Atx TV Festival announced new updates to its line-up Wednesday, including screenings of Fargo, Pretty Little Liars and the Season 3 premiere of HBO’s critically acclaimed Industry. All of these are in addition to the previously announced Suits reunion panel that’s set to take place at the annual Austin, Texas event later this spring.
Fargo creator, writer and director Noah Hawley will join for a screening of Season 5, Episode 1 (“The Tragedy of the Commons”), followed by a conversation about the overall season, which stars Juno Temple, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
More from TVLinePretty Little Liars: Summer School...
Fargo creator, writer and director Noah Hawley will join for a screening of Season 5, Episode 1 (“The Tragedy of the Commons”), followed by a conversation about the overall season, which stars Juno Temple, Jon Hamm and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
More from TVLinePretty Little Liars: Summer School...
- 3/27/2024
- by Claire Franken
- TVLine.com
The TV Academy is being slammed by the Writers Guild of America for apparently making the decision to remove the presentation of the outstanding writing for a variety series/special award from the Primetime Emmys telecast that will take place on Jan. 15, 2024.
In a missive sent on Tuesday to members of the WGA East and West, the guild’s top leadership — including WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and WGA West president Meredith Stiehm — calls the TV Academy’s move a “regrettable decision” and one “without any justification or defensible reason” which “devalues our profession.”
They go on to note that the guild has raised its objections directly with the TV Academy and is “strongly advocating to have the category remain in the primetime televised program.”
The TV Academy and its 2024 Emmys broadcasting partner Fox are presumably facing pressure to deliver higher telecast ratings by making the show shorter and...
In a missive sent on Tuesday to members of the WGA East and West, the guild’s top leadership — including WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and WGA West president Meredith Stiehm — calls the TV Academy’s move a “regrettable decision” and one “without any justification or defensible reason” which “devalues our profession.”
They go on to note that the guild has raised its objections directly with the TV Academy and is “strongly advocating to have the category remain in the primetime televised program.”
The TV Academy and its 2024 Emmys broadcasting partner Fox are presumably facing pressure to deliver higher telecast ratings by making the show shorter and...
- 11/28/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Writers Guild of America is doubling down on the Television Academy’s plans to cut the number of writing awards given out on the main Emmys telecast.
The guild has urged writers to “express your feelings” about the “regrettable” decision to remove the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series/Special from the main primetime awards.
In a memo to members, the WGA said that the TV Academy made the decision “without any justification or defensible reason.”
It comes after the Emmys unveiled the category breakdown this month. Later that day, the WGA told Deadline that the decision to reduce the number of writing categories on the main telecast from four to three was “misguided given the essential role writers play in the creative process of variety series and generating value for this industry.”
The move means that Outstanding Variety Special (Live) will return to the live telecast as Outstanding...
The guild has urged writers to “express your feelings” about the “regrettable” decision to remove the Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series/Special from the main primetime awards.
In a memo to members, the WGA said that the TV Academy made the decision “without any justification or defensible reason.”
It comes after the Emmys unveiled the category breakdown this month. Later that day, the WGA told Deadline that the decision to reduce the number of writing categories on the main telecast from four to three was “misguided given the essential role writers play in the creative process of variety series and generating value for this industry.”
The move means that Outstanding Variety Special (Live) will return to the live telecast as Outstanding...
- 11/28/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Writers Guild of America East announced Thursday that Lisa Takeuchi Cullen has officially been elected as its new president after running unopposed to succeed outgoing president Michael Winship.
Takeuchi Cullen is now the third woman and the first person of color to be elected president of WGA East. Secretary-treasurer Christopher Kyle will continue in the same position after also running unopposed.
“I am honored to become the next president of the Writers Guild of America East. Even when we negotiate a fair deal with the Hollywood studios — and it is a when, not an if — I know the fight is not over,” Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “The fight continues for all of our members, TV and screenwriters as well as journalists and podcasters, to achieve compensation commensurate to the value of our important work. The fight continues for all workers to earn a life of dignity. The fight...
Takeuchi Cullen is now the third woman and the first person of color to be elected president of WGA East. Secretary-treasurer Christopher Kyle will continue in the same position after also running unopposed.
“I am honored to become the next president of the Writers Guild of America East. Even when we negotiate a fair deal with the Hollywood studios — and it is a when, not an if — I know the fight is not over,” Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “The fight continues for all of our members, TV and screenwriters as well as journalists and podcasters, to achieve compensation commensurate to the value of our important work. The fight continues for all workers to earn a life of dignity. The fight...
- 9/21/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, running unopposed, has been elected president of the WGA East. Cullen, who until now had been VP of the guild’s Film/TV/Streaming sector, succeeds Michael Winship, who chose not to seek re-election.
In the WGA East’s other officer elections, two other candidates also ran unopposed. Chris Kyle was re-elected secretary-treasurer, and Erica Saleh, a member of the guild’s Council, will be the next VP of Film/TV/Streaming – the post previously held by Cullen.
Votes were cast by 13.3% of total eligible voters for president and secretary-treasurer.
In the guild’s other races, six Council members representing the Film/TV/Streaming sector also elected: Sofia Alvarez, incumbent Josh Gondelman, incumbent Liz Hynes, incumbent Greg Iwinski, Sarah Montana, and incumbent Sasha Stewart.
Three candidates were also elected to the Council representing the Online Media sector: incumbent Caitlin Cruz, Sie Morley, and Samantha Smylie.
In Film/TV/Streaming,...
In the WGA East’s other officer elections, two other candidates also ran unopposed. Chris Kyle was re-elected secretary-treasurer, and Erica Saleh, a member of the guild’s Council, will be the next VP of Film/TV/Streaming – the post previously held by Cullen.
Votes were cast by 13.3% of total eligible voters for president and secretary-treasurer.
In the guild’s other races, six Council members representing the Film/TV/Streaming sector also elected: Sofia Alvarez, incumbent Josh Gondelman, incumbent Liz Hynes, incumbent Greg Iwinski, Sarah Montana, and incumbent Sasha Stewart.
Three candidates were also elected to the Council representing the Online Media sector: incumbent Caitlin Cruz, Sie Morley, and Samantha Smylie.
In Film/TV/Streaming,...
- 9/21/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
The Writers Guild of America East (Wgae) members have elected Lisa Takeuchi Cullen as its new president. Cullen, who was an unopposed candidate for the posititon, takes over for outgoing president Michael Winship, who announced his decision to not seek reelection of his longtime post over the summer.
“I am honored to become the next President of the Writers Guild of America East,” Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “Even when we negotiate a fair deal with the Hollywood studios — and it is a when, not an if — I know the fight is not over. The fight continues for all of our members, TV and screenwriters as well as journalists and podcasters, to achieve compensation commensurate to the value of our important work. The fight continues for all workers to earn a life of dignity. The fight continues for all labor to put human rights over corporate profits. As the...
“I am honored to become the next President of the Writers Guild of America East,” Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. “Even when we negotiate a fair deal with the Hollywood studios — and it is a when, not an if — I know the fight is not over. The fight continues for all of our members, TV and screenwriters as well as journalists and podcasters, to achieve compensation commensurate to the value of our important work. The fight continues for all workers to earn a life of dignity. The fight continues for all labor to put human rights over corporate profits. As the...
- 9/21/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
The Writers Guild of America East has re-elected a host of incumbents and two new leaders in film, television and streaming in its latest council election.
After running unopposed, current vp for film/TV/streaming Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is ascending into the president’s seat after current president Michael Winship decided not to run for re-election. She will be joined by incumbent secretary-treasurer Christopher Kyle, who is retaining the role, and Erica Saleh, a sitting council member who has been elected to the role of vp for film/TV/streaming; both ran unopposed.
Out of the 12 candidates who ran for council seats in the film/TV/streaming sector, six were elected, including incumbents Josh Gondelman, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski and Sasha Stewart and new candidates Sofia Alvarez and Sarah Montana. The new leaders’ terms begin Friday.
Takeuchi Cullen noted in a statement Thursday that she is the first woman of...
After running unopposed, current vp for film/TV/streaming Lisa Takeuchi Cullen is ascending into the president’s seat after current president Michael Winship decided not to run for re-election. She will be joined by incumbent secretary-treasurer Christopher Kyle, who is retaining the role, and Erica Saleh, a sitting council member who has been elected to the role of vp for film/TV/streaming; both ran unopposed.
Out of the 12 candidates who ran for council seats in the film/TV/streaming sector, six were elected, including incumbents Josh Gondelman, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski and Sasha Stewart and new candidates Sofia Alvarez and Sarah Montana. The new leaders’ terms begin Friday.
Takeuchi Cullen noted in a statement Thursday that she is the first woman of...
- 9/21/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Drew Barrymore tearfully apologized for bringing her daytime TV talk show back amidst the ongoing writers and actors strikes, explaining why she was going ahead with the plan despite fierce criticism from various parties, including her own picketing writers.
In a video shared on Instagram, Barrymore said, “I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it Ok.” She went on to reiterate her desire to “own a decision” and “take full responsibility for my actions,” before also acknowledging: “I know there is just...
In a video shared on Instagram, Barrymore said, “I believe there’s nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it Ok.” She went on to reiterate her desire to “own a decision” and “take full responsibility for my actions,” before also acknowledging: “I know there is just...
- 9/15/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
As ticket-holders for The Drew Barrymore Show lined up along the CBS Broadcast Center entrance Tuesday, Writers Guild of America members and Barrymore’s three co-head writers circled the block chanting and cheering in protest. According to the WGA, the daytime talk show is “a WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers,” making Barrymore’s decision to resume filming her show amid the writers’ strike “in violation of WGA strike rules.” The Drew Barrymore Show plans to debut its fourth season on Sept. 18.
Although other...
Although other...
- 9/13/2023
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver are launching a limited podcast series about their experiences navigating the writers and actors strike.
The group, who were some of the first to down tools when the WGA called its strike in early May, are launching Strike Force Five on Spotify.
The proceeds from the show, which launches on August 30 and is sponsored by Mint Mobile and Diageo, will go to out-of-work late-night staff from their shows.
Related: Craig Ferguson Urges Studios To “Make A Deal” To Fix “Horribly Unfair” System
It is the latest venture by the hosts of The Late Show, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night and Last Week Tonight to help those affected by the strikes. The group have regularly provided treats, including ice cream and lunches, to those on the picket lines and many of them were paying out of pocket...
The group, who were some of the first to down tools when the WGA called its strike in early May, are launching Strike Force Five on Spotify.
The proceeds from the show, which launches on August 30 and is sponsored by Mint Mobile and Diageo, will go to out-of-work late-night staff from their shows.
Related: Craig Ferguson Urges Studios To “Make A Deal” To Fix “Horribly Unfair” System
It is the latest venture by the hosts of The Late Show, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night and Last Week Tonight to help those affected by the strikes. The group have regularly provided treats, including ice cream and lunches, to those on the picket lines and many of them were paying out of pocket...
- 8/29/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The ongoing writers strike is taking center stage in the WGA East’s officer and Council elections. In their official candidate statements, released today, they all pledged their support for the strike, vowing to remain on the picket line until a fair contract is achieved. The strike, which began May 2 and is now in its 114th day.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, who is running unopposed to be the guild’s next president, said that she will lead the guild “over the finish line in our epic battle for fair pay,” and that “We will not give up. We will not give in.”
As the current vice president of the guild’s Film, Television and Streaming sector, Cullen wrote that “This strike has meant nonstop, round-the-clock talking with members, meeting with staff, leading committees and coordinating with sister Guilds, politicians and non-members. But I burst with pride at our heroic army of...
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, who is running unopposed to be the guild’s next president, said that she will lead the guild “over the finish line in our epic battle for fair pay,” and that “We will not give up. We will not give in.”
As the current vice president of the guild’s Film, Television and Streaming sector, Cullen wrote that “This strike has meant nonstop, round-the-clock talking with members, meeting with staff, leading committees and coordinating with sister Guilds, politicians and non-members. But I burst with pride at our heroic army of...
- 8/23/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Writers Guild of America East leadership has touched down in Los Angeles for meetings to review the counter-offer by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers furnished on Aug. 11, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The WGA and the AMPTP are set to meet Tuesday, Aug. 15.
On Friday, the AMPTP presented its latest counter-proposal to the writers’ union. The guild told its members that night that it would “evaluate their offer” and present their response this week.
It’s not unusual for leaders of the eastern branch to join their West Coast counterparts during a strike — president Michael Winship has previously told THR that during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, as president of the eastern branch of the union, he flew out to L.A. every few weeks — but it does suggest that the talks have gotten more serious in recent days.
Neither branch of the Writers Guild of America responded...
On Friday, the AMPTP presented its latest counter-proposal to the writers’ union. The guild told its members that night that it would “evaluate their offer” and present their response this week.
It’s not unusual for leaders of the eastern branch to join their West Coast counterparts during a strike — president Michael Winship has previously told THR that during the 2007-08 writers’ strike, as president of the eastern branch of the union, he flew out to L.A. every few weeks — but it does suggest that the talks have gotten more serious in recent days.
Neither branch of the Writers Guild of America responded...
- 8/15/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny and Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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Bipoc late-night and variety show writers say the lack of diversity on-screen and behind it is due to a lack of chances and opportunity given to people of color.
“If you look at traditionally… the hosts that we remember a lot, the ones from those 11:30 p.m. 12:30 a.m. shows, they got so many chances,” Greg Iwinski, who has written for Comedy Central’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and CBS’ “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” said Thursday during TheWrap’s strike roundtable, “Bipoc Late-Night and Variety Writers Speak Out.”
“But if you’re a person of color, it’s like, ‘Here are six episodes, each year that we’re going to call a season. So you have six half-hours,’” Iwinski continued. “And [executives] are saying, ‘Well, if [hosts of color] can...
Bipoc late-night and variety show writers say the lack of diversity on-screen and behind it is due to a lack of chances and opportunity given to people of color.
“If you look at traditionally… the hosts that we remember a lot, the ones from those 11:30 p.m. 12:30 a.m. shows, they got so many chances,” Greg Iwinski, who has written for Comedy Central’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and CBS’ “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” said Thursday during TheWrap’s strike roundtable, “Bipoc Late-Night and Variety Writers Speak Out.”
“But if you’re a person of color, it’s like, ‘Here are six episodes, each year that we’re going to call a season. So you have six half-hours,’” Iwinski continued. “And [executives] are saying, ‘Well, if [hosts of color] can...
- 8/11/2023
- by Raquel 'Rocky' Harris
- The Wrap
TV late-night comedy scribe Greg Iwinski, 38, was still only an aspiring writer when Hollywood writers held their landmark strike in 2007-2008.
But as he manned the picket lines Wednesday — the day the current strike hit its 100th day, matching the length of the previous one — he was keenly aware of all the history involved.
“I got a residual check yesterday for a show I worked on, because people went on strike in 1960, before I was even born,” he said. “And so knowing that we could be doing that for people 60 years from now is incredibly motivating.”
And yes, said Iwinski, who has written for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” and other shows, 100 days is a long time — but he is prepared to strike as long as it takes.
Read More: Marvel’s VFX Workers Vote To Unionize: Report
“Today is our 100th day...
But as he manned the picket lines Wednesday — the day the current strike hit its 100th day, matching the length of the previous one — he was keenly aware of all the history involved.
“I got a residual check yesterday for a show I worked on, because people went on strike in 1960, before I was even born,” he said. “And so knowing that we could be doing that for people 60 years from now is incredibly motivating.”
And yes, said Iwinski, who has written for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” and other shows, 100 days is a long time — but he is prepared to strike as long as it takes.
Read More: Marvel’s VFX Workers Vote To Unionize: Report
“Today is our 100th day...
- 8/9/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
As writers hit 100 days of being on strike, members approached the milestone with a large degree of resolve and enthusiasm, with some anger and questions simmering underneath.
The picket line outside the Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices near Union Square was one of the largest seen in New York since the start of the Writers Guild of America strike on May 2. The WGA received more than 700 RSVPs just from its own members, but SAG-AFTRA members were also on the lines as were IATSE members, Local 802 musicians and more.
A Local 802 band and a drumline of all women, trans and non-binary musicians accompanied the picketers circling around the block. Local elected officials, including New York City comptroller Brad Lander and New York state senator Kristen S. Gonzalez, were in attendance as well as Rebecca Damon, executive director of SAG-AFTRA’s New York local, as well as big-name actors such as Richard Gere and Bob Odenkirk.
The picket line outside the Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery offices near Union Square was one of the largest seen in New York since the start of the Writers Guild of America strike on May 2. The WGA received more than 700 RSVPs just from its own members, but SAG-AFTRA members were also on the lines as were IATSE members, Local 802 musicians and more.
A Local 802 band and a drumline of all women, trans and non-binary musicians accompanied the picketers circling around the block. Local elected officials, including New York City comptroller Brad Lander and New York state senator Kristen S. Gonzalez, were in attendance as well as Rebecca Damon, executive director of SAG-AFTRA’s New York local, as well as big-name actors such as Richard Gere and Bob Odenkirk.
- 8/9/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen will be the next president of the WGA East, succeeding Michael Winship, who is not seeking re-election.
Cullen, who is running unopposed in the guild’s upcoming elections, will be its third female president and the first person of color to hold the post, starting next month. She currently serves as VP of the guild’s Film/TV/Streaming sector.
Winship said in a statement today that his decision not to run again “was made right from the start two years ago when I was asked to return to the presidency. Despite having already served five terms as president, from 2007-2017, I agreed to run again in 2021 to help work out issues the guild was facing in terms of constitutional revisions and other membership concerns, but I did say then that it only would be for two years.”
Takeuchi Cullen’s bio on the guild’s website...
Cullen, who is running unopposed in the guild’s upcoming elections, will be its third female president and the first person of color to hold the post, starting next month. She currently serves as VP of the guild’s Film/TV/Streaming sector.
Winship said in a statement today that his decision not to run again “was made right from the start two years ago when I was asked to return to the presidency. Despite having already served five terms as president, from 2007-2017, I agreed to run again in 2021 to help work out issues the guild was facing in terms of constitutional revisions and other membership concerns, but I did say then that it only would be for two years.”
Takeuchi Cullen’s bio on the guild’s website...
- 8/1/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
WGA East president Michael Winship will not be seeking re-election amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
“This is a decision that was made right from the start two years ago when I was asked to return to the presidency,” Winship said in a statement sent to guild members Tuesday, just as Wgae revealed the candidates up for officer seats in its upcoming council election this September. “Despite having already served five terms as president, from 2007-2017, I agreed to run again in 2021 to help work out issues the guild was facing in terms of constitutional revisions and other membership concerns, but I did say then that it only would be for two years.”
Per Winship, “This is not a choice that was made lightly, but I have been a member of this union for more than four decades and active in our work for nearly all of them. Now...
“This is a decision that was made right from the start two years ago when I was asked to return to the presidency,” Winship said in a statement sent to guild members Tuesday, just as Wgae revealed the candidates up for officer seats in its upcoming council election this September. “Despite having already served five terms as president, from 2007-2017, I agreed to run again in 2021 to help work out issues the guild was facing in terms of constitutional revisions and other membership concerns, but I did say then that it only would be for two years.”
Per Winship, “This is not a choice that was made lightly, but I have been a member of this union for more than four decades and active in our work for nearly all of them. Now...
- 8/1/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Writers Guild of America East President Michael Winship will step down from his post in September despite the union’s ongoing strike against Hollywood studios.
Winship, who previously led the union from 2007-2017, said Tuesday in a letter to union members that his name does not appear on the list of candidates for this year’s upcoming elections because he intends to stick with the pledge he made when he returned in 2021 and only serve two years.
“This is not a choice that was made lightly, but I have been a member of this union for more than four decades and active in our work for nearly all of them,” Winship wrote. “Now the time has come for me to pass responsibility to the new generation of Guild members and the elected council.”
The news came as the candidates for the next vote were announced, with only Lisa Takeuchi Cullen,...
Winship, who previously led the union from 2007-2017, said Tuesday in a letter to union members that his name does not appear on the list of candidates for this year’s upcoming elections because he intends to stick with the pledge he made when he returned in 2021 and only serve two years.
“This is not a choice that was made lightly, but I have been a member of this union for more than four decades and active in our work for nearly all of them,” Winship wrote. “Now the time has come for me to pass responsibility to the new generation of Guild members and the elected council.”
The news came as the candidates for the next vote were announced, with only Lisa Takeuchi Cullen,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Eileen AJ Connelly
- The Wrap
As Marty Walsh, the former labor secretary under President Biden and current executive director of the NHL Players Association, took the microphone, he grinned at the CBS Broadcast Center behind him.
“Let’s make sure we give them something to talk about in the boardroom today,” Walsh said to a roaring crowd.
That was the tone of the WGA’s sports solidarity strike, a distinct event during which members of some of the biggest unions in the sports world came out to show their support to Hollywood’s two ongoing strikes.
Later, Walsh assured TheWrap that both he and the NHL Players Association stood with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. “I think a lot of times, if you’re on strike, you’re thinking you’re alone, and you’re not. You have a lot of other union members around the country who support you,” Walsh told TheWrap. ” I’m asking [for the AMPTP] to get to the table,...
“Let’s make sure we give them something to talk about in the boardroom today,” Walsh said to a roaring crowd.
That was the tone of the WGA’s sports solidarity strike, a distinct event during which members of some of the biggest unions in the sports world came out to show their support to Hollywood’s two ongoing strikes.
Later, Walsh assured TheWrap that both he and the NHL Players Association stood with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. “I think a lot of times, if you’re on strike, you’re thinking you’re alone, and you’re not. You have a lot of other union members around the country who support you,” Walsh told TheWrap. ” I’m asking [for the AMPTP] to get to the table,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
The hand-drawn picket signs were, like several of the people carrying them, wrapped in waterproof plastic at a rain-soaked march in New York City on Tuesday afternoon. But a passer-by could still see the images: Bender, the cranky robot from Futurama; BoJack, the half-equine hero of BoJack Horseman; Courage, the pink-hued canine star of Courage the Cowardly Dog; and several more beloved cartoon and animation characters going back the original, Mickey Mouse.
The sky opened up on a Writers Guild of America’s march celebrating animation writers, but the toon-themed demonstration with about four dozen picketers outside the Manhattan offices of Warner Bros. Discovery went on right through the deluge. Naveh Halperin, aka DJ Subway, provided weather-themed tunes, and there was free ice cream being served from under a tent by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert.
Colbert told Deadline that he was at the rally to lend support to striking writers,...
The sky opened up on a Writers Guild of America’s march celebrating animation writers, but the toon-themed demonstration with about four dozen picketers outside the Manhattan offices of Warner Bros. Discovery went on right through the deluge. Naveh Halperin, aka DJ Subway, provided weather-themed tunes, and there was free ice cream being served from under a tent by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert.
Colbert told Deadline that he was at the rally to lend support to striking writers,...
- 7/26/2023
- by Sean Piccoli
- Deadline Film + TV
Late-night comedy writers are facing “oblivion” if the Writers Guild loses its eight-week-old strike, according to late-night comedy writer and WGA negotiating committee member Greg Iwinski, a former writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
“Friends (and sometimes reporters) ask me why the writers are still so fired up, so visible and so united two months into the strike, and my answer is easy: When the alternative is oblivion, what else can you do but fight like hell?” he said in a message sent to guild members today, the 57th day of the walkout. And sure, comedians are prone to hyperbole, but oblivion is what late-night writers are facing without a victory in this contract.”
Iwinski, who hosts a weekly, all-volunteer, YouTube Channel comedy show about the strike – which is perfectly legal under the WGA’s strike rules – wrote:
“A key fight...
“Friends (and sometimes reporters) ask me why the writers are still so fired up, so visible and so united two months into the strike, and my answer is easy: When the alternative is oblivion, what else can you do but fight like hell?” he said in a message sent to guild members today, the 57th day of the walkout. And sure, comedians are prone to hyperbole, but oblivion is what late-night writers are facing without a victory in this contract.”
Iwinski, who hosts a weekly, all-volunteer, YouTube Channel comedy show about the strike – which is perfectly legal under the WGA’s strike rules – wrote:
“A key fight...
- 6/27/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Late-night comedy has been in reruns, or off the air entirely, since day one of the Writers Guild’s strike. But many of their current and former writers have banded together to put on a weekly YouTube show called Contract Tk that satirizes the news, lampoons the company bosses, and promotes the goals of the strike, which is now in its 38th day.
Host Greg Iwinski, a former writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, opened tonight’s episode with a reference to the apocalyptic air quality conditions blanketing the East Coast. “Hi! I’m Greg Iwinski, coming to you from New York City, sponsored by Bladerunner.”
When the show was launched four weeks ago, he told Deadline – in all seriousness – that the issues at stake in the strike are “existential” for late-night comedy writers. “As the studios continue to move into streaming,...
Host Greg Iwinski, a former writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, opened tonight’s episode with a reference to the apocalyptic air quality conditions blanketing the East Coast. “Hi! I’m Greg Iwinski, coming to you from New York City, sponsored by Bladerunner.”
When the show was launched four weeks ago, he told Deadline – in all seriousness – that the issues at stake in the strike are “existential” for late-night comedy writers. “As the studios continue to move into streaming,...
- 6/9/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Production on the Peacock series Hysteria! starring Julie Bowen and Anna Camp has shut down production in Atlanta for the remainder of the WGA writers strike.
Deadline understands the WGA picket line was respected by Teamsters and IATSE early Monday morning, the 35th day of the strike.
While production shutdowns have become a regular occurrence in New York and Los Angeles as a result of picketing by striking writers, this is believed to be the first series to suspend filming in Atlanta. WGA East and West members are organizing in key cities outside of New York City and Los Angeles to help set up pickets with local members where productions have expanded in recent years, including Atlanta and Albuquerque.
Created by Matthew Scott Kane who writes and executive produces and co-showruns alongside David A. Goodman, former WGA President who is a co-chair of the negotiating committee. Hysteria! explores America’s...
Deadline understands the WGA picket line was respected by Teamsters and IATSE early Monday morning, the 35th day of the strike.
While production shutdowns have become a regular occurrence in New York and Los Angeles as a result of picketing by striking writers, this is believed to be the first series to suspend filming in Atlanta. WGA East and West members are organizing in key cities outside of New York City and Los Angeles to help set up pickets with local members where productions have expanded in recent years, including Atlanta and Albuquerque.
Created by Matthew Scott Kane who writes and executive produces and co-showruns alongside David A. Goodman, former WGA President who is a co-chair of the negotiating committee. Hysteria! explores America’s...
- 6/6/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Fifteen minutes before showtime, the crowd at Austin’s Stateside Theater was negligible. A few Atx TV Festival patrons were sprinkled throughout the theater, but the priority access and badge-holder lines amounted to just a few dozen fans. Soon, four WGA members would take the stage to explain why their guild was striking and detail the issues at stake — issues many consider to be a tipping point for the future of television.
But… it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. The festival, now in its twelfth season, is known for hosting major premieres and popular reunions. Panels break down various TV professions and topics, from discussions with casting directors to best practices for a safe production, but they’re often held in smaller venues or bolstered by high-profile talent. Would the same people who traveled to Austin for a “Cheers” reunion or the first look at “Justified: City Primeval” fill a...
But… it was a sunny Saturday afternoon. The festival, now in its twelfth season, is known for hosting major premieres and popular reunions. Panels break down various TV professions and topics, from discussions with casting directors to best practices for a safe production, but they’re often held in smaller venues or bolstered by high-profile talent. Would the same people who traveled to Austin for a “Cheers” reunion or the first look at “Justified: City Primeval” fill a...
- 6/5/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
The voice of the WGA was represented loudly in Austin at the Atx TV Festival with various panels informing attendees about the issues of most importance to writers in the stalled negotiations with studios, like AI and staffing minimums—a set minimum number of writers that a series has to employ—as well as why production shutdowns during the ongoing strike are an important part of their fight for a fair deal.
On Saturday, Deadline spoke with WGA negotiating committee member Greg Iwinski following his discussion of the writers strike alongside Julie Plec and Zoanne Clack on a panel hosted at Stateside at the Paramount. Iwinski has been a writer on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Deadline: There have been questions regarding the need for production shutdowns. Can you share why this is important?
Greg Iwinski: Nobody is happy or enjoys...
On Saturday, Deadline spoke with WGA negotiating committee member Greg Iwinski following his discussion of the writers strike alongside Julie Plec and Zoanne Clack on a panel hosted at Stateside at the Paramount. Iwinski has been a writer on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Deadline: There have been questions regarding the need for production shutdowns. Can you share why this is important?
Greg Iwinski: Nobody is happy or enjoys...
- 6/4/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
It's been more than a month now since the thousands-strong membership of the Writers Guild of America has taken to the streets in support of fair pay and treatment for TV and film writers. The list of negotiation points the group is fighting for includes better streaming residuals, an end to financially unsustainable mini-rooms, and concrete limitations on the usage of artificial intelligence tools in scriptwriting.
It's that final point that has perhaps made the most headlines during the course of the ongoing strike, as the WGA seems to be one of the first major unions in America attempting to curb the rising A.I. takeover that seems to be a threat to real human jobs.
Today in Austin, WGA leaders spoke at Atx TV Festival for a panel called "WGA on Strike." /Film's Ryan Scott was in attendance as former WGA East President and "House of Cards" creator Beau Willimon...
It's that final point that has perhaps made the most headlines during the course of the ongoing strike, as the WGA seems to be one of the first major unions in America attempting to curb the rising A.I. takeover that seems to be a threat to real human jobs.
Today in Austin, WGA leaders spoke at Atx TV Festival for a panel called "WGA on Strike." /Film's Ryan Scott was in attendance as former WGA East President and "House of Cards" creator Beau Willimon...
- 6/3/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Zoanne Clack, Greg Iwinski and Julie Plec sat down with their fellow writer Beau Willimon for an Atx Television Festival panel to discuss this year’s writers strike and how it’s different than previous ones.
“Back then, we were nervous about what was ahead,” said Plec, who created Vampire Diaries and its spinoffs The Originals and Legacies. “We were concerned about what we saw coming down the pipeline. There was an intangibility to that concern [that] turned out to be quite prescient and, ultimately, catastrophically accurate.”
This time around, Plec explained writers are striking because they’re upset and then took a moment to point out that she has reaped the benefits of a successful career, so she’s speaking on behalf of people who helped her get to this point in her career.
“I’m talking on behalf of, or in the spirit of, the people who struck in...
“Back then, we were nervous about what was ahead,” said Plec, who created Vampire Diaries and its spinoffs The Originals and Legacies. “We were concerned about what we saw coming down the pipeline. There was an intangibility to that concern [that] turned out to be quite prescient and, ultimately, catastrophically accurate.”
This time around, Plec explained writers are striking because they’re upset and then took a moment to point out that she has reaped the benefits of a successful career, so she’s speaking on behalf of people who helped her get to this point in her career.
“I’m talking on behalf of, or in the spirit of, the people who struck in...
- 6/3/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Once the writers guild strike began, the Atx TV Festival had to change up many elements of its lineup. Specifically, they added a panel specifically about the strike, which began in May.
On Saturday, Beau Willimon, the former president of the Writers Guild of America, East, moderated a conversation between WGA West’s Zoanne Clack and Julie Plec and WGA East’s Greg Iwinski, who is on the negotiating committee.
“We did not focus group. We did not go in and ask a management company what we should be asking for,” Iwinski, who has written on “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” said at the top, explaining that they asked the 11,000 members what they were asking for and received 7,000 surveys back. “We brought these arguments to the studios and presented our solutions. And I had gone in with the expectation that it would be a very difficult negotiation,...
On Saturday, Beau Willimon, the former president of the Writers Guild of America, East, moderated a conversation between WGA West’s Zoanne Clack and Julie Plec and WGA East’s Greg Iwinski, who is on the negotiating committee.
“We did not focus group. We did not go in and ask a management company what we should be asking for,” Iwinski, who has written on “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” said at the top, explaining that they asked the 11,000 members what they were asking for and received 7,000 surveys back. “We brought these arguments to the studios and presented our solutions. And I had gone in with the expectation that it would be a very difficult negotiation,...
- 6/3/2023
- by Emily Longeretta and Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
A group of high-profile writers including Julie Plec and new Station 19 showrunner Zoanne Clack opened up about the WGA strike and the main issues surrounding the walkout at the Atx Television Festival.
“We’re mad,” said the The Vampire Diaries co-creator, who was speaking at the panel session alongside Clack, Greg Iwinski, who has written on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and moderator Beau Willimon, who developed Netflix’s House of Cards. Damon Lindelof was originally intended to be on the panel but was a no-show.
“The lack of care for the artists and content creators has reached a breaking point. Before we didn’t have the support of other unions but now everyone is as mad as we are. We have this community of raw anger, there’s an enemy in this and it’s not us. The second thing is god bless them,...
“We’re mad,” said the The Vampire Diaries co-creator, who was speaking at the panel session alongside Clack, Greg Iwinski, who has written on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and moderator Beau Willimon, who developed Netflix’s House of Cards. Damon Lindelof was originally intended to be on the panel but was a no-show.
“The lack of care for the artists and content creators has reached a breaking point. Before we didn’t have the support of other unions but now everyone is as mad as we are. We have this community of raw anger, there’s an enemy in this and it’s not us. The second thing is god bless them,...
- 6/3/2023
- by Peter White and Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Late-night comedy shows were shut down on the very first day of the ongoing Writers Guild’s strike, but many of their now out-of-work writers are banding together to put on a weekly YouTube Channel show alternately titled “Picket Tonight” or “The Jokes You Love from the Picket Signs but We’re Saying Them Out Loud.”
“Whatever it’s called, this is where two striking WGA writers sit at a desk and tell you jokes,” said Greg Iwinski, a former writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, who co-hosted the inaugural episode along with Sasha Stewart, a former writer on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.
Lampooning studio bosses for refusing to pay writers an additional sliver of their companies’ profits, Stewart quipped, “Come on. That’s not a lot of cash. It’s what the studio heads would normally call ‘pocket yacht money.
“Whatever it’s called, this is where two striking WGA writers sit at a desk and tell you jokes,” said Greg Iwinski, a former writer for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, who co-hosted the inaugural episode along with Sasha Stewart, a former writer on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.
Lampooning studio bosses for refusing to pay writers an additional sliver of their companies’ profits, Stewart quipped, “Come on. That’s not a lot of cash. It’s what the studio heads would normally call ‘pocket yacht money.
- 5/18/2023
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Atx TV Festival adds Writers on Strike! panel (Photo Courtesy of Atx TV Festival)
The 2023 Atx TV Festival taking place June 1 -4 in Austin, Texas, has shifted its lineup to include a special WGA On Strike! panel. The just-announced addition to the festival’s schedule will feature panelists Zoanne Clack (WGA West), Greg Iwinski, Damon Lindelof (WGA West), and Julie Plec (WGA West). Beau Willimon (WGA East) is confirmed as the panel’s moderator.
“Atx TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community. It is where important conversations are had about the history and future of television in a safe and inclusive environment. We will maintain these tenets as we believe education and conversation between both Industry and Consumers are needed now more than ever,” stated Atx TV Co-Presidents and Founders Caitlin McFarland & Emily Gipson.
McFarland and Gipson continued: “There wouldn’t be television without writers. They...
The 2023 Atx TV Festival taking place June 1 -4 in Austin, Texas, has shifted its lineup to include a special WGA On Strike! panel. The just-announced addition to the festival’s schedule will feature panelists Zoanne Clack (WGA West), Greg Iwinski, Damon Lindelof (WGA West), and Julie Plec (WGA West). Beau Willimon (WGA East) is confirmed as the panel’s moderator.
“Atx TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community. It is where important conversations are had about the history and future of television in a safe and inclusive environment. We will maintain these tenets as we believe education and conversation between both Industry and Consumers are needed now more than ever,” stated Atx TV Co-Presidents and Founders Caitlin McFarland & Emily Gipson.
McFarland and Gipson continued: “There wouldn’t be television without writers. They...
- 5/17/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Atx TV Festival Adds Writers Strike Panels, Cancels ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ ‘Andor’ and More in Solidarity
The Atx TV Festival has made changes to their program amid the ongoing writers strike, including the addition of the WGA on Strike! panel of leading television writers. The conversation will address the key issues that writers are fighting for as they share why the strike matters to Hollywood and entertainment unions at large.
The panel will host Zoanne Clack (WGA West), Greg Iwinski, Damon Lindelof (WGA West) and Julie Plec (WGA West) and will be moderated by Beau Willimon (WGA East).
The festival has cancelled select programs, including “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” the “Andor” conversation with Tony Gilroy, “Tiny Beautiful Things” conversation with Liz Tigelaar and Cheryl Strayed and the “Dawson’s Creek” 25th Anniversary Screening & Conversation.
Atx offered a note on behalf of those who cancelled their programs, saying, “These members of the WGA support and believe in their series and teams, but stand with the WGA at...
The panel will host Zoanne Clack (WGA West), Greg Iwinski, Damon Lindelof (WGA West) and Julie Plec (WGA West) and will be moderated by Beau Willimon (WGA East).
The festival has cancelled select programs, including “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” the “Andor” conversation with Tony Gilroy, “Tiny Beautiful Things” conversation with Liz Tigelaar and Cheryl Strayed and the “Dawson’s Creek” 25th Anniversary Screening & Conversation.
Atx offered a note on behalf of those who cancelled their programs, saying, “These members of the WGA support and believe in their series and teams, but stand with the WGA at...
- 5/17/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
The yearly Atx Television Festival will adjust its schedule to accommodate conversations about the ongoing writers strike, some of which will replace previously announced panels. The Austin-based event runs from June 1 – 4.
The panel “WGA On Strike!” will feature a conversation between Zoanne Clack, WGA West; Greg Iwinski, WGA East, Negotiating Committee; Damon Lindelof, WGA West; Julie Plec, WGA West with Beau Willimon, WGA East serving as moderator.
Topics of discussion include fair pay, streaming residuals, artificial intelligence, the size of writers rooms and on-set experience.
Newly added panels are “Beyond the Page,” “Why Do You Write?;” “Queer Stories We Want To See” and “…The End.
“Atx TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community. It is where important conversations are had about the history and future of television in a safe and inclusive environment. We will maintain these tenants as we believe education and conversation between both...
The panel “WGA On Strike!” will feature a conversation between Zoanne Clack, WGA West; Greg Iwinski, WGA East, Negotiating Committee; Damon Lindelof, WGA West; Julie Plec, WGA West with Beau Willimon, WGA East serving as moderator.
Topics of discussion include fair pay, streaming residuals, artificial intelligence, the size of writers rooms and on-set experience.
Newly added panels are “Beyond the Page,” “Why Do You Write?;” “Queer Stories We Want To See” and “…The End.
“Atx TV Festival has always been a place of celebration and community. It is where important conversations are had about the history and future of television in a safe and inclusive environment. We will maintain these tenants as we believe education and conversation between both...
- 5/17/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2023 Atx TV Festival is hosting an unprecedented Writers Strike Conversation in support of the ongoing WGA strike.
The strike, which formally began May 2, has led to the shut down of multiple productions in solidarity with the demonstrations. The Atx TV Festival has pivoted accordingly to announce the scrapping of certain programming with writers and showrunners unable to attend under strike guidelines. However, the festival has added a WGA on Strike! program with select WGA East and West members to address the ongoing concerns.
The Atx TV Festival announced an added conversation with some of TV’s leading writers discussing the current WGA Writers Strike. The panelists will discuss first-hand the issues at stake, the changes they’re fighting for, and why the strike is necessary to safeguard the future of not just writers, but all entertainment unions and creatives, per an official press release.
“Atx TV Festival has always...
The strike, which formally began May 2, has led to the shut down of multiple productions in solidarity with the demonstrations. The Atx TV Festival has pivoted accordingly to announce the scrapping of certain programming with writers and showrunners unable to attend under strike guidelines. However, the festival has added a WGA on Strike! program with select WGA East and West members to address the ongoing concerns.
The Atx TV Festival announced an added conversation with some of TV’s leading writers discussing the current WGA Writers Strike. The panelists will discuss first-hand the issues at stake, the changes they’re fighting for, and why the strike is necessary to safeguard the future of not just writers, but all entertainment unions and creatives, per an official press release.
“Atx TV Festival has always...
- 5/17/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Atx TV Festival on Wednesday said it has added a conversation focused on the writers strike to its schedule and made other programming adjustments as result of the strike.
The “WGA on Strike!” discussion will be moderated by Beau Willimon (House of Cards, Andor), a member of the WGA East, and will feature panelists Zoanne Clack (Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19), Damon Lindelof (Mrs. Davis, Lost) and Julie Plec (Vampire Academy, The Vampire Diaries), all of whom are members of the WGA West, and Greg Iwinski (Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert), a member of the WGA East Negotiating Committee.
The official description of the panel is as follows: “With fair pay, streaming residuals, artificial intelligence, the size of writers rooms, and on-set experience all on the table, the writers of the WGA have gone pencils down for the first time in 15 years. During this...
The “WGA on Strike!” discussion will be moderated by Beau Willimon (House of Cards, Andor), a member of the WGA East, and will feature panelists Zoanne Clack (Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19), Damon Lindelof (Mrs. Davis, Lost) and Julie Plec (Vampire Academy, The Vampire Diaries), all of whom are members of the WGA West, and Greg Iwinski (Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert), a member of the WGA East Negotiating Committee.
The official description of the panel is as follows: “With fair pay, streaming residuals, artificial intelligence, the size of writers rooms, and on-set experience all on the table, the writers of the WGA have gone pencils down for the first time in 15 years. During this...
- 5/17/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I am a writer on strike right now,” mega-producer and Queen Charlotte showrunner Shonda Rhimes told an intimate crowd at the Midnight Theatre in New York on Wednesday as part of her BAFTA tribute event.
Rhimes was responding to a question from moderator and journalist Wajahat Ali, who asked if she supported striking writers and what she would say to fellow scribes who spent the last two days on the picket lines as part of the first strike in 15 years. Writers Guild of America members began striking on Tuesday after the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach a new deal by the May 1 deadline.
“I really wish that we didn’t have to be on strike, and I feel the pain of the people who are dealing with the strike, but for me, for writers to get paid for what they do in...
Rhimes was responding to a question from moderator and journalist Wajahat Ali, who asked if she supported striking writers and what she would say to fellow scribes who spent the last two days on the picket lines as part of the first strike in 15 years. Writers Guild of America members began striking on Tuesday after the guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach a new deal by the May 1 deadline.
“I really wish that we didn’t have to be on strike, and I feel the pain of the people who are dealing with the strike, but for me, for writers to get paid for what they do in...
- 5/4/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the company’s earnings call April 18, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos had said that Netflix could weather a writers strike better than others due to its large library of content.
“If there is one, we have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world. We could probably serve our members better than most,” Sarandos said at the time. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav made a similar statement about his streamers’ library.
Standing in front of Netflix’s office in Manhattan, which was picketed Wednesday by a large, roving crowd of Writers Guild of America members, stagehands from IATSE Local One, musicians from Local 802 AFM and members of SAG-AFTRA, writers expressed skepticism about that statement. Several prominent names joined the picketing lines including Cynthia Nixon, Bowen Yang, who spoke about the impact of the strike on SNL, Ilana Glazer and Jeremy O. Harris.
Greg Iwinski, a...
“If there is one, we have a large base of upcoming shows and films from around the world. We could probably serve our members better than most,” Sarandos said at the time. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav made a similar statement about his streamers’ library.
Standing in front of Netflix’s office in Manhattan, which was picketed Wednesday by a large, roving crowd of Writers Guild of America members, stagehands from IATSE Local One, musicians from Local 802 AFM and members of SAG-AFTRA, writers expressed skepticism about that statement. Several prominent names joined the picketing lines including Cynthia Nixon, Bowen Yang, who spoke about the impact of the strike on SNL, Ilana Glazer and Jeremy O. Harris.
Greg Iwinski, a...
- 5/3/2023
- by Caitlin Huston and Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
The Writers Guild of America has named its negotiating committee for the pivotal 2023 round of contract talks covering film and television projects, the first to occur since Covid-19 disrupted the last round of talks two years ago.
With WGA West executive director David Young serving as chief negotiator, the 2023 negotiating committee overseeing the WGA’s Basic Agreement will be co-chaired by former WGA West presidents David Goodman and Chris Keyser. Prominent Guild members including John August, Kay Cannon, Mike Schur, David Shore and Davis Simon will serve on the negotiating committee, as well as WGA West leaders Meredith Stiehm, Michele Mulroney and Betsy Thomas and WGA East leaders Michael Winship, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and Christopher Kyle.
Other members of the committee include WGA West board members Adam Conover, Angelina Burnett, Robb Chavis, Travis Donnelly, Ashley Gable, Eric Haywood and Nicole Yorkin and WGA...
The Writers Guild of America has named its negotiating committee for the pivotal 2023 round of contract talks covering film and television projects, the first to occur since Covid-19 disrupted the last round of talks two years ago.
With WGA West executive director David Young serving as chief negotiator, the 2023 negotiating committee overseeing the WGA’s Basic Agreement will be co-chaired by former WGA West presidents David Goodman and Chris Keyser. Prominent Guild members including John August, Kay Cannon, Mike Schur, David Shore and Davis Simon will serve on the negotiating committee, as well as WGA West leaders Meredith Stiehm, Michele Mulroney and Betsy Thomas and WGA East leaders Michael Winship, Lisa Takeuchi Cullen and Christopher Kyle.
Other members of the committee include WGA West board members Adam Conover, Angelina Burnett, Robb Chavis, Travis Donnelly, Ashley Gable, Eric Haywood and Nicole Yorkin and WGA...
- 11/7/2022
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Writers Guild of America has tapped former presidents David Goodman and Chris Keyser to co-chair the guild’s negotiating committee, leading the fight on what are sure to be difficult bargaining with Hollywood’s major players in the first half of next year.
The WGA’s master contract covering most film and TV production is set to expire on May 1. With numerous economic issues and concerns about working conditions for middle-class writers, the negotiations are expected to be intense at a time when the TV and film sectors are in the throes of a messy transition to internet-delivered content on an increasingly on-demand basis.
Goodman, a showrunner known for his work with Seth MacFarlane on “Family Guy” and “The Orville,” is revered among WGA membership for successfully waging a three-year campaign against the top talent agencies that allowed the guild to ban the practice of agencies receiving packaging fees...
The WGA’s master contract covering most film and TV production is set to expire on May 1. With numerous economic issues and concerns about working conditions for middle-class writers, the negotiations are expected to be intense at a time when the TV and film sectors are in the throes of a messy transition to internet-delivered content on an increasingly on-demand basis.
Goodman, a showrunner known for his work with Seth MacFarlane on “Family Guy” and “The Orville,” is revered among WGA membership for successfully waging a three-year campaign against the top talent agencies that allowed the guild to ban the practice of agencies receiving packaging fees...
- 11/7/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
John Oliver can’t stop winning Emmys.
HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver picked up the award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, its seventh in a row at the Creative Arts Emmys.
It beat out A Black Lady Sketch Show, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live.
Creative Arts Emmys 2022 Photos: Chip & Joanna Gaines, ‘Queer Eye’ & ‘Selling Sunset’ Stars Plus RuPaul, Simone Boseman & More
Could the win be a precursor for another win in the main late-night category next week at the Primetime Emmys? Oliver has won that category six years in a row.
The Last Week Tonight writing team that won included Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali, Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski, Ryan Ken, Mark Kramer, Sofía Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips and Chrissy Shackelford.
HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver picked up the award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, its seventh in a row at the Creative Arts Emmys.
It beat out A Black Lady Sketch Show, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live.
Creative Arts Emmys 2022 Photos: Chip & Joanna Gaines, ‘Queer Eye’ & ‘Selling Sunset’ Stars Plus RuPaul, Simone Boseman & More
Could the win be a precursor for another win in the main late-night category next week at the Primetime Emmys? Oliver has won that category six years in a row.
The Last Week Tonight writing team that won included Daniel O’Brien, Owen Parsons, Charlie Redd, Joanna Rothkopf, Seena Vali, Johnathan Appel, Ali Barthwell, Tim Carvell, Liz Hynes, Greg Iwinski, Ryan Ken, Mark Kramer, Sofía Manfredi, John Oliver, Taylor Kay Phillips and Chrissy Shackelford.
- 9/4/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Amber Ruffin Show and A Black Lady Sketch Show have both secured Emmy writing noms for the first time – noticeably helping to improve the diversity of the category.
The Peacock series and the HBO show will compete in Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series against HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and NBC’s SNL.
A somewhat curious note of this category is that Ashley Nicole Black will compete against herself, having been involved in writing on both The Amber Ruffin Show and A Black Lady Sketch Show.
It marks The Amber Ruffin Show’s first Emmy nomination since the weekly show launched last year. However, it is not Ruffin herself’s first nom, having been nominated in this category for her work, alongside her head writer Jenny Hagel, on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
The Amber Ruffin Show is...
The Peacock series and the HBO show will compete in Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series against HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and NBC’s SNL.
A somewhat curious note of this category is that Ashley Nicole Black will compete against herself, having been involved in writing on both The Amber Ruffin Show and A Black Lady Sketch Show.
It marks The Amber Ruffin Show’s first Emmy nomination since the weekly show launched last year. However, it is not Ruffin herself’s first nom, having been nominated in this category for her work, alongside her head writer Jenny Hagel, on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
The Amber Ruffin Show is...
- 7/13/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Former WGA East president Michael Winship, running unopposed, will be the guild’s next president, succeeding Beau Willimon, who’s not seeking re-election after four years in office. House of Cards creator Willimon led the guild through the WGA’s historic legal battle that reshaped the talent agency business.
Winship, an award-winning news and documentary writer, led the guild during the tumultuous 2007-08 writers strike, serving as president for five consecutive two-year terms – starting just before the strike and ending in 2017. He returned to guild politics in 2018, winning a seat on its Council. He won an Emmy and three WGA Awards writing for three different Bill Moyers shows, as well as the WGA East’s Richard B. Jablow Award for service to the guild.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, who has served on the Council since 2016 — and was last year’s recipient of the Richard B. Jablow Award — will be the guild’s next vice president.
Winship, an award-winning news and documentary writer, led the guild during the tumultuous 2007-08 writers strike, serving as president for five consecutive two-year terms – starting just before the strike and ending in 2017. He returned to guild politics in 2018, winning a seat on its Council. He won an Emmy and three WGA Awards writing for three different Bill Moyers shows, as well as the WGA East’s Richard B. Jablow Award for service to the guild.
Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, who has served on the Council since 2016 — and was last year’s recipient of the Richard B. Jablow Award — will be the guild’s next vice president.
- 6/22/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
NBC has unveiled the new class for its annual Late Night Writers Workshop. Out of a pool of 900 candidates, writers Brandon Burkhart, Gracie Canaan, Reem Edan, Kyle Harris, Emily Menez, Sam O and Kate Sisk have been named as this year’s participants for the workshop.
The new class participated in an intensive virtual five-day program that prepared them for staff writer roles on late night and sketch comedy shows. Now in its eighth year, the program helps bolster NBC’s inclusive initiatives by discovering developing late night and sketch comedy writers of diverse backgrounds.
“Over the past eight years, the Late Night Writers Workshop has made a significant impact on the late night and sketch comedy landscape. Many of our alumni now write for top shows across the industry, and we are confident this new class of talented writers will follow suit,” said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents,...
The new class participated in an intensive virtual five-day program that prepared them for staff writer roles on late night and sketch comedy shows. Now in its eighth year, the program helps bolster NBC’s inclusive initiatives by discovering developing late night and sketch comedy writers of diverse backgrounds.
“Over the past eight years, the Late Night Writers Workshop has made a significant impact on the late night and sketch comedy landscape. Many of our alumni now write for top shows across the industry, and we are confident this new class of talented writers will follow suit,” said Lisa Katz and Tracey Pakosta, Co-Presidents,...
- 8/24/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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