The Jennifer Hudson Show and Sherri are coming back to television despite the writers’ strike.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Jennifer Hudson Show and Sherri are back in production without WGA writers, which could draw protests similar to the ones affecting Drew Barrymore’s eponymous talk show, which also started production again despite the strike. Hudson’s show is a signatory to the WGA’s minimum basic agreement and employed union writers during its first season, but are now using non-union writers. Similarly, The Talk is also coming back, even though it is also a Writers’ Guild signatory.
Sherri, on the other hand, never employed WGA writers. Sherri Shepherd’s show isn’t the only daytime TV show not employing union writers. Tamron Hall and Live With Kelly and Ryan also don’t employ WGA writers. The View, on the other hand, does employ a few unionized writers despite continuing production throughout the strike, earning protests in response.
Despite protests happening in front of daytime talk shows regarding the writers’ strikes, the hosts are protected from the SAG-AFTRA strike. Shepherd and Hudson, along with The Talk‘s panel of hosts and Barrymore, are in compliance with SAG-AFTRA rules due to the Network Code, a different contract that doesn’t involve film and TV actors.
There’s only one daytime show staying in solidarity with the writers, and that’s The Kelly Clarkson Show. However, it’s unclear if the show has gone dark solely due to standing with the writers or if it’s because of the show’s move to New York from Los Angeles.
