DWTS Shimmies into Season 32 Amid WGA Drama

ABC is set to kick off the 32nd season of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) as scheduled on Sept. 26. This developed following the tentative agreement reached between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the studios on Sunday evening. Notably, the reality competition will proceed with its full celebrity cast, which includes Matt Walsh, the Veep star who is also a WGA member.

Walsh is a dual member of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the WGA. It was last Thursday when he 'paused' his involvement in DWTS due to the labor dispute, which now seems to be moving towards resolution, allowing everyone to return to the show, according to his rep.

The network in fact had plans last Thursday to postpone the return of DWTS due to WGA picketers pressurizing the celebrity cast, most prominently, Walsh, Alyson Hannigan, and Mira Sorvino. The picketing activities from the WGA, which notoriously targeted multiple DWTS rehearsals last week, continued till recently when around 35 writers picketed at TV City ahead of the live season opener.

Following the tentative strike resolution, all WGA picketing activities were suspended on Sunday night. Variety shows like DWTS fall under the SAG-AFTRA National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting, known popularly as the Network Code. Under this regulation, ABC is allowed to broadcast DWTS, and SAG-AFTRA members can participate in the show. The organization last week defended that actors appearing in the show are not violating strike rules and are obligated to work.

Season 32 marks the return of DWTS to ABC after the previous season aired on Disney+. The forthcoming season will be simulcast live on Disney+ and be available the next day on Hulu.

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Ah, the dance of negotiation! After a week of the television equivalent of tripping over their partner's feet, ABC and the WGA have seemingly found their rhythm again as they waltz into the 32nd season of Dancing with the Stars. Trust Hollywood to turn its own backstage drama into a compelling show worthy of prime-time viewership.

Matt Walsh's fancy footwork here warrants some applause. The Veep star's quick-step out of the dance and his tango back in exemplifies a star's juggling act amidst union strikes. It's a dance they're all too familiar with, and one we should probably expect more of in an industry where the competition isn't limited to the dance floor.

In an industry that celebrates creative choreography both on and off screen, the WGA picketing strategy sure did hit a few rehearsal bumps. Imagine trying to balance on your toes while a sign-wielding picketer pushes for their cause. There's the suspense Hollywood thrives on!

More than the sashay and shimmies of the celebrities, DWTS’s return to the ABC ballroom was more a tense Paso Doble with labor unions. For anybody following the late-night drama, ABC's executives and the WGA's board might've given the stars a run for their money in dramatic tension.

Here's to a heartfelt salute to the actors who kept up with their routines amidst the chaos. The SAG-AFTRA's defense, which maintained that the stars aren't rule breakers but only fulfilling their work obligations, is a charming reminder that they're also merely humans trying to get through their 9-to-5s.

In the end, it's business as usual for Hollywood with ABC spinning DWTS’s return into a dance of the networks as the show will be simulcast on Disney+. Only those truly tuned to the industry's rhythm can appreciate the beauty in this ballet of issues, negotiations, and star-powered performances amidst the chaos.

So, clear the floor, strike the band, Dancing with the Stars is back, but as we've seen this week, the real dance goes on behind the scenes.