By Diedre Johnson
September 28, 2023 9:44 am
The writers’ strike is officially over, yet it will be months — possibly years —before some of TV’s most popular series will return with new episodes. In many cases, the WGA work stoppage — and the still ongoing SAG strike — compounded already lengthy production delays. Scroll down as we take stock of seven shows navigating perpetual MIA-dom.
1923
Photo : Courtesy of Paramount+
When We Left Off: Season 1 finale dropped February 26, 2023.
Where Things Stand: The show was planning to once again film on location in Butte, Montana’s civic center. But as the strikes stretched on, the lease expired, meaning 1923 will have to find a new location to shoot Season 2.
New Episodes ETA: Late 2024.
Euphoria
Photo : Courtesy of HBO
When We Left Off: Season 2 finale dropped Feb. 27, 2022.
Where Things Stand: The strikes are but one set of headwinds facing HBO’s dark teen drama. Residual delays stemming from series creator Sam Levinson’s since-ended commitment to canceled showbiz drama The Idol, combined with leading lady Zendaya’s busy film schedule, means the premium cabler will be Euphoria-free for the foreseeable future.
New Episodes ETA: “Ideally in2025,” HBO’s Francesca Orsi recently told Deadline.
Hacks
Photo : HBO Max screenshot
When We Left Off: Season 2 finale dropped June 2, 2022.
Where Things Stand: Production on Season 3, already delayed due to Jean Smart’s heart surgery, was halted in May when the writers’ strike began.
New Episodes ETA: Late 2024.
Severance
Photo : Courtesy of Apple TV+
When We Left Off: Season 1 finale dropped April 8, 2022.
Where Things Stand: Apple TV+’s prestige thriller, already beset by backstage drama, halted production Season 2 in May at the start of the writers’ strike.
New Episodes ETA: Late 2024
Star Trek: Discovery
Photo : Courtesy of Paramount+
When We Left Off: Season 4 finale dropped March 17, 2022.
Where Things Stand: The good news:The fifth and final season is in the can and, better still, has a premiere date — albeit a vague one: Early 2024. The bad news: The Sonequa Martin-Green captained show will have been AWOL for two years when it finally returns.
New Episodes ETA: Early 2024
Stranger Things
Photo : Netflix screenshot
When We Left Off: Season 4B dropped on July 1, 2022.
Where Things Stand: Production on the fifth and final season — which could take up to a year to shoot — has been pushed to 2024. “While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike,” series creators Matt and Ross Duffer said back in May. With the WGA strike now resolved, the Netflix phenom’s writers took to social media Wednesday to announce, “We’re back.” Still, it’s going to be a long time before new episodes surface. How long? Well…
New Episodes ETA: Sometime in 2025.
Yellowstone
Photo : Courtesy of Paramount Network
When We Left Off: The 5A finale dropped Jan 1, 2023.
Where Things Stand: The second half of Season 5 was supposed to premiere this fall, but between the strikes and the ongoing contract dispute involving leading man Kevin Costner, it’s anyone’s guess when production will begin on what will possibly be the Costner-less series’ final six (or 10?) episodes.