Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

All the TV shows that are affected by the writers strike

For the first time in 15 years, the Writers Guild of America has called for a strike against their Hollywood employers. And while many viewers won’t notice the effects for some time, late-night comedy shows will be among the first affected.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Daily Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon have already gone dark. While the hosts have expressed solidarity with the WGA, Newsweek notes that Tonight Show staffer Sarah Kobos has accused Jimmy Fallon of not showing the same support behind the scenes. If that sounds rough, trust us when we say that it will only get uglier as the strike goes on.

Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Other late-night shows that will shut down over the strike include Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Real Time with Bill Maher, and Saturday Night Live, which will likely be unable to finish its remaining three episodes of the season. Deadline notes that one of the few exceptions is Fox News’ late-night comedy Gutfeld!, which will apparently skirt the call to strike because host Greg Gutfeld and his writers are not WGA members.

Recommended Videos

Scripted comedies and dramas are also affected by the strike, and this may affect whether these shows will be able to produce their full-season orders. Via Deadline and other outlets, production has already halted for Cobra Kai, Yellowjackets, Abbott Elementary, Night Court, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Big Mouth. This list will only grow longer as network shows that were scheduled to resume filming this summer remain on hold.

William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, and Yuji Okumoto stand in track suits in a scene from Cobr Kai season 5.
Netflix

The studios have already banked numerous scripts in preparation for the strike. Jon Favreau has previously mentioned that The Mandalorian season 4 is already written, but as the series creator and showrunner, Favreau would be unlikely to cross the picket line and oversee production as he has in the past.

According to the WGA, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) refused to engage in negotiations about several of the writers’ top concerns including minimum staffing, writer compensation on streaming series, and even the potential use of A.I. to create scripts down the road. The AMPTP also faces potential labor issues in the very near future with the actors of SAG-AFTRA and the Directors Guild of America over many of the same issues currently at stake in the WGA strike. If either of those unions also goes on strike during the current WGA strike it would effectively shut down Hollywood.

The most recent WGA strike in 2007 lasted 100 days. Given the current intractable positions of both sides, the latest strike could potentially go even longer.

Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
5 great TV shows you need to watch in May 2025
A woman and a man lean up against a plane.

You have probably filled up your TV time of late with the latest episodes of The Last of Us and already binged your way through all six episodes of the seventh season of Black Mirror. What now? There are plenty of great new and returning shows coming this month.

If you’re looking for guidance, we have rounded up five great TV shows you need to watch in May 2025. They’re available on three top streamers, feature fabulous casts, and, when it comes to the returning shows, it has been years since we've seen a new season. So, saddle up and check these out. 

Read more
HBO announces Harry Potter TV show cast: Dumbledore, Snape, and more
Four teachers at Hogwarts stand beside each other.

HBO has officially announced several key roles for the Harry Potter TV series.

Harry Potter will star John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. The quartet will all serve as series regulars.

Read more
Don’t let these 3 hidden April 2025 streaming TV shows fly under your radar
Kevin Bacon standing with a bulletproof vest in the series The Bondsman.

Yes, this month is already full of fantastic TV shows returning with new seasons like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Last of Us, and Black Mirror. But with 30 nights of TV watching in the month and some shows only releasing one episode per week, you’ll have plenty of extra time to check out some other shows, too.

If you’re wondering what to fill your time with while you wait for the next adventures of Joel and Ellie or need to digest the disturbing new episodes in Black Mirror season seven, we have you covered. Dive into these three hidden April 2025 streaming TV shows you don’t want to let fly under your radar.

Read more