6 Hit Shows Delayed During the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes

Streaming network’s signature television shows have paused as actors and writers fight for fair compensation. Let’s look at some shows that will be delayed up to two to three years.

Writers and actors have been on strike for months now, pushing for fair compensation from networks, but there is yet to be an agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This leads to delays of some of the streamer’s highly anticipated shows, postponing the release of new seasons for up to two to three years.

Stranger Things – Season 5 (Netflix)

Netflix’s last season of Stranger Things was the most streamed program of 2022, according to Forbes Magazine. The show has undoubtedly accumulated a larger audience eager for the final season. 

Filming was anticipated to begin earlier this year, but the show creators, The Duffer Brothers, tweeted that they would pause production until the strike was concluded stating, “writing does not stop when filming begins,” meaning that rewrites are a necessary aspect of production.

The actor, David Harbor, who plays Jim Hopper in the series, said on the Happy Sad and Confused Podcast that he has seen multiple scripts for the show: “It’ll take a while to shoot, which will be tough since we can’t get started yet, but it is what it is.” He is impressed with the writing and states that he is excited to get started. 

Another one of the actors, Gaten Mtarazzo, stands in solidarity with the Duffer Brothers. The AFL-CIO Union posted an image of him at the picket lines.

There is no end in sight for the strikes, but Forbes Magazine estimates that the release of season five will come no sooner than the end of 2024 when these once child actors will be well into their twenties. 

Euphoria- Season 3 (MAX)

Euphoria is HBO’s second most-watched show, after Game of Thrones. The creator, writer, director, and executive producer, Sam Levinson, did not complete the scripts before the strike as he worked in post-production of his show, The Idol, which aired in June. The Head of Drama at HBO, Francesca Orsi, says that the show would ideally start shooting in 2025, but he has not picked up writing since the beginning of the strike.

The Last of Us – Season 2 (MAX)

Based on the video game of the same name, the post-apocalyptic television series, The Last of Us, succeeded in ratings, received 3 Emmy nominations, and gained over 8 million viewers by the finale. According to GQ Magazine, it was declared HBO’s best show of 2023, and a second season was immediately confirmed. But how fast did writers begin working?

The show was in the midst of writing when the strike began. The actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, even told GQ Magazine she had a chance to visit the writer’s room. However, the show’s creator, Craig Mazin, took to the picket lines once the strike was announced and halted all writing.

Forbes Magazine mentions that the strike has mainly disrupted casting since the creators wanted actors to read scenes from the sequel. Before the strike, the show was predicted to be released around two years after the first season. But it could experience another six-month or more delay depending on the progress within the strike.

Yellow Jackets – Season 3 (SHOWTIME)

The highly anticipated thriller series about teenage girls surviving in the wilderness, Yellow Jackets, is also expected to be delayed due to the strike. Writers spent one day in the writer’s room before the strike began. The show’s creator, Ashley Lyle, announced on Twitter that they will continue production once a fair deal is reached.

Lyle told Entertainment Weekly that she plans on creating five seasons for the show, and is “still on track for that.” So far, the show has only been renewed for three seasons. 

The White Lotus – Season 3 (MAX)

The season two finale of Mike White’s critically acclaimed show, The White Lotus, left fans eager for a third one. NME reports that White was concerned about his removal from the Writer’s Guild, and halted writing in solidarity with the strike. 

One of the actors from season two, Tom Hollander explains on the News Agent Podcast that, “they can’t actually shoot it, and they can’t write it, I think they know what the story is.” With the first season taking place in Hawaii and the second taking place in Sicily, the third is expected to take place in Thailand.

Severance – Season 2 (Apple TV)

The drama series, Severance,  was the last to get shut down. Production ceased in New York as members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage and Teamsters refused to cross the WGA picket lines at York studios. GQ Magazine declared the series as the “First TV Masterpiece of 2022,” earning 5 Emmy nominations and boosting Apple TV+ ratings. The entertainment journalist, Puck Matthew Belloni, explains that production had already been chaotic, leading to significant delays, and there is no set release date. 

THE OLD MAN – Season 2 (FX)

The series starring Jeff Bridges who plays an off-the-grid CIA agent shot 204 episodes before halting all production. In May, picketing took place in Santa Clarita, which is where the set is located, already pushing back production. According to Deadline, The show produced five scripts from the second season and planned to film until the 205th episode, but the last script required rewrites.

There is no foreseeable release date for the second season, but production will resume once the strike ends.

Loyal fans of TV shows are no strangers to patience when it comes to waiting on a renewed season due to the previous setbacks from the pandemic. But all of us fans will get our shows back once actors and writers receive proper compensation for their work.