Being Different, Relatable Is Driving ‘The Real’
SallyAnn Salsano’s freshman panel show is posting encouraging ratings, good enough that distributor Warner Bros. is lining up stations for a second season. “I think we’re like a fungus,” says Salsano of 495 Productions. “We’ll grow and grow and take over. We’re reaching the [young] demographic that’s the hardest to reach in daytime TV. But, we know we have to grow the ratings. We need the word of mouth to spread.”
The two syndicated shows getting tryouts on some Fox O&Os both generated women 25-54 demo increases from their lead-ins year-ago timeslot averages.
Bethenney Frankel wraps up her six-week test run on six Fox stations Friday after posting solid ratings. Broadcasters following the test believe Fox will give the talk show from Warner Bros. a permanent slot with some speculating the launch could be moved up from fall 2013 to January. Fox says no decisions have been made.
The group is poised to pick up the daytime talk show from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for fall 2013 based on its strong performance in its current six-market test run.
‘Bethenny’ Poised For Summer Test Flight
The new talk show that Warner Bros. and executive producer Ellen DeGeneres hopes to take into syndication next year is launching a six-week run on six Fox O&Os next week. Host Bethenny Frankel says the show won’t be Ellen 2.0: “I’m edgy and inappropriate — Ellen isn’t. I’m not trying to do what Ellen does. I’m doing what I do.” That includes talking about relationships, sex, marriage, money, how to get your kids to eat properly and balancing work and a stable home life.
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The off-net CBS sitcom is being pitched to station buyers. Other contenders for the market two years out include Debmar-Mercury’s Anger Management with Charlie Sheen.
Ellen Gets Busier With Spinoff, New Rivals
With her 10-year-old talk show posting strong ratings this season, Ellen DeGeneres and her producers are hoping to do even better next season by mixing a little more pathos in with the comedy and paying attention to individual markets. In addition, she also has to contend with a wave of new competition, while launching a spinoff talker hosted by Bethenny Frankel.
Up For Grabs: Syndies Scramble Toward 2012
Disney-ABC’s talker with Katie Couric has grabbed the headlines in the wake of Oprah Winfrey’s departure from afternoon syndicated lineups. But she’s far from alone in the race for station slots starting in fall 2012. As things now stand, Couric could be battling against talk shows featuring a defrocked priest (from Debmar-Mercury), one of those Real Housewives (from Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution), the host of Survivor (from CBS Television Distribution) and the now-42 year-old Ricki Lake on a comeback bid (from Twentieth Television)..
At least 80 stations around the country have signed on to air Warner Bros.’ new talk show Anderson, which debuts in the fall.
The new syndicated talk show hosted by Anderson Cooper will officially be called Anderson. The new additions to its lineup include WJLA Washington and brings its total clearances to 40 markets.
