Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, Writer Guild of America Vice President
Writers Guild VP calls out 'miscalculation' studio executives are making
03:36 - Source: CNN

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CNN  — 

It’s a script without an ending.

Since the Writers Guild of America went on strike Tuesday after failing to hammer out a deal with the major studios, all of which are represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the two sides have been at an absolute standstill.

I’m told that there have been no negotiations since the strike commenced and that there are no negotiating sessions currently on the books. When I asked a studio executive on Wednesday evening when they expect talks to resume, the person replied, “No idea, no idea.”

“There is no way of knowing,” the executive added.

Both sides have dug their heels in the sand over a small number of significant issues, and neither side is willing to budge at the moment. It is, after all, impossible to negotiate until a non-negotiable condition for one party becomes a negotiable.

What the executive I spoke to did underscore is that the studios have plenty of content in the bank to keep their hungry audiences happy. And in recent years, the executive pointed out, viewers have actually struggled to keep up with all the new shows and movies that have been released on streaming platforms.

“We are not going to have test patterns on any TV any time soon,” the executive joked, noting that streaming catalogs are filled to the brim with shows and movies for people to watch.

The executive is not wrong. Outside of fans of the venerable late-night comedy institutions, it is going to take quite a while for the average viewer to see the impacts of the ongoing strike. Think for a minute: Has the strike impacted your television viewing habits yet? I’m betting not.

In other words, the standoff will likely have to endure for a lengthy period until it becomes unbearable for either side. And it just might.

The WGA has signaled that the work stoppage could last for many months. And if the guild wants to apply real pressure to the studios, it’s hard to see how it would not push the strike deep into the summer.

Which is all to say, strap yourself in for the long haul.