On a day that almost mirrors today, July 21st instead of July 13th, a labor action in 1980 began that paused Hollywood for three months and three days. The strike was organized by the Screen Actors Guild and the unions later merged under the banner of SAG-AFTRA, which today is preparing to join the writers’ walkout that started more than two months earlier.
The demands in 1980 echoed many of the same concerns raised in 2023: in addition to pushing for benefits tied to videotape broadcasts and pay television, the unions pressed for higher salary standards for their members, with targets around a 35 percent increase.
During the height of the disruption, film and television production slowed almost to a halt. Among the projects affected were comedies and dramas that offered a snapshot of work life. One title, a comedy about an office environment featuring a standout ensemble, faced delays as its stars navigated the strike. A major television star known for a long-running adventure series also found himself temporarily sidelined, performing other work to cover living expenses as filming paused in Hawaii.
Boycott of the Emmy Awards
Meanwhile, the awards ceremony itself lost much of its usual luster. The Emmys, held on September 7, saw a boycott by syndicates, which led many TV personalities to skip the telecast. Among the nominees, one performer stayed on stage, perhaps drawn by a chance to win for a lead role in a CBS miniseries that depicted a notorious historical tragedy in Guyana. The public optics of the night reflected a sense of risk and controversy, and the acceptance speech carried a note of defiance and risk-taking.
One surprising beneficiary of the upheaval was the realm of science communication. Carl Sagan, with his Cosmos program, found a receptive audience in the United States during the strike. The program’s reach benefited from the quieter television landscape, and it offered a different kind of competition for viewers and networks alike as they navigated the scarcity of new fiction releases.
Viewers also faced questions about the fate of long-running serial dramas. The mystery surrounding a pivotal event in a famous show prompted fans to wonder who was behind a defining plot twist. The fall schedule, a time traditionally seen as the most important of the television year, faced a complete reconfiguration as networks and producers adjusted to the labor climate. The creators of the show, including the writer responsible for the famous twist, faced intense scrutiny as plans unraveled and new narrative possibilities emerged.