Drew Barrymore ‘owns the choice’ of talk show return amid WGA, SAG strike

Drew Barrymore of the Drew Barrymore Show has announced the show return amid writers' and actors' strike, even as the WGA says it will picket the show’s studios Monday and Tuesday as a result.

In an Instagram post, Drew Barrymore said that her daytime talk show will enter into its fourth season soon, in accordance with the strike rules.

Nevertheless, a Writers Guild spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that Drew is a smashing show, and union members are all set to picket outside of Barrymore’s studios Monday and Tuesday in NYC.

“It has stayed off the air since the strike began on May 2nd but has now (unfortunately) decided to return without its writers,” the spokesperson said in the statement. “The Guild has, and will continue to, picket any struck show that continues production for the duration of the strike.”

The daytime show is being planned to premier its fourth season on September 18.

“The Drew Barrymore Show will not be performing any writing work covered by the WGA strike,” a CBS Media Ventures spokesperson told THR.

Barrymore started her Instagram post by discussing her decision to walk away from hosting the MTV Film and TV Awards in May, in harmony with the writers who had just gone on strike.

“It had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with which was studios, streamers, film, and television,” she wrote in the post and caption. “It was also in the first week of the strike and so I did what I thought was the appropriate thing at the time to stand in solidarity with the writers.”

She also talked about the abrupt wrap of season three prior to the strike. But she definitely sounds confident of her choice as the host believes, the show is “bigger than just me.”

“I own this choice,” Barrymore continued. “We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind. We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time.”

“I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience,” she concluded. “I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible. We have navigated difficult times since we first came on air. And so I take a step forward to start season 4 once again with an astute humility.”