Roughly 1500 film and television writers represented by the Writers Guild of America are on strike, and thanks to them, we all get a break from late-night talk show jibberish.
Audiences will have to find something else to fall asleep to, as “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” go dark, effective immediately. Unionized screenwriters are on strike for the first time in 15 years, and late-night talk shows are among the first to take a hit, according to CBC.
‼️| @sethmeyers on the impending writers strike:
“I … feel very strongly that what the writers are asking for is not unreasonable, and as a proud member of the Guild, I’m very grateful that there’s an organization that looks out for the best interests of writers.” #WGAstrong pic.twitter.com/2UUaY3Ucc7
— Stephanie Aly (@latenightist) April 28, 2023
Pete Davidson was set to make his return to the SNL stage on May 6, but the strike forced the shutdown of the show, so he’ll have to find someone new to date instead.
“The Tonight Show” and “Late Night ” are resorting to reruns to fill the gap, as if anyone wants to watch that stuff once, let alone twice. (RELATED: Pete Davidson Says His Dating Game Hurt His Career)
The last writers strike dates back to 2007 and lasted for 100 days, according to CBC. It’s assumed that late-night shows and programs that rely heavily on writing that requires quick turnaround were the first to be affected. The strike is expected to impact other aspects of the industry the longer it drags on.