Broadcast Networks Race to Save the TV Season

Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette in “Night Court” 

Within moments of the SAG-AFTRA strike ending on Wednesday night, the broadcast networks kicked into high gear to salvage the 2023-24 TV season, which suddenly appears possible — barely.

The Wrap reports “Night Court” on NBC will be one of the first shows to return to filming starting next week, according to one person close to the production — with numerous other shows close on its heels.

More than two dozen network shows have been on hold during the six-month work stoppage, and at least a dozen of them will start production within the next few weeks. Some will join “Night Court” next week, others the week after Thanksgiving, like ABC’s “Abbott Elementary, CBS’ “Bob Hearts Abishola” and “Young Sheldon.”

Cable and streaming shows are also on deck to kick off production, including Freeform’s “Grown-ish” in December. But there’s a higher sense of urgency for the broadcasters to get back on track, since they’re at risk of losing ad revenue for the TV season ending in May 2024.

Though full recovery will take time, the goal is to produce 10-13 episodes of the shows and debut them midseason, some as early as January. Veteran franchises like Wolf Entertainment’s “Law & Order” and “Chicago” franchises are “well-oiled machines,” according to a source close to those productions, and should be able to pick cameras back up and turn around episodes to air quickly.

Some beloved multi-cam sitcoms also plan to start filming later this month, as many writers rooms convened soon after the SAG-AFTRA strike ended on Sept. 27.

In the case of “Night Court,” the hit comedy series had finished filming one episode before the onset of WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The writers’ room for the reboot series reconvened soon after the writers’ strike ended and has completed a few episodes that are ready to be filmed, according to an individual close to the production.

A returning series needs three to six weeks in order to get a new episode on the air. But an individual close to network decision-making told TheWrap that discussions are underway to start announcing midseason schedules as early as next week, with shows premiering between January and March.

While “Night Court” is leading the charge, the production floodgates are set to open fully, starting with the week of Nov. 27.