After a tentative agreement was reached between the WGA and AMPTP on Sunday, Drew Barrymore’s talk show is looking to return in October, sources close to production tell Variety.
An exact premiere date has not been set. A spokesperson for “The Drew Barrymore Show” declined to comment.
Barrymore found herself in the eye of a storm when she announced her talk show would be returning amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. The actor was roundly criticized for saying that the show would premiere on Sept. 18 in compliance with WGA guidelines and without writers — but then, she made matters worse by doubling down in another video that was not received well by writers on strike, or the public. (That video, along with her original statement, was then deleted.)
Barrymore’s choice to bring back the show stemmed from wanting to keep her staff at work, as well as contractual obligations with station partners across the daytime TV business, insiders explained to Variety. But that is not something that Barrymore expressed in her statements, which created confusion and generated anger among picketing writers and fans alike. SAG-AFTRA backed Barrymore in her return, given that as long as hosts or guests didn’t discuss or promote struck work, she wouldn’t have been violating SAG-AFTRA rules with the Network Code agreement allowing daytime hosts to perform hosting duties.
However, the show operates with union writers, so new episodes would have required moving forward without their writers on staff.
The WGA had condemned Barrymore’s decision in a statement, saying, “Drew Barrymore should not be on the air while her writers are on strike fighting for a fair deal. In reality, shows like this cannot operate without writing, and that is struck work.”
In addition, fellow actors and writers slammed the decision on social media and pickets against the show were planned. A week after that, Barrymore backtracked and decided not to bring the show back during the strikes after all.
“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Barrymore wrote on Instagram. “I have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”
When Barrymore was met with intense backlash, the dominos fell across daytime with talk shows like “The Talk” and “The Jennifer Hudson Show” also postponing their fall premiere dates. Those two shows have yet to announce their return, now that a tentative deal has been struck.
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