August is normally the time of year when the rumbling of the fall TV season would be starting from the major networks, but that's not the case in 2023 due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. Production on many projects has been on a standstill since May, and the strikes are still ongoing as fall approaches. That means shows like Chicago P.D. aren't expected to return before the end of the 2023 TV schedule, and the stars and executive producers of NBC's cop drama have come together to help members of the crew during the wait for work to begin on Season 11.
The vulnerable thirteen set and office production assistants who work on Chicago P.D. have each been given a donation of $1,500 from members of the cast and EPs, according to Deadline, with another payment coming. The stars who have donated to the pool of cash for the PAs so far include Patrick John Flueger (Adam Ruzek), Marina Squerciati (Kim Burgess), Tracy Spiridakos (Hailey Upton), and Amy Morton (Trudy Platt), with LaRoyce Hawkins' (Kevin Atwater) contributions as part of the upcoming second payment to the PAs. Executive producers Gwen Sigan (who is also the showrunner), Gavin Harris, and Scott Gold have donated as well, with first AD Richard White organizing the campaign.
The first payment was reportedly distributed among the thirteen PAs more than a week ago, with a second donation from Flueger (whose character was left in a frustrating cliffhanger at the end of the 2022-2023 season) bringing the total of the the pool for the staffers to $25,000. Production assistants are generally tasked with jobs like opening sets, getting food orders, and distributing scripts, to name just a few. Organizer Richard White shared what he learned in conversations with the P.D. PAs during the strike, saying:
Somebody’s computer broke, somebody’s car was at the shop and they were worried about whether they were going to get the money. They’re not under health insurance plans or under a union, and they all still have Chicago rent to worry about, and groceries and everything else.
The donations for the production assistants will hopefully help those members of the crew as the strikes continue with no news of when Chicago P.D. production can begin. The show was renewed (along with Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and the three Law & Order series) back in April, with that news shortly followed by reports that series regulars will appear in fewer episodes of Season 11.
Members of the cast have been active on the picket lines during the strikes, with Marina Squerciati sharing a photo on Instagram of Amy Morton marching for SAG-AFTRA. Tracy Spiridakos also reunited with Jesse Lee Soffer, who previously played her on-screen husband Jay Halstead, to strike. The donations from additional cast members and producers show that even if photos haven't been snapped of them on the picket lines, they're supporting those affected by the production shutdowns.
Only time will tell how much longer the strikes will continue before a resolution can be found with the AMPTP. The writers of WGA have been striking since early May, with the actors of SAG-AFTRA hitting the picket lines as well in mid-July.
