Enlarged Balls, No Scrubs and Lost Lost: Effects Of The 2007 Writers Guild of America Strike On US TV Shows

The 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike was a significant event in the entertainment industry that lasted for 100 days and had a far-reaching impact on the television landscape. The strike was triggered by disagreements between the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers over payment for digital content and new media. 

For a comprehensive look at why the Writers Guild of America went on strike in 2007, take a look here.

During the strike, many TV shows were put on hold, leading to widespread anxiety among fans and the industry alike. We’re taking a look at which shows were affected and modified by the strikes and which were cancelled or grew in ratings.

Which TV Shows Were Affected By The 2007 Writers Guild of America Strikes?

Many of the beloved scripted TV shows in America during 2007 were affected by the Writers Guild of America strikes and subsequently were unable to complete their full seasons originally ordered. Shows included:

30 Rock: During season two of 30 Rock, the production was stopped on the 10th of January 2008 and resumed on the 10th of April 2008. There were 10 out of 22 episodes made before the strike and only five made after. The cast did perform a live show at the Upright Citizen Brigade Theatre in New York City which resulted in the airing of a live broadcast episode named “Live Show” in 2010.

Breaking Bad: Breaking Bad on AMC was in its first season when the Writers Guild of America strike occurred with production stopping on the 9th of March 2008. It returned a year later on the 8th of March 2009 and seven out of the original nine episodes were created. Interestingly Dean Norris who plays Hank Schrader in Breaking Bad was planned to be killed off at the end of season one but his character was spared because the episodes including his death were not written due to the strike.

Family Guy: Family Guy was in its sixth season on Fox during the WGA strikes of 2007. Production halted on the 17th of February 2008 and resumed on the 27th April 2008. Before the strike, 9 out of the 22 episodes had been created and only three were finalised after. Seth McFarlane has stated that the last episode produced under his watch was a “Lois Kills Stewie” and no more episodes were ready after that. However FOX completed three episodes written, voiced and animated for the production cycle without Seth MacFarlane’s final approval.

Lost: Lost on ABC was in its fourth season when the WGA strikes occurred in 2007. Production halted on the 20th of March 2008 and re-began on the 24th of April 2008. Before the strike action eight out of the 16 episodes planned for the season had been created and, after the strike, six more were finished. Two episodes lost due to the strike were added to both season five and season six instead.

Scrubs: Scrubs was on its seventh season on NBC when the WGA strikes began. Production halted on the 6th of December 2007 and began again on the 10th of April 2008. 11 out of the 18 episodes planned for the season had been created before the strike and two were finished afterwards. The two episodes that were produced after the strike as indicated by the production code actually aired as part of season eight when the show moved to ABC. One of these episodes is “My Nah Nah Nah” which was made up of unused footage from an incomplete 12th episode of season seven.

Supernatural: Supernatural was in its third season on The CW during the WGA strikes in 2007 and production halted on the 21st of February 2008. It recommenced on the 24th of April 2008 and four episodes were completed after the strike. 12 out of the 22 episodes planned for the season had been created before strike action but season three was reduced from its usual 22 episodes to only 16 due to the strain.

American actress Elisabeth Röhm during the 2007 WGA strike 28 November 2007 (Damon D'Amato GeeJo CC)

Despite scripted TV shows being halted or abandoned altogether due to the Writers Guild of America strike in 2007, some other formats including reality TV shows actually benefited from the strike by providing networks with new material to cover the slots that would’ve been taken up by scripted shows. 

This included The Amazing Race on CBS which was originally only one season but a second season of the show was greenlit shortly after the start of the strike. 

Another was Big Brother which was set for its traditional summer slot in 2008 however Big Brother Nine aired in the winter/spring period between the 12th of February 2008 showcasing three episodes per week. 

In response to the strike, CBS ordered 10 primetime The Price Is Right: $1 Million Spectacular Specials with Drew Carey. They aired on Friday nights starting on the 22nd of February 2008. CBS also ordered more episodes of Drew Carey‘s quiz show Power Of 10.

Many scripted shows switched to non-union writers to keep their production going and to make sure that the others, who are not employed as writers, kept their jobs. This included General Hospital on ABC, All My Children also on ABC and The Young And The Restless on CBS. Presumably because all of these are long running soap opera dramas that rely on regular scheduled programming.

Many scripted TV shows ran out of episodes during the strike but ended up catching up with their ordered amount afterwards. Many of these included talk shows which returned to screens early. Saturday Night Live restarted on the 23rd of February 2008 after reruns began on the 10th of November 2007. According to The Hollywood Reporter most of the production staff were laid off in mid November. The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS began re-running episodes on the 5th of November 2007 but new shows began on the 2nd of January 2008. Worldwide Pants, Letterman‘s own production company, successfully negotiated a bargaining agreement so the show could return with its full writing stuff.

Signs and Barricades 2007 Writers Guild of America Strike (SecretName101 CC)

Some shows were completely halted during the WGA writers strike of 2007 but were to be restarted in the 2008 to 2019 season. This included 24, where its seventh season was delayed for a year but Fox announced a two hour film 24: Redemption that was to be shown on the 23rd of November 2008 to bridge the gap between season six and seven. Other shows that were postponed include Battlestar Galactica, Damages, Dirty Sexy Money, Hannah Montana, Prison Break: Cherry Hill, Pushing Daisies and Rescue Me.

Unfortunately some shows were cancelled during the WGA strike as they were under the threat of cancellation anyway. Others were quietly cancelled partly due to low ratings and partly due to the writer strike. Cancelled shows included Big Shots, Bionic Woman, Girlfriends, Journeyman, Welcome To The Captain, Notes From The Underbelly, and The 4400.

South Park writers Trey Parker and Matt Stone were not part of the WGA and the show remained in production during the strike. The episode, Canada On Strike was written as a parody of the WGA strike. 

According to The Atlantic, Steve Carell regularly called in sick to the production of The Office in a show of solidarity with the writers claiming that he was ill with “Enlarged Balls”! Without him participating in the role of Michael Scott, production of new episodes were quickly abandoned.

The 2007 Writers Guild of America strike had a profound impact on the television industry in the United States, with far-reaching effects that are still being felt today. The strike demonstrated the importance of writers in the entertainment industry and their crucial role in creating compelling programming that captivates audiences. 

The effects of the strike on US TV shows were varied, with some shows being forced to halt production entirely, while others managed to continue with limited staff or through the use of non-WGA writers. The strike also led to changes in the way writers are compensated for their work in the digital age.

For a comprehensive look at why the Writers Guild of America went on strike in 2007, take a look here.

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