The podcast must go on. The women of One Tree Hill will continue their “Drama Queens” rewatch podcast amid the SAG-AFTRA strike, but they encouraged fans to stop streaming the show and return to DVD box sets.
Sophia Bush, Hilarie Burton Morgan and Bethany Joy Lenz shared a plea to fans on the Monday, July 24, episode of their iHeartMedia podcast.
“Now we are no strangers to pushing back against imbalances and abuses of power — it is the very basis of our podcast here,” Burton Morgan, 41, said while discussing the strike’s effect on the podcast at the beginning of the episode. “So, we’re reclaiming a really pivotal chapter in our lives.”
Bush, 41, explained that they’ve been conversing with several union reps to figure out if they can continue the podcast. Actors aren’t supposed to be promoting past or present work, but podcasters are contractually obligated to continue their recordings, leaving them in a gray area.
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“We’re in full support of the strike as well as the writer’s strike, and we’ve checked in personally with multiple representatives and have had our teams do the same so that we maintain an active line of communication,” the actress, who played Brooke Davis for nine seasons on the teen drama, shared.
Lenz (who portrayed Haley James Scott on the show), 42, chimed in, “Right now, we have been given the green light to honor our iHeart contract — but we are taking this walk down memory lane in an old school way and encourage you to do the same. Bust out those DVDs, OK? We’ve signed thousands of box sets, so we know you have them. Get together with friends and have watch parties like we did back in the day.”
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Burton Morgan, who played Peyton Sawyer for six seasons of the CW hit, announced that the podcast will highlight fans who turn away from streaming in favor of physical media. “This community has always been supportive and proactive whenever we’ve been in a tough spot and this moment is no exception,” the former MTV VJ said. “We are grateful to you and encourage all of you to post your pictures with your box sets and use those hashtags #SAGAFTRAStrong and #WGAStrong, and we’re gonna post your pictures in our feed.”
Bush concluded, “Let folks know that you support the artists who bring you your favorite shows, like One Tree Hill, and if you’re able, please donate to the Entertainment Community Fund. Our fans are the very best fans, so thank you, and thank you to our reps at SAG-AFTRA for helping us navigate this complicated moment. We are so proud to be union members.”
Sharing streaming revenue and viewing data is one of the key points of contention amid both the SAG-AFTRA strike, which began earlier this month, and the WGA strike, which started in May. Both unions have struggled to negotiate a fair agreement with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) regarding concerns about artificial intelligence, residuals and more.
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