#19 - Teen Dramas Would Suck Without Union Members: On The 2007-08 WGA Strike and The 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA Strike

Leftist Teen Drama

In the Leftist Teen Drama season 3 premiere, we dive into the very real labor struggles behind the teen dramas we love to watch and dissect. From both a worker and fan perspective, we dive into the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America (WGA) Strike, the 2023 WGA Strike, and the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Strike, as well as the various effects these strikes had on teen dramas past and present. In our first segment, Maria talks to 2023 WGA Negotiating Committee member Erica Saleh about the 2023 Writers Strike and all the exciting things the TV and film writers won in their historic contract after 148 days on strike. Erica is a teen drama showrunner and TV writer most recently known for ONE OF US IS LYING (2021-2022), as well as WGAE Vice President of Film/TV/Streaming. Then, in our second segment, Maria pivots into a conversation with David Carliner (LA-based writers’ assistant/script coordinator/pre-WGA member) and fellow fan Laura Marino to talk about all three strikes: the demands, the wins, and the effects on teen dramas, from FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (2006-2011), GOSSIP GIRL (2007-2012), and ONE TREE HILL (2003-2012) to ALL AMERICAN (2018-present), THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY (2022-present), and OUTER BANKS (2020-present).

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, and writing and reading fanfiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions.

ERICA SALEH (she/her, guest) is a TV writer and playwright who has been a member of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) since 2015. Most recently she was the creator and showrunner of the murder mystery One of Us is Lying for Peacock. Prior credits include Evil, Instinct, Wisdom of the Crowd, and Channel Zero. She was a member of both the 2020 and 2023 WGA negotiating committees, and in 2023 was elected Vice President of Film/TV/Streaming of the WGAE.

DAVID CARLINER (he/him; guest) lives in LA, works in TV, and can't think of a third thing but feels the need to put something, so here we are. You can find his newsletter Hi! Hi Again! on Substack.

LAURA MARINO (she/her; recurring guest) works in advertising by day and watches, reads, and talks too much about television by night. She has enjoyed yelling about television with Maria for well over a decade, and credits Television Without Pity (RIP) as the first forum to shape her love of deep character and plot analysis.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, streams sometimes, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/them; art) is a “writer,” “designer,” and “content strategist” based in Brooklyn, NY. A survivor of the 2010s Tumblr wars, leftist media criticism is all they know. To learn about them professionally, visit charles-oleary.biz. To learn about them personally, visit their Instagram at @c.s.0.l.

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned.

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:

• One of Us Is Talking podcast with Alison: Instagram, YouTube, Spotify
  • One of Us Is Talking with Erica Saleh
• TheWrap, April 26, 2017, 23 TV Shows Most Affected by 2007-08 Writers’ Strike (Photos), by Beatrice Verhoeven
• The Hollywood Reporter, May 17, 2018, 100 Days That Changed Hollywood: The Writers Strike, 10 Years Later by Rebecca Ford and Lacey Rose
• Screenrant, April 1, 2022, Why Friday Night Lights Season 2 Was So Much Worse, by Matthew Brown
• JustJared, May 2, 2023, 15 TV Shows Delayed & Changed Because of the Writers Strike in 2007-2008
• Rolling Stone, May 3, 2023, How the 2007-08 Writers’ Strike Changed ‘The Office’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ by Alan Sepinwall
• Collider, May 4, 2023, What Happened to Your Favorite Shows During the Last WGA Strike? by Mauricio Cueto
• The Ringer, May 8, 2023, Want to Know What TV Loses Without Writers? Just Look at 2007. by Alan Siegel
• The Verge, July 21, 2023, Your favorite TV rewatch podcast is on strike, too by Amrita Khalid
• Post and Courier, August 3, 2023, Outer Banks S4 filming has been halted mid production by Eric Fenno
• CNBC, August 9, 2023, Hollywood strikes have already had a $3 billion impact on California’s economy, experts say: It’s causing ‘a lot of hardship’ by Jennifer Liu
• Harper’s Bazaar, September 25, 2023, Everything to Know About the SAG Strike That Shut Down Hollywood by Chelsey Sanchez
• Comic Book, October 5, 2023, Yellowjackets Season 3 Writers Room Opens Now That Strike Is Over by Jenna Anderson
• CNN, October 9, 2023, Writers union ratifies its new contract with Hollywood and TV studios by Taylor Romine and Samantha Delouya
• Vox, October 12, 2023, The actors strike negotiations have broken down by Alissa Wilkinson
• Interesting Gossip Girl fan theory by strideofpride on Tumblr
• Via IATSE, September 13, 2023: Marvel Studios VFX Workers Unanimously Vote to Unionize with IATSE, Marking Historic First
• Via IATSE, October 3, 2023: Walt Disney Pictures’ VFX Workers Vote Unanimously for Unionization In Labor Board Election
• Production Assistants United, launched on Instagram on August 10, 2023
• Variety, November 8, 2023, SAG-AFTRA Approves Deal to End Historic Strike by Gene Maddaus

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