Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver have teamed with Spotify to launch a limited podcast series to benefit the strike-impacted staff from their late-night talk shows.
The podcast, aptly titled Strike Force Five, launches August 30 on Spotify and most other major podcast platforms. Each episode will see a different host from the quintet moderate the discussions as they delve into the complexities of the ongoing Hollywood strikes while offering an inside look at late-night television.
The series will run for at least 12 episodes, with all proceeds going to striking writers and out-of-work staff from each of their shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
According to a press release, the idea for the podcast was born out of weekly "hilarious and compelling" private conversations the five stars started having after their respective late-night shows went dark as part of the work stoppage that came from the strike called by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) in May.
The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) joined striking film and TV writers on the picket line on July 14, marking the first dual strike from the two unions since 1960. Issues at play include contracts with producers and studios and working conditions, with union members demanding higher residuals and protections against Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.
The strikes have effectively brought Hollywood to a standstill, with several major film and TV productions on pause until the situation is solved. Those impacted include the likes of Star Wars: Andor and Daredevil: Born Again, with filming on Deadpool 3 also coming to a halt when SAG-AFTRA opted to go on strike.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
