‘The Talk’ Returning With New Episodes Despite Hollywood Strikes

It’s been announced The Talk will be returning with new episodes, despite the current Hollywood strikes. 
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the CBS panel talk show is set to resume production soon. Additionally, syndicated talker shows The Jennifer Hudson Show and Sherri — hosted by former The View panelist Sherri Shepherd — are also said to be eyeing season premieres.

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.

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“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. Among their list of demands, SAG-AFTRA is asking for “minimum earnings to simply keep up with inflation,” protection of performers’ “images and performances to prevent replacement of human performances by artificial intelligence technology,” “compensation to reflect the value we bring to the streamers who profit from our labor,” and “support from our employers to keep our health and retirement funds sustainable.”

Morning talk show The View recently returned to broadcast, after taking most of August off for vacation. Previously, The View panel moderator Whoopi Goldberg clarified that the show would continue amidst the strike since it “operates under the network code, which is a different contract than the one currently trying to be renegotiated,” per The Wrap. Notably, back in May, Whoopi informed viewers that they would  “hear how it would be when it’s not, you know, slicked up.” She also stated that the show would not be stopping for the strike “because we want to keep everybody employed, and we want to do our best, and we support our writers ’cause we know what they’re going through.”

While most daytime talk shows seem to have not been controversial in their plans to return, the same cannot be said for The Drew Barrymore Show. After the host announced that her show would resume production, the WGA issued a statement slamming her decision. “The Guild has, and will continue to, picket struck shows that are in production during the strike,” read their Sept. 10 statement, shared to Twitter. “Any writing on The Drew Barrymore Show is in violation of WGA strike rules.” Click here to read Barrymore’s full statement defending the show’s return.