Bold & Beautiful, Young & Restless, General Hospital Threatened by SAG Strike

For the past two months, the US has witnessed a nationwide strike by writers, led by the Writers Guild of America's (WGA) failure to secure a fair contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

The strikers demand better pay and residuals, that the rising concern over artificial intelligence be addressed and that writers be included in every production phase.

While both the eastern and western branches of WGA are powerful unions, a considerable number of writers remain unaffiliated, including many of those writing for soap operas. However, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), another powerful union, has now agreed to go on strike, too. If actors join the picket lines, the shows could face potential shutdowns.

Currently, SAG-AFTRA is in formal negotiations with studios under AMPTP to establish a new contract promising improved wages and working conditions. Will the actors follow through with the strike? The answer remains uncertain, as the existing contract doesn't expire until the end of the month, leaving room for further negotiation.

Yet, the commitment of the actors cannot be understated. An astonishing 97.9% of union members voted in favour of the strike, demonstrating their determination to secure better terms from media powerhouses and solidarity with the writers. Consequently, many shows might face an indefinite hiatus, despite having several episodes scripted in advance.

This situation affects long-standing soap operas such as CBS's The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and ABC's General Hospital. Although new episodes continued to roll out amid the WGA strike (seemingly due to writers' prepared scripts), production would halt if the actors went on strike as well.

These shows experienced shutdowns during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, resuming production only several months later. During the hiatus, reruns of classic episodes filled the broadcasting slots. Fans may have to brace for a similar wait for fresh episodes in light of the current impasse.