What Is Happening?
The writers could not come to an agreement with the studios and networks and as of midnight May 1st they went on strike. The basic issue is that writers are getting paid less in an environment dominated by a glut of streaming services and cannot find consistent work. And whether you are pro-union or not, unions have been part of the entertainment industry for over a century and the Writer’s Guild of America is fighting for better pay for the people it represents. Deadline has a very good article that provides more info on the strike and its overall impacts at this link.
How Will This Impact Sci Fi TV Shows?
The last time that writers went on strike in 2007-08 it lasted for 100 days and brought production to a halt. Mutliple shows were cancelled during that time, much of the 2007-08 television season was scrapped, and the impacts lingered into the next year. With the current strike starting this week, it will not have too much impact on the 2022-23 season since most shows have wrapped up production. Even the Summer shows should be safe because they should be in post-production by now. But if the strike lasts more than a week or so, shows scheduled to premiere in Fall 2023 or later will be impacted.
No writing will be allowed for active productions during the strike, and that includes rewrites and revisions. So while HBO’s House of the Dragon Season 2 has completed scripts and is in the process of filming, the show could still experience delays if rewrites are required. And showrunners may choose not to move forward on shows in production as an act of solidarity with the writers. NBC had renewed both Quantum Leap and La Brea early to get a jump start on production, but it is unclear how far along they got before the strike started and they could be halted now.
Will Shows Be Cancelled Due to the Strike?
That is very possible and we saw several genre entries get sent to the Network Executioner during the 2007-08 strike. Both Journeyman and the Bionic Woman reboot were cancelled after one season, and while neither pulled in great ratings, it’s not impossible that NBC would have given them more of a chance if the strike had not halted production. The first season of ABC’s Pushing Daisies was cut short and that led to a long hiatus before the second season started which may have killed the momentum from its promising start in the ratings (it was cancelled after a big drop in viewership in its second year). USA Network also cancelled both The 4400 and Dead Zone at that time and the strike has been cited as a strong influence on their decision.
If the current strike lasts longer than a few weeks, that will definitely start to make network and studio execs nervous. It will lead to a new round of production delays after things were only just starting to get back on track following the extended shutdowns caused by COVID. Once the strike is settled, there will be a rush back to production with top-performing and high-profile shows likely getting priority. And shows that may not have been strong performers could find themselves on the chopping block in order to free up time and resources. For example, Netflix would likely prioritize top-performer Wednesday over Cabinet of Curiosities (which pulled in moderate viewership) and possibly just cancel the latter show altogether because timelines will be tight following the production delays. (Though that is just hypothetical, I have no idea if those actually share the same studios and resources.)
Which Sci Fi TV Shows Are Most At Risk?
Basically, every show that I currently have On the Bubble just moved a little bit close to cancellation. (You can see the status of all the shows awaiting word on their fates at this link.) And those that may have previously been looking positive as far as their renewal chances have moved a little closer to Bubble status. If the current strike goes anywhere near the hundred days of the last one, definitely expect some cancellations. And that includes new shows that may have just been ramping up production.
The entertainment industry has already been going through cutbacks as the Peak TV Crunch has been taking its toll. The strike just might give the networks and studios that chance to back out of some deals they may have regretted (especially the more costly ones) and also to streamline their current schedule. It is hard to say which shows in particular are the most vulnerable, especially with all the politics involved, but there will be casualties if this strike lingers. Watch for an upcoming post where I highlight the sci fi TV shows that I believe are most at risk due to the strike.
What Can Sci Fi TV Fans Watch in the Meantime?
Here is the one positive for viewers from the strike: there are plenty of sci fi and fantasy TV shows out there, so now is the time to check out some of the ones you might have missed. The writers may have hoped that the threat of production delays would create an urgency to try and resolve things as soon as possible, but there is a significant amount of existing content that can fill the void. The streamers can just start pumping up shows that did not get much attention the first time around (Amazon’s The Rig, Paramount+’s Wolf Pack, and Netflix’s Lockwood and Co. are just a few potential examples) and they can also push some of their foreign originals that may not have received much attention in the States.
Three of the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) have a ton of content that can pull from with their digital partners. They can air prior seasons of streaming originals in Prime Time from Disney+, Parmount+, and Peacock respectively like CBS did to fill out its COVID-impacted schedule by airing Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery. This is a direction I believed that the networks could shift to anyway, and the void of content from the strike could jumpstart that move. That is a good way for viewers to sample those shows from the digital channels and could lead to a boost in subscriptions as they sign up to watch later seasons.
So there is no dearth of content, and that could work against the writers this time around. I sympathize with their plight because I have dabbled with scriptwriting myself (with little success, though). But it sure seems like the networks and studios have more leverage. Sci fi fans should be able to find plenty to watch even if there is an extended production delay, but maybe showing some support for the writers during all this would not be a bad idea. Because they are the ones writing the scripts for those shows we are watching and they deserve to make a living wage from it.
CancelledSciFi.com: Keep up with the status updates of all the airing, returning, and upcoming sci fi and fantasy shows for the current season with our Cancellation Watch posts. And be sure to follow the Cancelled Sci Fi Twitter Site for breaking news and updates.
SciFiTVSite.com: Follow our Sci Fi TV Schedule for all the currently airing and upcoming sci fi and fantasy television shows, and you can see the premieres for all the upcoming genre entries at this link.
