Fran Drescher holds Hollywood hostage: On Sunday night, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached a tentative deal with studios and streaming platforms, likely ending the 146-day strike that has brought new TV and movies to a halt. The WGA has won many concessions, like an increased rate for residuals—payments provided when a show is re-aired or, nowadays, placed on a streaming platform—and regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the writing process. But unless the actors union, SAG-AFTRA, also reaches a deal (negotiations are being helmed by Fran Drescher, star of The Nanny and apparently a formidable negotiator), Hollywood will continue to be roiled by strikes.
Over the next few days, nearly 12,000 WGA members will vote on the deal, which includes minimum staffing requirements for writers rooms, higher compensation for residuals, and limits on the use of AI-written scripts. If the 2007 strike previewed issues that arose from the shift to streaming, the 2023 strike can be considered a preview of threats presented by AI.
