Thousands of actors are participating in the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike in LA and New York, causing significant disruption to scripted television. However, the strike has raised concerns about how it will affect unscripted series such as The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, and The Masked Singer. Network executives, producers, and agents are scrambling to assess the situation and determine the impact on these shows. Fortunately, most of these unscripted programs will be able to continue production due to a separate contract known as the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting, also known as the Network Code. This article delves into the details of this contract and its implications for unscripted television.
Unscripted Shows Covered by the Network Code
The Network Code, which covers variety shows, reality series, and game shows, is a separate agreement between SAG-AFTRA and the Big 4 broadcast networks, as well as other producers. It functions independently from the film and TV collective bargaining agreement that SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have been negotiating. Morning shows and daytime soaps also fall under this contract. As a result, the majority of unscripted shows on the fall schedules will be able to proceed with production despite the strike’s impact on scripted programming.
Impact on Specific Shows
Networks such as NBC, ABC, and Fox have expressed confidence in their ability to continue producing popular unscripted shows like America’s Got Talent, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, The Masked Singer, Celebrity Jeopardy!, and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. These shows play a crucial role in the networks’ fall schedules and will not be affected by the strike. For example, NBC’s America’s Got Talent is scheduled to film in mid-August, and The Voice will begin filming blind auditions for its 25th season later this month. Similarly, ABC expects to proceed with the production of Dancing with the Stars and other key unscripted shows. Fox will continue with The Masked Singer’s tenth season and the production of a new game show called Snake Oil, hosted by David Spade.
While the networks are handling each show on a case-by-case basis, some modifications may be necessary due to the strike. For instance, competition shows may need to prioritize athletes and musicians as contestants instead of actors who may drop out. Additionally, actors who are also members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) may feel uncomfortable continuing to work while their peers are on strike. The optics of the situation are crucial, and some actors may choose to show solidarity with their striking colleagues.
The Future of Unscripted Television
Although the strike has had minimal impact on unscripted shows thus far, there is still uncertainty regarding potential strikes by SAG-AFTRA members in solidarity. However, the good news is that unscripted programming is expected to take center stage for the broadcast networks in the foreseeable future. CBS, for example, has been preparing for a strike contingency by developing several reality shows. President and CEO George Cheeks revealed that they have about four or five reality shows in the pipeline, with the possibility of more. CBS has upcoming shows like Lotería Loca, hosted and exec produced by Jaime Camil, as well as reality remakes and new formats.
The existing unscripted hits like Survivor and The Amazing Race are not affected by the strike since their production schedules are well ahead of time due to their international nature. The Price Is Right, a popular daytime game show hosted by Drew Carey, will also resume production in August. However, certain exceptions include the pause in production of Jimmy Fallon’s Password for NBC and Mayim Bialik’s withdrawal from hosting Jeopardy! due to the WGA strike. Nevertheless, Ken Jennings has stepped in as a replacement host, and the show will resume production in August.
The Unscripted Market and the Network Code
The ongoing strike has created challenging circumstances for both scripted and unscripted television. Producers in the unscripted market have also faced layoffs and budget cuts, making it difficult to secure greenlights for new shows. However, the Network Code has provided a silver lining during this period of uncertainty in Hollywood. It ensures that unscripted shows can continue production, allowing networks to fill their schedules with these popular programs. Although the strike situation remains fluid, the industry is hopeful that unscripted television will provide stability and entertainment for viewers during this challenging time.
Lynette Rice contributed to this report.