Dispatches From WGA Picket Lines Day 9: Black Writers Hit Paramount With Robin Thede, Samira Wiley & Gaby Sidibe As John Leguizamo Joins NYC Picket Parade

WGAE Career Longevity Salon, a group of writers over the age of 50 within the WGAE have shown a presence as well, especially through co-leader Courtney Simon, who spoke on camera in a video posted to Twitter.“We’re here today picketing ‘The View,’ an ABC show that is still continuing to be written even though we are on strike,” Simon said in video you can watch below. “We are gonna make noise along with everyone else.

Striking film and television writers got a signal boost on Thursday from U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (d-NY), who spoke at a rally outside the East Coast offices of Paramount Global in the busy heart of Manhattan’s Times Square. 

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Colin Farrell, Mariska Hargitay, Danny Strong, Paula Pell, Rachel Dratch, Michael Kelly and Craig Zobel were among the stars who came out to the writers strike picket line outside Paramount Global’s New York City office in Times Square Thursday. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D.-N.Y., and local politicians spoke at the event in support of the Writers Guild of America’s (WGA) cause against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that has led to a four-week-and-counting work stoppage due to the organizations’ inability to ink a new contract May 1. “This is about what’s right. We’ve seen income inequality grow exponentially over the last decade; and in your business, it has never been more present,” Gillibrand said to the crowd, filled with not only WGA members, but also those from SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and Teamsters, among other unions. “We see writers working hard every day to produce content and we have an unfair playing field. Not only does AI want to displace our writers, they simply can’t. AI generates content based on what’s been written before the work you did last year, and the year before. It’s not original. It’s not imaginative. It doesn’t come from the human heart. It’s not about a human experience. It’s not about what people actually want to learn about or know about or see or experience. That is what writers bring to the equation every single time. So this strike is so important for the future of this country. It’s about the value of workers; workers and what they create is fundamentally valuable.”

tweeted. “From leadership: ‘So the rule is, don’t do promotion at their request, don’t attend premieres, don’t do the FYCs, but you can still talk about your project in your own social media.'”Riley added that WGA said via Zoom that writers may not participate in interviews that the studio sets up, but are allowed to partake in media opportunities if they’re “set up” by the writer, themselves or the writer’s publicist.“It’s a little confusing, [to be honest],” Riley added, while comedian and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” creator, showrunner, writer and performer Robin Thede echoed Riley’s concern, tweeting “It’s so confusing!”Other stuff like- don't do interviews that the studio sets up, but if you or your publicist set it up- thats ok is what WGA said on a zoom Its a little confusing, tbh.WGA leadership is “still figuring out the rules,” according to “Gotham Knights” co-creator Natalie Abrams, who clarified Tuesday that writers can “social about our own projects as long as it’s not studio/network coordinated.” A WGA spokesperson confirmed its message to members on the policy change to TheWrap: “You must refuse promoting a project at a struck company’s request.

As the WGA strike entered its fourth week, Tony Kushner swore, Steve Earle sang, Wanda Sykes led union chants and Busy Philipps told CEO jokes for more than 1,000 demonstrators and hundreds of onlookers who filled the street in front of NBCUniversal headquarters Tuesday in Midtown Manhattan. 

Striking writers in New York made a bid on Monday to disrupt work on American Horror Story by picketing outside a production facility in Queens where the popular FX series known for its macabre plot lines and star-studded casts is filming season 12.

 included a plethora of surprises, including new sketches, major guest stars and three new featured players — DaMya Gurley, Tamara Jade, and Angel Laketa Moore. The season also ends with a surprise ending that creator and star Robin Thede says won't be surprising for keen eyes.Each episode of season 4 has featured a special segment titled «Actors Behind the Lens Speaking Seriously,» a parody of the well-known talk show, .

There was come old-school writer cred on the picket line outside the Fox lot in Century City today. David E. Kelley, he of the 11 Emmys and 30 nominations, is a veteran of multiple WGA strikes going back to 1988. Introducing himself as “David E. Kelley, old writer,” the Love & Death creator — whose many credits also include Big Little Lies, Big Sky, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Undoing, The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Picket Fences — told Deadline why he’s striking this time.

A Black Lady Sketch Show” creator and star Robin Thede is working with the show’s editors to put the finishing touches on Season 4 of the half-hour HBO comedy. “First season,” she tells Variety, “I was like, I want every third line to be a joke. Second season, every other line. Now, literally every line is a joke, even the setups to the punchlines. It’s crazy.” With sketches that riff on relatable themes — like hair woes, ashy skin and the politics of the Black church — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” frames the world from a Black woman’s point of view. Even when the subject matter has nothing to do with Blackness, the show’s existence is impactful, a sentiment Whoopi Goldberg underlined during a recent episode of “The View.”

Picketers gathered outside Warner Bros. in Burbank today found themselves buoyed by a unique presence: Flavor Flav. The hip-hop icon-turned-reality star showed up to cheers from the assembled WGA supporters.

With just the CW left tomorrow, the near-talent-free upfronts are winding down, and shows are still being shuttered in New York City, while on the picket lines in LA there was Mariachism, tacos, tunes and some Mandalorians to galvanize the troops.

It was a tale of two coasts today, as WGA picketers and their allies targeted Disney’s upfront presentation in New York and also the company’s Burbank lot in Los Angeles. And the two scenes were very different.

scathing message on Facebook, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star Wil Wheaton blasted “Jeopardy!” host Ken Jennings for crossing the picket line during the Writer’s Guild of America strike, giving him a stark warning.“This is a VERY small town, Ken Jennings, and we will all remember this,” Wheaton typed on the social media platform. “Your privilege may protect you right now, but we will *never* forget.”He also included the hashtag “#WGAStrong” in the post.The actor continued his thoughts in the comments section of the post, calling out those who were speaking negatively about unions.“Hey y’all, if you’re here to s–t on unions, you can f–k right off.

The NBCUniversal Upfront presentation was the center of Day 14 of the writers strike on the east coast.

Striking writers in New York City said they disrupted filming of FBI: Most Wanted for a second straight day by heading off a planned location shoot at a public park in Brooklyn on Friday morning and later by causing slowdowns of work on the Dick Wolf-EP’d crime drama starring Dylan McDermott and Alexa Davalos at a nearby soundstage. 

It’s time to dust off your wigs and put on your highest heels, because RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is back with a new season! A group of beloved drag queens from previous seasons are ready to battle it out for a spot in the Drag Race Hall of Fame, and fans can rejoice as the wait is finally over.Can’t wait for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 8? Neither can we! Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming season, including who’s in the cast and when and where you can catch the premiere. When Does RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 Premiere?RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 premiered on May 12, 2023 with not one, but two episodes.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor She’s back! “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio will return to host the “All Stars” Season 8 weekly recap series “The Pit Stop.” Each week, Del Rio and her guest will recap and review the most recent episode of “All Stars” Season 8, which begins streaming on May 12 exclusively on Paramount+. New episodes of “The Pit Stop” will premiere Saturdays on the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” YouTube channel. “Like a bad rash… I’m baaaack! The greatest thing about a new season of ‘All Stars’ is I don’t have to compete but get to judge all of them by hosting ‘The Pit Stop,'” Del Rio said in a statement to Variety.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Let the gig economy debate begin. One of the most contentious issues in the writers strike that erupted May 2 is the assertion by the Writers Guild of America that screenwriting is in danger of becoming part of the “gig economy.” The WGA’s proposed solutions — mandatory staffing minimums and guaranteed weeks of employment — are equally dividing labor and management. Now that contract talks between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have cratered, complex issues are being chewed over by writers who are fired up, walking in circles (literally) and wound up about the long-term employment picture for Hollywood scribes.

A trio of SNL greats joined the WGA picket line Tuesday at Silvercup Studios in Queens.

Actors’ Equity Association, the union representing theater actors and stage managers, is inviting its members and allies to join the WGA picket line outside HBO and Amazon offices tomorrow.