Late-Night Television Programs to Resume Following Conclusion of Hollywood Writers’ Strike

27

Television late-night hosts have announced their intention to return to their regular programming by the coming week, restoring the stream of contemporary humor that has been absent for five months due to the recently concluded writers’ strike in Hollywood.

Bill Maher was among the first to announce his return, revealing early on Wednesday that his HBO series “Real Time with Bill Maher” would resume broadcasting this Friday. By late morning, the presenters of NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” along with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” confirmed that they would all be back on air by Monday. “Last Week Tonight” featuring John Oliver is scheduled to recommence on Sunday.

During the later phase of the strike, Fallon, Meyers, Kimmel, Colbert, and Oliver collaborated on a well-received podcast titled “Strike Force Five,” named after their personal messaging group. All revenue generated was allocated to support their unemployed writers. They declared the culmination of their “mission” on Instagram this past Wednesday.

As for other late-night offerings like “Saturday Night Live” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” their future plans remain uncertain. These programs had resorted to guest hosts during the duration of the strike.

Related Stories

• Hollywood Writers’ Strike Concludes as Guild Leaders Ratify Contract with Studios
• Imminent End to Hollywood Writers’ Strike: What Lies Ahead?

Returning to scripted television shows will necessitate a longer wait time, as actors are still on strike and negotiations are yet to be scheduled.

On the previous Tuesday evening, the board members of the writers’ union approved a contract with studio executives, partially resurrecting an industry that had been stagnant for nearly five months. Maher, along with other programs like “The Drew Barrymore Show,” “The Talk,” and “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” had postponed their returns in solidarity with the ongoing writers and actors’ strike.

The newly ratified three-year contract with studios, producers, and streaming services brings several victories in key areas that writers had been advocating for—such as compensation, employment duration, staff sizes, and governance over artificial intelligence—either meeting or coming close to their initial demands.

The union successfully negotiated for minimum wage increases and future residual income from shows, securing a raise between 3.5% and 5%—higher than what the studios had initially proposed. They also struck a deal for new residual payments that are contingent on a show’s streaming popularity, allowing writers to receive bonuses for contributing to highly-viewed shows on platforms like Netflix and Max, something the studios were initially reluctant to agree to.

In the realm of artificial intelligence, the writers secured the regulatory oversight they had been seeking. According to the new contract, AI-generated storylines will not be classified as “literary material,” ensuring that writers will not be vying with algorithms for screen credits. Nor will AI-driven narratives be deemed “source” material that writers could adapt into scripts.

Under the terms of the agreement, writers are permitted to utilize artificial intelligence in their creative process, provided their employers consent and other specified conditions are met. However, employers are not authorized to mandate the use of artificial intelligence by writers.

---

Reported by Dalton from Los Angeles.

---

For further details on the strikes involving writers and actors, please visit: https://bigbignews.net/hollywood-strikes/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hollywood writers’ strike ends

More about Hollywood writers’ strike ends

• Hollywood Writers’ Strike Concludes: What’s Next?
• Industry Impact of Hollywood Writers’ Strike
• The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Screenwriting
• Financial Aspects of Writers’ Union Contracts
• Latest Updates on Actors’ Strike and Negotiations
• Background on “Strike Force Five” Podcast
• Profiles of Late-Night TV Hosts Affected by Strike
• The Future of Scripted Television Shows Amid Strikes