The writers on Jeopardy! were among the 11,000 Writers Guild of America members who hit the picket lines over a month ago, demanding fair contracts in the changing landscape of entertainment. As Mayim Bialik chose to exit the season early to stand in solidarity with the WGA, Ken Jennings came in to finish out the already-written games. That apparently didn’t go over so well with some members of the crew, however, the Jeopardy! GOAT made his feelings about the writers known when he spoke about the show recently, calling their work “a piece of art.”

Job security for WGA’s members amid the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence is a big issue for the striking writers, and Ken Jennings weighed in on the issue in a conversation with the New Yorker. The interviewer pointed out that the Jeopardy! co-host had praised the clue-writing in one of his books, pointing out that it’s not just about knowing the facts, but that the writers often include a twist or surprise. Jennings said: 

It’s been said that even if contestants don’t know the correct response right away, there are often hints within the clue or category that can lead someone to the answer. That nuanced writing, according to Ken Jennings, is something that must come from human intelligence, not A.I. He continued: 

He certainly does make it sound like an art form! Ken Jennings isn’t one to underestimate the capabilities of artificial intelligence, either. In 2011, he and Brad Rutter — two of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history — played against the IBM computer system Watson and lost. 

Ken Jennings is also more familiar than most with the work that the writers put into the Jeopardy! clues. In addition to serving as a host of the quiz show, he holds the record for most consecutive games won with 74, which came from his time as a contestant back in 2004.

It remains to be seen how long the WGA strike will last and if Jeopardy!’s next season will be affected. When it comes to the writers, however, both Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings have made their stances pretty clear as to how valuable they find that work. Be sure to see what is coming soon to TV and streaming with our 2023 TV schedule. 

It’s been weeks since the Writers Guild of America members have gone on strike, picketing outside of major studios, as they seek fair wages and contracts in the age of increasing popularity in streaming, as well as provisions regarding artificial intelligence. The work stoppage for the union’s 11,000 members has shut down production on several projects and threatens to delay the starts of upcoming seasons of everything from Grey’s Anatomy to Stranger Things Season 5. Amid the strike, actors and others in the entertainment industry, including Mariska Hargitay, Pete Davidson, Flavor Flav and Merle Dandridge, continue to show solidarity with the writers. 

While no progress has been made, actors and others in the business continue to show their support for the unions, either by joining the writers on the picket lines, continuing to provide pay to their employees while production is shut down, or providing food to the striking workers. Let’s take a look at what they're doing and saying. 

Merle Dandridge

The cast members of Station 19 have been voicing their support for the Writers Guild of America members, with Danielle Savre joining the picket line in the early days of the strike, per The Wrap. On June 1, her co-star on the ABC firefighter drama Merle Dandridge joined the protests as well. She said of the writers (per SAG-AFTRA’s Twitter page): 

Station 19 is set to return this fall for Season 7, but as with all scripted content, that’s a big question mark right now.

Lil Wayne And Flavor Flav

Rapper Lil Wayne showed his “appreciation and support for the writers” by sending a Fatburger food truck to the workers on strike outside the Warner Bros. office in Burbank, California, on May 25. Several people posted photos thanking the “A Milli” artist: 

Flavor Flav made a similar move the week prior, providing those on the picket line outside the same office with pizza, burgers and fries. 

He reportedly danced along while “Fight the Power” blared on a boom box, Billboard reported, and numerous tweets showed him firing up the crowd as he fed them.

Mark Ruffalo

MCU actor Mark Ruffalo also joined the protests, talking about how high the stakes are right now for talent in the entertainment business, given how audiences are consuming movies and TV shows and the constant strides being made in artificial intelligence. He tweeted his support for SAG-AFTRA members to authorize their own strike, saying:  

Mark Ruffalo is just one SAG member who asked others to vote for a strike ahead of the start of the union’s negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which begin today. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher sent union members an audio message late in May in support of a strike, Deadline reports, saying “acting careers are at stake.”

Mariska Hargitay

Law & Order SVU star Mariska Hargitay joined the picket line outside of Paramount Global’s New York City office on May 25, where she credited her success on the longtime NBC drama to the writers, saying: 

Many of the actors who have spoken out tend to agree that they would not be able to do their jobs without the writers.

Pete Davidson

Pete Davidson was set to return to Saturday Night Live as a guest host before the strike went into effect, and while we hate to think about what were sure to be some hilarious sketches on that episode, it was cool to see the comedian delivering pizzas to the writers protesting outside Silvercup Studios in New York. As he dropped off lunch, he told onlookers: 

It wasn’t just Pete Davidson’s SNL gig that was affected by the strike, but he also just wrapped the first season of Bupkis on Peacock with no news about its future. Davidson co-wrote the show with Judah Miller and Dave Sirus, who were also present on the picket line. 

Amanda Seyfried And Olivia Wilde

The conversation about fair wages and the changing landscape of entertainment was a big one in the days leading up to the strike, and a few actors had the chance to weigh in as they climbed the famed staircase at the Met Gala on May 1. Amanda Seyfried didn’t hold back her blunt opinion about what the union members are owed, telling Variety: 

Olivia Wilde also weighed in at the Met Gala, saying during a red carpet interview that she thought the strike was going to affect every part of the entertainment industry and even those beyond. However, this was a move the unions needed to make to get what they deserve. You can listen to her comments below: 

The Don't Worry Darling star said while she wished it didn't have to come to this, she supported the union and the writers.

Jennifer Coolidge

Jennifer Coolidge used her platform during the MTV Movie & TV Awards to show her solidarity with the writers. After being awarded the Comedic Genius award, The White Lotus actress said (via CNN): 

The support in Hollywood for the thousands of Writers Guild of America members on strike has been plentiful, with dozens of other celebrities standing with them either literally on the picket lines or through their words or actions. Rob Lowe, Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Elizabeth Olsen, Yvette Nicole Brown, Brian Tyree Henry, Drew Barrymore, Melanie Lynskey, Snoop Dogg and so many more have lent their voices to ensuring the union members are given the fair wages and contracts that their work has earned them. 

The last time the WGA went on strike was 2007, and the 100-day work stoppage took a big toll on every facet of the entertainment industry, including the audience. It remains to be seen how much longer the protests will continue before the two sides can come to an agreement, and what that means for the 2023 TV schedule going forward. 

The WGA writers strike has already had an effect on several television productions, shutting down Saturday Night Live ahead of Pete Davidson’s return for a guest-hosting gig and putting network late-night talk shows on indefinite hiatus. Now it seems the game show industry will also be impacted, as Jeopardy! host Mayim Bialik has announced that she will not be present for the final week of filming for Season 39, as she stands in solidarity with the writers. Production of the quiz show, however, has not halted, so what does that mean for the final episodes? 

Mayim Bialik Steps Away From Jeopardy! In Support Of The Writers 

The Writers Guild of America officially went on strike May 2, with its 11,000 members seeking fair pay in the age of streaming and amid the growing popularity of artificial intelligence. To that end, Mayim Bialik has decided not to continue hosting for the remainder of Jeopardy!’s current season, Deadline reports.

She joins several members of Hollywood who support the writers’ rights, as many have been seen on the picket lines themselves, and late-night hosts including Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon have continued to pay writers out of their own pockets.

Jeopardy! is a WGA show that features contributions from its members, and writers Michele Loud, Jim Rhine and Billy Wisse are among the quiz show’s writers who have joined the picket lines over the past week. However, as the clues for the remaining Season 39 games were written ahead of the strike, the show will continue production — just not with Mayim Bialik leading the way. 

Ken Jennings Will Return As Host For Jeopardy!’s Final Season 39 Episodes 

Ken Jennings and Mayim Bialik have passed the baton back and forth this season on Jeopardy! after being named permanent co-hosts. However, when Jennings — one of the biggest winners in Jeopardy! history — ceded his spot behind the lectern on May 1, that was supposed to be the last we saw of him in syndication this season. (The GOAT is currently serving as host of the primetime spinoff Jeopardy! Masters.)

With Mayim Bialik exiting the show early in support of the WGA Writers Strike, Ken Jennings’ fans will be excited to learn that he’ll take over the remaining Season 39 episodes, which are set to film between May 16 and 19. That likely means he’ll be returning to our screens with his signature dad jokes in July for the final few weeks of competition.

This marks a pretty big period of transition for Mayim Bialik, as her decision comes on the heels of her sitcom Call Me Kat being canceled by Fox following its third season. Fans of the Blossom star can continue to see her in syndication (check your local listings for air times) on Jeopardy! for a few more weeks. 

While we wait for Ken Jennings to return, viewers can watch him on Jeopardy! Masters, which returns to ABC at 8 p.m. ET Friday, May 12. Be sure to also keep your eye on the 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are headed your way soon. 

There could be huge trouble ahead for the movie business, because the Writers Guild Of America are threatening to strike in the imminent future if their demands are not met. How imminent? They are actually planning on stopping work and walking off sets as early as May 2. However, one more meeting is scheduled for next week between the Writers Guild and the studios to try and avert the strikes.

There are many reasons why the Writers Guild Of America deems it necessary to take such action against the Alliance Of Motion Picture And Television Producers, which represents over 350 production companies and studios, including Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, who are referred to as the Big Six. The profits for these half a dozen studios have risen exponentially over the last few years, to the point that in 2016, the AMPTP reported $51 billion in operating profits, which was about double the amount of what they'd achieved a decade earlier.

The Writers Guild Of America are requesting that television writers receive higher pay, because the manner in which the landscape of the medium has changed during this time has severely affected their income. While there are more scripted television shows than ever before because the likes of Netflix and Amazon are seeking original content, while they're currently in vogue with networks, too, the amount of episodes per season has actually shrunk. In the past, seasons consisted of 20 to 24 episodes, but nowadays mostly consist of just eight or 10 episodes. In many cases, that has undoubtedly increased the quality of these shows. But since writers are usually paid per episode, they are getting the same amount of money, but are being asked to spend more time working on the script.

The situation is complicated even further by the fact that most television staff writers are held to exclusive contracts, which stops them from finding additional compensation. Also, when writers are in between shows, they were previously able to rely on residual payments courtesy of past episodes that are in syndication. But, in comparison to network re-runs, streaming websites don't pay as much for syndication, meaning that writers have lost out on additional money there, too.

Another major issue is the fact that the Writers Guild Of America's health care plan is nearly bankrupt. In fact, it is projected to be completely bust by the end of 2020, and the WGA believe that the studios should help to cover the costs and deficit. Of course, since the line between television and film has never been more blurred, many movie writers recognize that they could easily delve into the world of the small-screen in the near future, which is why, alongside the fact that they're standing toe-to-toe with their writing brethren, they will be striking.

The Writers Guild Of America will finalize a vote to authorize the strike on Monday, April 24, and then the next day the union will resume talks with the studio and see if a compromise can be reached. The prospects don't look good, though. That's because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the writers are looking for a $535 million deal, while the studios are looking for an agreement closer to $180 million.

Naughty Dog has won yet another award for The Last Of Us. The survival horror adventure's Left Behind DLC was one of the winners at the Writers Guild of America awards over the weekend.

Left Behind won "Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing" during the ceremony. The DLC beat out Alien: Isolation, Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry and Assassin’s Creed: Unity for the honor.

Neil Druckmann, who wrote Left Behind along with Last of Us' main campaign, was on hand to accept the award. He shared a few pictures of the event over Twitter:

The Writers Guild of America first introduced their Videogame Writing award back in 2007. Since then, they've recognized Naughty Dog's work several times. Last Of Us, Uncharted 3 and Uncharted 2 have all won in previous years.

This year's award applies to games released between December 1st, 2013 and November 30th, 2014. In order to be eligible for the award, submitted games need separate writing credits. Furthermore, the writers must belong to or apply to the WGA Videogame Writers Caucus when the script is submitted. Those rules might be why your favorite game wasn't one of the nominees.

Left Behind is a prequel to the main campaign. Ellie is still living in the Boston quarantine zone. She and her best friend Riley decide to ditch class and explore a nearby mall. The adventure sheds new light on Ellie's relationship with Riley, who was first introduced in the American Dreams comic book mini-series.

You can purchase Left Behind for the PS3 version of Last of Us for $15. The DLC is also included for no additional charge with the PS4 remake, The Last Of Us: Remastered.

This poll is no longer available.

Award season is chugging along. We've shared our Top 10s of 2013. The Golden Globes have unveiled their contenders, as have the Screen Actors Guild, and the Producers Guild of America. Now it's time for the Writer's Guild of America to have their say on what was the best cinema of the past year.

Featuring solely screenplays, the WGA has singled out fifteen nominees for their three categories: Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Documentary Screenplay. See the full list of lucky nominees below:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

American Hustle, Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell; Columbia Pictures

Blue Jasmine, Written by Woody Allen; Sony Pictures Classics

Dallas Buyers Club, Written by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack; Focus Features

Her, Written by Spike Jonze; Warner Bros.

Nebraska, Written by Bob Nelson; Paramount Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

August: Osage County, Screenplay by Tracy Letts; Based on his play; The Weinstein Company

Before Midnight, Written by Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke; Based on characters created by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan; Sony Classics

Captain Phillips, Screenplay by Billy Ray; Based on the book A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALS, and Dangerous Days at Sea by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty; Columbia Pictures

Lone Survivor, Written by Peter Berg; Based on the book by Marcus Lutrell with Patrick Robinson; Universal Pictures

The Wolf of Wall Street, Screenplay by Terence Winter; Based on the book by Jordan Belfort; Paramount Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

Dirty Wars, Written by Jeremy Scahill & David Riker; Sundance Selects

Herblock– The Black & The White, Written by Sara Lukinson & Michael Stevens; The Stevens Company

No Place on Earth, Written by Janet Tobias & Paul Laikin; Magnolia Pictures

Stories We Tell, Written by Sarah Polley; Roadside Attractions

We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, Written by Alex Gibney; Focus Features

In the narrative categories, few of these nominees can be called surprising as just about all of the above have received critical praise and Oscar buzz. The dark horse contender in the mix is Peter Berg's Lone Survivor, which has had a soft open over Christmas and will expand next week. Based on the true story of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, the film offers a detailed and harrowing look at the failed Operation Red Wings, but hasn't earned anywhere near the kind of press and public debate that titles like The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle or Nebraska have. As to surprising omissions: Gravity and 12 Years a Slave are absent. But the Guild's tricky qualifications could speak to why.

In the past, the WGA nominations have shown some crossover with the Academy Award picks for the Best Screenplay Adapted and Original categories. But really they are a chance for fellow scribes to sing the praises of the scripts they found truly sensational and groundbreaking in the past year. What do you think? Is your favorite screenplay of 2013 present here or did the Writers Guild miss the mark? Sound off in comments.

The Writers Guild of America will announce their winners on Saturday, February 1, 2014 at an event held simultaneously in Los Angeles and New York City.

With tricky rules about eligibility and three different categories, the Writers Guild of America always manages to honor more screenplays than the Oscars or the Golden Globes-- which usually makes for an interesting batch of nominees. Today they announced their picks for the 2012 films, and with expected Oscar contenders like Lincoln, Life of Pi, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty in the mix, they also made room for some surprises, like Stephen Chbosky's adaptation of his own book The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Rian Johnson's original Looper, and John Gatins' work for Flight.

Making room for some of those films were some heavy awards hitters rendered ineligible by WGA rules, like Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour and Django Unchained (see here for the full list of those ineligible). But even though an Oscar nomination may not happen for all of these choices, they very much have a shot, and recognition from one's peers-- especially for screenwriters, who often toil for years with no result whatsoever-- has to be an honor no matter what.

Below you can see the full list of nominees for the WGA awards. Winners will be announced during the simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles on February 17.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

"Flight," Written by John Gatins; Paramount Pictures

"Looper," Written by Rian Johnson; TriStar Pictures

"The Master," Written by Paul Thomas Anderson; The Weinstein Company

"Moonrise Kingdom," Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola; Focus Features

"Zero Dark Thirty," Written by Mark Boal; Columbia Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

"Argo," Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman; Warner Bros. Pictures

"Life of Pi," Screenplay by David Magee; Based on the novel by Yann Martel; 20th Century Fox

"Lincoln," Screenplay by Tony Kushner; Based in part on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin; DreamWorks Pictures

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower," Screenplay by Stephen Chbosky; Based on his book; Summit Entertainment

"Silver Linings Playbook," Screenplay by David O. Russell; Based on the novel by Matthew Quick; The Weinstein Company

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY

"The Central Park Five," Written by Sarah Burns and David McMahon and Ken Burns; Sundance Selects

"The Invisible War," Written by Kirby Dick; Cinedigm Entertainment Group

"Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God," Written by Alex Gibney; HBO Documentary Films

"Searching for Sugar Man," Written by Malik Bendejelloul; Sony Pictures Classics

"We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists," Written by Brian Knappenberger; Cinetic Media "West of Memphis," Written by Amy Berg & Billy McMillin; Sony Pictures Classics

The Writers Guild of America announced their award nominations today. For the fourth year in a row, they'll be recognizing the best videogame writing of the year.

There were five nominees for the award. All were from games released between December 1, 2009 and November 30, 2010. Drumroll, please. Wait, they save drumrolls for the winners? Screw it, here are the noms:

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Story by Patrice Desilets, Jeffrey Yohalem, Corey May; Lead Script Writer: Jeffrey Yohalem; Script Writers: Ethan Petty, Nicholas Grimwood, Matt Turner; Ubisoft

Fallout: New Vegas, Creative Design Lead/Lead Writer: John Gonzalez; Writers: Chris Avellone, Eric Fenstermaker, Travis Stout; Additional Writing: Tess Treadwell, George Ziets, Jason Bergman, Nick Breckon, Matt Grandstaff, Will Noble, Andrew Scharf; Bethesda Softworks

God of War III, Written by Marianne Krawcyzk; Additional Writing by Stig Asmussen, Ariel Lawrence, William Weissbaum; Sony Computer Entertainment

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Wii), Writer: Benjamin McCaw; Story Dialogue Editor: Marianne Krawczyk; Ubisoft

Singularity, Written by Marc Guggenheim, Lindsey Allen, Emily Silver; Additional Story and Writing: Jason Henderson, Adam Foshko, Michael Cassutt; Story and Script Consultant: Adam Foshko; Activision

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Executive Producer-Writer: Haden Blackman; In-Game Script: David Collins, John Stafford, Cameron Suey; Additional Writing: Tid Cooney, Ian Dominguez, Tony Rowe; LucasArts

If you're displeased with this list, there's some fine print you can blame. First off, the games had to have separate writing credits. Also, the writers of these games had to have at least applied to be members of the WGA Videogame Writers Caucus by the time scripts were submitted. Also, on a more basic level, someone needs to actually submit the script. The script doesn't need to have been completed under WGA jurisdiction to be eligible, though.

The 2011 Writers Guild Awards will be held on February 5th. The ceremony will take place in two locations simultaneously: the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel-Grand Ballroom in Los Angeles and the AXA Equitable Center in New York City.

The Writer's Guild of America will be giving out another Best Videogame Writing Award this year. Tonight they revealed the five nominees for the prize, which will be doled out at the 2010 Writers Guild Awards on February 20th.

• Assassin's Creed II, Story by Corey May, Script Writers Corey May, Joshua Rubin, Jeffrey Yohalem; Ubisoft Entertainment
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Written by Jesse Stern, Additional Writing Steve Fukuda, Story by Todd Alderman, Steve Fukuda, Mackey McCandlish, Zied Rieke, Jesse Stern, Jason West, Battlechatter Dialogue, Sean Slayback; Activision
• Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Written by Amy Hennig; Sony Computer Entertainment
• Wet, Written by Duppy Demetrius; Bethesda Softworks
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Script Writer Marc Guggenheim; Activision

They did a better job with last year's slate of nominees, to be honest. There's some pretty notable omissions on this list, like Brutal Legend or Dragon Age: Origins. Also, I'm not sure how you can give an award to X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I mean it was pretty much just a straight adaptation of the film of the same name.

I suspect the reasons for any snubs are procedural. The game has to be sent in by the developer/publisher or by the writer's representatives so it's possible that no one entered Brutal or DA:O for consideration. Also, you need to be a member of WGA's Videogame Writers Caucus or in the application process for said caucus for your game to be submitted for approval.