With Strikes Over, Unions and Studios Scramble to Save TV Season and Movie Slate
The Screen Actors Guild reached a tentative agreement with studios on Wednesday, meaning it’s not too late to get some scripted TV back on the air this season.
At long last, the devastatingly clever picket signs can be packed away. The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has tentatively agreed to a new three-year contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) — which represents major Hollywood studios — that will get actors back to work, settling a strike that lasted well over 100 days.
- Ahead of this week’s deal, studios warned that time was running out to get started on even limited seasons of scripted TV.
- The summer release schedule has also been threatened, and now the scramble begins to ensure studios have something to put in theaters.
- Peacock could be one of the first streamers to put out new episodes this winter, but when will shows like “Stranger Things” and “Yellowstone” return?
Did the Strike Last Too Long to Save the Fall TV, Summer Movie Slate?
As the actors’ strike dragged on through the fall, it became apparent that no TV series would be getting a full season’s worth of episodes this year. According to Deadline, studios presented SAG-AFTRA with an ultimatum this week, communicating to the guild on Wednesday that if a deal wasn’t reached this week, there would be essentially no chance of salvaging even partial seasons of scripted TV shows for the year.
Now that a deal has been reached, another Deadline report outlines how quickly production houses can get back to work. Scripted series on broadcast networks are expected to be back at work essentially right away, as cast and crew began receiving notifications of start dates within minutes of hearing the news that the strike was ending.
Some movies have already been moved off of 2024 release dates thanks to the strike. Sony had to rearrange the release schedules of several movies this summer, including the hotly anticipated “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” which was originally scheduled to come out Easter 2024.
Which Streamer Will Get New TV Episodes First?
As production schedules stand now, Wolf Entertainment has the first-scheduled start date for production of its scripted shows on Nov. 27. That production house is responsible for series like “Law and Order” and “Chicago Fire,” both of which air on NBC and stream on Peacock, meaning that streamer could be among the first to see new scripted TV episodes this winter.
Wolf Entertainment also makes the “FBI” franchise, which airs on CBS and streams on Paramount+. “Criminal Minds: Evolution,” as well as “NCIS” and “Ghosts” are among other CBS titles that could be back on TV and available to stream on Paramount+ as early as possible.
Hulu could also see some of its most beloved next-day programming from ABC back soon, particularly “Grey's Anatomy.” Parent company Disney has also moved some of its movies off their originally-scheduled release dates in 2024, such as Pixar’s “Elio” and its live-action adaptation of “Snow White,” but other titles like “Deadpool 3” and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” will still make their way to theaters in 2024. There is still time for studios to get partially finished movies out in 2024, but productions that did not begin before the strikes will almost certainly be pushed to 2025.
When Will New Seasons of ‘Stranger Things,’ ‘Yellowstone’ Come Out?
The newest season of Netflix’s hit series “Stranger Things” was set to begin filming around the same time that the Writers Guild of America went on strike in May. Production will reportedly begin again in the next couple of weeks, but if Netflix is determined to keep a summertime release date for Season 5, there’s essentially no chance that it will be completed for a 2024 release date.
“Yellowstone” fans won’t have to wait quite that long, but they’re still in for a bit of a disappointment if they’re hoping for new episodes this winter. Last week, news broke that the final batch of “Yellowstone” Season 5 episodes will air in November 2024, a schedule that is still possible thanks to the resolution of the SAG-AFTRA strike. The new Taylor Sheridan-helmed series set in the Duttonverse will be titled “2024,” and will debut in December after Season 5 of “Yellowstone” wraps. Unlike its predecessor, “2024” will stream on Paramount+ as well as air on the linear Paramount Network.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.