– Possible Writers Strike could shorten upcoming television seasons
– Warren Leight shares insights about the potential Writers Guild of America (WGA) event affecting showrunners
– Showrunners may have to step in and adapt content to accommodate for shorter seasons
Television showrunner Warren Leight shared his thoughts on the possibility of a Writers Strike impacting upcoming TV seasons and causing shortening due to this event. Leight, known for his work on “Law & Order: SVU” and “In Treatment,” anticipates that such an outcome could affect several shows, and showrunners would need to adapt their content accordingly.
The potential Writers Strike could occur if the Writers Guild of America (WGA) decides to take action amid ongoing disputes with agencies over packaging fees and streaming residuals. The strike was previously delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I do think this could lead to shortened seasons,” Leight writes in his statement.
Leight also comments that a strike could greatly impact the number of episodes that a show can be expected to produce during its season: “A show that was going to do 24 [episodes] might do 16. A show that was going to do 12 might do eight.” He further notes that these reduced episode counts would limit the scope of the storytelling and possibly result in some dropped storylines or lesser character arcs.
Showrunners may be compelled to step in and rewrite materials as needed during a potential strike to sustain a certain number of episodes. Leight points out that the process of adapting to these changes would be a challenge. “To rewrite limited series or miniseries… for fear of striking; or to come over to the other side of a strike and inherit someone else’s rewritten, not-done script would be… awkward,” he states.
The article highlights that the last WGA strike took place in 2007 and lasted for 100 days, resulting in the shortening of several TV seasons and thousands of jobs lost. While the possibility of another WGA strike is still uncertain, the effects on the television industry could be significant if it were to happen.