ABC may delay its scheduled premiere of Dancing With the Stars after striking writers targeted the show with pickets in recent days. One of the show’s celebrity participants, meanwhile, says he won’t take part in DWTS until the writers strike is over.
Matt Walsh (Veep) said in a statement that he will “pause” his involvement with the show “until an agreement is made with the [Writers Guild of America]. I was excited to join the show and did so under the impression that it was not a WGA show and fell under a different agreement. This morning when I was informed by my union, the WGA, that it is considered struck work I walked out of my rehearsal. I have been and will always stand with my union members of the WGA, SAG and DGA.”
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Though it’s an unscripted show, Dancing With the Stars is a signatory to the Writers Guild’s minimum basic agreement and has in the past employed a WGA writer among its staff of 500 to script certain comments for the hosts.
Walsh added in his statement, “Beyond our union artists, I am sensitive to the many people impacted by the strike and I hope for a speedy and fair resolution, and to one day work again with all the wonderful people I met at DWTS who tolerated my dancing.”
Striking writers have picketed outside the show’s rehearsal spaces this week, with some carrying signs specifically calling out Walsh, who is a WGA member, and actresses Alyson Hannigan and Mira Sorvino, who are arguably the highest profile SAG-AFTRA members in the season 32 cast.
DWTS falls under SAG-AFTRA’s so-called Network Code contract, which covers talk and variety shows and daytime soap operas and is in effect through June 2024. The celebrities taking part in the show are therefore not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules, but given the increased scrutiny and criticism of participants crossing the WGA lines, sources say ABC is looking at postponing the premiere, currently set for Sept. 26.
The WGA strike is on day 143. The guild’s negotiators are set to go into a second consecutive day of talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents media companies in labor negotiations. After Wednesday’s session, the WGA and AMPTP issued a rare joint statement confirming Thursday’s talks.
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