Daytime chat show to end in December
No more ‘Talk': After 14 years on the air and 11 Daytime Emmys, daytime talk show “The Talk” is set to go quiet in December when the show wraps its run.
CBS announced last month that “The Talk,” which was developed by Sara Gilbert (“The Conners”) and replaced “As the World Turns” when it premiered in 2010, has been officially canceled. However, it will be returning this fall for an abbreviated Season 15, which is being dubbed a “celebratory sendoff,” before vacating its timeslot in time for January.
In a joint statement, CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS Studios president David Stapf said: “’The Talk’ broke new ground when it launched 14 years ago by returning daytime talk to CBS with a refreshing and award-winning format. Throughout the years, it has been a key program on CBS’s top-rated daytime lineup as it brought timely, important and entertaining topics and discussions into living rooms around the globe.”
The statement went on to acknowledge current hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila (“American Ninja Warrior”), Amanda Kloots (“The Irishman,” 2019), Natalie Morales (“Parks and Recreation”), Jerry O’Connell (“Sliders”) and last remaining original host Sheryl Underwood (“The Odd Couple”), as well as “former show hosts and colleagues who contributed throughout the seasons. We truly appreciate the skill, creativity and dedication everyone involved brought to the show every day. And, of course, we thank the numerous guests who appeared and the millions of viewers who tuned in daily. For the final season, we plan to celebrate the show and give it the proper sendoff it deserves when it concludes in December 2024.”
Fret not, daytime TV viewers, because the Eye Network is already eyeing a
potential replacement to fill that time-slot come January, and surprisingly, it might not be another talk show.
Developed under a content partnership between the network and the NAACP, and recently ordered to series, “The Gates” will follow “the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community” (according to CBS). It hails from Daytime Emmy and WGA Award winner Michele Val Jean (“The Bold & The Beautiful”), who serves as writer and showrunner.
Keep in mind that an exact premiere date and time-slot haven’t been formally announced yet. But clearly, talk shows are “out” and soaps are “in” at CBS, already home to two of the three longestrunning soaps on network TV, with “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold & The Beautiful” consistently topping daytime ratings.
'Melrose' again: Speaking of sudsers, get ready for ‘90s prime-time soap “Melrose Place” to make
another comeback, and the good news is that three of its biggest (original) stars are involved.
Airing from 1992 to 1999 on Fox, the Aaron Spellingproduced spinoff of “Beverly Hills, 90210” followed the lives (and especially the loves) of young adults living in an L.A. apartment complex, where a lot of drama regularly went down — from complicated love triangles to a faked death-turned-kidnapping storyline .“Desperate Housewives” actress Marc ia Cross’ s
character, Dr. Kimberly Shaw, deserves the credit for many of the show’s more outlandish moments and plot twists.
You might recall a shortlived remake that previously aired on CW during the 200910 season and featured a few familiar faces from the original series in recurring roles, including Laura Leighton (“Pretty Little Liars”) as Sydney Andrews. Leighton is confirmed to be returning for the new “Melrose Place” as well, along with Daphne Zuniga (“One Tree Hill”) as
Jo Reynolds and “special guest star”-turned-unofficial series lead Heather Locklear (“Franklin & Bash”) as Amanda Woodward.
Will this “Melrose Place” reboot be just as campy (read: fun) and soapy as the original? We’ll soon see, but signs point to yes if you’re going by the official logline: “When one of their dearest friends dies suddenly, the OG residents of Melrose Place gather to honor the deceased. But the pressure cooker of a reunion soon uncovers old traumas, rekindles old romances, reignites old resentments and reveals new secrets … throwing our characters into chaotic drama that’s reminiscent of the past but with a much more modern perspective.”
No other “OG” cast members have been announced at the time of writing, though it’s too soon to rule out the possibility of further cast additions or guest appearances that are sure to get fans buzzing.
Taking a swing: A new (but still untitled) comedy series starring Owen Wilson (“Loki”) is coming soon to Apple TV+.
The actor will reportedly play Pryce Cahill, “an overthe-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career was derailed prematurely 20 years ago.After he gets fired from his job at an Indiana sporting goods store and his wife walks out on him, Pryce hedges his bets entirely on a troubled 17-year-old golf phenom.”
While Wilson’s latest TV project was originally announced in March, the rest of the cast has been slowly coming together. The phenom will be played by Cuban American actor Peter Dager, who recently appeared in 2023’s “Insidious: The Red Door.”
Another recent cast addition is especially noteworthy: former “GLOW” star and celebrated podcaster Marc Maron has also been tapped as a lead opposite Wilson. He will be Pryce’s best friend and former caddy, Mitts.