Late-night shows return after writers strike as actors resume talks that could end their standoff

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Late-night talk shows are making a comeback following a prolonged hiatus caused by the Hollywood writers strike. CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” and NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” were the initial casualties of the strike, which commenced on May 2. Now, these shows are among the first to return on Monday night.

Comedian John Oliver enthusiastically resumed his “Last Week Tonight” show on HBO on Sunday night, voicing strong support for the strike. He began by providing a lively recap of events from the past five months before turning more serious, characterizing the strike as “an immensely difficult time” for everyone in the industry.

“To be clear, this strike occurred for valid reasons. Workers in our industry have faced significant challenges in recent years,” Oliver stated. “So, the writers’ guild went on strike and, thankfully, emerged victorious. However, it required significant sacrifices from many individuals to achieve this.”

“I am also furious that it took the studios 148 days to agree to a deal they could have offered on day one,” Oliver expressed. He also expressed hope that the writers’ contract would serve as leverage for other entertainment industry guilds, as well as striking auto workers and employees in other sectors, to negotiate improved agreements.

Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns HBO, is one of the studios on the opposing side of the table in the writers’ and actors’ strikes.

The return of network late-night hosts is scheduled for later on Monday. Colbert will feature astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson on his first show back, while Kimmel will host Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Fallon will welcome Matthew McConaughey to his show. All of the hosts are expected to address the strike in their monologues.

“I’ll see you Monday, and every day after that!” exclaimed an enthusiastic Colbert in an Instagram video from the Ed Sullivan Theater, where he met with his writers and other staff for the first time since the spring.

During the strike, the hosts were not completely inactive and collaborated on a podcast called “Strike Force Five.”

Last week, the writers were permitted to return to work after the Writers Guild of America reached a three-year contract agreement with a coalition of the industry’s largest studios, streaming services, and production companies. Union leaders hailed the deal as a clear victory on issues such as pay, staff sizes, and the use of artificial intelligence, making the months-long hiatus worthwhile. The writers themselves will vote on the contract in a balloting process that begins on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) will initiate negotiations with the same group, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, for the first time since they joined the writers in a historic dual strike on July 14. Actors walked off the job over many of the same concerns as the writers, and SAG-AFTRA leaders indicated that they would closely examine the gains and compromises of the WGA’s deal while emphasizing that their demands would remain consistent with the strike’s outset.

Remarkably, it was only five days after the resumption of talks between writers and studios that a deal was reached, bringing an end to the strike, although an attempt to restart negotiations a month earlier had broken down after a few meetings.

Late-night shows will face substantial constraints on their guest lists. Actors who typically appear to promote projects will not be allowed if the movies and shows are affiliated with studios involved in the strikes. Nevertheless, there are exceptions, such as McConaughey, who will appear with Fallon to promote his children’s book, “Just Because.” Additionally, SAG-AFTRA has granted interim agreements allowing actors to participate in many productions, entitling them to publicly promote these projects.

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More about Late-night shows and Hollywood strike

• Hollywood Writers Strike
• John Oliver on Writers Strike
• Writers Guild of America Agreement
• Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)
• Late-night Show Returns