On May 1, 2023, at 12:01 a.m., the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) began negotiations for new contracts for writers. At 12:01 a.m. PT on Tuesday May 2, 2023, a strike went into effect because these negotiations broke down. Writers simply want to be able to make a living doing their jobs, but the major studios are refusing to budge. Streaming and artificial intelligence have drastically changed the landscape of the industry, making the current contracts archaic and outdated.
Late night television personalities Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers are showing their support for the WGA, of which they are also members. They are helping to pay their staff for part of the strike. This is a very nice and needed gesture.
Both Jimmy's and Seth's shows are paused for the moment because of the strike. This means no The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon or Late Night With Seth Meyers. Audiences might be in for a lot of very bad reality television shows.
Page Six is reporting that a source close to the situation confirmed that NBC will pay both shows' staff through the end of next week. The third week’s salary will be covered by Jimmy and Seth. Health insurance for the out-of-work staffers will be covered until September.
More from LittleThings: Seth Meyers Reveals Rihanna Bested Him On The Day Drinking Segment Of His Show
This is not the first time that Jimmy and Seth have done this. During the pandemic, the comedians also helped make sure their respective staffs were paid. They seem to value their employees.
Seth addressed the strike this week on his show. Most in the industry knew it was coming. It seemed inevitable.
“I love writing. I love writing for TV. I love writing this show. I love that we get to come in with an idea for what we want to do every day and we get to work on it all afternoon and then I have the pleasure of coming out here,” he began.
Seth agrees with the strike. “No one is entitled to a job in show business. But for those people who have a job, they are entitled to fair compensation. They are entitled to make a living. I think it’s a very reasonable demand that’s being set out by the guild. And I support those demands,” he stated.
Jimmy also supports the strike and spoke publicly about it during the Met Gala. “I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn’t for my writers, I support them all the way. I couldn’t do the show without them,” he affirmed.
It is nice to see both Seth and Jimmy practicing what they preach. They are taking care of their own. Time will tell how long this strike goes on. The last time the WGA went on strike, in 2007-2008, the strike lasted for 100 days.
