WGA Probes Delayed Residual Checks Amid Strike
EXCLUSIVE: An ongoing probe by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is underway due to complaints by members of delayed and downsized residual checks. This move has been initiated in just the past few days as the WGA strike moves into its fourth month. The inquiries focus specifically on issues with third-quarter payments that scribes on several network and premium cable shows have reported to be late or lower than usual.
"Smaller than previous quarters and last year," said one showrunner about his recent residual checks. Additionally, concerns have been raised by a veteran writer about residual checks seeming delayed. According to him, such delays have been affecting his financial obligations greatly.
Over the weekend, Former Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight expressed his concerns about the issue on social media which generated a series of affirmative responses from fellow writers. Despite these claims, as of now, the WGA has declined to comment on the matter.
It is worth acknowledging that residuals for shows and individuals can fluctuate quarter over quarter due to a variety of factors such as reruns, licensing agreements, and international sales. Nevertheless, the issue of residuals and more equitable payment methods to adapt to changes in the industry has been a major contention point between studios, streamers, and the WGA.
Residuals, used to compensate credited writers for reuse of materials as well as actors and others, are a core focus of the current strike by both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. This paradigm originates from the joint writers and actors strike in 1960, allowing steady income for many Hollywood workers during work gaps. In the present situation with the halted industry, these residuals become more crucial than ever.
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And now, my friends, we shall embark on that treacherous but oh-so-enjoyable journey of decoding the entertainment industry technobabble.
If Hollywood was a game of Monopoly, residuals would essentially be the "Pass Go, collect $200" we all eagerly anticipate. They're crucial, especially in an industry that might as well have invented the term "unpredictable". They say "Write what you know" but how's a writer supposed to do that when the checks they know are getting skinnier by the quarter?
Former Law & Order: SVU showrunner Warren Leight took the matter public, perhaps hoping to channel his inner Olivia Benson and expose the truth. But unlike an episode of the long-running drama, this plotline's resolution is hanging in the balance. In a town that thrives on cliffhangers, this is one we could do without.
And now we have a strike on our hands, or should I say, on our typing fingers. Let's reinvent Monopoly for Hollywood while we're at it. When you land on a strike square, you don't progress until the matter of residuals is resolved. Doesn't sound much fun? Well, neither is the reality for the writers in the middle of it.
Interestingly enough, while offices of network giants such as NBCU, CBS, and HBO are being bombarded with concerns, all of them tragically seem to have misplaced their comment-giving hat. Co-incidence or the Artful Dodger's masterclass - you decide.
Conclusively, a word to the wise writers who've spent years charting character arcs - it's time to chart a necessary, if unforeseen, arc of your own. If residuals are the much-needed cash injection at the right time, let's ensure it's delivered in full and on time. After all, in the Hollywood game of Monopoly, writers are surely worth more than $200 a square. We can, and must, pass go and fight for the residuals we rightfully earned.
