When scripted television shows eventually return, it’s unlikely that viewers will see full seasons of the networks’ most popular series like Grey’s Anatomy, Abbott Elementary, CSI: Vegas and Dick Wolf’s One Chicago and Law & Order dramas.
Following the resolution of the WGA strike on Sept. 27, the major networks have reportedly started to intensify efforts to begin production “just in time to salvage seasons of at least 13 episodes,” according to a Nov. 3 report by Deadline.
Wolf Entertainment’s procedurals — including One Chicago (Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Chicago Med) and Law & Order (Law & Order, SVU and Organized Crime) — are allegedly aiming at producing more than 13 episodes — or possibly 15.
ABC and Warner Bros. also reportedly had a dispute over the number of episodes to produce for Abbott Elementary. ABC favored 13, while the studio advocated for 17, the report says. The Emmy-winning series’ second season earned an average of 9.1 million viewers per episode — the highest for an ABC comedy since Modern Family and The Conners.
Meanwhile, for ABC’s hit Grey’s Anatomy, episodes could get cut almost in half (along with CBS’ CSI: Vegas). The network is reportedly planning to produce a 10-episode season for Season 20. This would mark the second shortest season of Grey’s since Season 1, which had only nine episodes because the last four episodes were carried over to Season 2.
This is the second time ABC’s long-standing medical drama may face episode reductions. During the WGA strike from November 2007 to February 2008, only 16 of the 23 episodes originally slated for Season 4 of Grey’s were produced.
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva, the Co-Editor-in-Chief of TV, notes that the situation is “fluid” and can change as the SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP continue talks.
“Because things have been shifting so often, I hear networks and studios’ finance departments have been re-crunching numbers weekly — if not daily — calculating costs based on revised production start date and episode order projections,” Andreeva writes in the piece.
To make up for the shorter seasons, some established shows “could get early renewals for next season and film the two orders back-to-back, to air in midseason 2024 and fall 2024 run,” Andreeva adds.
As for the current state of negotiations between SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP — which will determine if shows can make their anticipated 2024 mid-season premiere — the actors’ union is currently reviewing the studio’s “last, best, and final offer.”
On Nov. 4, representatives from Netflix
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“We are reviewing it and considering our response within the context of the critical issues addressed in our proposals,” the statement continued from the TV/Theatrical Negotiating Committee.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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