The Television Critics Association has opted to cancel its Summer 2023 press tour, which would have taken place in late July and early August, due to uncertainty regarding negotiations between Hollywood’s labor guilds and the studios.
The news comes during the Writers Guild of America sixth week on strike, and as the Screen Actors Guild’s contract with the AMPTP approaches its June 30 expiration date. The Directors Guild of America’s contract also expires on June 30, though a strike by the DGA appears far less likely as its board unanimously approved a new agreement that is awaiting ratification from its membership, whereas SAG recently approved a strike authorization by a 97.9% vote.
TCA announced the cancellation in a memo to its membership, saying that “even if the guilds and studios reach agreements in the coming weeks, we’ve come to the point at which it’s no longer feasible to organize the tour, never mind plan for our own travel.”
The organization will still move forward with the annual TCA Awards, which recognizes series and individual creatives across 11 categories. Ballots will be sent out on June 14 and are due on June 23, followed by the announcement of nominees and beginning of voting on June 30. Voting closes on July 12, and TCA Award winners will be publicly announced on Aug. 7.
TCA holds one winter and one summer press tour per year, centering panels featuring the casts, writers, directors and producers of several series across different networks and streamers, as well as addresses and Q&As with network executives. The press tour has been oft-interrupted over the past few years; due to COVID-19 and its variants, the Winter 2023 event was the first since 2023 to occur in-person since 2020. In the memo, TCA said plans for the Winter 2024 press tour are still set to move forward.
Source: Variety
