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Writer’s Strike: ‘The Talk’ Goes Dark and the Status of Daytime Dramas

Photos: CBS and ABC

From late night talk shows to daytime talk shows, to movies and more, the WGA writer’s strike is on and it will now affect certain types of programming first, with a potential trickle-down effect; depending on just how long it will take for the WGA to hammer out a deal with AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers).

For CBS Daytime’s The Talk, the series will now stop current production as its staff includes WGA writers.  In its place, the show had in the can a fresh batch of  episodes that they had scheduled to air this week.  If the strike continues on, the plan is for the show to air repeats if it runs out of originals.

The same tactic is being taken with the late night talk shows, which already shut down and where you will see reruns for now. Primetime dramas writer’s room are now shut down.

In the case of your favorite dramas, because the soaps have the luxury of taping farther in advance then any other entertainment TV medium, they will not be adversely affected, for now.

Given that General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless are all mostly 6 weeks ahead of air or less, they should be fine, until, if and when they run out of original scripts. As for Days of our Lives, since they tape well over 6 to 8 months ahead, they should be in a solid position through the strike … unless the unthinkable happens and it goes on for much longer than 100 days.  The last writer’s strike started on November 5th, 2007 and ran 100 days.

So how did we get here? Talks between the two sides ended late Monday when the WGA and AMPTP could not come to terms on issues of money, transparency, security, and how they viewed the basic role of writers in the burgeoning world of streaming.  Next, a strike was called by WGA leadership Tuesday morning which has featured many prominent writers, and actors picketing at studio locations all over Los Angeles and New York City

Photo: AP

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At the center of the dispute is streaming shows and more.  The WGA says that as series budgets have increased, the writers’s share of that money has over and over again been reduced.  Another issue is the use of ‘mini rooms’ for streaming shows as they utilize smaller staffs making an on-going income harder for scribes. In addition, the numbers of guild members on those staff has almost been reduced by fifty percent. These ‘mini rooms’ are where ahead of production, writers begin to break out stories and scripts.  In all, the WGA wants to see gains in compensation and residuals, a curb on said mini-rooms, and how the impact of AI, could be used instead of writers to generate new scripts.

So, what do you think about the writer’s strike? Glad they went on strike and unified for the now and the future? Concerned it will impact your favorite TV shows down the line? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

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Brenda ByrdOG SteveIakovosViolet Lemmsoapqueenforever Recent comment authors
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Lisa Black
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Lisa Black

Why do you think reruns would be the go-to for those three soaps? I’m just curious since it’s not how they handled it last time.

JC
Guest
JC

The last time (07-08) and in the 80s the soaps used scabs (or fi-core) writers. The head writer of Y&R, Josh Griffin, is already fi-core. I would assume that the soaps would take the same route this time.

Mark
Guest
Mark

I had to look up fi-core. It stands for Financial Core. In other words, a non-union employee.
Just wondering how you know that Josh Griffin is non-union, has he stated it in interviews? Thanks.

DAJ
Guest
DAJ

A show called The Talk need writers?! Interesting.

Michael
Guest
Michael

All talk shows have writers.

brian
Guest
brian

The View does not have writers. Whoopie Goldberg stated this on Tuesday morning show.. The View WILL carry on as normal

Michael
Guest
Michael

Whoopi is a moron.

Violet Lemm
Guest
Violet Lemm

Michael,
If anyone is a moron/idiot it’s Jerry McConnell on The Talk. Are you telling me his words are written for him?

soapqueenforever
Guest
soapqueenforever

I couldn’t have said it better myself That show should have said goodby a long time ago

Kay
Guest
Kay

Can we just put Nick and Sharon together again ! Please pretty please!

rose
Guest
rose

I’m not a fan of streaming. I could live with a couple of them, but they got greedy , and increased in number so much they probably overloaded the number of good writers pool, and diluted the cable tv offerings. And didn’t share $wise with writers and directors. Maybe that’s why General Hospital has turned into such an awful, ugly show to me. Certainly not the caliber of “love in the afternoon” type programming in it’s heyday. And who could compete with some of the steaming budgets like the Lord Of the Rings prequel from billionaire Amazon owner Steve Bezos.… Read more »

Brenda Byrd
Guest
Brenda Byrd

Yes General hosiptal is unrecognizable now.. yes it use to love in the afternoon back in the day..what can of writers have just settled for. Makes no sense to us loyal long time viewers.

Momo
Guest
Momo

The Talk had writers?!

Iakovos
Guest
Iakovos

We rode out pandemic with classic episodes but it’s too soon to do that again. Non-union writers in strikes through decades took our stories in strange directions.

Violet Lemm
Guest
Violet Lemm

lakovos,
Do you really think they aren’t strange or weird now? Look at this crap G.H is feeding us now, how can anyone take it seriously? Laura remembering the code they needed to get the weather back on track plus all the other things she remembered is way too much.

Iakovos
Guest
Iakovos

I meant they replacement writers took stories in directions not intended. Agree that current storylines are lacking. GH should move on from the Cassadine madness. It’s been done to death.

Mark
Guest
Mark

Didn’t the 1988 writer’s strike give us the One Life To Live storyline in the Wild West? That was really good. Erica as Ginny and Clint traveling back to the past. Anyone else remember that?

OG Steve
Guest
OG Steve

Mark
I do recall that storyline. It paled in comparison to Viki’s trip to heaven or Eterna. Still clever though.

On GH, the 07-08 strike gave us Monica as an alcoholic. Guza had stopped writing for Monica long before the strike. Wolf comes in during the strike and all of a sudden LC is in a big storyline. Once Guza came back, the story was wrapped up quickly and LC sent off into sporadic appearances until Frank and Ron took over in 2012.

Devin Murphy
Guest
Devin Murphy

I’m just wondering if this writer’s strike will affect award shows like the daytime emmys.

Brenda Byrd
Guest
Brenda Byrd

yes I’ve heard its been canceled fir now or this year bc of writer strike

Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS: Tina Turner, Trailblazing Rock Star, Dead at 83

In heartbreaking pop culture news, the legendary and iconic, Tina Turner has died at her home in near Zurich, Switzerland after a long illness.

The news came from Turner’s reps who shared, “With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model.”  The rock legend was 83-years-old. Turner’s life was marked by regaining her life after domestic abuse and being an icon for women in the music industry and more.

Photo: ABC

As an entertainment non could compare, Tina won nine Grammy Award and sold over 200 million albums. She rose to fame in the 1960s as the centerpiece of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue.   Turner was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Her relationship with Ike Turner and her trials, tribulations and success where made into a 1993 movie, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” which starred Angela Bassett.  That film was based on her 1986 moving and harrowing memoir, “I Tina”.

There was no greater pop comeback story, when at 44 years old, she released the iconic album, Private Dancer, which featured hit after hit and gave Tina the push to have an even greater second-half to her 60 year career.

Photo: Billboard

Before concert and performing retirement at age 69, she was still tearing it up with her dance moves like no one else.

Some of her greatest hits include:  “The Best,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” “Better Be Good to Me” and of course, “Proud Mary” and “River Deep Mountain High.”

Turner had iconic film and TV including as the Acid Queen in Tommy (1975) and as Aunty Entity in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). On television, she was always a guest and featured on variety shows, MTV, and in commercials and more.

We will have more on the death of Tina Turner as remembrances pour in on social media throughout the day.

What was your favorite song of  the extraordinary Tina Turner ? Are you saddened to learn of her passing? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Breaking News

Kin Shriner Says He’s Been Written Out at GH and Shares: “Thank You General Hospital Fans For Decades of Supporting Me!”

Out of nowhere, long-running General Hospital vet, Kin Shriner, shared on his Twitter account Tuesday morning that the soap opera which he has called home, on and off for 45 years, has written him off the show.

That would mean, coming up in story, Shriner’s Port Charles alter-ego, Scott Baldwin is somehow exiting the canvas.

In his tweet, Shriner expressed:I just found out Scotty was written out, I thank U General Hospital fans for decades of supporting me!”

Many are finding this hard to believe, in part, because back in December of 2021 Shriner tweeted, “Scotty’s run is done, so heading to Florida to ride Vespa around the tropics!”  Eventually, Kin was back at GH.

The last long period of time that Kin was away from GH was a five-year absence until Scott was back in Port Charles in February of 2013.

No word yet from the show itself, confirming the news put out by Shriner.  If this is all said and done, we firmly believe Scott will have to come to Port Charles at some point.

Shriner remains one of the all-time favorites of the iconic soap opera currently celebrating its 60th year on the air.

So, what do you think about Kin stating that he is being written off of GH? Comment below.

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GH’s Haley Pullos Arrested for Felony DUI

General Hospital favorite, Haley Pullos (Molly Lansing-Davis) told Soap Opera Digest last week, via a statement, that she was taking a break from taping new episodes at the ABC daytime drama, because she was recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident.

However, news this morning from TMZ, indicates there was much more to the story. Now, it turns out, Pullos was arrested for a felony DUI after allegedly causing a major freeway crash.

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