Drew Barrymore has postponed the return of her talk show amid a severe backlash from striking writers. The actor’s decision to halt The Talk, a daytime talk show backed by CBS, has a cascading effect. The Jennifer Hudson Show and The Talk have also postponed a return to the airwaves.
The Never Been Kissed actor was sharply criticized for taping fresh episodes of the daytime talk show despite the continuing actors’ and writers’ strikes. She had earlier lent her voice behind the strikers. Drew Barrymore now says she would prefer to wait until all labor issues are resolved. Another CBS show, The Talk, is also off the air for now.
A spokesperson for CBS said in a statement that the network supported Drew Barrymore’s decision to pause the return of the show. It further said that it was aware of the complexity and the difficulty of the process. Drew Barrymore posted an emotional apology on social media. This comes within days after announcing she was restarting production of her daytime talk show despite the strike by two Hollywood unions. But on Sunday, Drew Barrymore was forced to put the brakes on shooting after pressure and criticism even from close friends and associates.
Even Friends Of Drew Barrymore Speak Up Against Move To Restart
Actress and producer Alyssa Milano professed her love for Drew Barrymore but gently reminded her that this was not the right move. The Writers Guild Of America, representing over 11,000 movie, television, and creative media writers, has been striking since May. They are demanding better wages and provisions in their contract about artificial intelligence. SAG-AFTRA, the guild representing over 160,000 actors and other entertainment industry workers in the television and entertainment industry, has also remained on strike since July.
While Drew Barrymore was within the guidelines of SAG-AFTRA to keep her talk show production running, anyone writing for the show would be facing the ire of the guild. Networks are running reruns while some talk shows not governed by writers guild rules remain on the air as they are mostly unscripted. This includes The View and Live with Kelly and Mark.
