Seth MacFarlane, along with the showrunners, has halted work on ‘Family Guy’ and ‘American Dad’ in light of the ongoing WGA strike.
Emmy-winning Seth MacFarlane, Brian Boyle and Matt Weitzman of ‘American Dad,’ along with Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin from ‘Family Guy,’ have informed 20th Television that they will not be working on their respective shows for as long as the WGA strike continues.
Since negotiations with the AMPTP collapsed and the guild initiated the strike on May 2, MacFarlane has been visibly present on the picket lines. His solidarity with fellow WGA members and his decision to step away from the two shows align with his past actions; MacFarlane was a significant supporter of the WGA’s firm stance during the previous strike in 2007-2008.
Boyle, Weitzman, Appel, and Sulkin, like many other showrunners, received letters last week individually instructing them to report for their “non-WGA duties.” However, defining what these non-guild responsibilities are has become a growing source of conflict between the WGA and the studios. The guild firmly believes that there is no aspect of a showrunner’s role that doesn’t involve writing.
While the writing for upcoming episodes of both “Family Guy” and “American Dad” is currently on hold due to the strike, production continues on episodes that have already been written and recorded according to Deadline. This includes content that extends about three months into the future. “Family Guy” just concluded its 21st season, while “American Dad” is presently in the process of releasing episodes.
The duration of the writers’ strike will ultimately determine when work resumes on these series and when the next season might make its debut.
The shows are also exclusively available on Disney+ in several countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Source: Deadline