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Drew Barrymore’s Show in Crisis
While “The Drew Barrymore Show” is gearing up for a second broadcast, its three main writers have declined to return. This event came to light in less than a month, amidst controversy, when Barrymore found herself embroiled in disputes due to the announcement of her return to production before The Writers Guild of America strike has ended.
A close source to the talk show shared that the three writers – Chelsea White, Christina Kinane, and Liz Coe, were presented with an offer on September 27th after the Writers Guild of America strike orders were lifted. However, all three, who had previously shared the position of co-head writers, declined the offer.
The talk show is preparing to air its first new episode on October 16th. Now, they are in the process of interviewing new writers to replace the three who declined.
In the final weeks of the Writers Guild of America strike, Barrymore became a major target of criticism from the union. She announced her return to her talk show before reaching a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, only to publicly backtrack on her decision with a deleted apology video on social media, saying, “The choice is mine” regarding her return. After the controversy escalated, Barrymore reversed her decision just two days later.
On September 17th, before her reversal, Barrymore wrote on Instagram, “I’ve heard you all, and I’m pausing the show’s premiere until the strike is over.” She continued, “Our incredible team that works on the show, which has made it what it is today, we’ve really tried to find a way to move forward. And I sincerely hope that the entire industry will soon find a solution.
Before Barrymore’s reversal, the Writers Guild of America issued a statement against restarting production: “Drew Barrymore should not be allowed to air during a strike when her writers are on a proper strike. In fact, shows like this cannot run without writers. And that is the work that has been taken away.”