Dave Nemetz
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The curtain has fallen on the Tonys‘ scheduled air date: The annual theater awards ceremony won’t air on CBS as planned on June 11 after the Writers Guild of America denied a waiver for the show to air during the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike.
The producers of the Tonys are currently weighing two options, according to The Hollywood Reporter: either hold the ceremony on June 11 as planned without televising it, “perhaps in the form of an intimate dinner or press conference with nominees and media in attendance,” or postpone the ceremony in the hopes that the writers’ strike will be resolved and it can be aired at a later date. A decision is expected Monday morning.
The Tony Awards Management Committee formally petitioned the Writers Guild this week for a waiver to produce the show, noting that the Tonys help publicize Broadway shows and give them a much-needed boost in ticket sales. (The awards were set to air on CBS and also stream on Paramount+.) The guild rejected the petition, though, with the strike well into its second week with no signs of being resolved anytime soon.
The Writers Guild of America officially went on strike last week after talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down despite months of negotiation. The WGA’s current agreement with the AMPTP, which represents the nine largest studios in Hollywood, expired on May 1. Among their demands, writers are seeking an acknowledgment of, and correcting for, the way that streaming has affected the work, compensation and working conditions of writers. For the latest on how the strike will affect your favorite TV shows, check out our handy-dandy explainer.
Do you think the Tonys should be handed out without a TV broadcast, or is it worth waiting to see if a deal can be reached? Hit the comments to share your thoughts.