Network giants CBS and NBC Universal Studios halt production agreement with Dr. Phil, Nancy Drew, and many more amid WGA strike

In light of the ongoing WGA strike, network giants CBS and NBC Universal Studios have halted production agreements with shows like Dr. Phil, Nancy Drew, and many others. CBS shows like Dr. Phil, Kingdom Business, and Nancy Drew have been suspended, while NBC has suspended non-writing executive producer deals with Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video, as per Variety.

This news comes a week after the production studios suspended deals with producers including Greg Berlanti, Bill Lawrence, John Wells, Chuck Lorre, Mindy Kaling, and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot shingle at Warner Bros. Studios. In just the past month, many streaming platforms, including Disney+, HBO, Hulu, and others, also canceled deals with projects owing to the Writers Guild of America strike.

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The latest casualties of CBS and NBC cancellation in the wake of the WGA strike

Variety reports that a source close to CBS indicates that non-suspended deals are being explored, which include unscripted projects or those that do not involve WGA members. CBS is also covering the salaries of assistants on term deals until the end of 2023 or until the end of the strike.

NBC, on the other hand, has canceled all projects that included members unwilling to work due to the WGA strike. This included A-listers like Tina Fey and Mike Schur, whose deals were suspended long ago, as per the publication.

It is important to note that CBS and Warner Bros. are part of Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery, which are prime members of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the very organization the WGA is fighting against.

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Why is the WGA strike leading to the cancellation of several series?

The ongoing WGA strike is the primary reason for the suspension of many fan-favorite series. It began on May 2, 2023, and is still ongoing. The WGA represents 11,500 screenwriters, and the strike is a result of an ongoing labor dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). This is the largest labor strike the American film industry has witnessed.

Without screenwriters, no films or series can be produced or initiated. This strike has resulted in staff reductions, force majeure claims by studios, and has had a significant impact on several other global industries, including VFX and prop making. There are two main issues that the WGA is fighting for:

• Limited use of AI by screenwriters only for research purposes, as it has become a threat to writers in the industry.

• The increase in wages, which have remained at the same average level for about a decade.

Many stars and officials have voiced their support for the WGA strike.

On September 8, the WGA released a statement claiming that there are member companies that have expressed the "desire and willingness to negotiate an agreement that adequately addresses writers' issues." They also stated that companies are "willing to negotiate on proposals that the AMPTP has presented to the public as deal breakers."

A few hours later, the AMPTP released a statement denying this claim, and said that member companies are "aligned and are negotiating together to reach a resolution." They expressed that anything stating the contrary is "fake."