'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Production Halted After Writers Strike
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert has halted production after the Writers' Guild of America officially called for a strike, the guild's first since the 100-day walkout of 2007-08. Colbert, who taped his Late Show on Monday before the strike began, addressed the possibility of a strike in his opening monologue when he showed his support for writers by sharing a picture of the Late Show writers, noting that the long-running talk show wouldn't happen without them. Colbert also expressed his support for unions, and said while he hoped that a strike could be averted, "I also think that the writers' demands are not unreasonable."
It is unclear how long production on the talk show will be halted. Colbert was set to have Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Chita Rivera on Tuesday's show, with Chris Hayes, Zach Cherry, Michael J. Fox and Shonda Rhimes scheduled for later in the week. Amid the strike and production halt, the show will instead pivot to reruns, according to Deadline. It is unclear if the previously scheduled guests for this week will be rescheduled once production resumes.
The production halt, which is affecting numerous talk shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show, among others, comes after WGA's negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers failed to reach an agreement on a new film and scripted TV contract. Writers of television shows on both coasts are fighting to keep screenwriting as a viable profession in the streaming era, calling for more money on the front end because the back-end profit participation margins are shrinking. The WGA also asked for new language to ensure fair working conditions, increases in pension and healthcare coverage, and for contractual protections against discrimination and harassment. However, the two sides failed to reach an agreement, with talks stalling just a few hours before WGA's contract with the AMPTP expired.
"Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal – and though your strike vote gave us the leverage to make some gains – the studios' responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing," the WGA said in a message sent directly to members. "We must now exert the maximum leverage possible to get a fair contract by withholding our labor," the guild leadership added. "Members of the Negotiating Committee, Board and Council will be out with you on the picket lines."
The WGA strike officially went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, May 2. The strike marks the second strike Colbert has experienced, with the former 100-day walkout of 2007-08 occurring when Colbert was hosting The Colbert Report.