Summary
- The reboot of Frasier and other series may be delayed or canceled due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes against AMPTP for fair compensation and AI regulation.
- Networks and streaming platforms are considering airing the series during the strike, but no decisions have been made yet.
- The list of series that may be affected includes Feud: The Women of Capote, Fargo, Palm Royale, Bad Monkey, The Curse, Fellow Travelers, Orphan Black: Echoes and Frasier.
The Frasier reboot is among the series that could potentially be delayed or canceled due to two industry strikes. At the time of this writing, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) have gone on strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for fair compensation, streaming rights, and regulation of the use of AI, among other things. As a result, union members do not write new material, and SAG members, with few exceptions, do not speak or promote projects affected by the strike.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, television networks and streaming platforms now have a plethora of finished series at their disposal. They are weighing their options as to whether to air the show during the strike when the stars can’t promote it. No decisions have been made yet, but options include delaying or canceling the series if no decision is in sight on the strikes. Shows involved include Feud: The Women of Capote and Fargo Season 5, Palm Royale and Bad Ape on Apple TV+, Curse and Travelers on Showtime, Orphan Black: Echo on AMC+ and Fraser on Paramount+.
Series in danger of being delayed boasts stellar cast
One of the main issues that TV networks and streaming platforms are currently facing is how much advertising for their series is on the actors. Streaming services in particular tend to use top-tier players as a star attraction to help their games stay competitive in an environment saturated with new content. Without actors promoting their work, shows will lose the vital element that helped make them worth the risk and get the green light in the first place.
For example, Feud: The Women of Capote follows Ryan Murphy’s anthological approach, putting together an all-star cast that includes Naomi Watts, Demi Moore, Molly Ringwald, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart and Diane Lane. However, other series also have one or more key stars on the list. These include Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey in The Travelers, Jon Hamm in Fargo, Vince Vaughn in Bad Monkey, Emma Stone in The Grudge, and Krysten Ritter in Orphan Black: Echo.
Frasier’s cast of course also includes the return of beloved characters such as Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth. Palm Royale also boasts a great cast of actors, including six-time Emmy winner Carol Burnett and Oscar winners Allison Janney and Laura Dern. With so much talent included in the series, it makes sense that the respective TV channels are not taking this decision lightly.
Source: THR