Late-Night Shows Set to Return Soon as Writers and Studios Strike a Deal

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is close to a deal to end the strike, and late-night talk shows will reportedly be the first to return. The WGA sent a memo to its members on Sunday night revealing that deal is close at hand, and according to a report by Deadline the talk shows are already in the process of starting back up. Insiders said that some shows may be back on the air within days of the strike being over.

The broadcast talk shows including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers have been off the air since May when the WGA went on strike. They shut down abruptly and served as one of the most noticeable signs of the strike throughout the summer since network TV was in its off-season anyway. After nearly five months, the guild has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) which represents the studios, and the talk shows may be able to get back to work just as quickly.

Here’s the #WGA member email in its entirety: pic.twitter.com/Ma8NS7tqxd

— Eric Haywood (@EricHaywood) September 25, 2023

There is a long administrative process ahead for ending the strike even once a deal has been reached. The WGA Board and Council will then need to lift the restraining order, allowing the writers to get back to work on late-night shows. At that point, the crew members can return to work and get production up and running as fast as possible. Sources say it could be done as quickly as a few days – much faster than other shows will return.

For one thing, other shows will need to wait for the SAG-AFTRA strike to be resolved so that actors can go back to work. Late-night shows are not considered struck under the SAG-AFTRA rules, but members are not likely to be prominent guests as long as they are still on strike. The rules prevent actors from promoting any struck work, which could severely limit their talking points.

There's also the issue of solidarity, as many WGA members on social media say they intend to continue picketing with SAG-AFTRA and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) who are still on strike. However, some pundits speculate that those strikes will be resolved quickly since the WGA has reached a deal. The studios may be anxious to get back to work as well.

There's no word yet on when the late-night shows might return – or when the deal between the WGA and AMPTP might be finalized, for that matter. For now, the major late-night hosts continue to host their limited-run podcast Strike Force Five on Spotify.