Late-Night Shows Shut Down After Writers Go On Strike

Late-night shows will be shut down after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced they will strike.

Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, John Oliver, and Bill Maher will be taking a break from their hosting duties and their shows are set to air re-runs instead, as a result of the writers strike.

The WGA said that its 11,500 unionized screenwriters will head to the picket lines on Tuesday afternoon.

“The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing,” the WGA said in a statement, per the AP.

Keep reading to find out more…“From their refusal to guarantee any level of weekly employment in episodic television, to the creation of a ‘day rate’ in comedy variety, to their stonewalling on free work for screenwriters and on AI for all writers, they have closed the door on their labor force and opened the door to writing as an entirely freelance profession. No such deal could ever be contemplated by this membership,” the statement read.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which negotiates on behalf of studios and production companies, said it offered “generous increases” in compensation.

WGA most recently walked out in 2007 for 100 days.

Stephen Colbert addressed the negotiations on his show before the strike and said that while he hoped the strike could be averted, “I also think that the writers’ demands are not unreasonable.”

Jimmy Fallon talked about the potential of a strike on his show and said, “please take care of the writers.”

Jimmy Kimmel announced upcoming guests on his show for the week, “unless something terrible happens,” he said.

Other late-night shows that are impacted are: Saturday Night Live on NBC, Real Time with Bill Maher, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show.

Jimmy Fallon was one of many celebrities who attended the 2023 Met Gala on Monday.