Ricki Lake has proven she has what it takes to dance into the finals of Dancing With The Stars, and now she is also ready to dance back into hosting a daily lifestyle oriented television talk show for the first time since 2004.
On Thursday Twentieth Television officially announced that The Ricki Lake Show has cleared more than half the U.S. TV market and will launch in September 2012.
Fox described Lake as “America’s girlfriend” in the announcement and said the show would cover topics of interest to 25 to 54 yea r old women, including parenting, diet, weight and love.
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“Ricki is not an expert,” said the announcement. “She’s not a doctor, therapist or a super homemaker – she’s a working mom trying to figure life out, and inviting her audience along for the ride.”
“Focusing on topics significant to women,” said Paul Franklin, evp, general sales manager for Twentieth Television, “we are thrilled that Ricki will bring daily conversation and her relatable spirit to this impressive group of stations.”
“I want to spark ideas and conversations and inspire people to take active roles in their communities, relationships and their well-being.,” said Lake in a statement. “I have definitely grown as a person since I put down the mic in 2005, and I couldn’t be happier to share and continue the journey with both my existing fans and an entirely new generation of women.”
When he first talk show aired from 1993 to 2004, Lake was positioned for a younger demographic, women 18 to 49. Now that she has grown older, so apparently has her audience. Since that show ended she has continued to act, do some hosting, spent time with her family and most recently proven she can dance.
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The news that the show would be launched had been expected after the Tribune stations last week agreed to carry the new syndicated show in New York, Dallas, Denver, Cleveland and four other smaller markets.
Now Twentieth Television’s sister News Corp. division the Fox stations have agreed to carry it on their stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston.
In addition, the show has been sold to stations owned by Sinclair, Post Newsweek, Granite, Fisher, titan, Sun Broadcasting, Quincy, new Vision, Journal, Citadel, Gray and other local outlets.
Lake joins other syndicated talk newcomers led by Katie Couric, Steve Harvey and Jeff Probst, all of whom are also set to begin next fall. They will compete with Anderson Cooper in his sophomore year, as well as the established shows like Dr. Phil, Jerry Springer and Dr. Oz.
Here is a list of stations set to carry Lake’s new show:
FOX Television Stations’ KTTV-FOX (Los Angeles), WFLD-FOX (Chicago), WFXT-FOX (Boston); Tribune’s WPIX-CW (New York), KDAF-CW (Dallas), KCPQ-FOX (Seattle), KTXL-FOX (Sacramento), WXIN-FOX / WTTV-CW (Indianapolis), WTIC-FOX (Hartford), WPMT-FOX (Harrisburg), WXMI-FOX (Grand Rapids); Local TV’s KDVR-FOX (Denver), WJW-FOX (Cleveland), KTVI-FOX / KPLR-CW (St. Louis), WDAF-FOX (Kansas City), WITI-FOX (Milwaukee), WHO-NBC (Des Moines); Sinclair’s KUTV-CBS (Salt Lake City), WSYX-ABC (Columbus, Ohio), WLOS-ABC (Greenville/Spartanburg), WXLV-ABC (Greensboro), KEYE-CBS (Austin), WEAR-ABC (Mobile/Pensacola), WKEF-ABC (Dayton), WCHS-ABC (Charleston/Huntington); WICS-ABC (Champaign), KGAN-CBS (Cedar Rapids); Post Newsweek’s KPRC-NBC (Houston); Granite’s WKBW-ABC (Buffalo); Fisher’s KATU-ABC (Portland); As well as stations owned by Titan, Sun Broadcasting,Quincy, New Vision, Journal, Citadel, and Gray.
