On May 2, 2023 at 12:01AM, the WGA strike went into effect. The same day, NBC announced that SNL would be immediately impacted, and that the May 6 episode would not air live. Instead, the series will show reruns for an unknown amount of time.
“SNL will air repeats until further notice starting Saturday, May 6,” NBC said, via Variety. The upcoming episode was supposed to be hosted by Pete Davidson, who was a regular cast member until last May, and musical guest Lil Uzi Vert. Other hosts this season have included names like Jenna Ortega, Pedro Pascal, Steve Martin and Martin Short, Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer, and Ana de Armas.
Additionally, according to The Hollywood Reporter, NBC sent an automated email confirming the show was taking place...then sent a follow-up retracting it. Considering SNL was scheduled to break for their hiatus on May 20, they only lost a few weeks of their end-of-spring season.
Why is the writers strike happening?
Writers in the entertainment industry (represented by the Writers Guild of America) are demanding fair wages from the bigger Hollywood studios (represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). The strike began on May 2 at 12:01 because the contracts ended at midnight.
Where is the strike?
Picket lines are in New York City and Los Angeles.
What shows will be impacted by writers strike 2023?
In addition to SNL, other late-night television shows are being immediately affected, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers.
We don't know yet whether the upcoming seasons of scripted shows and movies will be affected.
Has this happened before?
Yes. During the 2007-2008 television season, the WGA went on strike for the same reason they're on strike right now: fair compensation.
What happens during a writers strike?
During the writers strike, television and film writers that are a part of the WGA stop working until they can reach a fair contract with the larger studios. The 2007-2008 strike lasted from November 2007 until February of 2008.
Is the writers strike 2023 over?
On September 24, after five straight days of negotiation, the WGA and the larger studios + streamers finally came to a tentative agreement on a brand new three-year contract. If they end up signing the contract, the writers' strike (which has lasted for 146 days) will finally come to an end. Picketing officially ended Sunday night, and we can expect the guild leaders to vote on the new contract September 26.
Once the contracts have been signed and the strike is officially over, late night shows like The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live, as well as daytime talk shows like The Kelly Clarkson Show, can return to air. That means we could see brand new episodes by the first week of October!
We'll have to wait and see when the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike will come to an end before our favorite scripted series return to production.
Keep an eye on our homepage for more breaking news.
Lead image via Will Heath/NBC
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