The concept of Fall TV — old-fashioned, time slot-dependent programming, on the least-cool delivery platform — was on life support before the writers strike set it on fire. Now, the actors just came by with a can of kerosene.
Shortly after the writers joined the picket lines May 2, broadcast networks began to tout “strike-proof” fall schedules comprised of unscripted programming, batch-taped animation, and live sports. Those didn’t exactly hold, and now the SAG-AFTRA strike creates a fresh new headache: promotion of the product.
Come September, there will be some live-action scripted still programming available; those were in the can before WGA members took to the streets. What you will not see is the shows’ recognizable stars plugging those projects, and an affable sales pitch from a pretty face can be the difference between a flop and a hit.
Take NBC for an example, which even after Wednesday’s major schedule overhaul (CBS had a similar shakeup on Monday), still has a few scripted series banked for fall. There are new dramas “The Irrational” and “Found,” as well as the returning “Quantum Leap” and former CBS series “Magnum P.I.” The writers did their job on those already as did the directors and the editors. However, the series’ actors have performed exactly half of their duties.
Promotion starts months after an actor hits their marks and runs their lines. Networks can (and will) still market these finished shows, but SAG-AFTRA restrictions mean most stars can’t. For this story, IndieWire spoke with sources at several different broadcast nets: They’re stressed, they stressed.
“We were already at a disadvantage with the writers strike,” one source close to a broadcast network told us. “The SAG-AFTRA strike is another blow in the sense that we rely heavily on both showrunners and actors to promote and launch fall schedules, and we won’t have access to that.”
“It’s certainly not ideal,” another person in a similar position said, “but it is what it is.”
“What be interesting is what writers and talent do if prolonged strikes start impacting their bottom line, particularly those who have profit participation,” the second source said. “That’s the pain point to keep an eye on.”
In a typical run-up to the new TV season, stars of broadcast series sell their stuff at the May upfronts, when platforms pitch upcoming programming to potential advertisers. This spring, actors chose not to cross the writers’ picket line. This summer, actors have a picket line of their own. What they don’t have is the TCAs.
The Television Critics Association canceled its Summer 2023 press tour June 9 amidst the writers’ strike and lingering uncertainty surrounding the DGA (which signed a new deal with studios) and SAG-AFTRA. The twice-a-year event was traditionally a one-stop shop for series stars, creators, and executives to meet the press. In turn, reporters would bank their interviews for the fall promotional season.
As recently as just two decades ago, those events — plus an appearance on morning television and one on late-night — provided all the PR networks needed. Now we’re in an attention economy and that currency — like TV viewership itself — is far more fragmented. You’ve got to do much more to get much less.
Already, studio PR machines felt the impact of the WGA strike with late-night television on hiatus and talent refusing to cross picket lines at the May TV upfronts. And then, just when actors felt it was safe to return to the warm water of red carpets and social media, the SAG-AFTRA put everything on ice.
Some opportunities remain. The strike will gut San Diego Comic-Con 2023, but there will be screenings and activations in and around Hall H. How cosplayers will react to the production designers or music supervisors standing in for their favorite stars remains to be seen.
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