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General Hospital isn’t letting the Hollywood writers strike keep it from churning out new episodes.
The ABC daytime soap is now employing temporary writers — that is, writers who have agreed to work despite the strike — to pen upcoming episodes. Sources tell TVLine that so-called “fi-core” writers (or “financial core,” meaning they have rescinded their guild membership to pursue work) were brought on last week to start generating scripts in anticipation of the pre-strike stockpile running out. (Daytime soaps famously tape far ahead.) But episodes based on these scripts aren’t expected to be filmed until next month, when the cast returns from a scheduled late-summer break.
It is unclear at this time if daytime TV’s other three sudsers — Peacock’s Days of Our Lives and CBS’ The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful — have yet had to resort to this measure. When reached by TVLine, ABC had no comment.
General Hospital writer Shannon Peace, who is currently on strike as a WGA member, posted last Friday on Instagram that “my episode that aired Thursday, July 20 was my final until the strike is over… The writing team of GH will be watching alongside fans to see what happens… For the sake of the fans, I hope the show is in capable writing hands.”
Peace added that “the show will be penned exclusively by scab writers, which is heartbreaking… Daytime writers face a unique conflict during strikes. We hate to see [our] characters and storylines handed over to ‘writers’ who cross the picket line. But we’re also keenly aware that stopping production could spell the demise of soap operas.”
With that in mind, she encourages fans to keep watching despite the strike: “Still, my hope is that if you love GH, you’ll continue to watch. You can morally support the writers AND keep the show [on] the air!”
The WGA has been on strike since May 2 after negotiations with Hollywood producer union AMPTP broke down over key issues like streaming residuals and the use of AI. The actors guild SAG-AFTRA joined them on strike earlier this month. So how can General Hospital continue to shoot during an actors’ strike? Performers on daytime shows work under a different contract than the main SAG-AFTRA contract that just expired: the Network Television Code, which also covers daytime talk show hosts. (Get more details in our handy TV-on-Strike FAQ.)
Will you still watch General Hospital with so-called “temporary writers”? Hit the comments to give us your take.
They couldn’t do any worse than the hacks that write it now.
Missing the entire point, you lonely cat lady.
Meowww!
That’s no cat lady…..That’s the Sausage King of Chicago!!!!!!!!
There were no writers listed for today’s episode.
She is completely right. If the soaps had to stop airing because of the writer strike it could kill the genre. Meaning she wouldn’t have a job to return to. Too bad the WGA doesn’t have a separate contract for daytime like the actors do.
I’ll definitely continue watching, since we know the networks are itching for a reason to kill soaps and add another hour of GMA or some tommither talk show. I wasn’t watching soaps during the last writer’s strike in 2008, so it will be interesting to see how storylines are crafted by the fi-core writers. I hope the strikes end soon, but it sounds like the studios are aiming to drag this out as long as possible.
If GH doesn’t use scab writers, the show will be canceled. Then those on strike will not have a job to return to.
I will still watch. The scabs can’t be any worse than what we have now. That being said I don’t want to see GH get cancelled.
I do. I can’t stand what GH has become. ABC should have canned it years ago alongside All My Children and One Life to Live.
Yes, GH could be better – a LOT better – but your statement that it should have been cancelled years ago says more about your tastes as a viewer, because OLTL was doing very well, creatively and ratings-wise, at the time of its cancellation. AMC was still pretty decent at the time. No. Your post implies (reveals) a blatant disdain for soaps (or at least those that air/have aired on ABC). The cancellation of a long-running show, leaving three remaining soaps, is something that would *satisfy* you? Just don’t watch it! Problem solved.
The main thing I recall from the 1988 Writers’ Strike was the lack of forward movement in the storylines. Departing Head Writers asked the scab writers not to do anything “drastic” with the characters (like killing them off, breaking up their romances, etc.), so there were days/weeks where characters sat around doing nothing but chatting or recapping plots that were in neutral. The writers of the favorite soap I watched concocted a harmless “haunted house” plot for one couple to give them something to do, while another favorite couple had to postpone their wedding because the Head Writer on strike wanted to write the wedding himself rather than trust it to the scabs. I think there will likely be similar time-wasting strategies this time around, as well, which might not be the most thrilling material to watch but beats having the show go off the air until the strike is settled.
This isn’t the first rodeo for the soaps. There were several writers’ strikes in the past (1981, 1988, 2007) and the soaps did not shut down. The only time the soaps’ shut down was in 2000 during the start of the pandemic. If they were to pause, they’d be out of business.
I think new ideas are needed
Umm, the proper name of these writers are Scabs!
They don’t call them that here because they know that without the replacements keeping the show on the air, they won’t have a job to return to.
“fi-core writers” is a fancy way of saying “scab writers”
They lost their guild membership it says. I’d imagine they are blacklisted for life as well. Hope this short stint was worth it to them.
I’m sure it was. These jobs will all be handed to AI within a decade. You don’t need to be massively skilled to churn out this sort of entertainment.
I’m a “Y&R” fan and supposedly they already too precautions for this since their head writer went “fi-core” during the 2007-08 strike so from what I’ve seen and heard other fans and another soap site say they’re likely doing the same. I agree if these shows go off the air it’ll kill them and the genre as they barely survived the Covid stoppage. Wish they had a separate contract too like the actors but likely all 4 of the soaps are doing this to stay on air.
Didn’t he fire all his other writers anyway? He has been on his own there for a while.
I been watching GH since 1984 ne ver missed a episode .but I have to say I hate the flashback story lines about the ice princess . I have aychbit on Hulu every night .
Scab writers?? Why bother?? I’m pretty sure AI is capable of churning out scripts for daytime television by now. That’s obviously the future of all low IQ TV, why wait??
They can’t do any worse then the regular writers story lines have dragged on forever and it’s getting tiresome.
Have you all covered the story where Days’ Producer Albert Alarr has been acting a tyrant on here yet? Would love to see coverage of that as well to spread the word and hopefully oust that POS so her doesn’t harm anyone else.
https://tvline.com/news/days-of-our-lives-misconduct-controversy-explained-lisa-rinna-statement-1235019121/
Call them what you want, but if they weren’t hired to fill in, the soaps would be canceled (like the network execs want!), and the real writers (and actors and crew members) would be unemployed. There’s always give-and-take in contract negotiations. If you’re always taking, you’ll lose in the end.
Absolutely! I look forward to a faster pace and less dumb blank looks. Dialogue with thoughts and opinions instead of everyone blah and whispering their lines.
There is zero chance I’ll watch a scab show. GH resorting to scabs makes me consider neer watching it again.
The loss of the Soaps will be an improvement of daytime tv. That is, if it can be improved.
I will absolutely watch GH and continue too.
Sorry about the writers but …?
I’ve watched this show for years it’s my afternoon entertainment.
Thanks for continuing during the strike.
Of course I will continue to watch General Hospital. I have no problem watching stories written by temp writers or AI. AI is the future and the WGA needs to accept it just like other businesses.