ABC Will season 32 of DWTS be affected by the WGA strike?
Some fans of “Dancing With the Stars” are wondering how season 32 is going to play out due to the Writer’s Guild of America strike.
The strike, which has been ongoing since May 2, 2023, means that the writers on the show couldn’t return to work without potentially facing union discipline, according to the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
While many fans were originally led to believe that the show could go on because reality television wasn’t affected by the SAG-AFTRA strike, there have been some calls for the season to be postponed until the WGA strike comes to an end. With the premiere just about a week away (September 26, 2023), some fans are wondering if SAG-AFTRA members, such as Mira Sorvino and Allison Hannigan, will drop out of the competition.
Here’s what you need to know:
Some People Have Been Calling on DWTS Competitors & Cast Members to ‘Do the Right Thing’
Television writer David Slack took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the upcoming season of “Dancing With the Stars.”
“Dancing with the Stars is a WGA-covered show. Its writers are on strike, and they can’t make the show without scab writing,” Slack tweeted. “Hope @alfonso_ribeiro @juliannehough @misterhough @MiraSorvino @alydenisof & @jason_mraz do the right thing and refuse to cross our picket line. #WGAStrong,” he added.
“ATTN: @officialdwts is a WGA covered show. The only way to make it now is with SCAB writers. Hoping the amazing cast decides to stand up and refuses to cross the picket line,” said producer Aaron Ginsberg.
“When I was posting the other day about my friends being on this show, I had no idea it was covered by the WGA. And I’d bet the cast didn’t realize either since it’s not struck work for SAG-AFTRA. This can all get complicated but I hope everyone does the right thing here,” tweeted actor, writer, and filmmaker, Sarah Ann Masse.
Some Fans Are Wondering if the Season Will Continue on as Planned
A lot can happen in a week’s time, but many fans are wondering if the strike will end up affecting “Dancing With the Stars” — and what might happen if some of the talent decides not to participate.
Shortly after word got out that WGA personnel work on “Dancing With the Stars,” some fans took to Reddit to react.
“Welp. More hot messes to come. Idk why I didn’t realize they were part of the WGA, but it does make sense. Considering the few shows continuing anyways, I could see them hammering tf out of DWTS on sm and with picketing simply because they have something to focus on,” read one comment.
“I feel like this can make the show look bad if they don’t call the shot and instead put that on their crew/cast. This season seems like a mess already,” another Redditor wrote.
“Forgive me if I’m wrong but couldn’t they just go on and be unscripted? Especially with a more professional duo like Julianne and Alfonso, I could see that they could host the show and keep it running,” a third person suggested.
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