The ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are causing television programs, expecting to season premiere this month, to take a side on the picket line. First it was The Drew Barrymore Show, who initially announced they would start production without striking writers.
It did not take long for the backlash to come, including Barrymore being dropped as the host of the upcoming National Book Foundation awards. While she initially defended her position while issuing an apology, she backtracked a couple days later and announced on her Instagram that she is pausing the show.
The pushback from the unemployed writers and their supporters proclaiming that hosts should not be on television while their writers are on strike has struck a deep nerve and now shows such as The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Talk, and The Jennifer Hudson Show are following suit to avoid the PR nightmare. All of these shows were expected to return on September 18th. Now their expected return air dates are TBA.
Not all daytime talk shows are delaying their production. Programs such as Tamron Hall and Sherri, have returned on-air with no backlash or picket lines outside their studios, why? Neither show employs WGA writers. Most talk show hosts fall under SAG-AFTRA but under the Network Television Code contract which allows them to still appear on television while those under the Television/Streaming/Theatrical contracts cannot.