Effects of writers strike on Sci Fi & Fantasy genre

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

why did you have to bring up that painful memory?

It's literally my go-to DMing move.

"Hey, remember when you failed to save that peasant you promised to help? Stuff has happened as a result of that!"

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I can't put all the blame on the Writer's Strike on the .... sudden drop in quality in Heroes. IIRC, there were some major behind the scenes drama, and no clear plan in the first place about how to continue

Yeah, the first season finale clearly was originally written with the two big powerhouses dying in battle. But then someone (the actors? the network? the showrunner?) decided they should stay, and suddenly, they had to figure out how to deal with two wildly overpowered characters now also getting plot armor.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Doctor Who will be safe!

I remember when Doctor Who was hit by BBC strikes!

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Oh boy


I mean I'm sure some people will think this might be an improvement but hahahahahaha

 

[Ryujin]

Oh boy


I mean I'm sure some people will think this might be an improvement but hahahahahaha

I predict results similar to the Robot Chicken "Lord of the Rings" sequel sketch.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Apparently they only have 19 days of shooting left so may be kind of okay, but if there's a huge drop in quality at a certain point with RoP S2 we'll know why.

 

[Parmandur]

Apparently they only have 19 days of shooting left so may be kind of okay, but if there's a huge drop in quality at a certain point with RoP S2 we'll know why.

No major script revisions were coming at 19 days,this is symbolic (which is important I'm a strike, mind you!). The episode directors and editors aren't on strike.

Any show mid production might be in big trouble, though.

 

[Stalker0]

What will be interesting if this pushes studios to take the plunge and use chat gpt more for writing work.

This has been the precarious balance of worker negotiation. You can get better conditions, but push too hard and it makes it economical to automate you out.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

No major script revisions were coming at 19 days

But dialogue usually needs polishing.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

No major script revisions were coming at 19 days,this is symbolic (which is important I'm a strike, mind you!). The episode directors and editors aren't on strike.

Any show mid production might be in big trouble, though.

Not always. The reason you bring writers to the set isn't for major script revisions, it's for the touch-ups and other issues that you only see when people are actually reciting the lines in context. It might not make a huge difference, but it can be quite a difference.

As for the strike - this is huge. As others have alluded to, the last time we had a major one was 2007-08, and that caused a lot of issues. Most studios have been preparing for this for a while and have tried to get as much content as possible before the strike ... but if this lingers for a few months (and predictions currently are that it will go through the summer at least unless there is a breakthrough) then we will see the production chain start to breakdown and the firehose of content diminish.

And you are completely right- shows that are mid-production will be in big trouble. Not to mention shows that were on the cusp of renewal or cancellation (Shadow & Bone?).