There Might Be Consequences via WGA West for Warner Bros. Discovery Cancelling a Lot of What You Loved
(via Deadline)
Tuca & Bertie, Gordita Chronicles, The Last O.G., Chad, Full Frontal with Sam Bee, Minx, and much much more has been cancelled/unrenewed/kicked to the curb over the last several months. This comes as a result of Warner Bros. making a giant merger with Discovery to become the sullied portmanteau of Warner Bros. Discovery. The conglomeration of so many networks and platforms here has led to downsizing and tax write-offs at a pace that TV hasn’t seen in a long, long time.
Unsurprisingly, lots of folks are mad, specifically the Writers Guild of America, West. One of the country’s feistiest unions are condemning what they’re seeing as promises proving false; the shrinking of opportunity for content creators, especially when it comes to women and POCs. It’s hard to argue that there is more opportunity with shows that were underneath the Warner Discovery umbrella being stripped from their slate while they’re in the middle of production (which is what exactly happened to Minx).
So, contract negotiations for WGA West are coming up in May and the effect of media conglomerates merging with each other will inevitably be a huge sticking point. It’s hard to say what might happen at this point, but it’s even harder to imagine that any sort of discussions of residuals/packaging/etc. will be started in good faith. Speculatively, there could always be the chance of another Writers Strike that brings Tinseltown to a screeching halt like it did in 2007.
Such a thing happening may seem far off, but Warner Discovery cancelling everything (and probably more to come) seemed unlikely too just about a year ago.
Who knows? Maybe you’ll get your favorite Warner Discovery comedy property back on the air if these negotiations get rowdy enough.