Courtesy of Warner Bros.
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” has postponed its originally scheduled premiere date and paused production due to backlash during the writers’ strike, Variety has learned.
The new season of Jennifer Hudson’s talk show was scheduled to premiere on Monday, September 18th. But after mounting criticism – spurred by Drew Barrymore’s public announcement that her talk show would return while the writers were on the picket lines, then changing course – all eyes were on the day.
On Sunday, Barrymore announced that her talk show would not be returning after all. Her decision has now triggered a domino effect throughout the day. Barrymore faced major backlash after posting on Instagram that her talk show would be returning amid the strikes. Shortly after Barrymore’s decision to pause production on her show until the strikes ended, CBS’s “The Talk” also postponed its premiere date.
On Monday, Sherri Shepherd’s talk show “Sherri” returns, although it is not a hit show covered by the Writers Guild of America. Kelly Clarkson’s talk show, which moved from Los Angeles to New York City over the summer, has not yet announced a premiere date. “The View,” which includes two WGA writers, aired without its writers during the strikes.
Talk shows are governed by the SAG-AFTRA Network Code, which allows hosts such as Hudson and Barrymore to continue in their hosting roles so that none of the hosts violate SAG-AFTRA rules.
Hudson’s nationally broadcast show, covered by the WGA, was scheduled to begin its season without writers, and was scheduled to reinstate the WGA writers once a new contract was in place.