Summary
- The Drew Barrymore Show plans to return for its fourth season amid ongoing strikes by writers and actors, stating that it will comply with strike rules.
- Drew Barrymore expressed support for the writers’ strike in the past but has now decided to resume production, which could lead to picketing by the Writers Guild of America.
- While the show claims it will not be performing any writing work covered by the strike, actors appearing on the show will have to adhere to SAG-AFTRA rules and not promote any struck work.
Popular chat show The Drew Barrymore Show is expected to return for its fourth season amid the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes. While Drew Barrymore says that the show will comply with the rules of the writers and actors strikes, a spokesperson for the WGA argues that Drew is a struck show and that it plans to picket outside of Barrymore’s studios this week as a result of the show’s choice to resume production (according to The Hollywood Reporter).
Recently, the Charlie’s Angels star announced the return of her daytime talk show on Instagram, with a lengthy post stating that The Drew Barrymore Show will soon begin its fourth season in compliance with the rules of the Writers Guild of America and the SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Barrymore started out by referencing her choice to step away from hosting the MTV Film and TV Awards back in May as a gesture of support for the writers, who at the time, had just begun their strike. Barrymore stated:
“It had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with which was studios, streamers, film, and television. It was also in the first week of the strike and so I did what I thought was the appropriate thing at the time to stand in solidarity with the writers.”
The actress additionally noted that her talk show had wrapped up its third season back in April and was never shut down due to the strikes. Barrymore then wrote that she was “making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show.” She added that the decision to do so “is bigger than just me.”
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The 50 First Dates star continued:
“I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time.”
Barrymore wrapped up her message by saying:
“I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible. We have navigated difficult times since we first came on air. And so I take a step forward to start season 4 once again with an astute humility.”
Still, according to the WGA, Drew is a struck show, and as a result of the actress’s choice, union members plan to picket outside of Barrymore’s studio this week.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the WGA said, “It [The Drew Barrymore Show] has stayed off the air since the strike began on May 2nd but has now (unfortunately) decided to return without its writers. The Guild has, and will continue to, picket any struck show that continues production for the duration of the strike.”
A spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures told THR, “The Drew Barrymore Show will not be performing any writing work covered by the WGA strike.”
Notably, most daytime talk shows have continued amid the ongoing WGA strike because the majority of them do not work with writers that are a part of the union. When The Drew Barrymore Show returns, actors who appear on the show as guest will have to comply with SAG-AFTRA rules which include not speaking about or promoting any struck work.
The talk show is planning to premiere its fourth season on September 18th and is expected to be produced without any literary material.
You can view the original article HERE.
