‘Drew Barrymore Present’ Viewers Members Say They Had been Kicked Out for Writers Guild Help Amid Picket

Writers Guild of America members and scribes for the Drew Barrymore present picketed exterior CBS Studios Monday in New York because the discuss present resumed filming amid the writers and actors strikes. 

Two viewers members, who had signed up totally free tickets to the taping, had been handed WGA pins as they walked within the door by picketers and say they had been requested to go away earlier than the present started as a result of they had been sporting the pins. 

Dominic Turiczek and Cassidy Carter, two New York Metropolis-based college students, deliberate to attend the present, after signing up free tickets a few week and a half in the past, not conscious that the strike was occurring. As they walked into the constructing Monday, each had been handed buttons from picketers that learn “Writers Guild on Strike.” The 2 say they had been requested to take off the buttons at safety, to which Carter complied. Turiczek was nonetheless sporting his button as they entered the studio house. He stated a crew member noticed the button and requested them each to go away. 

Spokespeople for The Drew Barrymore Present didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon that state of affairs. 

The 2 then joined the picket traces exterior, donning WGA shirts, as Turiczek stated, “In the event that they assume we’re a part of the strike, we would as effectively be.” Carter added that she had signed up for tickets as a fan of Barrymore, however now has been “disheartened” by the expertise. 

“It actually has modified my perspective on her and the present basically,” Carter stated. “I’ve been fully alarmed and disheartened by this complete course of.”

Barrymore introduced her determination Sunday to renew filming the present, saying that the discuss present wouldn’t use WGA writers and would in any other case be complying with WGA and SAG-AFTRA guidelines. “The Drew Barrymore Present is produced below the Community Tv Code which is a separate contract and isn’t struck. It’s permissible work and Drew’s function as host doesn’t violate the present strike guidelines,” a SAG-AFTRA rep acknowledged.

The present has returned with out its writers and WGA stated it will likely be picketing exterior the present this week, since it’s nonetheless a struck present. 

Monday’s scheduled present was a repeat taping which included Brooke Shields, talking a few documentary not coated below WGA and the documentary’s government producer, Ali Wentworth. Jordan Fisher, who was within the solid of the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd on the time, spoke about his time on the musical.

The three WGA writers, who’re all co-head writers on the present, had been in attendance on the picket line and stated they came upon that the present, which has been on hiatus since April, would resume through viewers ticket giveaways that had been posted on social media. 

Chelsea White, one in all The Drew Barrymore Present writers, was picketing exterior the studio on West 57th Avenue, and stated she was shocked and upset that the present had resumed.

“I feel basically, that is clearly greater than us three writers on The Drew Barrymore Present. It’s a bummer to listen to that the present goes again as a result of it sends a message that union writers are usually not beneficial. And it goes straight in opposition to what the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, all of the unions try to band collectively to face up in opposition to the grasping studios,” White stated. 

White stated after The Drew Barrymore Present posted about beginning to tape season 4, she started receiving texts from buddies asking whether or not this was good or dangerous information. 

“We figured that we’d’ve heard one thing if it was an interim settlement. I feel lots of people within the public figured that that’s in all probability what the case was,” White stated. “However for the reason that three of us had not heard something, we had been fairly certain that one thing was up.”  

White stated she has not heard from anybody on the present for the reason that announcement that it might resume filming. Liz Koe, one other author on the present, stated she noticed co-workers go into the constructing Monday and that there’s mutual assist between the co-workers and the writers, including, “it’s not simply three individuals’s jobs, it’s all people’s jobs.” 

“I feel it’s such a sophisticated concern. I feel that Drew cares in regards to the present. She cares in regards to the crew, She cares about us. She cares about the whole lot and I feel she made the perfect determination that she may, given all these issues. And I really feel like popping out right here at the moment just isn’t a private factor in any respect, it’s actually the alternative, it’s a collective factor,” Koe stated, including that it’s the general combat for a extra truthful contract. 

“I’m upset, however I perceive that everyone has to do what they really feel is greatest for them,” stated author Cristina Kinon. “For me and the WGA writers on the present, it’s essential for us to stay with our union. We deserve a good contract so we’re right here at the moment exterior.” 

The three Drew writers arrived early Monday and offered espresso for the opposite WGA picketers who confirmed up in assist. 

As for whether or not the three writers will return to the present as soon as the strike is resolved, they are saying the problem is sophisticated, including that they have no idea whether or not there’ll nonetheless be WGA jobs.

“In April, after we went on hiatus, which was a pair weeks earlier than the strike, at the moment it was the concept to return to the present and that was the final dialog that we had with anybody on the present,” White stated. 

As for a way she feels about it now, she added: “Perhaps no remark.”

Sept. 11 10 am PST This story initially included the names of visitors who had been listed on The Drew Barrymore Present‘s web site as showing on Sept. 11. A CBS rep says these visitors are from a repeat present airing at the moment.