After over six months of labor actions, the entertainment industry is gearing up to restart numerous productions that were put on hold during strikes and contract negotiations. With the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November, actors are preparing to return to work pending the ratification of the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. This has also signaled the beginning of the prep work for a variety of TV series. Media companies are aiming to get their broadcast shows up and running before the holidays in order to salvage the back end of the network season. Following the end of the Writers Guild of America strike in late September, writers rooms have been open for approximately six weeks, fueling the excitement for the resumption of productions.
NBC’s comedy, “Night Court,” produced by Warner Bros. TV and Universal Television, will be among the first shows to return to work. It is scheduled to resume filming in the week of November 13. Other shows such as CBS’ “FBI” franchise and NBC’s “Chicago” dramas from prolific producer Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment are looking at the week after Thanksgiving to begin production.
The expected restart of productions in the coming weeks is timed to allow network series to premiere in the first quarter of 2024. However, most shows will be shortening their seasons to a range of 10 to 13 episodes, a departure from the more typical 18 to 22 episodes for a broadcast show.
The following dates are subject to change depending on various factors such as the length of the prep time needed for each show. It’s important to note that this information may be updated as more details become available.
**Week of November 13**
– “Night Court” (NBC, Warner Bros. Television/Universal Television)
**Week of November 27**
– “Abbott Elementary” (ABC, WBTV/20th Television)
– “Chicago Fire” (NBC, UTV)
– “Chicago Med” (NBC, UTV)
– “Chicago PD” (NBC, UTV)
– “Young Sheldon” (CBS, WBTV)
**November TBD**
– “Bob Hearts Abishola” (CBS, WBTV)
– “FBI” (CBS, UTV/CBS Studios)
– “FBI: International” (CBS, UTV/CBS Studios)
– “FBI: Most Wanted” (CBS, UTV/CBS Studios)
– “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC, ABC Signature)
– “The Irrational” (NBC, UTV)
– “Law & Order” (NBC, UTV)
– “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC, UTV)
– “Quantum Leap” (NBC, UTV)
– “The Rookie” (ABC, Entertainment One/ABC Signature)
– “Tracker” (CBS, 20th)
**Late November-Early December**
– “Blue Bloods” (CBS, CBS Studios)
– “CSI: Vegas” (CBS, CBS Studios)
– “The Equalizer” (CBS, UTV/CBS Studios)
– “Fire Country” (CBS, CBS Studios)
– “Ghosts” (CBS, CBS Studios/Lionsgate/BBC)
– “NCIS” (CBS, CBS Studios)
– “NCIS: Hawai’i” (CBS, CBS Studios)
– “The Neighborhood” (CBS, CBS Studios)
– “So Help Me Todd” (CBS, CBS Studios)
**December**
– “All American” (The CW, WBTV)
– “Will Trent” (ABC, 20th)
**January**
– “911” (ABC, 20th)
– “All American: Homecoming” (The CW, WBTV)
As the industry prepares to get back on track after these extended disruptions, the schedule for restarting television productions underscores the complex logistics involved in bringing shows back to life. The coming months will be crucial for the entertainment industry as it seeks to make up for lost time while adapting to a new set of production and safety protocols.
