When will Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Hudson, more daytime stars return after writers' strike?
Daytime talk shows including "The Drew Barrymore Show, and "The Jennifer Hudson Show" are plotting returns now that the prolonged writers' strike has ended.
While some shows ("The View," "Live with Kelly and Mark") have aired new episodes, many others have been dark since the Writers Guild of America strike began May 2. But even as the strike ended Sept. 27, Hollywood actors remain on the picket lines and are prohibited from promoting movie or TV projects, so talk shows will be without many of the usual celebrity guests.
Here's a rundown of when the daytime talk shows will return.
Drew Barrymore plans to return in October. The actress suffered severe backlash on Sept. 10 after she announced that "The Drew Barrymore Show" would come back Sept. 18, before the strike had been settled. Writers picketed her New York studio, and Barrymore paused the show's return.
Late-night TV is back: Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, more to return after writers strike
CBS gabfest "The Talk" and "The Jennifer Hudson Show" also planned Sept. 18 returns in the wake of Barrymore's move, but both scrapped those plans. The syndicated “The Jennifer Hudson Show" will have new episodes starting Monday. “The Talk” has not announced an official return date.
Sherri Shepherd continued airing new episodes during the strike. She opened Season 2 of the syndicated "Sherri" Sept. 18 by telling viewers that the talk show was not in violation of the WGA's strike rules and that returning did not constitute "crossing the picket line." Production was delayed a few days later, after Shepherd tested positive for COVID-19, but resumed on Sept. 26.
The syndicated "Kelly Clarkson Show" is in pre-production after a move from the show's original home at Universal Studios Hollywood to New York City. But NBCUniversal has not set an official restart date.
Why the Hollywood strikes are not over even after screenwriters and studios reach agreement