News

Elaine Bauer Brooks is leaving CBS Media Ventures as EVP of development and multiplatform content, TheWrap has learned.

Bauer Brooks’ exit follows her nine-year tenure at the company within the development department, where she served as head of development for the past four years. Her departure also comes two weeks after CBS Media Ventures president Steve LoCascio announced his retirement as the division was restructured and absorbed under the oversight of Wendy McMahon, who was recently appointed as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.

“This is a special place with one of the most creative and innovative teams in the business, so this was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me,” Bauer Brooks wrote in a Wednesday memo obtained by TheWrap. She added that she’ll remain at the company until the end of November to help with the...

Telepictures exec VP of programming and development David McGuire, one of the architects behind the success of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” is exiting the Warner Bros. TV Group division after more than 30 years with the company. McGuire’s exit comes following the departure of Warner Bros. Unscripted TV president Mike Darnell, and a restructuring inside the company.

As part of the changes, Telepictures current programming senior VP Lauren Blincoe will now solely oversee the division and report directly to Warner Bros. TV Group chairman and CEO Channing Dungey.

McGuire most recently was in charge of the launch of “The Jennifer Hudson Show.” His oversight included all aspects of creative affairs for first-run syndicated series, unscripted series and digital content developed and produced at Telepictures, as well as working with advertisers on partnerships through its integration business. Annually, Telepictures handles more than 1,000 hours of TV across multiple genres.

“David is an institution in this business,...

Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show, “Sherri,” is shaking up its executive ranks, setting a new senior producing team ahead of its second season.

The inaugural season of the top-rated freshman show carried over the production staff from “The Wendy Williams Show,” which was replaced in its time slot on the Fox stations by “Sherri” when Williams’ show ended in 2022. Now, Shepherd’s show has parted ways with some of Williams’ top producers, who helped launch “Sherri,” which has been renewed through 2025.

“Sherri” hails from Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury, the same company that was behind “The Wendy Williams Show” for its 13-year run.

Fernita Wynn has been promoted to showrunner and executive producer on “Sherri;” Joelle Dawson-Calia has been upped to executive producer; and Siobhan Schanda and Dan Fitzpatrick have been elevated to co-executive producers. All four producers were part of “Sherri’s” launch. They will all work alongside Shepherd, who is executive producer and host,...

Jennifer Hudson didn’t win “American Idol” 18 years ago — she came in seventh place. But it didn’t matter: She was soon destined for a tremendous, award-winning career. The superstar became the first and only “Idol” alum to win an acting Oscar, nabbing the best supporting actress trophy in 2007 for her stellar turn in “Dreamgirls.” Fast-forward to 2022 and Hudson is now an Egot, having also won a Tony Award, Grammy and Daytime Emmy along the way. Now, she’s adding another credit to her lengthy resume: talk show host.

Hudson will debut “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on Sept. 12, which also happens to be the star’s birthday. But why a talk show?

“I come from a very talkative family. Oh my God, we love talking,” Hudson tells Variety. “I’ve been so blessed to do so many things in my career…I want to help someone else have a platform.

View Photo Gallery

In the ’80s, soap operas ruled the airways. But a shift occurred late in the decade — when everyone started noticing that talk shows hosted by Phil Donahue and Geraldo Rivera were becoming more and more deliciously controversial (anything to drag eyeballs away from the marital affairs and amnesia plotlines of soaps). With sensational story topics like midget-tossing, paternity suits, neo-Nazi nonsense, brawling transvestites, and grisly murders, several talk shows followed their lead. Enter “Trash TV,” which featured the likes of Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, Maury Povich, and Jerry Springer.

Each series tried to be more outlandish than the next; but we believe Maury, with his baby-daddy DNA test reveals (and morbidly obese children, natch), wins the battle. From a dude marrying his horse on The Jerry Springer Show to Geraldo getting his nose busted on-air, check out the most amazing moments from ’90s talk shows.

[Photos: NBC, CBS, ABC]...

View Photo Gallery

In the ’80s, soap operas ruled the airways. But a shift occurred late in the decade — when everyone started noticing that talk shows hosted by Phil Donahue and Geraldo Rivera were becoming more and more deliciously controversial (anything to drag eyeballs away from the marital affairs and amnesia plotlines of soaps). With sensational story topics like midget-tossing, paternity suits, neo-Nazi nonsense, brawling transvestites, and grisly murders, several talk shows followed their lead. Enter “Trash TV,” which featured the likes of Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, Maury Povich, and Jerry Springer.

Each series tried to be more outlandish than the next; but we believe Maury, with his baby-daddy DNA test reveals (and morbidly obese children, natch), wins the battle. From a dude marrying his horse on The Jerry Springer Show to Geraldo getting his nose busted on-air, check out the most amazing moments from ’90s talk shows.

[Photos: NBC, CBS, ABC]...

Elaine Bauer Brooks has joined CBS TV Distribution as Evp Development, the syndication division’s top development executive under Hilary Estey McLoughlin, President of Creative Affairs for Ctd. Brooks replaces former Evp Development Maureen FitzPatrick who recently transitioned to a new role as executive producer of Ctd’s high-profile new syndicated court show Hot Bench, created by Judge Judy Sheindlin, which is set to debut in the fall. “Elaine has truly versatile experience from being a hands-on producer to having the perfect combination of unscripted, scripted and digital expertise,” McLoughlin said. Brooks joins Ctd from The Style Network, where she most recently served as executive producer on the network’s Fashion Week programming as well as the limited series Style Pop. Prior to that, she served as Svp Development at Style, where she worked on series such as Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane, Ruby and Style Her Famous. Brooks...

The syndicated daytime series created by Judge Judy Sheindlin has found its second exec producer. Maureen FitzPatrick will transition from her current gig as Evp Programming and Development at CBS Television Distribution to Hot Bench, the syndicated court show set to debut in the fall. She joins Randy Douthit in the Ep role, having worked on other Cbstd productions including Judge Judy, Entertainment Tonight and The Arsenio Hall Show. Hot Bench, which is cleared in 75% of the country, features a panel of three judges (Judge Patricia Dimango and attorneys Tanya Acker and Larry Bakman) hearing court cases, arguing the merits of the case among themselves and rendering a verdict. (The term “hot bench” is used to describe a court where the judge or judges frequently interrupt lawyers’ presentations with questions, often leading to lively exchanges.) FitzPatrick’s other daytime TV exec producer credits include Living it Up! With Ali & Jack,...

Tags: Afternoon DelightTrue BloodIlene ChaikenThe Black BoxNurse JackieOlivia MunnIMDbCate BlanchettSally HawkinsJane LynchTegan and Sara

Good afternoon, happy Friday and happy Pride Los Angeles!

Happy birthday to Sarah Parish, Kim Rhodes, Anna Kournikova and Jenny Jones!

Ilene Chaiken returns to television with The Black Box. ABC has ordered 13 episodes of the drama that centers on a neuroscientist named Elizabeth Black. Chaiken will serve as showrunner and one of the executive producers. X-Men director Bryan Singer will also executive produce the series, which is set to premiere in January 2014.

Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images

Wanna see Tegan and Sara in London? Then tweet them fast!

Tweet #CloserToTnS + #London for a chance to win 2 tix for Jun 11@troxy_london! Going to be a great show! Lots of #Heartthrob and oldies!

— Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) June 7, 2013

Nurse Jackie has been renewed by Showtime for a sixth season.

Olivia Munn graces the cover of July’s Flare magazine.

CBS Television Distribution announced today that veteran daytime producer Patricia Ciano has been named executive producer of the syndicated daytime strip The Test, which will debut in the fall. The conflict-resolution talk show from Jay McGraw’s Stage 29 Productions is sold in more than 90% of the country, including 49 of the top 50 markets. Ciano joins McGraw and Carla Pennington as Ep. Ciano most recently launched and executive produced syndicated talker The Jeremy Kyle Show. Her other producing credits include This Morning With Mike And Juliet, Life & Style, The Ricki Lake Show and The Jenny Jones Show. Ciano won a Daytime Emmy in 2011 as co-executive producer of the court show Judge Pirro. She also was a supervising producer for Judge Hatchett and Judge Lopez from 2006-07. The Test will launch with Tribune Broadcasting’s 17 stations as the anchor group in major markets. Tribune is also a partner in production of the show.

E! celebrates the great female talkers of the 80s and 90s! These women hosted their own daytime TV talk shows for a span of two decades and helped make the genre incredibly popular, but where are they now? Beginning Monday, November 7th, E! News launches a week-long series that tracks down some of the biggest female names in daytime talk from the 80s and 90s to find out what they are up to now. The series features Sally Jesse Raphael, Leeza Gibbons, Ricki Lake, Carnie Wilson and Jenny Jones. Tune in nightly for all the interviews and juicy details. Sally Jesse Raphael: Sally was a ratings explosion! The series was on air for 19 years, and while viewers...

Filed under: Features, Finales

Oprah Winfrey has managed to stay on the air for a nearly unrivaled 25 years while keeping her show current and fresh. How? That's a mystery we mere mortals may never understand.

But there were several stars who attempted to duplicate the big O's success over the years, all starting with the naming standard no future host would dare to change: 'The [Insert Name of Host] Show.'

Though many managed to last more than a decade each (persistence paid off for Montel Williams, Ricki Lake, Geraldo Rivera and Jenny Jones), no other talk show host has made it to the quarter century mark.

To show you just how big a feat Oprah has accomplished, here's a list of 13 daytime talk shows that came and went during Oprah's tenure, a feature which could also be called Talk Shows that Oprah Killed.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...

If you love talk shows, then you'll remember when Phil Donahue, Sally Jesse Raphael, Ricky Lake and Montel Williams once ruled the daytime airwaves. The reigning queen of daytime talk, Oprah Winfrey, will be toasting talk show hosts from the past and present on her show today. Take a look at what Oprah and her guests will dishing on, and tell us your favorite talk show of all time. Here's what you had to say: Stacy commented via Facebook: "I loved 'Phil Donahue' for years until 'Oprah.'" Bella wrote via Facebook: "I'll be watching this today. What happened to Jenny Jones?"...

NEW YORK -- Two weeks after picking an executive producer for its new national morning show, Fox has named two co-executive producers.

The untitled morning show will debut in January, hosted live from New York by Mike Jerrick and Juliet Huddy from 9-10 a.m. EST. It will air at the start on Fox's owned and operated stations.

The network said Monday that Patricia Ciano and Terence Noonan will be co-executive producers. Ciano had been supervising producer at Sony Pictures Television, where she launched Judge Hatchett and Judge Maria Lopez. She also worked with RDF Media on ABC's Wife Swap as well as on Ricki Lake, "Life & Style" and Jenny Jones.

Noonan had been executive creative consultant at SPT. He had been executive producer of Plum TV's Beauty Beat and also worked on "Life & Style" as senior producer plus Living It Up With Ali and Jack, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, ElimiDate and The Rosie O'Donnell Show.

They join executive producer Tom Mazzarelli, who left his job as senior producer at NBC's Today to become executive producer of the morning show.

Throwing out a jury's $29.3 million verdict against The Jenny Jones Show a Michigan appeals court said Wednesday that the syndicated program had no legal duty to protect a guest who was murdered after revealing on the show that he had a gay crush on another guest. Geoffrey Fieger, attorney for the dead guest's family that had been awarded the $29.3 million, said the decision will be appealed. In a 2-1 ruling Wednesday, the Michigan Court of Appeals reversed the 1999 decision of a jury that found the Jenny Jones syndicator, Telepictures, liable for the slaying of Scott Amedure. Amedure had revealed on an episode of the show in 1995 that he had a crush on Jonathan Schmitz, who, three days later, shot Amedure to death. The segment never aired. Schmitz was subsequently convicted of murder and is serving 25 to 50 years in prison. Jones said in a statement that she was "elated" by the ruling. "Scott Amedure's murder was a horrible tragedy, but I have always believed that it was fundamentally wrong and unfair to blame the show," she said.