Bringing back “The Drew Barrymore Show” would have been an effort to not break those contracts and risk losing the show altogether, but that still doesn’t make circumventing the WGA strike any less unsavory. After all, Barrymore isn’t alone in facing the threat of having a contract terminated. Studios have now suspended most of their overall deals with creators, including high-profile names like J.J. Abrams, Dwayne Johnson, and Lorne Michaels.
As for when “The Drew Barrymore Show” will make its return, that decision is now left in the hands of the AMPTP, the negotiating body for studios and networks. Whenever they decide to agree to reasonable terms for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, productions can resume.
Below is Drew Barrymore’s full statement on the show’s pausing:
“I have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show’s premiere 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. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.”