “BMF,” could face some issues. 

While the impending writer’s strike is expected to hit the television industry hard, streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and Apple TV+ may not be as affected. Unlike traditional networks, these platforms aren’t bound to strict schedules, giving them the flexibility to release new and returning shows whenever they choose.

Unscripted shows appear to be the least affected by the strike, as their production model allows for more flexibility and a larger inventory of pre-produced content.

However, the strike could have a bigger impact on movie projects in the coming months, and if the strike continues, it could cause even more significant issues for the entertainment industry.

This marks the first strike for the WGA since the 100-day walkout of 2007-08.

The last writers’ strike of this magnitude occurred in late 2007, which had a significant impact on many scripted shows, late-night programs, and reality shows. The strike, which lasted for 100 days, ended on Feb. 12, 2008, and cost the Los Angeles economy $2.1 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Tons of shows were affected by the 2007 strike, including “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “The Office.”

Twitter users have been sounding off about how the WGA strike ended some of their fave TV shows, like “Girlfriends” and “The Game”:

Below are older tweets about the 2007 strike that ended Black TV shows:

At that time, a new three-year contract was approved by the WGA; however, streaming wasn’t a significant factor.

Fast forward to 2023, and the landscape has shifted considerably. Despite the transition to streaming, Hollywood studios are still grappling with how to fairly compensate writers, and the potential impact of the ongoing writers’ strike remains unclear.

Brace yourselves, everyone.

Photo: Alex Millauer/Shutterstock

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