Soap Opera Shut Down Again? Strikes Could Cause GH, DOOL, B&B, and Y&R Blackouts
Is your favorite soap opera headed for shutdown? Fans of General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Young and the Restless, and Days of our Lives have cause to worry with a strike looming in Hollywood. It could hit next week, as early as Monday, October 18. If so, what does that mean for your favorite daytime drama?
The last time there was a major strike that halted the production of soap opera (the writer’s strike) taping, it was the death knell for many daytime dramas. That helped whittle the field down to the four soaps we have now.
95% of Union Workers Vote to Leave Job
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) can’t reach a deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP). With no contract agreement, a walk out seems likely. Including those working on soap opera sets.
Last weekend, more than 90% of current IATSE workers voted by a 99% margin to authorize a strike. If the two entities can’t agree, then Hollywood crews will walk off the job Monday. Such action would bring soap opera, other television and movie productions to a halt.
The union represents over 60,000 workers nationwide. Talks continue and an agreement is possible. However, insiders report the two sides are still far apart and tensions are growing. The IATSE includes those critical to making your chosen soap opera – makeup artists, costumers, and audio tech, among others.
Why Soap Opera Sets Might See a Shutdown
Union members allege they’re working exhausting hours under poor conditions. This includes 16-hour long days and on-site accidents due to poor safety measures. There are reportedly deaths on some sets of crew members because of unacceptable conditions.
Several union members took to Instagram to air their many grievances. Both parties have been in talks for weeks. Union leaders reported the negotiations lacked urgency. So, they decided to push with a drastic ultimatum. And now your soap opera might hang in the balance.
That lead to the vote to strike. The IATSE contract expired on July 31. However, both parties agreed to extend to September 10. The timing of the strike couldn’t happen at a worse time for the industry. Many are still playing catch up from delays caused by the COVID pandemic.
Soap Opera Sets First Affected By Strike?
Because soap opera episodes are some of the fastest from tape to air, daytime drama watchers could be first to feel the effects. Most primetime and reality shows tape months ahead and movies can record a year or more ahead of time.
But with a soap opera, it’s worse because they air daily and average about four weeks from filming to air. That means a strike that lasts more than a few weeks could see blackouts and reruns on B&B, DOOL, Y&R and GH.
Days of Our Lives might fare best if a strike comes since they try and tape months ahead. They were the last soap in the pandemic to have new episodes on-air since they were at a six month tape-to-air delay. But once lockdown ended, they were in catch-up mode like the other soap opera series.
When production was shut down last year due to coronavirus, General Hospital, Young and the Restless, and Bold and the Beautiful were forced to air classic episodes within just a few weeks. Some soap opera showrunners combatted it by airing a rerun one day a week to stretch new content.
But the bottom line is, if a strike happens, it doesn’t bode well for soaps. But certainly, everyone wants behind the scenes crew to work in a safe environment. Soap Dirt will update as the situation evolves. If there is a strike, we wonder how Ron Carlivati (DOOL), Frank Valentini (GH), Bradley Bell (B&B), and Anthony Morina (Y&R) will handle it.