A show is returning to the airwaves despite the dual labor strikes happening in Hollywood. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Drew Barrymore Show will begin filming its fourth season this week. Actress and host Barrymore explained she could return as the production will abide by rules and regulations stipulated by the Writer’s Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. However, WGA East views Drew Barrymore as a struck show. Members plan to protest outside the show’s studios this Monday and Tuesday.
“It has stayed off the air since the strike began on May 2nd but has now (unfortunately) decided to return without its writers,” a WGA East spokesperson said in a statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “The Guild has, and will continue to, picket any struck show that continues production for the duration of the strike.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, daytime talk shows are usually allowed to continue filming as most do not utilize union writers for literary material, as stated by the WGA’s guidelines. Barrymore’s show and The Talk were the exception to the rule and went off the air along with several late-night talk shows. Barrymore even stepped away from hosting the MTV Movie and TV Awards in the wake of the strike.
Barrymore explained her reasoning for returning to airing new episodes in an Instagram post stating: “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.” via The Hollywood Reporter. Read Barrymore’s full statement at the end of this article.
Barrymore joins ABC’s The View which proceeded with a new season without writers last week.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show’s guests will abide by the SAG-AFTRA guidelines in not promoting any struck work or production. And via a press release, the show will feature a gamut of guest hosts and personalities to fill the show’s hour time slot.
“I am so excited to see what Drew has in store for season four,” said Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures via The Hollywood Reporter. “From launching during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to successfully pivoting to a groundbreaking half-hour format, this show has demonstrated spectacular resilience and creative agility on its journey to becoming the fastest-growing show in daytime. We couldn’t have a better partner in Drew Barrymore and look forward to bringing our fans and station clients alike new episodes this fall.”
The fourth season of The Drew Barrymore Show is set to premiere on September 18.