Dancing with the Stars Waltzes Back Despite WGA Strike Drama

ABC is set to move forward with the season premiere of the reality competition show, Dancing with the Stars, as scheduled for Sept. 26. This decision comes as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and studio heads reached a tentative agreement on Sunday. With this, the show set to debut its 32nd season is expected to return with the full cast, including Veep lead Matt Walsh, who is a dual member of SAG-AFTRA and WGA.

Just last Thursday, Walsh announced his decision to 'pause' his involvement in the show. A representative from the actor's team stated on Monday, "With the hopeful resolution and vote with the WGA, Dancing with the Stars would no longer be a struck show therefore all cast would be able to return. This includes WGA member Matt Walsh."

In response to actors from its celebrity lineup, such as Walsh, Alyson Hannigan, and Mira Sorvino, facing pressure from striking WGA members, ABC put measures into effect last Thursday to delay the return of Dancing with the Stars.

Over the past week, rehearsals for DWTS were targeted by WGA picketers. The show, a WGA signatory, typically hires a single writer to draft talking points for the host. Picketing the show continued until yesterday. Immediately before the announcement of the WGA-AMPTP agreement, around 35 writers picketed DWTS at TV City, where producers were conducting preparations ahead of Tuesday's live season opener.

All WGA picketing was put on hold Sunday night following the announcement of the tentative deal with the studios. Shows such as DWTS come under the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting, known more commonly as Network Code. This is separate from the film and TV collective bargaining agreement that SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP unsuccessfully negotiated this past spring and early summer, resulting in the ongoing actors strike.

Under these guidelines, ABC has the right to broadcast DWTS, and SAG-AFTRA members are permitted to participate. SAG-AFTRA backed actors appearing on the show last week, stating they are not violating strike rules and are required to work. As a result of employing one writer among 500 crew members, DWTS’s WGA affiliation previously classified it as a struck production.

The introduction of the 32nd season will also mark the return of DWTS to ABC, after airing last season on Disney+. The upcoming season will be simulcast live on Disney+ with next-day availability on Hulu.

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And now for my two cents. Hollywood is a dance, quite literally in this case, of creativity and pragmatism - or perhaps we should say the high-kicks of artistry versus the fox-trot of legalities. Regardless, it's clear that even amidst a war of words among writers, the show must go on. And we might say, DWTS has pulled off quite a cha-cha-cha back onto our screens.

Simultaneously, this scenario offers insight into the complex interplay between network codes, the roles of various guilds, and how these realities impact a show’s production. We often forget, (and why wouldn't we be ensnared by the razzle-dazzle of primetime TV?) the delicate balance of power, employment, and regulation that lies beneath the surface. As they say, it takes two to tango, but managing industrial tensions needs, perhaps, an entire ensemble cast.

In all seriousness, this is good news for fans of the show who will undoubtedly be doing the Samba back into their living rooms come premiere night. And for Matt Walsh, Alyson Hannigan, Mira Sorvino, and the rest of the cast, it's back on the dance floor, back beneath the lights, and back into the delightful swirl of sequins and scores for another season.

Dancing with the Stars, it’s good to have you waltzing back onto our television screens. On behalf of your audience, play the music and let’s dance.