Certain TV shows are set to fast-tracked now that the writers’ strike is over, in the hopes of reducing their time off air.
Hollywood productions are set to resume once more now that writers have officially agreed to end their five-month strike and return to work this week, after union leaders approved a contract agreement with Hollywood studio bosses.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced in a statement on Tuesday 26 September that it had voted to accept the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the group which represents studios, streaming services and producers in negotiations, after 148 days on the picket line.
However, while the scripts can get written, filming will be halted until the acting community reaches a deal in their ongoing strike.
In a Variety report, Elsa Ramo, a managing partner at Ramo Law and an attorney who has represented Imagine Entertainment and Skydance, said the titles being prioritised are the “things that were all but greenlit but stopped because of the strike”.
The TV shows that are reportedly getting the fast-track treatment include key titles for HBO, Netflix and ABC.
For HBO, The White Lotus season three, from creator Mike White, is being prioritised alongside The Last of Us season two. The third season of Sam Levinson’s Euphoria is also reportedly a “top-priority project”.
Fortunately for the premium cable network, House of the Dragon ’s second season concluded filming before the strikes were announced, and is set to be released in summer 2024.
Over at Netflix, all eyes are on the final season of Stranger Things and Wednesday season two. Both titles are among the streaming service’s most successful, with it being especially important that the former is made quickly so that the young cast, who play high school students, don’t age any more than they already have.
Meanwhile, Grey’s Anatomy and Abbott Elementary are reportedly being fast-tracked by ABC, while Fox is hoping to get the ball rolling on its franchise shows, including Law & Order, FBI and 911: Lone Star.
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin in ‘Stranger Things’— (Netflix)
Following the conclusion of the WGA strike, writers are now free to work, as the guild voted to ratify the new three-year contract with Hollywood studios that will provide them with, among other things, assurances related to the usage of AI and fairer streaming deals.
