The producers and writers are effectively done talking, and with writers now walking the picket lines, production on many primetime shows is shutting down.

Several sitcoms filmed in front of live audiences, as well as a number of late-night shows, have been suspended. While NBC has not officially canceled Saturday’s planned episode of “Saturday Night Live,” set to be hosted by The Rock, the move is expected soon, as hopes of a short strike fade away.

And ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” is expected to finish shooting its final prepared script today, with people close to the show saying that the network has only enough completed new episodes to make it through December.

Four CBS comedies have stopped shooting until the strike ends, including “Two and a Half Men,” broadcast’s No. 1 comedy. “The Big Bang Theory,” “Rules of Engagement” and “The New Adventures of Old Christine” also shut down yesterday. In fact, “Christine” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is married to writer Brad Hall, joined the picket lines.

At Fox, “’Til Death” and “Back to You” stopped shooting yesterday as well. 

Though NBC’s “30 Rock” was still shooting today, star Tina Fey, who’s also one of the show’s writers, said production would be done by Friday. Fey also joined the picket lines.

“The Office” star Steve Carell has refused to cross the line to shoot his NBC show, which is still filming, as did syndicated daytime host Ellen DeGeneres, though she has said she will go back to work this week.

Obviously the late-night shows were the first to feel the effects of the strike, since writers are needed daily to help compose the topical monologues.

CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” and NBC’s top-rated “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” are both in reruns this week, as are their lead-outs, “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” and “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”

Leno actually walked the picket lines, bringing donuts to the striking writers.

On cable, Comedy Central’s “Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” are also in repeats until further notice.

While “SNL” has not been officially shut down, its writers were on the picket lines this week and said that there will be no show if an agreement with producers is not reached soon.

Thus the networks are now casting about for replacement shows, with most scripted programs expected to run out of new episodes by January. CBS is rumored to be preparing its summer reality show “Big Brother” for a fresh run starting in February, and other summer reality shows like "Last Comic Standing" could be fast-tracked as well.