Drew Barrymore’s Co-Head Writer Speaks Out: Return of Daytime TV ‘Will Prolong the Strike’
“The Drew Barrymore Show” has received backlash after announcing its return to CBS September 18 without unionized writers amid the WGA strike. Now, the daytime talk show’s co-head writer is speaking out on its return and asking Barrymore to stand in solidarity with writers.
“I personally understand that everybody has to make the best decision for themselves,” Cristina Kinon told The Daily Beast of host Drew Barrymore announcing the show will resume production. “I know that this show has a crew of hundreds of people who need to be paid, and I understand the perspective of wanting to protect your cast, your crew, and your staff.”
She added, “And then, expanding out more, we’re standing with all of labor and all of the unions across the world, because that is how it works. Unions only work when you stick together with unions across the labor spectrum.”
Kinon noted that it was a surprise when Barrymore decided to move forward with the slated fall return of the talk show, especially after she exited hosting the recent MTV VMAs earlier this year in “solidarity with the strike,” per Barrymore’s official statement in May.
“We were really proud of that decision,” Kinon said of the VMA exit, which is why Season 4 of “The Drew Barrymore Show” is an unexpected decision during the strike.
“I don’t see how what I do is different from writing for a scripted show, or writing feature films — which I also do,” Kinon said. “We’re all trying to make a career out of writing, and the AMPTP is trying to slowly chip away at that. And they wouldn’t have anything without writers; writers are the seed of all of creation. Now, there’s word that maybe some other shows are coming back. So it is frustrating, because it will prolong the strike, and we just want it to end.”
“The View” has continued during the strike, but other daytime talk shows like “The Talk,” “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “Sherri,” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show” are also set to return this fall season in addition to “The Drew Barrymore Show,” which has been picketed outside New York City production studio since the announcement.
Kinon concluded that she “would love to see the show stand in solidarity with us, and it’s not too late.”
Barrymore shared on Instagram that she does “own this choice” to resume production on the series.
“I made a choice to walk away from the MTV, film and television awards because I was the host and it had a direct conflict with what the strike was dealing with which was studios, streamers, film, and television. 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,” Barrymore wrote. “And to be clear, our talk show actually wrapped on April 20 so we never had to shut down the show. However, I am also making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, that may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me.”
