Some Day Time Shows are returning to production even the strike continues
As the Drew Barrymore Show resumes airing new episodes this Monday, the charismatic host finds herself at the center of a burgeoning labor dispute in Hollywood. Drew Barrymore, scion of a renowned acting family, continues with the production of her talk show despite striking writers picketing outside her studio.
Michael H. LeRoy, a professor specializing in labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, remarked, “We’re approximately four months into this strike, and it’s inevitable to see some departures. It was unpredictable that this would surface in the realm of daytime TV, but labor conflicts bring everyone to a breaking point eventually.”
Notably, Barrymore’s show is not the lone daytime talk show operating without the support of its unionized writers. Other shows like “The View,” “Tamron Hall,” and “Live With Kelly and Ryan,” which are not subject to writers’ guild regulations, have also resumed production.
According to industry rules, these shows aren’t formally violating the strike as long as the discussions on the show don’t venture into topics covered by the television, theatrical, or streaming contracts that are the subject of the ongoing strike. The affected unions, Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, are currently at odds with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents media giants like Disney, Netflix, and Amazon.
Barrymore’s decision to proceed with the show has elicited considerable backlash on social media and among her peers. In a now-deleted Instagram video, Barrymore stated, “I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this OK to those that it is not OK with. I fully accept that.”
Zayd Ayers Dohrn, a writer and professor at Northwestern University, predicted that the move to resume the shows will result in awkward dynamics between hosts, producers, and the striking workers. Alyssa Milano, a longtime friend and fellow actor, criticized Barrymore’s decision as “not a great move.”
Adding complexity to Barrymore’s stance is her withdrawal as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards in May in solidarity with the striking writers. She was recently relieved of her hosting duties for the upcoming National Book Awards, following the announcement that her talk show would resume production.
LeRoy noted that the decision by Barrymore and others to cross picket lines could have long-term consequences. He cited historical examples, such as the Major League Baseball umpires’ strike in 1999, which led to decades-long resentment among industry professionals.
As the strike continues, daytime talk shows are adapting by hosting a range of guests outside of the usual A-list celebrities. Yet, for hosts like Barrymore, the situation presents a quandary; they may be contractually obligated to work but risk alienating their industry colleagues by doing so.
Dohrn summed up the sentiment among critics: “They could very easily stand with their fellow workers in the industry and say, ‘We’re not going to feed the studio pipeline until they make a fair offer.’ They’re choosing, for various complex reasons, to return to work and potentially undermine the strike.”
