\n<\/p>\n
Drew Barrymore reversed her decision to bring back her daytime talk show despite the Hollywood strikes after an onslaught of criticism, the actress and host announced on Sunday in an Instagram post.<\/a><\/p>\n The return of production for \u201cThe Drew Barrymore Show\u201d drew picketers<\/a> from the striking writers\u2019 and actors\u2019 unions, as taping resumed last Monday, and on Friday, Barrymore defended the decision<\/a> in an emotional Instagram video, saying, \u201cThis is bigger than me.\u201d The company that produces the show, CBS Media Ventures, echoed Barrymore\u2019s resolution, citing more than 150 jobs that would be affected.<\/p>\n But on Friday night, Barrymore deleted the video, and on Sunday morning, she released a new statement changing course.<\/p>\n \u201cI have listened to everyone, and I am making the decision to pause the show\u2019s premiere until the strike is over,\u201d the statement said. \u201cI have no words to express my deepest apologies to anyone I have hurt and, of course, to our incredible team who works on the show and has made it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I truly hope for a resolution for the entire industry very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In a statement on Sunday, CBS Media Ventures said the company supported Barrymore\u2019s decision and understood \u201chow complex and difficult this process has been for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Barrymore is far from the only daytime talk show host returning during the strikes, but she has received the most criticism, perhaps in part because of her decision in May to bow out of hosting the MTV Movie and TV Awards in solidarity with striking writers.<\/p>\n The daytime juggernaut \u201cThe View,\u201d for example, has been airing new episodes filmed without its unionized writers. Barrymore\u2019s show had taken the same approach by producing a show that the production company said would be fully ad-libbed, without any staff members filling in for the production\u2019s three striking writers.<\/p>\n Other talk shows, including \u201cThe Jennifer Hudson Show\u201d and \u201cThe Talk,\u201d have also been planning returns. Bill Maher\u2019s weekly talk show on HBO has been as well, with the host defending his decision in a social media post by saying, \u201cI\u2019m not prepared to lose an entire year and see so many below-the-line people suffer so much.\u201d<\/p>\n Barrymore herself is a member of SAG-AFTRA, but as a talk-show host she is covered by a separate agreement called the Network Code, making it technically permissible for her to present the show during the strike.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Late-night shows have the same option, but thus far, many network hosts have decided not to take it. Instead, five of the big-name hosts \u2014 Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers and John Oliver \u2014 have started a podcast together, with proceeds going toward supporting their staffs.<\/p>\n Returning amid the strikes may look even less appealing to TV hosts after Barrymore\u2019s ordeal. Within two days of her show\u2019s resuming production, the National Book Foundation dropped her as the host of the National Books Awards. Her social media pages were filled with people urging her to walk back her decision to resume production, advice she heeded in less than a week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n