‘Jeopardy!’ Could Be in Jeopardy if Writers Strike Carries On

The Writers Guild of America strike began Tuesday, and the effect will be felt immediately with late-night talk shows shutting down production. If it continues on for weeks, the strike could also have an impact on game shows that employ union writers. That includes Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

Since Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune are both filmed months in advance, it could take a long time for the shows’ fans to see any changes. As TVLine points out, the shows could also use scripts written before the strike began. Many other game shows that do not employ writing staff will not be affected by the strike.

During the work stoppage, union members cannot write for the studios, and pitch or negotiate future work, per the WGA’s rules. They also cannot work on what was already written before the strike. In other words, if a producer wants a writer to do a re-write of a script finished before Monday, that writer can’t do it.

“If a show continues production on a script that was written before the strike, there may not be ANY ALTERATIONS to that script made by ANYONE while the WGA is on strike,” Emmy-winning writer Mike Royce explained on Twitter. “Not a word, not a comma. Changing a script is a WRITING DUTY and if it’s done by anyone other [than] a writer, it is considered – you guessed it – scabbing.”

The first shows hit by the strike are the major late-night talk shows. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Daily Show all have writers’ staffs with union writers. They all went dark on Tuesday and will air reruns in the immediate future. The May 6 episode of NBC’s Saturday Night Live was also canceled.

ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox’s scripted shows that are still airing will not be affected, at least through the end of this season. These shows have already finished filming their 2022-2023 seasons, even some that are still finishing up. Most scripted shows start work on their new seasons after Memorial Day, but that will not happen if the strike is still going on at that time. This would mean most shows wouldn’t be able to start their 2023-2024 seasons on time.

Reality shows will not be affected. The 2007-2008 writers’ strike, which lasted 100 days, played a major role in the rise of reality shows as the networks looked to fill their schedules. Therefore, shows like The Voice, Survivor, and The Masked Singer wouldn’t be postponed by the strike.