FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

If the strike - which is scheduled from May 2 - goes ahead, filming for a string of big-time television series could be halted with immediate effect. The WGA has said in a letter that writers have increasingly lost revenue in recent years and could find themselves in contracts with no work. In the declaration, obtained by Deadline, executive director David J. Young explained that writers' wages have dropped by 23% in the past two years, and a number of factors are to blame.

AMC The Walking Dead season 8 could be postponed if the writers' strikes go ahead

AMC Fans of the series might have to wait until later than the autumn for the new series

Any delay in the start of work has the potential to postpone fall season premieres David J. Young

He stated that short order series - which have 13 episodes or less - are particularly at fault because it means episode fees are now half the traditional number. Young also hit out at exclusive contracts, which ban writers from working on other projects. The result means that writers are stuck when there is no more work required on short season series. It's also claimed that royalties for writers are too low in emerging rerun markets. If the pay discrepancies are not resolved by May 1, the writers' strike will go ahead and could have a catastrophic effect on some of the biggest US shows, including Jimmy Kimmel Live and Saturday Night Live, among a flurry of others. Young wrote: "Should this occur, writing for television, feature films and digital series will cease. Some scripted series scheduled to air in the summer of 2017 may be affected as writing and producing for the season is ongoing."

The Walking Dead season 7: Who will die? Mon, March 13, 2017 The Walking Dead - Who will die in the second half of season 7? Play slideshow AMC 1 of 12 The Walking Dead - Who will die in the second half of season 7?

ABC Hit shows such as Modern Family could also be affected by the strike