Your Favorite Shows And Movies Are Safe, As Writers Strike Averted At Last Minute

A possible strike by the Writers Guild of America has been averted, as it has reached a tentative agreement with major studios to avoid a work stoppage.

The WGA and Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers agreed to a deal in the early hours on Tuesday--shortly after a contract between the two sides had already expired at 12 AM PT, Variety reports. The three-year deal is a tentative one for now, as it still has to be ratified, but it means there likely won't be any interruption in the writing for TV shows and movies across the industry.

Photo credit: WGAThe WGA last went on strike just under a decade ago, bringing work to a halt for 100 days over late 2007 and early 2008. A new strike could have had a significant effect across the industry; Saturday Night Live's current season may have come to an end early, while shows like The Walking Dead could have been impacted. Other shows could have been canceled altogether as a result, as Variety notes.

In a memo to its members, the WGA said that it made gains in terms of its health plan, parental leave, and residuals for pay TV (like HBO). It also made notable advancements in payment for writers of short-order TV series. That has been a key issue for the WGA in light of how many series now run only 6-13 episodes, as opposed to the traditional 22-24.

The memo stated, "Did we get everything we wanted? No. Everything we deserve? Certainly not. But because we had the near-unanimous backing of you and your fellow writers, we were able to achieve a deal that will net this Guild's members $130 million more, over the life of the contract, than the pattern we were expected to accept."