The WGA strike is over, so it’s time to get back to work on some top-priority TV shows. Production for movies and television has been on hold for 148 days, waiting for studios to negotiate a fair deal with their writers. As of September 27, 2023, this has officially happened, so it’s likely that Hollywood will see a chaotic flurry as studios get back to some of their most significant projects.
The Writers Guild of America strike began on May 2, 2023, and required all Hollywood writers to put down their pens until union terms were met. They demanded fair wages, protection from issues surrounding AI-generated content, and better healthcare and pension contributions. They were joined by performers under SAG-AFTRA shortly after in July 2023, which meant even more production delays. Finally, those covered by the WGA have been granted far better conditions, and though SAG actors are still on strike, studios have begun to prioritize (via Variety) the TV series that need to begin production as soon as possible.
11 Grey’s Anatomy
Grey’s Anatomy is impressively going into its 20th season, proving just how popular and beloved this medical drama series is. Based on the release dates of previous seasons, this next installment should have come out around Fall 2023, but the WGA and SAG strikes made this impossible. Now that Hollywood’s writers have reached a deal, ABC will be eager to get moving on finishing up Grey’s Anatomy season 20, provided SAG can achieve something similar. If all goes well, new episodes could be seen around Spring 2024.
10 Abbott Elementary
Quinta Brunson, the creator of the mockumentary sitcom Abbott Elementary, was one of the driving voices of the WGA strike—so the recent deal is quite a victory for her. The series had been renewed for a third season early in 2023, but little more was said on the matter because of the strikes. It may be some time before production starts, especially since Abbott Elementary will have to struggle with other ABC series for soundstage space once the SAG strike has concluded. Regardless, Brunson and her team can at least hit the writers’ room and get the ball rolling.
9 9-1-1: Lone Star
9-1-1: Lone Star, a spinoff from 9-1-1, had a successful start back in 2020, and despite the difficulties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it managed to keep this going. Season 4 aired at the beginning of 2023, so audiences aren’t quite as pressed for the next installment as they are for the parent series, which was in the middle of production when the WGA strike began. However, 9-1-1: Lone Star season 5 should have started production a while ago to meet its traditional January release. Still, with Fox prioritizing this title, this next installment could reach audiences in the first quarter of 2024.
8 Law & Order
The Law & Order franchise is easily the most successful crime drama of all time, so it’s no surprise it will be a priority. Law & Order: SVU historically airs new seasons starting in September, but that certainly won’t be happening for season 25. Still, with the WGA strike ended, NBC is motivated to get this popular series rolling again. Law & Order: SVU season 25 will reportedly have fewer episodes than typical—only about 12. This should allow production to move rather quickly, so a first-quarter 2024 release could still be on the table. Law & Order: Organized Crime season 4 was renewed in July 2023, so assuming the SAG-AFTRA strike reaches a deal soon, production should begin quickly as well.
7 One Chicago
Another popular NBC franchise, One Chicago includes the series Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. All three series concluded their most recent seasons in May 2023, just before the start of the WGA strike. They historically release new seasons between September and November, but that clearly won’t be happening this time around. Now that the writers are back to work, production should begin as soon as SAG gets their deal, but since these are three separate NBC series waiting to get started, it’s likely to be a chaotic few weeks back to work.
6 FBI
FBI season 6 is another series that, though confirmed, never had the chance to go into production. Season 5 concluded in May 2023, and new seasons have historically begun in September. As another Dick Wolf project, like Law & Order and Chicago, FBI is another that is a priority for NBC, which has only managed to release new episodes of NCIS: Sydney during their 2023-2024 season. If all goes well, FBI season 6 could join Wolf’s other series for a first-quarter 2024 release.
5 House Of The Dragon
The popular Game of Thrones spinoff series, House of the Dragon, continued producing season 2 despite the WGA and SAG strikes. The script had already been completed, and since most actors are covered by a different entity than SAG-AFTRA, they were legally obligated to continue with their work. Still, this isn’t to say that WGA reaching a deal isn’t good news for the HBO series. Massive productions like House of the Dragon typically require rewrites throughout production, but the strike made this impossible. Now, the epic fantasy can fix season 2 up to perfection for the expected Summer 2024 release.
4 The Last Of Us
Based on the 2013 video game of the same name, The Last of Us saw great success when season 1 premiered in January 2023. It was renewed for season 2 after only two episodes, and audiences are already eager to see more of the story brought to life on screen. Still, HBO is notorious for taking its sweet time with productions like this (though this has been proven worth it). This means that the WGA strike shouldn’t have had too bad an impact on the release date for season 2. It’s possible that, with the number of major series HBO is prioritizing (all of which require a lot of work in post), The Last of Us season 2 will have to wait its turn, but considering its success, it should be prioritized for a 2024-2025 release.
3 The White Lotus
The White Lotus was initially meant to be a limited series, but after season 1’s success, HBO turned it into an anthology series, with each season being set at a different White Lotus resort location. This means that audiences are eager to discover where The White Lotus season 3 will take place, but there is still no news on this front, and production hadn’t had a chance to get started before the WGA strike began. However, with The White Lotus season 2 season finale garnering 2.8 million views, HBO should be very motivated to make season 3 a reality.
2 Wednesday
Wednesday is one of Netflix’s greater successes for TV, and fans have been eager for the titular Addams to return to Nevermore for season 2. Though another November release would have been preferred, this will not be possible for season 2, but the streaming platform is reportedly prioritizing Wednesday season 2 over other Netflix originals like Cobra Kai. Still, between writers balancing multiple post-strike projects and the SAG strike still ongoing (for now), we likely won’t see Wednesday Addams again until at least Spring 2024.
1 Stranger Things
Perhaps Netflix’s most popular TV project, Stranger Things is another priority for the streaming giant. Unlike the crime dramas above, this science fiction horror drama requires significant work in post, with CGI providing the backbone for the overall plot. This means that even if the writers for Stranger Things season 5 get to work immediately, and production starts as soon as the SAG actors get their deal, we are unlikely to see a premiere until sometime in 2025. This is likely why Netflix is prioritizing this hit series—the longer they wait, the older the actors will become, which will be rather tricky to explain.
