Talk show hosts Bill Maher and Drew Barrymore announced the return of their shows despite a writers strike.
Thursday was the 135th day of the Writers Guild of America strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which has come to a head over higher wages. The most recent offer from the alliance came on Aug. 11 and was released unaltered on Aug. 22.
Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people…
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) September 14, 2023
“Real Time is coming back, unfortunately, sans writers or writing. It has been five months, and it is time to bring people back to work. The writers have important issues that I sympathize with, and hope they are addressed to their satisfaction, but they are not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns,” Maher wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We all were hopeful this would come to an end after Labor Day, but that day has come and gone, and there still seems to be nothing happening. I love my writers, I am one of them, but I’m not prepared to lose an entire year and see so many below-the-line people suffer so much.”
Maher, whose weekly show surrounds news events, admitted he’s provided his staff with “some assistance” but that they still are “struggling mightily.” As a result, the host predicted the show “will not be as good as our normal show” because it won’t have a monologue, desk piece, New Rules, or editorial segment because they were all written parts of the show, which was interrupted by the strike midseason on May 2.
As a WGA member, @BillMaher is obligated to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services. 2/3
— Writers Guild of America West (@WGAWest) September 14, 2023
“Bill Maher’s decision to go back on the air while his Guild is on strike is disappointing,” WGA wrote on X. “As a WGA member, Bill Maher is obligated to follow the strike rules and not perform any writing services.” The union also promised to picket at the show’s studio.
Barrymore similarly announced her show will start its fourth season. The actress, who now hosts her own talk show, promised not to discuss or promote “film and television that is struck of any kind.”
“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,” Barrymore wrote on Instagram. “We launched live in a global pandemic. Our show was built for sensitive times and has only functioned through what the real world is going through in real time. I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible.”
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“The reality is that bringing a show back without your writers is an attempt to devalue our labor and devalue the work that we do,” WGA captain Chris Hazzard said.
WGA writers are made up of some 11,500 members. The last time the WGA and the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists were both on strike was in 1960, with Ronald Reagan at the helm before he ran for president. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike for 62 days as of Thursday.
