Drew Barrymore is bringing back her TV talk show, “The Drew Barrymore Show,” to the small screen despite the ongoing Hollywood strikes. The entertainment industry in the US has come to a halt due to industrial action by the Writers Guild of America and the SAG-AFTRA actors union. These strikes are centered around issues such as pay and conditions, leading many movies and TV series to halt production. As a result, the majority of America’s talk shows have been put on hold.
“The Drew Barrymore Show” has been off-air since April due to a scheduled break, but Barrymore has now announced her decision to bring it back. This news comes just weeks after she stepped down as host of the MTV Movie and TV Awards to show her support for the ongoing strike. On Instagram, Barrymore explained her choice, stating that she wanted to stand in solidarity with the writers during the first week of the strike.
Barrymore emphasized that although the talk show never had to shut down due to the strike, this is her first time returning to work during the strike. She recognizes that the show is bigger than just her and wants to comply with strike guidelines by not discussing or promoting any struck films or television. She emphasized that the show was created with sensitivity to the real-world experiences of its viewers and aims to provide a way to bring people together or help them make sense of the human experience.
While Barrymore hopes for a resolution for everyone involved in the strike, she acknowledges the difficult times the show has already faced and expresses humility as she takes a step forward to start season 4.
A representative for the Writers Guild of America has stated that they will picket the New York City studio where “The Drew Barrymore Show” is filmed starting from September 11. They clarify that the show is a WGA-covered, struck show that has returned to production without its writers. The union will continue to picket any struck show that chooses to produce content during the strike.