Less than a week after announcing that “Real Time with Bill Maher” would return in the middle of writers’ strike underwayBill Maher said Monday that he will postpone the talk show’s reboot.
The comedian explained his change of mind in a x publicationciting renewed conversations between the writers’ union and the studios as a motivating factor.
“My decision to return to work was made when it seemed that nothing was happening and that this strike had no end in sight,” he wrote. “Now that both sides have agreed to return to the negotiating table, I’m going to delay Real Time’s return for now and hope they can eventually make it happen.”
On Monday, the Writers Guild of America said will meet with the alliance that represents the main studios starting Wednesday, as the two sides try to negotiate a new contract.
“You may not hear from us in the next few days while we are negotiating, but know that our goal is to get a fair deal for writers as soon as possible,” the WGA bargaining committee wrote to members Monday morning .
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents major studios such as Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and Walt Disney Co., confirmed the date of the meeting.
“Every AMPTP member company is committed and eager to reach a fair agreement and work together with the WGA to end the strike,” the study group said in a statement last week, indicating it was working with the guild to go back. to the negotiating table.
Maher’s decision comes later Drew Barrymore announced Sunday that he was reversing course on his controversial decision. to start production on his talk show.
“I have heard everyone and am making the decision to pause the premiere of the show until the strike is over,” Barrymore wrote in instagram. “There are no words to express my sincere apologies to anyone I have hurt and of course to our incredible team who work on the show and make it what it is today. We really tried to find our way forward. And I really hope for an industry-wide resolution very soon.”
CBS too postponed the start of Season 14 of the daytime show “The Talk” on Sunday after Barrymore’s decision.
That chat series is “pausing its season premiere,” originally scheduled for Sept. 18, a network spokesperson confirmed Sunday in a statement provided to The Times. The statement did not mention the strikes.
“We will continue to evaluate plans for a new launch date,” the spokesperson said.
Maher Announced On Wednesday that his HBO show would return to the air without “writers or scripts.” He said that he supported the striking writers, but that the strike had become too harsh for non-striking production staff who had been left without work. since May. Maher’s move echoes what happened during the 2007-2008 writers’ strike, when restored his show in the middle of the work stoppage (along with hosts Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien) with no writers or writing.
A WGA spokesperson called Maher’s decision last week “disappointing.”
“If he goes ahead with his plan, he needs to honor more than just ‘the spirit of the strike,'” the spokesperson said. “Bill Maher is obligated as a member of the WGA to follow strike rules and not perform any writing services. It’s hard to imagine how ‘Real Time’ can move forward without a violation of the WGA’s strike rules. “WGA will picket this show.”
Times staff writers Wendy Lee, Matt Pearce and Christi Carras contributed to this report.