The Drew Barrymore and Jennifer Hudson pause show returns, and two of the most popular daytime talk shows, both took a big break. Drew Barrymore said on Sunday that she will delay the start of her talk show because she was criticized for going back to work while more than 11,000 TV and movie writers are still on strike. Last week, the actor and host of The Drew Barrymore Show said that the show would go on without writers and follow strike rules by not talking about work that was on strike. Barrymore said she was sorry and that there was nothing she could do to make things better.
Jennifer Hudson wearing a white dress while singing on stage "The Jennifer Hudson Show" has pushed back its planned premiere date and stopped making new episodes because of criticism during the writers' strike. The new season of Jennifer Hudson's talk show was set to start on Monday, September 18. But after Drew Barrymore openly announced that her talk show would be coming back while writers were on strike and then changed her mind, daytime has been the center of attention.
Barrymore said on Sunday that her talk show wouldn't be coming back after all. Her choice has now set off a chain reaction that affects the whole day. Barrymore was getting a lot of bad feedback after she wrote on Instagram that her talk show would be coming back even though there were strikes going on. Shortly after Barrymore decided to stop making her show until the strikes were over, CBS's "The Talk" also moved back the date of its launch.
The actor and host's original plan to bring back The Drew Barrymore Show on Monday, September 18 without her three union writers and with picketers outside her studio was met with criticism on social media. Last week, her CBS show started taping again in New York, and strikers were there to protest. After getting a lot of bad feedback, the actor and talk show host has chosen to stop her popular show until the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike ends.
Sunday night, Barrymore apologized on Instagram and said that she was putting "The Drew Barrymore Show" on hold after a lot of thought. The show was supposed to start shooting again on Monday, September 18. Barrymore wrote on Instagram on Sunday:
“„I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over. 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.- Drew Barrymore
Even though it's not a Writers Guild of America show, Sherri Shepherd's talk show "Sherri" will be back on Monday. Kelly Clarkson's talk show, which moved from Los Angeles to New York City over the summer, hasn't said when it will start yet. "The View," which has two writers who are members of the WGA, has been on the air without its writers since the strikes began.
Barrymore's controversial choice to start making movies again drew criticism from both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, which represents actors. Last week, dozens of people from both groups protested outside the CBS Broadcast Center. The guild wrote at the time on X, which used to be called Twitter: “„The @DrewBarrymoreTV Show is a WGA covered, struck show that is planning to return without its writers. The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike. Any writing on ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ is in violation of WGA strike rules.- Writers Guild of America
Days later, Barrymore posted an emotional video in which she apologized "to writers" and "to unions" and said she takes "full responsibility for my actions."The video was widely made fun of on social media, so Barrymore deleted it.
“„I know there’s just nothing I can do that will make this okay for those this is not okay with. I fully accept that.- Drew Barrymore
She said in the video, adding that the situation was "complicated" and that she had never meant to "upset or hurt" anyone.
“„It’s not who I am. I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them.- Drew Barrymore
Other afternoon shows are back on the air. ABC's The View is back for its 27th season, and Tamron Hall and Live With Kelly and Ryan are also making new episodes. Neither of these shows is controlled by writers' guild rules.
As long as the hosts and guests don't talk about or promote work covered by TV, theater, or streaming contracts, they aren't legally breaking the strike. Talk shows are covered by a different contract, called the "Network Code," than the one artists and writers are trying to get. Reality TV, sports, morning newsshows, soap operas, and game shows are also covered by the Network Code. Because of what Barrymore said, the National Book Awards didn't want her to host in November. The organization took back her offer after hearing that "The Drew Barrymore Show" would start up again.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which includes Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and other companies, is at odds with the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Drew Barrymore was criticized for taping new episodes of her daytime talk show while the writers' and actors' strikes were still going on. Now, she says she will wait until the strikes are over. A few hours later, The Jennifer Hudson Show, another talk show, also chose to put off its return.
The Jennifer Hudson Show, which was supposed to start its second season on Monday, has stopped making new episodes because of labor conflicts. Talk shows follow the SAG-AFTRA Network Code, which helps them navigate the complicated world of show business rules. This lets hosts run shows without breaking rules while the players' strike is going on.