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Will the Writers’ Strike Affect the UK?

strikers outside paramount with picket signs

In the dead heat of negotiations between the WGA and production companies, American entertainment is in limbo for the foreseeable future. The WGA faces the long and challenging task of bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The alliance represents long-established studios like Disney and Warner Bros and streamers Netflix and Amazon. With over 11,000 film and TV writers joining the strike, British writers are wondering whether the UK will see impact from the US writers’ strike.

Why are the US writers striking?

The WGA survey found that the median weekly pay for writer-producers declined by 23% over the last decade when adjusting for inflation. Accounting for inflation, screenwriter pay fell 14% in just the last five years, the report said. 

Picket signs full of wit. The writers hold signs that say, ‘We just want 2% from the 1%’, ‘You want it on spec? We want it on check’ or the snappy ‘You’re not Logan Roy’. They all point to low pay being at the heart of this strike.

How long will the WGA strike last?

There is no telling how long the WGA strikes will continue. The action began on May 2, 2023, at 3:01 a.m. ET, making it 16 years since the last writers’ strike in 2007.

The 2007 strikes lasted 100 days before reaching an agreement. If history is to repeat itself, the current strikes could end in the Summer. However, this is only speculation.

WGA strike photos of crowd

What TV shows and movies are being affected by the writers’ strike?

The first affected are late-night talk shows. This format requires up-to-date, same-day writing to be relevant. Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon will be some of the first to go into hiatus.

Of the non-late night shows, some of the most anticipated shows will see an impact this year. This includes the likes of Billions, YellowjacketsCobra Kai, The Last of Us, and Severance. HBO’s Succession closes its doors in the series finale during the strikes and will not be affected. There is speculation on whether the writers’ strikes played a part when Jesse Armstrong decided to end the show with its fourth season.

We will also see the first significant film release disruption in the MCU. Pre-production for Marvel’s Blade movie, starring Mahershala Ali, will be closing its doors for now. MCU films are well known for making quick script changes during the filming process.

Will the writers’ strike impact the UK?

There are currently a handful of considerable productions in the UK. House of the Dragons and Rings of Power will not be disrupted as the writing has already wrapped up for the second season of both shows.

matt smith in house of dragons

However, the writers’ room has paused for the Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight.

Did the WGA strikes of 2007 affect the UK?

Among the American series affected by the 2007 writers’ strikes were Breaking Bad30 RockUgly Betty, Desperate HousewivesFamily GuyFriday Night LightsGrey’s AnatomyHeroes, and The Simpsons.

However, the UK did not see much impact on UK entertainment except disrupted scheduling. The 2023 WGA strike is likely to impact the TV schedule similarly.

Could there be a UK writers’ strike?

The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) has unanimously supported the WGA strike action. However, they have made it clear that there will not be a UK writers’ strike.

The FAQ page on this topic says: ‘Secondary strike action (action in support of another union or group of workers) is not permitted under UK law, nor is the practice of restricting employment to those who are members of a particular trade union.’

The WGGB assures that writers can participate in protests or demonstrations as long as they don’t fall under the definition of picketing.

Streaming and remote working has made knowing where a writer stands in these matters increasingly muddy. The WGGB FAQ page includes lots of complicated questions like:

What if I am a UK writer currently working on a UK-based production under contract to a US company that is a signatory to the MBA?

What if I am a UK writer currently working on a UK-based co-production with a US company and/or a UK Streamer (Netflix UK, Amazon etc.)?

Want to get the latest updates in the film and TV world? The answer is a simple ‘depends on the contract’ to many of these questions.

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