How Will the SAG-AFTRA Strike Affect Talent Competition Shows?
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With SAG-AFTRA officially joining the Writers Guild of America in striking against film and TV companies, viewers might be wondering how this will affect their favorite shows. Many talent show personalities are also actors, so it begs the question of whether competition shows will be put on hold.
Will the SAG-AFTRA Strike Affect Talent Shows?
SAG-AFTRA’s strike began on midnight Thursday. According to Variety, actors must cease all work covered by their union contract. They also won’t be able to attend premieres, do interviews about completed projects, or promote them on social media.
You might be wondering if unscripted television projects, such as talent competition shows, are among the projects actors cannot work on. After all, a number of talent show judges and hosts (including Sofia Vergara and Terry Crews on America’s Got Talent, Ken Jeong on The Masked Singer, and even Reba McEntire on The Voice) are also actors.
If you’re worried about the AGT live shows going forward next month, or The Masked Singer and The Voice airing this fall as planned, it looks like you can rest easy. Forbes has outlined the projects that aren’t affected by the strike, and it includes competition shows.
The outlet explains that actors’ film and scripted television projects are separate from SAG-AFTRA’s Network Television Code, which covers unscripted programs such as talk shows, game shows, and reality competition shows.
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Is Anything Else Unaffected by the Strike?
According to Forbes, other programs which are free to continue include soap operas and documentaries that aren’t being released theatrically. Actors are also free to appear in commercials and sponsored content, music videos, and even video games.
Podcasts that are under SAG-AFTRA contracts can also continue, in addition to “micro-budget” independent films and student films. Independent producers can also apply for interim agreements allowing their projects to be made.
Interestingly, HBO’s House of the Dragon is one major scripted series which will still be allowed the film, since most of the actors are working through the U.K.’s actors union, Equity. British labor laws prevent Equity actors from striking in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA.
