The Writer’s Guild Strike Is Officially On, How Would This Affect Daytime Drama?

The Writer’s Guild of America officially began their first strike in 15 years on Tuesday, May 2nd. Approximately 11,500 television and film writers are within the union and have placed their laptops and pens down after a new contract was not reached with the trade organization that presents production and studio companies in Hollywood.

Among other demands, the union is looking for increased minimum pay, more writers for each show, and fewer exclusive deals. According to the union, all conditions have diminished due to the content boom that’s driven by streaming services.

So, what does this mean for soap fans?

Soap Opera News – If History Dictates Anything …

Some daytime drama fans may remember the Writer’s Guild going on strike back in 2007. This lasted for about 100 days. Every production was shut down as a result. The same goes for this current strike; however, how it affects television and movies depends on how far out their film schedules are.

Sadly, late-night television shows like Saturday Night Live (SNL) and The Jimmy Fallon Show are the first to darken with no new episodes, due to their tight filming schedules. Prime-time and network shows are next on the chopping block, and depending on how long the strike lasts, this could affect preparation for their next season. Lastly, streaming services will be less affected because they “bank” more content than a network does. But, what about viewers of beloved soap operas?

Soap News – How Will This Strike Affect B&B, Days, GH, and Y&R?

All the soaps currently on TV do film in advance; however, some have more of a “stockpile” of shows than others. It really depends on the soap opera. Days of Our Lives films about six months ahead of time, so they have content until about November of this year. Much like when the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns hit, fans of this show continued to enjoy fresh episodes daily, and storylines were not affected.

With that said, Young and the Restless, along with Bold and the Beautiful, will be the first soaps that will be affected if this strike lingers on. They have less than a month of episodes, while General Hospital has just a little over a month of shows to fall back on.

Here’s hoping this strike does not last too long! Have your say about this in the comment section. Regardless, visit SOS regularly for all the latest soap opera news and spoilers.