'Dancing With the Stars' to premiere as scheduled with contestant Matt Walsh after WGA agreement
"Dancing With the Stars" is set for lift-off on Season 32 Tuesday night with contestant Matt Walsh, who walked off the reality dance show last week due to the screenwriters' strike.
"Veep" star Walsh had announced Sept. 21 that he was taking "a pause" from "DWTS" until an agreement was made with the screenwriters' union The Writers Guild of America. The WGA announced a tentative agreement Sunday with Hollywood studios, prompting Walsh to prepare to dance with pro Koko Iwasaki.
"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," Walsh's representative Samantha Srinivasan said in a statement Monday sent to USA TODAY.
'DWTS' Mirrorball TrophyTo renamed for judge Len Goodman. What else is new on dancing show?
While there were concerns that other star dancers could follow suit in pausing or that the live show would be delayed, ABC confirmed "that 'Dancing with the Stars' will premiere as originally scheduled on Tuesday, Sept 26," in a statement from the network on Monday.
"DWTS" was not breaking any WGA or SAG-AFTRA rules by proceeding with its season even before the WGA. agreement. The show, like other reality series, operates under a network code agreement that is not affected by the strike.
In a statement to USA TODAY Thursday, SAG-AFTRA said its members appearing on "DWTS" are "not in violation of SAG-AFTRA strike rules" for going to work as required by their non-struck contracts.
Other star contestants for the season vying for the new dubbed Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy include Alyson Hannigan, Xochitl Gomez, Mira Sorvino, Jamie Lynn Spears, "The Brady Bunch" star Barry Williams and footballer Adrian Peterson.
More:'DWTS' contestant Matt Walsh walks out; ABC premiere may be delayed amid Hollywood strikes
Contributing: Erin Jensen