Remember when a new television season started in September? Not this year.

Looking forward to big-budget blockbusters coming to a theater near you next summer? Maybe not.

You've always heard great things about "Breaking Bad" or "The Wire" but you never got around to watching it? Now's your chance.

And it might be a while before you know how many Emmys your favorite show eventually takes home. The awards show, as with much in the TV and movie industry, is also very much uncertain right now.

But what you can count on is more reality shows, and maybe game shows, and probably more opportunities to binge shows that have already been on.

That's because about 160,000 actors who belong to SAG-AFTRA are about to go on strike, joining more than 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America who have been on strike since May 2.

Prepping for the long-haul

Some movies are already complete, of course, like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," and set to hit theaters.

But any pipeline of new shows is already slowing to a trickle.

Data from film permits in California indicates that production of most shows and movies already has been halted by the writers' strike. Even though movies typically have a script in hand when they start shooting, revisions and changes mean a writer is usually needed while production proceeds.

Now with actors also going on strike, most remaining production will stop. The exception will be independent movies that are not associated with one of the major studios.

One group of television shows that will continue to produce new episodes is the traditional daytime soap operas. The writers of those shows are typically nonunion, and the unionized actors work under a different contract than the one that expired at 11:59 p.m. PDT on Wednesday.

But most other actors will stop working as soon as the union's government board votes to go on strike later Thursday. Rank-and-file members have already voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

Actors will not be doing publicity for movies that are being released, including appearing on the red carpet at movie premieres or doing interviews on podcasts. Of course, the writers' strike brought an immediate halt to new episodes of U.S. late night shows, so the opportunity to do that sort of publicity was already limited.

How long will it last?

What isn't clear is how long this will continue. There are hopes in the industry that since writers and actors are out at the same time, that will put pressure on the studios to improve their offers and get everyone back to work sooner rather than later. The last time the writers and the Screen Actors Guild, the precursor of SAG-AFTRA, were on strike at the same time was 1960 — so long ago that Ronald Reagan was the SAG president leading that strike.

But everyone agrees the industry is going through unprecedented change as the ways that the public consumes shows are changing rapidly, and the economics are changing with it.

Disney CEO Bob Iger didn't seem to suggest there will be a solution in the near term, in comments Thursday morning.

Video below: Hear from SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher

"They are adding to a set of challenges this business is already facing that is quite frankly very disruptive," said Iger, who is set to receive more than $25 million in compensation this year, about SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild in an interview on CNBC. "You have to be realistic about the business environment and what this business can deliver."

But the unions say their members are suffering because of the changes in the business, like the shrinking amount of broadcast residuals in the age of streaming, and they've been pushed to the point where they can't accept what the studios are offering.

"The studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry's business model, while at the same time insisting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber," said a statement from Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the union's chief negotiator, issued early Thursday morning. "The studios and streamers have underestimated our members' resolve, as they are about to fully discover."

So don't expect to see the return of many of your favorite shows any time soon.

LOS ANGELES —

Unionized Hollywood actors on the verge of a strike have agreed to allow a last-minute intervention from federal mediators but say they doubt a deal will be reached by a negotiation deadline late Wednesday.

"We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement," the Screen Actors Guild -American Federation of Radio and Television Artists said in a statement Tuesday night.

Video above: A Writers Guild of America member weighs in on the possibility of an actor's strike

The actors could join the already striking Writers Guild of America and grind the already slowed production process to a halt if no agreement is reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The sides agreed to an extension before the original contract expiration date on June 30, resetting it to Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.

Growing pessimism surrounding the talks seemed to turn to open hostility when SAG-AFTRA released a statement Tuesday night.

It came in response to a report in Variety that a group of Hollywood CEOs had been the force behind the request for mediation, which the union said was leaked before its negotiators were informed of the request.

The AMPTP declined comment through a representative. It's not clear whether federal mediators have agreed to take part, but such an intervention would presumably require more time than the hours left on the contract.

"The AMPTP has abused our trust and damaged the respect we have for them in this process," the SAG-AFTRA statement said. "We will not be manipulated by this cynical ploy to engineer an extension when the companies have had more than enough time to make a fair deal."

Issues on the table in the talks include residual pay and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

"General Hospital" actress Sonya Eddy has died, the show's executive producer confirmed.

"I truly loved her, not only as an actress, but as a friend," Frank Valentini wrote on Instagram.

Eddy played the no-nonsense nurse Epiphany Johnson on the soap opera. According to IMDB, she appeared in 543 episodes from 2006 to 2022.

Eddy's acting career began in the 1990s with stints on "The Drew Carry Show," "Married... with Children" and "Beverly Hills, 90210."

Her fans were shocked by the news of her passing, posting tributes online. Actress Octavia Spencer wrote, "The world lost another creative angel. Her legions of @generalhospitalabc fans will miss her."

Eddy's cause of death has not been revealed. She was 55 years old.

Two of Disney's most successful animated film franchises will be getting another sequel.

CEO Bob Iger said fans can expect new "Toy Story" and "Frozen" movies.

The original "Toy Story" was released in 1995. It featured Tom Hanks as "Woody" and Tim Allen as "Buzz Lightyear." The latest installment in the series was "Toy Story 4," which was released in 2019. It won the Academy Award for best animated feature in 2020 and grossed over $1 billion.

The next "Frozen" film will be the third in the franchise. The first two films grossed over $1 billion each. The original "Frozen" movie also earned the Academy Award for best animated feature.

A date for the new releases has not been released.

The move announcements come as Disney undergoes a "strategic transformation." The transformation includes 7,000 job cuts.

“We are going to a really hard look at everything we make," Iger said.

Disney will try to reduce its non-sports content costs annually by about $3 billion.

"Things in a more competitive world have simply gotten more expensive,” Iger stated.

The Nielsen company estimates that 101.1 million people watched the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl on NBC and Telemundo. That's an increase over last year's game won by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which had 92 million television viewers.

Another close finish capped a thrilling playoff season for the NFL, which had several games decided in the last minute. Nielsen said that another 11.2 million people streamed the game on their devices, giving a total viewership of 112.3 million people.

The increase defies television trends lately, where most programs are down from year to year because streaming provides extra choices and lets people control when they watch.

As Sports Illustrated reported, the halftime show averaged 103.4 million viewers, which topped last year's show by 7%. Viewership for last year's show was at 96.7 million.

The audience watching the game on Telemundo made it the largest Spanish-language NFL game ever, according to SI.

NEW YORK —

Howard Hesseman, who played the radio disc jockey Johnny Fever on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati" and the actor-turned-history teacher Charlie Moore on “Head of the Class,” has died. He was 81.

Hesseman died Saturday in Los Angeles due to complications from colon surgery, his manager Robbie Kass said Sunday.

Video above: In 1978, Turkeys fell from the sky in iconic 'WKRP' episode

Hesseman, who had himself been a radio DJ in the '60s, earned two Emmy nominations for playing Johnny Fever on CBS’ “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which ran for four seasons from 1978-1982. The role made Hesseman a counterculture icon at a time when few hippie characters made it onto network television.

“I think maybe Johnny smokes a little marijuana, drinks beer and wine, and maybe a little hard liquor," Hesseman told The New York Times in 1979 as he readied for one of three “Saturday Night Live” hosting gigs. “And on one of those hard mornings at the station, he might take what for many years was referred to as a diet pill. But be is a moderate user of soft drugs, specifically marijuana.”

Hesseman played a hippie in one of his first roles, on “Dragnet,” in 1967, and also in the 1968 Richard Lester film “Petulia.” Born in Lebanon, Oregon, Hesseman wasn't so disconnected from some of the characters he played. In 1983, he told People magazine that he had conducted “pharmaceutical experiments in recreational chemistry.” He was jailed in San Francisco in 1963 for selling marijuana.

Hesseman started out as a member of the San Francisco improv group The Committee, and at the time he moonlighted on Saturdays as the disk jockey for the San Francisco rock-and-roll station KMPX. Later on “WKRP in Cincinnati," Hesseman often ad-libbed his on-air banter.

“Impossible to overstate Howard Hesseman’s influence on his and subsequent generations of improvisors,” said the actor and comedian Michael McKean on Twitter. He recalled first seeing Hesseman in 1971 with The Committee. “I saw that he was the real deal.”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s state television says final verdicts have been issued in the case of slain Washington Post columnist and Saudi critic Jamal Khashoggi after his family announced pardons that spared five from execution.

The Riyadh Criminal Court issued final verdicts Monday against eight people.

The court ordered a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for five, with one receiving a 10-year sentence and two others being ordered to serve seven years in prison.

The trial was widely criticized by rights groups and an independent U.N. investigator, who noted that no senior officials nor anyone suspected of ordering the killing was found guilty.

The independence of the court was also brought into question.

The first inaugurations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama were the only ones to exceed Joe Biden's in popularity among television viewers over the past 40 years.

The Nielsen company says 33.8 million people watched Biden's inauguration between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday. The top inaugural was Reagan's in 1981, which was seen by 41.8 million people. Obama's first oath-taking reached 37.8 million.

Biden also beat predecessor Donald Trump, whose 2017 inauguration was seen by 30.6 million.

By comparison, football was also big for the week. The pro football conference championship games each brought more than 40 million people to their televisions over the weekend.

NEW YORK, N.Y. – ViacomCBS announced the lineup of TV shows that will be available on its Paramount+ streaming platform, including multiple revivals and spinoffs of some fan favorites.

Paramount+, which will launch on March 4, will feature a combination of live sports, breaking news and a “mountain of entertainment” from the company’s portfolio of brands, like BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel.

Below are a few shows being revived or spun off by the company:

Frasier

The long-running NBC sitcom “Frasier” is one of the most noteworthy shows being revived on the streaming service. Kelsey Grammer is set to reprise his role as Dr. Frasier Crane. The company says, “Frasier’s back – and he’s more exactly the same than ever.”

Rugrats

An all-new series featuring the iconic babies of “Rugrats” is coming to Paramount+. It will incorporate the original voice cast and new computer graphics animation.

Avatar

A wide-range of “Avatar”-inspired content, ranging from spinoffs of “The Last Airbender,” theatricals and short form content.

iCarly

Original cast members Miranda Cosgrove, Nathan Kress and Jerry Trainor will reunite to take a look at the “new chapter” of “iCarly.” It will look at the characters’ present-day lives.

Criminal Minds

“Criminal Minds” is returning with a new scripted series that brings the team back together to investigate a single case over 10 episodes.

Yellowstone

Fans of “Yellowstone” will be excited to hear that the show is getting a spinoff, tentatively titled “6666.” ViacomCBS gave this description: “founded when Comanches still ruled West Texas, no ranch in America is more steeped in the history of the West than the 6666. Still operating as it did two centuries before, and encompassing an entire county, the 6666 is where the rule of law and the laws of nature merge in a place where the most dangerous thing one does is the next thing…”

Dora the Explorer

A new live-action series based on “Dora the Explorer” is being produced. It’s said to be designed for an older audience of kids 6-11 and their families.

SpongeBob

The first-ever spinoff of “SpongeBob SquarePants” will premiere on the platform. “Kamp Koral” will take viewers back to when the show’s character met for the first time, in a summer camp “like no other.”

The Fairly OddParents

The remake of “The Fairly OddParents” will be a “live-action take on one of Nick’s longest running and most successful animated hits.”

The Real World

“The Real World: Homecoming: New York” will reunite the original “seven strangers” that paved the way for modern reality TV. They’ll move back into the New York loft where it all began.

Inside Amy Schumer

The Comedy Central franchise will return with five specials starring comedian and actress Amy Schumer.

The Game

The popular BET sitcom is returning with a mix of original cast members and “new players.” It’s said to offer a modern-day examination of Black culture through the prism of pro football.

Click here to see the full list of shows and films coming to Paramount+.