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Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) fans rejoice—season 32 of the celebrity dance competition is beginning on Tuesday night after all, following speculation that the premiere would be postponed due to the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
ABC denied reports that the show would be delayed, despite strikers picketing rehearsals and contestant Matt Walsh bowing out because he is a WGA member. Now, the network has confirmed in a statement that DWTS is returning, airing on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT and available to stream on Disney+.
The news comes after the WGA reached a provisional agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Sunday, possibly putting an end to 146 days of industrial action. The WGA represents roughly 11,500 writers across TV, film, radio and online, while the AMPTP includes more than 350 major studios and streamers such as Netflix, Disney, Paramount, Amazon and NBC Universal.
The production of many shows and movies has been put on hold, with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) also going on strike in July.
On Monday, SAG-AFTRA congratulated the WGA on reaching a tentative agreement, but confirmed that its own strike would continue for now. However, the organization confirmed that contestants were not breaking union rules by taking part, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor Alyson Hannigan, Zoey 101 star Jamie Lynn Spears, The Brady Bunch's Barry Williams, TV host Ariana Madix and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness actor Xochitl Gomez all members.
Despite SAG-AFTRA's blessing, there were rumors that cast member Mira Sorvino was under pressure to drop out along with Veep star Walsh, but the Oscar winner appears to have stayed put.
WGA members have been banned from participating in daytime or unscripted shows during the strike. Bill Maher and Drew Barrymore both came under fire recently after resuming production of their talk shows with writers, with both choosing to postpone their premieres.
Now that the WGA strike is over, Walsh, has also said he will be returning. The 58-year-old is known for his writing and comedy work alongside his acting, and is the creator of comedy series Players (2010) and co-wrote indie movies High Road (2011) and A Better You (2014).
The DWTS crew consists of approximately 500 employees, and although it's a reality show, the team includes one WGA writer. Members have been told not to return to work until the strike order is officially lifted, with the writers' union's leadership set to vote on the deal on Tuesday.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more