Fox Stations To Test Three Summer Programs

Fox Television Stations is launching three test programs this summer, Hollywood Today Live, The Daily Help Line and Laughs. Each program will air on select Fox-owned stations in several markets, including New York and Los Angeles. Hollywood Today Live and The Daily Help Line, both one-hour daytime strips will debut July 14 and Laughs, a half-hour weekly program, will premiere Aug. 2.

In making the announcement, Frank Cicha, SVP of programming for FTS, said: “The fact is, our schedules are heavily populated with former tests, so this is exciting —  more test shows, with more of our stations participating than ever before. It’s all about increasing our chances of finding fresh, economically viable building blocks for our lineups. And if they all fail, see you next summer!”

Added Stephen Brown, EVP of programming and development, FTS: “These three programs are all very distinct. Hollywood Today Live is like a Sharknado version of The View. Help Line answers the question — will people be as honest with our therapists as they are with their own? And Laughs will determine if one talented guy, Steve Hofstetter, can aggregate and curate the funniest show on TV.”

Hollywood Today Live, from BiteSize Entertainment Networks, brings online personalities in showbiz and celebrity news to television. Reporting from Hollywood, the daily entertainment magazine program delivers the celebrity, red carpet and pop culture headlines. Hollywood Today Live showcases four hosts: Kristen Brockman, AJ Gibson, Tanner Thomason and Porscha Coleman, who offer entertainment news, commentary and introduce a wide range of celebrity guests.

The popular advice column of the past is modernized with the interactive program, The Daily Help Line. A panel of therapy experts on tackles questions on the minds of callers, tweeters, social media followers, in-studio audience members and guests in each multi-topic episode.

The program is hosted by Miles Adcox and Spirit. In many episodes, they will be joined by celebrities, including Marie Osmond, Tom Green, TLC’s Tionne Watkin, Loni Love, Tabatha Coffey and Brandy who will share how they overcame the struggles experienced by the in-studio guests. Matt Lutz is executive producer.

Laughs will be a weekly roundup of the best comedy in America, hosted and executive produced by Steve Hofstetter. The program offers comedians, comedy teams and people everywhere a platform for their talents; submissions will be taken online. Hofstetter, a stand-up comic who has 20 million YouTube views, has produced Trial by Laughter for Comcast and 100 Advantages to Having Kids for Nick Mom, as well as numerous comedy festivals across the country, including “Laughing Skull” and “Laughing Devil.”