From The TV IV
This is a listing of shows affected by the 2007 WGA writers strike. It shows how many episodes they completed before the strike stopped production and how many they completed after the strike was over. All numbers are based on the season that aired during or right after the strike only.
[edit] Late Night
[edit] Reality Shows
- Reality shows and game shows are for the most part unaffected as their writers aren't WGA members. The few exceptions are listed below. Many new reality shows were scheduled to fill-up airtime as the scripted episodes ran out. In addition some traditionally summer or fall only reality shows were rushed into production for a spring run.
[edit] Animated Series
- Nearly all animated series on cable (Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, etc.) are written by non-WGA writers and were unaffected. Primetime animated shows on broadcast networks (The Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.) are affected but on a much delayed basis as the animation process takes months so they are far ahead on scripts.
[edit] Awards Shows
| Show
| Network
| Airdate
| Notes
|
| Academy Awards | ABC | February 24 | WGA refused to grant the Academy a waiver for use of new written material. Short prep time resulted in a clip heavy ceremony and the elimination of the pre-recorded host introduction.
|
| Critics' Choice Awards | VH1 | January 7 | Has never been a WGA written show so aired unchanged.
|
| Golden Globes | NBC | January 13 | WGA refused to grant the HFPA a waiver for the ceremony and said they would picket it. SAG vowed that no actors would cross a picket line to either accept awards or present them. NBC refused to allow HFPA to hold untelevised ceremony. Ceremony was changed to a press conference presentation of winners.
|
| Grammy Awards | CBS | February 10 | The RAA signed an interim agreement to allow the ceremony to be scripted so ceremony aired unchanged and unaffected.
|
| NAACP Image Awards | FOX | February 14 | The NAACP signed an interim agreement with the WGA allowing the NAACP plenty of time to prepare the show during the strike.
|
| People's Choice Awards | CBS | January 8 | CBS changed the format to focus on prerecorded videos of the winners at home so no one had to cross a picket line to appear.
|
| SAG Awards | TBS & TNT | January 27 | SAG signed an interim agreement with the WGA allowing the ceremony to be scripted and unpicketed.
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| Spirit Awards | IFC | February 23 | Film Independent signed an interim agreement with the WGA so the independent film awards were unaffected.
|
[edit] Foreign Imports
- Shows produced completely by non-USA production companies were not affected by the strike as each country has its own writers guild that negotiates with the local production companies. This includes the Mexican telenovelas on Univision, everything on BBC America, Doctor Who, Hustle and the Canadian imports on The N. It does not include shows produced in any part by American companies in other countries (Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, The L Word, The Tudors, etc.). There are exceptions where American companies employ local writers for international productions (notably Stargate Atlantis) but the majority do not.
[edit] Broadcast Networks
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| Aliens in America | 1 | 18 | 0 | — | 22 | December 10 | March 2 | Eight episodes held until after strike | Cancelled
|
| Everybody Hates Chris | 3 | 22 | 0 | — | 22 | December 10 | March 2 | Twelve episodes held until after strike | Fourth season ordered
|
| Friday Night SmackDown! | 9 | | | | | | | Doesn't use WGA writers so was unaffected. | Leaving network at end of season
|
| The Game | 2 | 11 | 9 | March 23 | 22 | February 4 | — | | Third season ordered
|
| Girlfriends | 8 | 13 | 0 | — | 22 | February 11 | — | | Cancelled; may see some form of series finale
|
| Gossip Girl | 1 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 22 | January 9 | April 21 | | Second season ordered
|
| Life Is Wild | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | 13 | February 3 | — | | Cancelled
|
| One Tree Hill | 5 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 13 | March 18 | April 14 | | Sixth season ordered
|
| Reaper | 1 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 13 | March 27 | April 22 | | Second season ordered for midseason
|
| Smallville | 7 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 22 | March 27 | April 17 | | Eighth season ordered
|
| Supernatural | 3 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 22 | February 21 | April 24 | | Fourth season ordered
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| 24 | 7 | 8 | | | 24 | | | | Won't air until January 2009 but getting TV movie in fall
|
| American Dad | 3 | 22 | 0 | — | 22 | None | — | | Fourth season ordered
|
| Back to You | 1 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 24 | November 14 | April 16 | Two episodes held until February 26/27 | Cancelled
|
| Bones | 3 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 22 | November 27 | April 14 | Four episodes held until after strike | Fourth season ordered
|
| Canterbury's Law | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 13 | | March 10 | | Cancelled
|
| Family Guy | 6 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 23 | February 17 | March 2 | Network said it would have 19 episodes but Seth MacFarlane refused to participate so they only finished 10. | The early shutdown allowed for a quick return but still only had a total of 13 episodes, seventh season ordered
|
| House, M.D. | 4 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 24 | February 5 | April 28 | | Fifth season ordered
|
| K-Ville | 1 | 10 | 0 | — | 13 | December 17 | — | | Cancelled
|
| King of the Hill | 12 | 21 | | | 22 | None | | | Thirteenth season ordered
|
| New Amsterdam | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | 8 | | March 4 | | Cancelled
|
| Prison Break | 3 | 13 | 0 | — | 22 | February 18 | — | Ended season on what would have been the fall finale but 5 episodes were moved to 2008. | Fourth season ordered
|
| The Return of Jezebel James | 1 | 7 | 0 | March 14 | 7 | | — | | Cancelled after 3 episodes
|
| 'Til Death | 2 | 10 | 5 | 14 | 22 | November 28 | April 16 | One episode held until March 25 | Third season ordered
|
| The Simpsons | 19 | 22 | | | 22 | None | | | Twentieth season ordered
|
| Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | 1 | 9 | 0 | — | 13 | March 3 | — | | Second season ordered
|
| Unhitched | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 13 | | March 2 | | Cancelled
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| 30 Rock | 2 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 22 | January 10 | April 10 | | Third season ordered
|
| Bionic Woman | 1 | 8 | 0 | — | 13 | November 28 | — | | Cancelled
|
| Chuck | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | 22 | January 24 | — | | Second season ordered
|
| ER | 14 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 23 | January 17 | April 10 | | 13 episode fifteenth and final season ordered
|
| Friday Night Lights | 2 | 15 | 0 | — | 22 | February 8 | — | | Third season ordered
|
| Heroes | 2 | 11 | 0 | — | 24 | December 3 | — | Episode 11 rewritten to act as season finale | Third season ordered
|
| Journeyman | 1 | 13 | 0 | — | 13 | December 19 | — | | Cancelled
|
| Las Vegas | 5 | 19 | 0 | — | 22 | February 22 | — | | Cancelled
|
| Law & Order | 18 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 18 | March 26 | April 23 | | Nineteenth season ordered
|
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 9 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 22 | January 22 | April 15 | | Tenth season ordered
|
| Life | 1 | 11 | 0 | — | 22 | December 5 | — | | Second season ordered
|
| Lipstick Jungle | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 13 | March 20 | — | | Second season ordered
|
| Medium | 4 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 13 | March 24 | April 7 | | Tenth season ordered
|
| My Name Is Earl | 3 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 25 | January 10 | April 3 | | Fourth season ordered
|
| The Office | 4 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 30 | November 15 | April 10 | Actor walkouts forced production shutdown before all finished scripts were shot. | Fifth season ordered
|
| quarterlife | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 6 | | — | Pulled after one episode but aired on Bravo. |
|
| Scrubs | 7 | 11 | 0 | — | 18 | December 6 | April 10 | Five episodes held until after strike | Strike made eighth season more appealing for ABC, who ordered it
|
| Show
| Notes
|
| Jeopardy! | Couldn't produce new shows but had enough already filmed episodes to last to April and a pre-written teen tournment filmed in January so there were no noticable effects.
|
| The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Didn't do a monolouge during the strike.
|
[edit] Cable Networks
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| GRΣΣK | 1 | 18 | 4 | 22 | 20 | | March 24 | | Second season ordered
|
| Kyle XY | 2 | 23 | | | 23 | March 17 | | | Third season ordered
|
| Wildfire | 4 | 13 | 0 | — | 13 | March 10 | April 28 | | Lionsgate signed an agreement that would have allowed production to resume early but fifth season was not ordered.
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| Breaking Bad | 1 | 7 | | | 7 | March 9 | | | Second season ordered
|
| Mad Men | 2 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | July 27 | | Lionsgate signed an agreement allowing production to resume early so season was not delayed.
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| June 3 | 3 | 6 | | | 6 | | | |
|
| Damages | 2 | 0 | | | 13 | | | | Delayed until January 2009
|
| Dirt | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 13 | | March 2 | | Cancelled
|
| Nip/Tuck | 5 | 14 | 8 | 22 | 22 | February 19 | — | | Second set of season 5 episodes being postponed until early 2009
|
| Rescue Me | 5 | 0 | | | 22 | | | | Delayed until spring 2009, got 10 minisodes to ease the delay.
|
| The Riches | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 13 | | March 18 | |
|
| The Shield | 7 | 13 | 0 | — | 13 | | September 2 | | Finale will have some reshoots
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| Army Wives | 2 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | June 8 | |
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| Brotherhood | 2 | 10 | | | 10 | December 2 | | | Third season ordered
|
| Californication | 2 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 13 | | September 28 | | Delayed until Fall
|
| Dexter | 2 | 12 | | | 12 | December 16 | | First season started airing on CBS February 17. | Third season ordered
|
| The L Word | 5 | 12 | | | 12 | March 23 | | | Sixth and final season ordered
|
| Tracey Ullman's State of the Union | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 5 | | March 30 | | Second season ordered
|
| The Tudors | 2 | 12 | 0 | — | 12 | | March 30 | | Third season ordered
|
| Weeds | 4 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 15 | | June 16 | | Lionsgate signed an agreement allowing production to resume early so season was not delayed.
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| Battlestar Galactica | 4 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 21 | | April 4 | Will break at planned hiatus point | Second half delayed until early 2009
|
| ECW | 2 | | | | | | | Doesn't use WGA writers so was unaffected. |
|
| Eureka | 3 | 0 | 21 | 21 | 21 | | July 29 | | Only eight episodes to air in summer rest will be delayed
|
| Flash Gordon | 1 | 22 | | | 22 | February 8 | | | Cancelled
|
| Stargate Atlantis | 4 | 20 | | | 20 | March 7 | | Almost all writers are Writers Guild of Canada members, so was unaffected. | Season Five premiered July 11
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| The Closer | 3 | 1 | | | 1 | December 3 | | | Fourth season premiered on time
|
| Saving Grace | 1 | 4 | | | 4 | December 18 | | | Second season ordered
|
| Show
| Season
| Pre-Strike
| Post Srike
| Total
| Original Order
| Last Airing
| Return
| Notes
| Post Strike
|
| The 4400 | 4 | 0 | | | 0 | | | | Canceled with probably some influence from the strike.
|
| Burn Notice | 2 | ? | ? | 13 | 13 | | July 10 | | Season was be delayed until July
|
| The Dead Zone | 6 | 0 | | | 0 | | | | Canceled with probably some influence from the strike.
|
| In Plain Sight | 1 | 12 | 0 | — | 12 | | June 1 | |
|
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | 7 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 22 | December 13 | June 8 | First half season aired as scheduled on USA and also aired on NBC. |
|
| Monk | 6 | 8 | | | 8 | February 22 | | Aired briefly on NBC in April. | Seventh season ordered
|
| Psych | 2 | 7 | | | 7 | February 15 | | Aired briefly on NBC in April. | Third season ordered
|
| The Starter Wife | 2 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10 | | October 10 | |
|
| WWE Monday Night Raw | | | | | | | | Doesn't use WGA writers, so was unaffected. |
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