Some of this season’s favorite shows are on hiatus and new releases are severely delayed. These changes are due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild Association (WGA) strikes.
The WGA began striking May 2 with SAG-AFTRA joining the picket lines July 14. Driven in large part by the large-scale shift to streaming, as well as continued impacts from COVID-related production slowdowns and layoffs, members of the guild are seeking gains in compensation and residuals as well as the establishment of a policy regarding the future of AI and authorship.
With writers and actors on strike, new episodes of broadcast favorites cannot be written or filmed. While talk shows and variety shows have been off air since the beginning of May, we will see a shuffling of schedules as networks promote unscripted content in the fall lineup.
In terms of TV this fall, viewers will not see new episodes of scripted shows like NCIS and Young Sheldon but shows like ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune will still be present on the main networks. Popular network shows including Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and The Simpsons have officially paused production. Other popular shows like Abbott Elementary, Night Court, Family Guy, Yellowjackets, Stranger Things, and The Last of Us had already paused production at the start of the strike.
Fox has mainly filled their schedule with strike-proof programming like reality and animated series, with wrestling and college football covering the weekend docket. The Greek Mythology series Krapopolis joins unscripted television seen in cooking and singing competitions, as well as David Spade’s new series Snake Oil.
NBC’s schedule will see rotating reruns of the three Chicago shows and Law & Order series with an expanded presence of The Voice. Magnum P.I. will be bumped up into the fall and joined by Quantum Leap and Canadian medical drama Transplant. Two new scripted series with previously completed seasons will also air this fall. The Irrational follows a behavioral scientist, played by Jesse L. Martin, who helps solve high-stakes problems, while Found follows PR specialist Gabi Mosely and her team as they look out for forgotten missing people.
Certain CBS shows like FBI: Most Wanted were halted by picketers but have since resumed filming, and production of Jeopardy! will continue with co-host Ken Jennings as Mayim Bialik steps away during the strike. However, the new schedule also features reruns of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone starting with Season 1 in Sunday-night marathons beginning Sept. 17. CBS’ hit comedy Ghosts will continue to air reruns on Thursdays, but fans can see the original British version starting Nov. 16.
By Celia Reid, TDS Communications Intern
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