The WGA reached an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in late September. The deal includes a pay increase for writers, a requirement for shows to hire a minimum number of writers, bonuses for high-viewership streaming shows, and a ban on the use of AI for writing or rewriting material. The strikes had shut down production on most scripted TV shows and many movie productions.
Key takeaways:
- The Writers Guild of America strike, which lasted nearly six months, is officially coming to an end. Shows are beginning to set their return dates, with network late-night shows and HBO talk shows among the first to return.
- Bill Maher faced backlash from writers after he announced plans to restart his show during the strike without writers. He reversed course when negotiations between the WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers resumed.
- The WGA went on strike at the beginning of May, and SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ guild, joined them in striking shortly after in mid-July. The strikes shut down production on most scripted TV shows and many movie productions.
- The writers’ guild came to an agreement with AMPTP in late September. The tentative deal boosts writers’ pay, requires shows to hire a minimum number of writers, offers bonuses for high-viewership streaming shows, and prevents the use of AI for writing or rewriting material.