The timing was unusual: the show launched in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when much of the entertainment industry was adapting to new constraints with varying degrees of success. Launching a talk show in those conditions — without a studio audience for a period, with guests appearing remotely, with the ambient anxiety of the moment filtering into everything — was a logistical challenge that the production managed reasonably well.
What was notable about the show, in its early seasons, was the degree to which it reflected Drew Barrymore’s specific sensibility. She is genuinely curious about the people she talks to. She has an emotional openness that is somewhat unusual in a professional media context — a willingness to be affected by what she hears, to respond in ways that are recognizably human rather than smoothly managed. Whether this is “authentic” in some deep sense or a very well-developed professional presentation of authenticity is a question that is ultimately unanswerable about any public figure. What is clear is that audiences found it appealing.
The show was renewed for multiple seasons and became a consistent performer in syndicated daytime television. Drew was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2023.
In September 2023, the show became the subject of controversy when Drew announced that it would proceed with its season premiere despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. The decision drew criticism from industry workers, union supporters, and figures within the entertainment community who felt that proceeding during an active labor action was a form of strike-breaking. The reaction was swift and significant enough that she reversed course, postponing the premiere until the strike was resolved.