The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes are still going strong, therefore many ABC program sets, including those for Will Trent and Grey’s Anatomy, won’t be returning in the autumn.
On Thursday, ABC unveiled their autumn schedule, confirming that Dancing with the Stars will resume airing on Monday evenings, immediately followed by the premiere of The Golden Bachelor. Celebrity Jeopardy! and the ninth season of The Bachelor in Paradise will air on Tuesdays, Judge Steve Harvey and reruns of Abbott Elementary will air on Wednesdays, and Thursdays will feature a jam-packed schedule of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, Press Your Luck, and The $100,000 Pyramid. The Friday episodes of Shark Tank and 20/20 won’t change.
The timing of the returns of 9-1-1, Abbott Elementary, American Idol, The Bachelor, The Conners, The Good Doctor, Grey’s Anatomy, High Potential, Not Dead Yet, The Rookie, Station 19 and Will Trent “will be announced at a later date,” ABC said.
Since July 13, Hollywood actors represented by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) have gone on strike with WGA writers.
As streaming services have grown in popularity and its complexities have resulted in lower pay and residuals for actors, they have been looking for greater benefits and compensation packages. Additionally, the stars were striking for defense against how artificial intelligence (AI) will affect their line of work.
SAG-AFTRA members threatened to strike if an agreement on a new contract was not reached in a letter they sent to union leadership in June, pleading with them not to reach a settlement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) if their demands were not completely addressed.
The contract between SAG-AFTRA and the studios was supposed to expire on June 30 at 12 a.m. PT, but it was postponed until July 7, according to Deadline. Then, on July 12, there was a dialogue between the union and the studios; nevertheless, no new deal was reached, according to CNN.
On Wednesday, the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers began their discussions. The Los Angeles Times was informed by sources that “the sides remain far apart on key issues.”