As the traditionally stacked fall TV season kicks in, frustrated viewers are pondering one big question: Where are my shows?
For decades, a new fall season has been an American staple, as the broadcast networks unveil a new crop of shows and bring back returning favorites after a long summer of reruns. However, the ongoing writer's strike (which began May 2) and actor's strike (which started July 14) have brought Hollywood productions to a standstill.
This is making a noticeable impact on the movie calendar, talk shows and the fall network TV schedule, which has a dearth of new scripted shows and no new episodes of network favorites like “Abbott Elementary,” “Chicago Fire,” “Young Sheldon” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
If the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strikes against Hollywood studios are resolved soon, with many eyeballing an Oct. 1 deadline, the second half of the TV season could be restored. But if it drags on, the entire season, which officially begins Sept. 25, could be a complete wash.
Here's how the upcoming fall looks now:
Best shows to watch this fall: What's new on TV amid dual writers' and actors' strikes
Many of the major networks' most popular shows are without new episodes, including ABC's "Abbott Elementary," "Grey's Anatomy," "Station 19," "The Rookie," "The Good Doctor" and "Will Trent."
NBC will not be airing most of its scripted shows – including the hit Dick Wolf dramas "Chicago Fire," "Chicago Med" and "Chicago P.D.," as well as "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Night Court," while new shows including "Extended Family," starring Jon Cryer ("Two and a Half Men") are stalled.
CBS won't have hit comedies like "Ghosts," "Young Sheldon," and "The Neighborhood," or dramas including "Blue Bloods," "NCIS," "CSI: Vegas," "The Equalizer," "FBI," "Fire Country," or the premieres of new shows "Matlock" (with Kathy Bates) or "Elsbeth," a "Good Wife" spinoff.
On Fox, returning shows such as "Animal Control," "Alert: Missing Persons Unit," "Accused" and "The Cleaning Lady" as well as new series such as "Doc" and "Rescue: Hi-Surf" are on hold.
A handful of NBC dramas will surface because they were shot well before the strike and shelved. "Quantum Leap," returns with new episodes on Oct. 4, the same night as the fifth and final season of "Magnum P.I." NBC also unveils new dramas "Found" (Oct. 3) and "The Irrational" (Sept. 25), starring Jesse L. Martin as a crime-solving behavioral scientist.
Writers' and voice actors' work on animated series is done well in advance, so they are largely unaffected by the strike. On Fox, "The Simpsons," "Family Guy" and "Bob's Burgers" will be joined by new shows including "Krapopolis" (Sept. 23), from Dan Harmon ("Rick and Morty").
Streamers tend to set production schedules far in advance, allowing the Paramount+ revival of "Frasier" (Oct. 12), Other anticipated shows like Netflix's "Sex Education" (Sept. 21) and "The Fall of the House of Usher" (Oct. 12) are set. But some networks, including FX, pushed back series to avoid future gaps: A new season of "Fargo" was moved a few months, to Nov. 21, while the new mystery "A Murder at the End of the World" was delayed from August to Nov. 14.
And some scripted streaming shows already in production were shut down due to the strike, including Netflix's “Stranger Things," "Emily in Paris" and "Cobra Kai," which will slow the pipeline of new releases starting early next year.
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Networks have gone big with unscripted reality shows to patch holes in their fall schedules. Along with planned new seasons of CBS' "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race," NBC's "The Voice," Fox's "The Masked Singer" and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" and new "The Golden Bachelor," all due next week, look for new entries like Josh Duhamel's CBS competition “Buddy Games" and “Lotería Loca,” game show hosted by Jaime Camil.
Also due: Primetime editions of "Let's Make a Deal," "The Price is Right," "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!"
The strikes have delayed the second half of the final season of"Yellowstone" on the Paramount Network. But CBS will air the broadcast premiere of TV's No. 1 show, starting from the beginning, in Sunday-night marathons beginning Sept. 17.
CBS is also bringing the Paramount+ drama "SEAL Team" back to the network on Thursday nights starting Nov. 2, airing the original U.K. version of "Ghosts" (Nov. 16) and an Australian edition of "NCIS" (Nov. 13).