While Hollywood strikes continue, Drew Barrymore’s talk show will remain on hold. The actor took to her Instagram account last Sunday to address the criticism she faced after initially deciding to resume production.
In her Instagram post, “I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere until the strike is over,” Barrymore wrote. “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.”
Barrymore added, “We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”
One week after Drew Barrymore’s declaration of the revival of “The Drew Barrymore Show,” a decision that came despite her early departure from hosting the MTV Movie & TV Awards during the ongoing strike, several notable developments have unfolded.
Barrymore faced backlash from fellow actors and the Writers Guild of America, which advocates for over 11,000 writers across various media platforms, all of whom have been on strike since May. Their demands include higher wages and more defined contract clauses related to artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, the National Book Foundation withdrew its invitation for Barrymore to host its annual book awards in response to her recent choices.
A spokesperson for the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists informed NBC that the talk show’s return was in compliance with the ongoing strike.
In July, SAG-AFTRA, a guild representing over 160,000 professionals in the entertainment industry, initiated its own strike. Consequently, the majority of TV programs, including talk shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which rely heavily on teams of writers, have remained off the air for several months.
In light of Barrymore’s announcement, “The Talk,” a daytime TV show on CBS, also revealed that it would be postponing its scheduled season premiere set for Monday.
In a statement to CNN on Sunday, a CBS spokesperson, the network that hosts “The Drew Barrymore Show,” expressed their support for Drew’s choice to postpone the show’s return. They acknowledged the complexity and challenges of this decision-making process.
“The Drew Barrymore Show” was set to return today.
(Source: Chloe Melas | NBC | Alli Rosenbloom | Lisa Respers France | CNN)
