A complicated game of “will they or won’t they?” takes hold of daytime TV.
With the Writers Guild of America on strike, the people in charge of the country’s talk shows have been forced to make a decision: Either go dark in solidarity with their staffs, or let the show go on, so to speak. Those who chose to cross the picket line have come under scorching criticism that’s led some, like Drew Barrymore, to reverse their decisions. As many have wryly observed online, “bullying works,” at least when it comes to a union fight. And the outrage over Barrymore’s show seems to have created a domino effect within daytime TV, causing others to reconsider returning to the air.
We’re keeping tabs on Barrymore, Bill Maher, The View, and where other talk shows have come down during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Drew Barrymore delays her show
Last week, Barrymore announced that she’d decided to bring back her extremely popular daytime show for a fourth season despite the strike. The backlash began immediately: The Guild picketed her show, the host was branded a scab, and the National Book Awards even rescinded its invitation to have Barrymore host its upcoming ceremony.
The following week, she reconsidered, announcing on Instagram that she’d postpone her show 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,” the actor wrote.
Bill Maher won’t bring back his show amid the strike
Maher said last week that he would resume production of his show through the strike. Real Time with Bill Maher employs several union members, and Maher himself is part of the WGA, but the host wrote on X that his show would return “sans writers or writing.”
“It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work,” Maher wrote on Sept. 13. “The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns.”
Just days later, on Sept. 18, Maher made an about-face. In a statement, he said: “My decision to return to work was made when it seemed nothing was happening and there was no end in sight to this strike. Now that both sides have agreed to go back to the negotiating table I’m going to delay the return of Real Time, for now, and hope they can finally get this thing done.”
The Talk and The Jennifer Hudson Show won’t return as planned
Both daytime shows were scheduled to return to the air this Monday, but have since postponed production. Variety reports that Hudson’s show was originally planning to begin its second season without writers, while The Talk held a rehearsal last week in preparation for its debut.
Neither Hudson nor any of The Talk’s five co-hosts, including Jerry O’Connell, who’s been an active presence on the picket lines, have spoken out about the reversals.
Will The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and other late-night shows return?
Since the strike began in May, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver have all paused production on their shows and have instead banded together to create Strike Force Five. The limited-series podcast is expected to run for 12 episodes, and all the proceeds will be donated to the late-night staffers currently out of work.
As it stands, none of the hosts have shown any interest in returning to the airwaves until after the strike is over.
Why did The View and Live! With Kelly and Mark return during the strikes?
The View has continued producing new episodes through the strike and premiered its 27th season earlier this month without its two WGA writers. The country’s top daytime talk show has been regularly picketed by the WGA.
Live! With Kelly and Mark, which is not governed by the WGA rules currently dictating the terms of the strike, has also remained on the air.
