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For nearly 150 days, Hollywood’s writers have been on the picket lines. The Writers Guild of America announced on May 2, that its 11,000 members were on strike. Then, just 2 months later, the writers were joined by the more than 160,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild. Two of Hollywood’s biggest unions were teaming up as they fought for protections against artificial intelligence, a raise in residual pay, and more transparency in streaming platform numbers.
Credit: Eric Appel, Flickr
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With a majority of actors and writers being on strike, most of Hollywood’s film and television productions have shut down. However, there are certain groups that are under different comments and can continue to work. Those are actors who work on talk shows, soap operas, and game shows. Many of those shows have decided to pause production as their stars stand in solidarity with SAG and the WGA.
Credit: Herman de Keyperling, Flickr
One show that has decided to pick up filming is Dancing with the Stars. The show — which is in its 32nd season — revealed its celebrity cast on Good Morning America on September 13.
Just days later, the show was inundated with big changes — a celebrity contestant walked away and protestors showed up outside the studio.
Credit: ABC
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Actor Matt Walsh — best known for his role as Mike McLintock on Veep — announced that he would be “pausing” his involvement with the show. Walsh said that, when he joined the show, he was under the assumption that the show’s writers were not a part of the WGA. When he learned that they were, he decided to step away in solidarity.
Credit: HBO
Walsh released the following statement.
“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 [Directors Guild of America].
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.”
Credit: ABC
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If losing a contestant before the show even started wasn’t bad enough, picketers have been in front of the rehearsal studio all week. The protestors have been calling out specific contestants, including Walsh. They have also called out Alyson Hannigan and Mira Sorvino, who are both members of SAG. Since DWTS falls under a different contract — a Network Code contract — Hannigan and Sorvino aren’t technically breaking the rules.
Credit: ABC
Dancing with the Stars is set to premiere on ABC on Tuesday, September 26. However, there is a chance that the show may see its premiere pushed back. Sources are reporting that ABC — which is owned by Disney — is considering pushing back the premiere date because of all the backlash they are getting.
An Already Controversial Season
Even before the picketers ended up in front of the rehearsal studio and Matt Walsh walked away, season 32 of Dancing with the Stars was already dealing with its fair share of drama.
Credit: ABC
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One of the celebrity contestants in the upcoming season is former NFL player Adrian Peterson. Peterson’s casting has caused ABC to receive a lot of backlash. Peterson has been arrested multiple times for both domestic violence and child abuse. The former athlete pleaded guilty to child abuse, and his wife declined to press charges for domestic abuse.
Recently, Peterson admitted that, despite being convicted of child abuse, he still used a belt to hit his children.
Credit: ABC
Fans of the show are demanding that ABC fire Peterson and replace him with someone who has not been arrested and found guilty of such heinous charges. ABC has not responded to its choice to bring Peterson on board.
ABC has not officially commented on Walsh’s departure, the premiere date, or Peterson’s casting. This new season of DWTS will see the return of host Alfonso Ribeiro, as well as new host – and former pro – Julianne Hough. The judging will be done by Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and Derek Hough.
