Hollywood writers are still struggling after historic strike - Los Angeles Times
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The Hollywood writers’ strike ended. Writers’ struggles have not

People hold signs that include the words "on Strike" while walking near hedges with a water tower in the background.
Striking writers picket in front of Paramount Pictures studio in May 2023 in Los Angeles.
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
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Good morning. It’s Monday, May 13. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

Hollywood writers are still struggling. Blame the decline of peak TV

This time last year, Hollywood writers put down their scripts and picked up picket signs in what became a 146-day strike. Their top demands of the traditional studios and streaming giants that employ them were increased pay rates and better residual payments for streaming shows, plus new rules for how artificial intelligence can be used.

The strike ended in late September when the Writers Guild of America reached a deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. More than a half a year later, how are writers doing?

Not great, according to Times entertainment industry reporters Christi Carras and Stacy Perman. They checked in with multiple film and TV writers in various stages of their careers to understand what the industry looks like now.

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“All said that either they or their colleagues have struggled to find work for at least 12 months amid a contraction that has led to unstable production and employment levels across the entertainment industry,” Christi and Stacy reported this week. “The so-called peak TV era that enabled 599 original scripted series to land in a single year is over, likely never to return.”

Film-production activity in the first quarter of 2024 (which includes movies, TV shows, commercials and more) was 20.5% lower than the five-year average, according to data from FilmLA. Production also fell about 7% globally in the first quarter compared with a year earlier, research shows.

What’s behind the shrinking of the industry? It’s not just the work stoppage. Production levels had been waning even before the strike, Christi and Stacy explained, as a result of the decline of the so-called streaming wars.

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In a bid to compete with the success of Netflix, studios and companies poured money into an increasing slate of shows and films. But the surges in production simply were not sustainable, and companies began to cut back.

Another factor: consolidation. As entertainment companies merge and/or acquire the competition, that leaves fewer places for creators to pitch and sell their shows and films.

The CW Network was sold to Nexstar Media Group; Walt Disney Co. acquired 21st Century Fox; WarnerMedia merged with Discovery. And it’s possible that Paramount could be sold soon.

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Those diminished opportunities are affecting writers from underrepresented groups in particular. For instance, peak TV programs such as FX’s “Reservation Dogs” and Peacock’s “Rutherford Falls” are centered on Indigenous characters, and thus there were more openings for Indigenous writers and actors. But those shows are no longer being produced.

With fewer options, writers told Stacy and Christi that they’re turning to fallback plans, like flipping furniture or dog grooming.

“I really, really worry about these young writers, and ... sometimes I feel guilt — like I should be talking them into doing something else with their lives,” veteran writer Ted Sullivan told them. “But nothing would have stopped me. And I know that nothing will stop them.”

Some writers do believe the hard-fought gains in the new WGA contract will eventually help reverse some of the fallout from peak TV’s decline.

“But until the rest of the industry bounces back, the wounds could take some time to fully heal,” Christi and Stacy wrote. “‘Survive to ’25’ is a sentiment that writers have begun to internalize.”

You can read more of their reporting in this Times subscriber exclusive.

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