Summary The ongoing strike by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA has resulted in an industry-wide work stoppage, leaving the upcoming fall TV season in limbo. Former Law & Order: SVU showrunner, Warren Leight, suggests that if the strike ends by Labor Day, networks may be able to salvage a 13-episode season by starting shooting in early fall. Networks like NBC and ABC are already adjusting their fall TV schedules, with some shows being delayed until mid-season, while CBS has not announced any changes yet.
Former Law & Order: SVU showrunner, Warren Leight explains how shows can still have their upcoming season amid the writers and actors ongoing fight for fair pay. Months after the WGA started striking, the SAG-AFTRA followed suit, resulting in an industry-wide work stoppage. This is the first time that both WGA and SAG-AFTRA are protesting together after 63 years, indicating how serious the issues plaguing Hollywood are right now.
The work stoppage has left the upcoming fall TV season in limbo, but Leight explains on his official Twitter account how the shows can still come back for the year under one condition. Read his full quote below:
Aside from the issues needing to be resolved before early September, Leight also mentions that the upcoming network seasons would essentially consist of half their episode count.
Initially, the big networks maintained that they would be able to stick to their regular schedule despite the beginning of the WGA strike back in May. Since then, however, some of them have already altered their course. NBC has announced its whole fall TV calendar would be pushed to a mid-season returns. This means that highly-rated scripted shows such as Law & Order: SVU, One Chicago, and Night Court, among others, will be at least delayed by a few months.
ABC, on the other hand, is still sticking to its previous approach, calling it the network's "new strike-proof schedule." The layout is missing many scripted series, with The Conners already scheduled for a mid-season comeback, indicating that its fellow primetime hits are also following the same fate. CBS is the quietest among all three big networks, not announcing any changes to its usual fall timetable. However, it's worth noting that many of Young Sheldon's stars — its most popular show, have been very vocal about their support to WGA and SAG-AFTRA, it's safe to say that CBS will be left with no choice but to also delay the comedy.
While it's understandably disappointing for many that they will have to wait for new episodes, it seems most viewers fully understand what's at stake regarding the strikes. A new study suggests that viewers are open to watching re-runs while the work stoppage continues. Viewers won't have a scarcity of things to watch, especially with shows like Law & Order: SVU with more than 20 seasons under its belt.
