'Wheel of Fortune' Will Not Pause Production Amid Writers Strike
Editor's note: Update as of 2:50 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 3: Wheel of Fortune will not be impacted by the ongoing writers strike. The headline has been updated to reflect the change to the earlier version of this story that cited incorrect reports that the show would be impacted by the strike.
Despite reports that nightly episodes of Wheel of Fortune could grind to a halt if the Writers Guild of America's strike continues, PopCulture.com can confirm that the game show will not be impacted by the writers strike. Thousands of Hollywood writers began the strike Tuesday after the union was unable to reach a new contract with the labor group representing the major Hollywood studios, with the list of TV series impacted by the strike growing, and although some outlets reported that one of America's favorite game shows, Wheel of Fortune, could soon join the roster of shows put on hold, that is not the case.
TVLine reported that Wheel has a lot of pre-taped episodes to fall back on, meaning new episodes will continue to air on weekday evenings for at least the next several weeks, with Daily Mail also reporting that the show could eventually be forced to halt production if the strike continues into the fall. However, PopCulture can confirm that the show will not be impacted by the strike, as Wheel does not rely on WGA writers.
According to WGA rules, once a work stoppage is underway, WGA members cannot write, nor can they pitch or negotiate for work, and anything that was already written cannot be edited during production. Emmy-winning writer Mike Royce explained on Twitter that "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. 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."
As a result, a list of TV series has already been put on hold as the strike continues, with the late-night TV landscape feeling the greatest and most immediate impact. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Late Night with Seth Meyers have already paused production. Daytime talkers, however, are not as greatly impacted, as several do not employ WGA scribes. Since CBS' The Talk's staff includes WGA writers, though, the talk show has stopped production and will continue to run previously recorded fresh episodes throughout the week before moving to reruns next week. Also impacted are primetime shows including Yellowjackets, which was just a single day into the Season 3 writers' room when the strike began, and Abbott Elementary.