The WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) has called for a strike, and it looks like it will not be ending anytime soon. This has led to a production shut-down for television and movies only shortly after the entertainment industry was getting back on track following the delays caused by COVID. The last time we saw the writers go on strike was back in 2007-08, and that resulted in multiple shows getting cancelled (more on that at this link). This time around I expect more shows to be negatively impacted, and the strike may have already influenced the decision to cancel shows like Lockwood & Co. (more on that at this link), The Winchesters (more on that at this link), and Fantasy Island (more on that at this link). Pretty much every show that has not started filming a new season could be affected by the strike, but below are six in particular that I believe are particularly vulnerable. Fans may want to stage a Call to Action for any or all these to help bring them some attention and improve their chances of moving forward. (You can see my rundown on all the shows from the current season that are waiting for word on their fate at this link.)
Cabinet of Curiosities
(Netflix, On the Bubble): I already had this show On the Bubble before the strike started, and now it appears that any glimmer of hope it had for a second season could be gone. It was one of several Netflix shows that had the dreaded three-week run in that streamer’s Top 10 that does not appear to satisfy their “completion rate” quotient (which measures how many viewers completed the current season). The fact that Guillermo del Toro’s name is attached might have been enough to get it one more season at one point, but with the strike in place, the streamer may not bother with bringing the show back. It will be hard enough to juggle the schedule and get production back on track once the strike ends, and I don’t see them giving much priority to a moderate performer like this. It is easier for Netflix to do what it does best of late and just go ahead and cancel it. Other genre entries from this streamer that could be on the chopping block are Dragon’s Age Absolution, Exception, and Shadow and Bone (more on the latter below).
Gotham Knights
(The CW, On the Bubble): I would have thought that we would have heard a verdict on this one already (it could come as soon as today) as The CW should be unveiling its 2023-24 schedule this week, but they have been silent on the fate of GK so far. That is actually a good thing because it means that they are at least mulling it over and have not sent it to the Network Executioner yet. The show has performed quite well in its first season, but the new ownership at The CW is taking the network in a different direction, and this younger-skewing series does not fit into their new model of low-cost acquisitions. Warner Bros. Discovery (who owns the rights to the show) is considering the possibility of moving it to HBO Max (soon to be just Max), but it is a toss-up between this one and Superman & Lois. Gotham Knights is the cheaper of the two and could actually remain on The CW, but the writers’ strike may add some complications. This is a new property that is not part of any existing DC continuity (and there are plenty of those), so WB has to decide if it is worth committing resources to it. Considering the chances of a potential extended delay due to the strike, they may decide it is best just to pull the plug on this one now. It does have some notable fan support (currently doing quite well in our season-end poll), so that might work in its favor.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight
(HBO, Production Not Started): Consider this one a placeholder for any and all of the Game of Thrones spin-off shows. It is the one most recently announced and it will be based on the George R.R. Martin’s Dunk & Egg novels. House of the Dragon already started filming its second season and has completed scripts, so it should be good to go even if it does run into production delays. But to my knowledge, the other spin-offs have not ramped up yet beyond the pre-production stage. All of these will be expensive and Warner Bros. Discovery has been going through significant cost-cutting measures, so now might be when they re-evaluate their GoT universe. Viewership for House of the Dragon Season 1 was strong, but diminishing returns will certainly start to set in. The production schedule will get messy once the strike ends and things start moving forward, so expensive projects like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms or other GoT-linked shows could get put on indefinite pause or cancelled altogether.
Not Dead Yet
(ABC, On the Bubble): This is another show I expected to hear word on already, and I am guessing its days are numbered. It was the lowest-rated sitcom on ABC this season, and it only has thirteen episodes under its belt since it premiered at mid-season. Word is that network execs actually liked the show and were leaning toward renewal, but the strike may throw a wrench into that. As mentioned above, production schedules will be in turmoil once the strike is resolved, and an underperformer like this might just get squeezed out. Don’t be surprised if ABC slots this for a mid-year arrival again in the coming season but then cancels it if the strike goes on too long. It may not be quite dead yet, but I don’t like its chances at this point.
Quantum Leap
(NBC, Renewed for 2nd Season): This show received an early renewal despite mediocre ratings and already began filming around March of this year. That was all designed to get a jump on the second year with the strike looming, but I am guessing they only got through four or five episodes before writers took to the picket line. Filming can continue if they have completed scripts, but if they need rewrites then things come to a halt. Also, it is possible that the showrunner will refuse to move forward in solidarity with the writers. All of this means that likely only a handful of episodes will be available for the Fall schedule. Considering it never had a large audience in the first place and it is moving to Tuesdays at 10 PM EST (a challenging timeslot), it is not impossible that NBC pulls the plug on the show after the completed episodes air. We will have to see how things play out (and it did perform well in digital viewing on Peacock), but this show faces an uphill battle at this point. As for La Brea, that one already started filming as well, but I am not sure how far along it got. Only six episodes were planned for its third season (which will likely be its last), so I am guessing NBC will complete those even if the show runs into production delays.
Shadow and Bone
(Netflix, Renewal Possible): This is another Netflix entry but one that I thought had a chance at renewal prior to the strike. It spent five weeks in the streamer’s Top 10 and four weeks in the Nielsen Streaming Rankings and likely performed well enough with its completion rate to justify a third season. But it is an expensive show to produce and not as high-profile as shows like Wednesday, The Witcher, and The Sandman. So when it comes time to prioritizing which originals get back into production first, this one could find itself at the back of the line. And since it has not been officially renewed for a third season yet, the streamer could just cancel it now to free up production resources when things get going again. Basically, I consider it more vulnerable now, and Netflix execs have no qualms about pulling the plug on their originals, even the high-profile ones. Season 2 of The Sandman (which has already received the greenlight) could also be on the chopping block because that show is super expensive to produce and has not started filming yet that I am aware of.
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.
