It’s over! After 148 days, the 2023 Writers strike will go down as the second longest in WGA union history, only a labor stoppage in 1988 was longer.

The strike will officially come to end on Wednesday at 12:01am PT.  This was due to a vote from the guild’s leadership that now has authorized its over 11,500 members to return to work.

That means: pitching and selling scripts, taking meetings, responding to notes, writers’ rooms opening up again, and more, can now restart.

Photo: JPI

The WGA committee shared that the vote, “Allows writers to return to work during the ratification process, but does not affect the membership’s right to make a final determination on contract approval.” However, WGA East and West voted unanimously to lift the “restraining order” on Tuesday.

As the negotiators shared, the end of the strike doesn’t mean that the tentative agreement that the union reached with producers on Sunday night is a surefire thing: Union members still need to vote to ratify the contract. Union leadership announced on Tuesday that will take place between October 2nd and October 9th.

Photo: JPI

However, SAG-AFTRA still remains on strike. So, even with the writers returning to work, many productions can’t move forward without their principal actors and performers.

So soap fans, how do you feel about this news for your favorite shows? Glad that the head writers and their writing teams will be back at work as soon as this week from Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Bold and the Beautiful? Y&R’s Josh Griffith, who previously had gone Fi-Core during the 2008 strike, remained at the top rated show during the last several months.

Looks like we are close, very close, to the writing teams at your favorite soap operas returning to their jobs with news on Sunday that finally the WGA and AMPTP have reached a tentative deal. What remains is the fine print, and having the WGA vote to ratify their contracts.

This is welcome news to the television, streaming and motion picture industry that after five months of a strike has put the 2023-2024 TV season in deep water.

In a statement, the Writers Guild shared, “We have reached a tentative agreement on a new 2023 MBA (Minimum Basic Agreement), which is to say an agreement in principle on all deal points, subject to drafting final contract language. We can say, with great pride, that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”

As the deal goes through its final stages, the writers are still technically on strike, but picketing outside studios and shows has now been suspended.

Photo: ABC

Among the writers’ demands that they fought for are: higher residuals from streaming shows, minimum staff sizes to prevent the use of “mini rooms” and protections from the use of AI.  The hope within the entertainment industry is that the new deal for the WGA will move along a new contract for SAG-AFTRA (actors) with the AMPTP.  As of Monday, SAG-AFTRA is still on strike.

Photo: JPI

As for your favorite soap operas, during the strikes, the shows were written by non-union writers or “fi-core” writers who gave up their union benefits in order to continue working.

The next steps in process will see the WGA negotiating committee vote on “whether to recommend the agreement and send it on to the WGAW Board and WGAE Council for approval,” tentatively scheduled for Tuesday.  Another vote by the board and council could lift the strike “restraining order”and allow scribes to “return to work during the ratification vote”.

So, are you happy to know that the writing teams from your favorite soaps are about to return to work and helm the scripts and the vision of the shows? Comment below.

Former General Hospital guest star and fitness guru, the reclusive Richard Simmons, has come forward and addressed actor and comedian, Pauly Shore’s wish to play the 70’s and 80’s pop culture icon in a biopic about his life.

Shore previously took to social media and on X shared a side-by-side of him and Simmons. Accompanying the post, Pauly expressed: I’ve noticed the reactions to me playing #RichardSimmons in a biopic. I heard he’s living in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he has a phone). I’m trying to make it happen, you guys. In the meantime, hit up all the big producers. I’ll see you at @TheAcademy 2025!”

However, TMZ’s sources are reporting on Saturday that Simmons is not in favor of Shore playing him in a film or anyone else, or any biopic on his life.

The outlet shared that Richard’s reaction was that he was aware of the effort behind a biopic, mostly spear-headed by Pauly. but that he just doesn’t want to be involved. Simmons also added that he likes Pauly a lot, but he’s not biting, despite the public’s urging on social media about the idea of a movie on his life.

Photo: ABC

Born Milton Teagle “Richard” Simmons, he became part of the public conscious back in the 70’s and 80’s with exercise studios and the ability to help his clients lose weight; many of them were celebrities. Simmons himself, admitted to at one time to being overweight, and getting into fitness helped him maintain a healthy living style and he wanted to help others.

Later, he began a four-year recurring run on General Hospital playing himself from 1979-1983.  Simmons returned to the show in 2013 for the Nurses’ Ball to taunt Lucy (Lynn Herring). He also was host of the Emmy-award winning, The Richard Simmons Show, which focused on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking.  Over the last several years, Simmons has withdrawn from public life.

What would you think of a Richard Simmons biopic and if it included some moments in front of the camera and behind the scenes of what went down when he appeared on GH? Do you think it will ever happen given Simmons current position on the matter? Let us know in the comment section.

I’ve noticed the reactions to me playing #RichardSimmons in a biopic. I heard he’s living in Big Bear. We’ve been playing phone tag (yes, he has a phone). I’m trying to make it happen, you guys. In the meantime, hit up all the big producers. I’ll see you at @TheAcademy 2025! pic.twitter.com/pG3QaPr95s

— Pauly Shore (@PaulyShore) September 21, 2023