Summary
- Late-night talk shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, are preparing for a return to broadcast after the end of the WGA strike.
- The hosts can restart doing their shows as early as the first week of October, with their production staff already gearing to prepare for new episodes.
- While everyone is excited to return, they are cautious to follow guild guidelines and ensure the negotiations aren't jeopardized.
With the Writers Guild of America (WGA) already reaching a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), late-night hosts are reportedly poised for a speedy return on the screen. After almost five months of protests from union for appropriate wages and better working conditions in general, the WGA strike seems to be finally reaching its end. In light of this new development, late-night talk show productions are reportedly already working to get their shows back on the air as soon as possible.
Per Variety, shows such as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! are supposedly preparing for their returns on broadcast, and they can get back on air as early as October 2, or the week after. According to the report, "because talk shows fall under SAG-AFTRA’s network code deal, which isn’t a part of the talent guild’s current strike, that should allow the hosts (who are all on strike as of the Writers Guild) to come back immediately, or at least after the WGA hip approves the new deal." One insider adds, however, that while everyone is excited to be back, those involved want to be careful to follow guild guidelines to avoid botching the progress of the negotiations. A different staffer, on the other hand, says that despite the rush to return, nobody wants to put out a first crappy show back.
What Happens To Strike Force Five After The Strike
It's worth noting that the WGA strike still isn't officially over yet. After reaching the tentative deal on Sunday, September 24, the negotiating committee needs to approve the final wording, after which it will be sent to the WGA for a ratification vote. No issue is expected to arise during this time, but that isn't to say the deal won't encounter problems once the rank-and-file see the . However, in the event that things pan out smoothly, the first week of October is the most likely return point for late-night TV.
When the WGA strike started in May, late-night shows showed solidarity by going dark. In any case, many of the hosts are also part of their writing staff, so it would be difficult for them to continue. Since then, broadcasters have been running re-runs on their usual time slots. In an effort to continue paying their staff, all the five main late-night hosts launched Strike Force Five - a podcast involving all of them. Now that the WGA strike is almost over and work is poised to resume on their shows, it's uncertain what will happen to the project, which has gained notoriety over the last few weeks.
Another big issue that fans are keeping an eye on is the Fallon controversy. In early September, the comedian/host's show was accused of having a toxic work environment in a lengthy report. Fallon, for his part, has already released an apology statement. Meanwhile, despite continuously appearing in Strike Force Five, the scandal was never brought up in an episode. It remains to be seen whether Fallon will address it on the air once he returns to his show.
Source: Variety