Iconic MTV show forced to cancel key portion of live TV event after main star drops out due to writers’ strike

PRODUCTION of a popular MTV show has been halted after a star dropped out at a crucial juncture in support of flashy TV writers.

The MTV Movie and TV Awards is facing serious setbacks as celebrities withdraw from participation amid ongoing tensions between members of the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

5

5

This year’s MTV Movie and TV Awards will not be a live show, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Instead, the show will air in its pre-taped form this Sunday.

Bruce Gilmer, an executive producer for the show, released a statement on Friday, which said, “As we carefully consider how best to deliver the Fan First Awards show, we envisioned our team working so hard has worked in creating that we are moving away from a live event that still allows us to produce a memorable night full of exclusive insights, irreverent categories that our audience awaits and countless moments that will both surprise and delight , as we honor the best films and TV movies of the past year.”

A source told The Hollywood Reporter that celebrities will continue to be involved with the show and will give pre-taped acceptance speeches.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Drew Barrymore was supposed to be the host but dropped out earlier this week.

WGA announced plans to picket at the awards ceremony as well.

MTV went without a red carpet for the event.

The MTV Movie and TV Awards airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on MTV, BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TV Land and VH1.

DREW IS DONE

Drew announced her decision to step down from her hosting duties on Thursday.

The talk show host agreed to come back in 2024 to host the awards show instead, according to Variety.

“I’ve been listening to the writers, and to truly respect them, I will be walking away from the live event of the MTV Movie & TV Awards in solidarity with the strike,” Drew said in a statement to Variety.

“Everything we celebrate and honor about films and television grew out of their creation. And until a solution is found I choose to wait but I will be watching from home and I hope you will join me.”

She continued, “Thank you to MTV who have truly been one of the best partners I have ever worked with. And I can’t wait to be a part of that next year when I can really celebrate everything that MTV has created, which is a show that has fans choosing who the awards go to and is really inclusive .”

Although Drew will not be attending in person, she will still be at the Movie & TV Awards as she has already filmed some pre-taped segments.

The show could start with a pre-taped video of Drew, but that remains to be seen.

Shortly after the news broke, it was reported that producers were waiting to see if all of the nominees, presenters and guests would show up on Sunday.

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO

Although Bruce Gillmer, the president of music, musical talent, programming and events at Paramount Global and executive producer of the MTV Movie & TV Awards, said they plan to address the strike, he told Variety it would be business as usual.

The Movie & TV Awards “will not address the strike” and plan to “deliver for the fans”.

There will still be a live performance and awards, some with pre-recorded acceptance speeches, but the “elements are still unpredictable,” according to Bruce.

“We have backups to our backups. And we plan to keep as many of the show’s signature elements intact. We will have a live audience and it will still be a live event. Different, with more pre-record packages and so on that are scalable but still have that live event feel,” he added.

Though some of the talent originally planned may not show up, Bruce said there are athletes, celebrity chefs and others who are unaffected and could step in.

He explained that everyone supports Drew’s decision and welcomes her back anytime.

STRIKE

The Writers Guild of America went on strike last Monday night demanding better pay.

It comes ten years after their last strike.

The Writers Guild of America plays a large role not only in entertainment, but also in television production.

The strike is the ongoing dispute between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).

The strike officially began on May 2, 2023, after the WGA and AMPTP failed to reach an agreement on a new three-year motion picture television deal to replace a deal that expired on May 1.

The possibility of a strike was hinted at back in March, when the WGA announced on April 17 that 97.85% of its members had voted in favor.

More than 11,000 writers from multiple studios including Netflix, Paramount and HBO are participating in this protest.

Author Courtney Perdue told Variety: “Nobody wants it, but it’s necessary.

“This business starts on the page. No pages, no profits.”

Although the strike was hinted at as early as March, the fear began as early as February during a series of meetings to discuss the contract with AMPTP.

The topic that seems to have been debated the most is pay, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that writers are pushing for higher minimum wages for a range of services.

The strike has shut down many shows, including most late-night talk shows – The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Daily Show.

The daytime show The Talk is also affected, and The View continues without writers.

Saturday Night Live also canceled its season and will not air the episode hosted by Pete Davidson this Saturday.

5

5

5