‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Co-Head Writer Pleads With Barrymore to ‘Stand in Solidarity’ With WGA

The Drew Barrymore Show is returning to TV, amid the ongoing writers’ strike, but the show’s co-head writer is pleading with the host to “stand in solidarity” with the WGA. Speaking to The Daily Beast, Cristina Kinon offered her thoughts on the matter and explained that she does “understand” why Drew Barrymore made the decision to return. “I personally understand that everybody has to make the best decision for themselves,” Kinon said. 

“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,” Kinon went on to add, then offering, “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.” She continued, “It is frustrating, because it will prolong the strike, and we just want it to end.”

Addressing the importance of film and TV writers, Kinon said, “I don’t see how what I do is different from writing for a scripted show, or writing feature films-which I also do. 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.”

Kinon added that she “would love to see” Barrymore and the show “stand in solidarity with us,” and emphasized that it is “not too late.” She also encouraged other talk shows that are coming back to reconsider “where they stand and stand in solidarity with the WGA.”

The current Hollywood strikes began with the Writers Guild of America strike on May 2. The organization represents more than 11,000 Hollywood TV and movie writers. The strike was the result of the WGA not reaching an acceptable agreement after six weeks of wage negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

“Though we negotiated intent on making a fair deal – and though your strike vote gave us the leverage to make some gains – the studios’ responses to our proposals have been wholly insufficient, given the existential crisis writers are facing,” the negotiating committee wrote in a letter to members, per VOX. “The companies’ behavior has created a gig economy inside a union workforce, and their immovable stance in this negotiation has betrayed a commitment to further devaluing the profession of writing.” The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) also began a strike on July 4.