Conversation and drinks: When talk shows get spirited
It’s no secret that a few drinks can loosen lips and bring out the motormouth in even the most cloistered introvert. So imagine what it can do for folks who perform on camera for a living.
For makers of talk shows, that can translate to ratings gold as tipsy celebrity guests let their hair down, get silly and/or real and create the kind of buzz and publicity that money can’t buy. And for viewers, it can be downright fun to watch.
A new entry joins that subgenre with “The Wine Down.” Airing its second hourlong special Wednesday, March 8, on BET, it places R&B/ soul/hip-hop icon Mary J. Blige in the role of host as she cracks a bottle of wine and engages in raw, provocative, insightful and real conversations with guests from the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics and social media.
So while few other details were available at this writing, it has been announced that Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will be this week’s guest to be engaged (and served) by Blige, who created the series with her production company Blue Butterfly.
Here are some other talk-with-drinks shows that viewers have sampled over the years.
“Late Night With Seth Meyers” (NBC): A fun element of this after hours talker is the segment “Seth Goes Day Drinking,” in which the host and a celebrity guest spend an afternoon imbibing at a New York City establishment. The antics get silly and all concerned have fun as Meyers plays impromptu games and engages the likes of recording artist Rihanna, talk show host Kelly Clarkson, chef Ina Garten and actress Retta. These days, these segments can be found on YouTube.
“A Drink With” (YouTube): Hillary Sawchuk is your host for this series that was created in 2011 with the intention of bringing back frank conversation to media. Guests range from entertainers and artists to athletes and entrepreneurs and have included comedian Chelsea Handler, actress Natasha Lyonne, journalist Lisa Ling, race car driver Kyle Busch and author Katie Lee Biegel.
“Kocktails With Khloe” (FYI): Now available to stream on Hulu, this short-lived 2016 series featured socialite and TV personality Khloe Kardashian throwing a lively dinner party in her kitchen, where she drinks and chats it up with a range of guests including actor Taye Diggs, musical artist Sean Puffy Combs, TV personality Jeannie Mai and YouTube personality GloZell Green.
“Today With Kathie Lee & Hoda” (NBC): Hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb kept it light as they sipped Gifford’s GIFFT wines while bantering with guests and each other in the fourth hour of NBC’s venerable morning program. The fun ended with Gifford’s departure in 2019.