The Talk (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Talk is a talk show
created by actress Sara Gilbert
, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime
. Along with Gilbert, the show originally featured Julie Chen
as the moderator, Leah Remini
, Holly Robinson Peete, and Sharon Osbourne
discussing the day's latest headlines while usually tying in the show's theme of motherhood or at least parenthood, such as by giving their opinions "through the eyes of mothers". It also contains celebrity interviews and segments for mothers and/or parents in general.
Marissa Jaret Winokur
was originally featured as the "mother on the street", dealing with issues like taking her toddler on an airplane, talking with kids about sex, talking to parents about the "terrible twos
", etc.; however, she departed from the series mid-season over lack of airtime. Both she and producers of the show came to the decision amicably.
In the four weeks prior to the show's debut, repeats of The Young and the Restless
and new episodes of The Price Is Right
and Let's Make a Deal
(a Guiding Light
replacement) aired in the vacated As the World Turns
timeslot.
It was announced on January 26, 2011, that the show had been renewed for a second season. On August 26, 2011, it was announced that original co-host Leah Remini
was not asked back to the show after one season. On September 2, 2011, it was confirmed that Holly Robinson Peete has exited the show as well.
Comedienne Sheryl Underwood
joined the panel as a co-host on September 6, 2011, and Aisha Tyler
's addition to the panel was announced on October 23, 2011.
, and was looking for a replacement to air in its timeslot. Sara Gilbert then approached CBS about producing a pilot that would feature six women talking about the day’s headlines with opinions told through "the eyes of mothers." Along with Gilbert, the first confirmed co-host was Holly Robinson Peete. In April, it was announced that actress Leah Remini (best known from the popular CBS sitcom The King of Queens
) and Big Brother hostess Julie Chen (whose husband, Leslie Moonves
, is president and CEO of CBS Corporation
) would also be starring in the pilot. Two months later, Marissa Jaret Winokur confirmed that she would also be starring in the pilot. Though many previous reports had stated that reality star Kate Gosselin
would be on the program, she was dropped from the pilot. In late June, former talk show hostess and America's Got Talent
judge Sharon Osbourne had been confirmed to be joining the program.
On July 21, it was announced that CBS had picked up the show, therefore beating out several other contenders, including a cooking show featuring Emeril Lagasse
, Say It Now, a talk show featuring Valerie Bertinelli
and Rove McManus
, and a newly-revamped style of the hit game show Pyramid
, hosted by Andy Richter
.
said, "This mommy-answer to The View is a somewhat dumbed-down
version of The View (something heretofore unthinkable) except here the panel - Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini, and Marissa Jaret Winokur - discuss traditional "women's topics" i.e. kids, cooking and such". A review from Matthew Gilbert of The Washington Post
said, "The Talk [is] an hour of plastic blatherers
pretending to be microcosm
of American women".
Criticism has been directed towards co-host Remini, accused of being too loud and obtrusive. On one episode, it was stated that she had received a significant amount of negative tweets about it via Twitter
. Remini addressed the issue on the air, stating that she refuses to change who she is and that thousands of fans like her for who she is. Her co-hosts supported her response.
The Talk was parodied on Saturday Night Live
on March 12, 2011. Remini was played by Abby Elliott
, Osbourne was played by Nasim Pedrad
, Gilbert was played by Vanessa Bayer
, and Chen was played by Kristen Wiig
. Holly Robinson Peete was not parodied in the sketch, said to have been on vacation. Disapproving of being left out of the sketch, Robinson criticized SNL for having no black female cast members to impersonate black women.
magazine, in which one of the magazine's writers took issue with a new sitcom: Mike & Molly
, because the show focused on a "plus-size" couple. Outraged by the writer's perspective, Sharon Osbourne called the writer a "bitch."
Billy Gardell
, one of the stars of Mike & Molly, appeared on the show on November 1, 2010, to address the matter.
In July 2011 Osbourne and some of her fellow "The Talk" panelists were criticised for their conduct when discussing the story of Catherine Kieu. Osbourne described Kieu's cutting off of her husband's penis and then throwing it in the garbage disposal
as "quite fabulous", also laughing and joking about the crime along with some of the other panelists and a part of the audience. On July 19, Osbourne discussed her behavior, stating between spurts of laughter that she was "sorry that she offended people" and that she did "not condone genital mutilation
".
's ratings the previous year.
. The first week of shows featured several celebrity guests, including model Christie Brinkley
, singer/actress Jennifer Lopez
, actress/director Chandra Wilson
, actress/author Jamie Lee Curtis
, and former South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford
.
On January 14, 2011 Marissa Jaret Winokur
reported that she would not be returning to the show in 2011. In an exclusive statement, Brad Bessey, executive producer of The Talk, told People magazine, "We think the world of Marissa as a creative talent, on-air personality and super mom. This is a mutual decision based on time, not talent."
When America's Got Talent
resumed filming on March 2, 2011, Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne
began filling in for her on a substitute basis, as the show's first substitute host.
. Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini will not have their Season 2 contract options "picked up" according to CBS. Molly Shannon
was guest co-host for September. Joining this fall as a new panelist is comedienne Sheryl Underwood
. On October 24, 2011, it was announced that Aisha Tyler
would join as a new co-host.
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
created by actress Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert
Sara Gilbert is an American actress best known for her role as Darlene Conner from 1988–1997 in the U.S. sitcom Roseanne.-Early life:Gilbert was born Sara Rebecca Abeles in Santa Monica, California. Her parents are Barbara Crane and Harold Abeles. Her two older siblings, Melissa Gilbert and...
, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime
CBS Daytime
CBS Daytime is a television programming block on CBS. It's the branding for the CBS Television Network's late morning and early afternoon programming. The block has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows, and talk shows...
. Along with Gilbert, the show originally featured Julie Chen
Julie Chen
Julie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
as the moderator, Leah Remini
Leah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
, Holly Robinson Peete, and Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
discussing the day's latest headlines while usually tying in the show's theme of motherhood or at least parenthood, such as by giving their opinions "through the eyes of mothers". It also contains celebrity interviews and segments for mothers and/or parents in general.
Marissa Jaret Winokur
Marissa Jaret Winokur
Marissa Jaret Winokur , sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American actress known for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the highly successful Broadway musical adaptation of John Waters' film Hairspray, as well as her work on the Pamela Anderson sitcom Stacked...
was originally featured as the "mother on the street", dealing with issues like taking her toddler on an airplane, talking with kids about sex, talking to parents about the "terrible twos
Terrible twos
Terrible twos may refer to the following:* A child development stage which normally occurs around the age of two and consists of toddlers often saying no and throwing temper tantrums....
", etc.; however, she departed from the series mid-season over lack of airtime. Both she and producers of the show came to the decision amicably.
In the four weeks prior to the show's debut, repeats of The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
and new episodes of The Price Is Right
The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)
The Price Is Right is an American game show which was created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Contestants compete to identify the pricing of merchandise to win cash and prizes. The show is well-known for its signature line of "Come on down!" when the announcer directs newly selected contestants to...
and Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
(a Guiding Light
Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
replacement) aired in the vacated As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
timeslot.
It was announced on January 26, 2011, that the show had been renewed for a second season. On August 26, 2011, it was announced that original co-host Leah Remini
Leah Remini
Leah Marie Remini is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens and as Stacey Carosi on the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell...
was not asked back to the show after one season. On September 2, 2011, it was confirmed that Holly Robinson Peete has exited the show as well.
Comedienne Sheryl Underwood
Sheryl Underwood
-Professional career:Underwood first gained notoriety as the first female finalist in the Miller Lite Comedy Search in 1989. She won the BET "Funniest Female Comedian on Comic View" award in 1994 and the BET Comedy Awards' Platinum Mic Viewers Choice Award in 2005....
joined the panel as a co-host on September 6, 2011, and Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...
's addition to the panel was announced on October 23, 2011.
Production
In December 2009, it was announced that CBS was cancelling the long-running soap opera As the World TurnsAs the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
, and was looking for a replacement to air in its timeslot. Sara Gilbert then approached CBS about producing a pilot that would feature six women talking about the day’s headlines with opinions told through "the eyes of mothers." Along with Gilbert, the first confirmed co-host was Holly Robinson Peete. In April, it was announced that actress Leah Remini (best known from the popular CBS sitcom The King of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
) and Big Brother hostess Julie Chen (whose husband, Leslie Moonves
Leslie Moonves
Leslie Moonves is President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation.Moonves served as co-president and co-chief operating officer of Viacom, Inc., the predecessor to CBS Corporation, from 2004 until the company split on December 31, 2005...
, is president and CEO of CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
) would also be starring in the pilot. Two months later, Marissa Jaret Winokur confirmed that she would also be starring in the pilot. Though many previous reports had stated that reality star Kate Gosselin
Kate Gosselin
Katie Irene "Kate" Gosselin is an American television personality. Gosselin achieved national recognition on the reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, in which she and her then-husband Jon Gosselin are profiled as they raise their atypical family of sextuplets and twins.-Early life:Kate Gosselin was...
would be on the program, she was dropped from the pilot. In late June, former talk show hostess and America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
judge Sharon Osbourne had been confirmed to be joining the program.
On July 21, it was announced that CBS had picked up the show, therefore beating out several other contenders, including a cooking show featuring Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse
'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...
, Say It Now, a talk show featuring Valerie Bertinelli
Valerie Bertinelli
Valerie Anne Bertinelli is an American actress, best known for her roles as Barbara Cooper Royer on the television series One Day at a Time , Gloria on the television series Touched by an Angel and Melanie Moretti on the sitcom Hot in Cleveland .- Early years :Bertinelli was born in Wilmington,...
and Rove McManus
Rove McManus
John Henry Michael "Rove" McManus is an Australian comedian, television presenter, producer and media personality. He was the host of the self-titled variety show Rove, and is the owner of the production company Roving Enterprises...
, and a newly-revamped style of the hit game show Pyramid
Pyramid (game show)
Pyramid is an American television game show which has aired several versions. The original series, The $10,000 Pyramid, debuted March 26, 1973 and spawned seven subsequent Pyramid series...
, hosted by Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
.
Media reception
Linda Stasi from the New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
said, "This mommy-answer to The View is a somewhat dumbed-down
Dumbing down
Dumbing down is a pejorative term for a perceived trend to lower the intellectual content of literature, education, news, and other aspects of culture...
version of The View (something heretofore unthinkable) except here the panel - Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini, and Marissa Jaret Winokur - discuss traditional "women's topics" i.e. kids, cooking and such". A review from Matthew Gilbert of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said, "The Talk [is] an hour of plastic blatherers
Waffle (speech)
The term waffle, particularly outside the U.S., denotes language without meaning; blathering, babbling, droning. One might waffle throughout an essay or a presentation, when not having enough material, or needing to fill in time. Etymologists say the term was derived from waff, a 17th-century...
pretending to be microcosm
Macrocosm and microcosm
Macrocosm and microcosm is an ancient Greek Neo-Platonic schema of seeing the same patterns reproduced in all levels of the cosmos, from the largest scale all the way down to the smallest scale...
of American women".
Criticism has been directed towards co-host Remini, accused of being too loud and obtrusive. On one episode, it was stated that she had received a significant amount of negative tweets about it via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
. Remini addressed the issue on the air, stating that she refuses to change who she is and that thousands of fans like her for who she is. Her co-hosts supported her response.
The Talk was parodied on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on March 12, 2011. Remini was played by Abby Elliott
Abby Elliott
Abigail "Abby" Elliott is an American actress and comedian currently appearing as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Life and career:...
, Osbourne was played by Nasim Pedrad
Nasim Pedrad
Nasim Pedrad is an Iranian-American comic actress currently appearing as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
, Gilbert was played by Vanessa Bayer
Vanessa Bayer
Vanessa Bayer is an American actress and comedienne who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life and career:...
, and Chen was played by Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
. Holly Robinson Peete was not parodied in the sketch, said to have been on vacation. Disapproving of being left out of the sketch, Robinson criticized SNL for having no black female cast members to impersonate black women.
Controversy
During the week of October 25, 2010, The Talk co-hosts discussed a commentary blog posted by Marie ClaireMarie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
magazine, in which one of the magazine's writers took issue with a new sitcom: Mike & Molly
Mike & Molly
Mike & Molly is an American sitcom created by Mark Roberts, which premiered on CBS on September 20, 2010. The series stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as the title characters.-Premise:...
, because the show focused on a "plus-size" couple. Outraged by the writer's perspective, Sharon Osbourne called the writer a "bitch."
Billy Gardell
Billy Gardell
Billy Gardell is an American actor and comedian. Gardell has been visible within the comedy world industry since 1989. He currently portrays Mike Biggs on the CBS television series Mike and Molly.-Early life:...
, one of the stars of Mike & Molly, appeared on the show on November 1, 2010, to address the matter.
In July 2011 Osbourne and some of her fellow "The Talk" panelists were criticised for their conduct when discussing the story of Catherine Kieu. Osbourne described Kieu's cutting off of her husband's penis and then throwing it in the garbage disposal
Garbage disposal
A garbage disposal unit or waste disposal unit is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and the trap which shreds food waste into pieces small enough—generally less than —to pass through plumbing.Garbage disposal units are widely used in...
as "quite fabulous", also laughing and joking about the crime along with some of the other panelists and a part of the audience. On July 19, Osbourne discussed her behavior, stating between spurts of laughter that she was "sorry that she offended people" and that she did "not condone genital mutilation
Genital mutilation
Genital mutilation can refer to:*Clitoridectomy*Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision*Genital modification and mutilation*Infibulation...
".
Ratings
The debut episode of The Talk was number one in its timeslot in 20 of the 56 markets. However, as of October 2011, The Talk averaged 1.83 million viewers per episode, a 25% decrease from As the World TurnsAs the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
's ratings the previous year.
Season 1 (2010–2011)
Season 1 premiered on October 18, 2010. The show debuted on CBS at 2 pm ET, replacing As the World TurnsAs the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. The first week of shows featured several celebrity guests, including model Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley
Christie Brinkley is an American model and actress best known for her three consecutive appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the late 1970s and early 1980s, for her long-running contract with CoverGirl, the longest ever of any model in history, and for her marriage...
, singer/actress Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, actress/director Chandra Wilson
Chandra Wilson
Chandra Danette Wilson is an American actress and director, best known as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama, Grey's Anatomy.-Early life:...
, actress/author Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
, and former South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford
Jenny Sanford
Jennifer Sullivan Sanford is the former First Lady of South Carolina, heiress, and former investment banker.She was married to Governor Mark Sanford, whose initial campaigns she substantially funded...
.
On January 14, 2011 Marissa Jaret Winokur
Marissa Jaret Winokur
Marissa Jaret Winokur , sometimes credited as Marissa Winokur, is an American actress known for her performance as Tracy Turnblad in the highly successful Broadway musical adaptation of John Waters' film Hairspray, as well as her work on the Pamela Anderson sitcom Stacked...
reported that she would not be returning to the show in 2011. In an exclusive statement, Brad Bessey, executive producer of The Talk, told People magazine, "We think the world of Marissa as a creative talent, on-air personality and super mom. This is a mutual decision based on time, not talent."
When America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
resumed filming on March 2, 2011, Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Osbourne
Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne is an English media personality, television personality, host, judge, fashion designer, singer, and actress, best known for being the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...
began filling in for her on a substitute basis, as the show's first substitute host.
Season 2 (2011–2012)
Season 2 premiered on Tuesday, September 6, the day after Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
. Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini will not have their Season 2 contract options "picked up" according to CBS. Molly Shannon
Molly Shannon
Molly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
was guest co-host for September. Joining this fall as a new panelist is comedienne Sheryl Underwood
Sheryl Underwood
-Professional career:Underwood first gained notoriety as the first female finalist in the Miller Lite Comedy Search in 1989. She won the BET "Funniest Female Comedian on Comic View" award in 1994 and the BET Comedy Awards' Platinum Mic Viewers Choice Award in 2005....
. On October 24, 2011, it was announced that Aisha Tyler
Aisha Tyler
Aisha N. Tyler is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and author, known for her regular role as Andrea Marino in the first season of Ghost Whisperer and voicing Lana Kane in Archer, as well as her recurring roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Talk Soup, and on Friends as Charlie...
would join as a new co-host.
International broadcasts
- In Canada, The Talk airs simultaneously on Global TV
- In South Africa, The Talk began broadcasting on April 1, 2011 in the 1:00 PM timeslot on MNetMnet-Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow:Evil Geniuses for a Better Tomorrow was a startup company founded by Jim McCoy et al. to create MojoNation. After several years, the company ran out of money and laid off most of its employees; Bram Cohen went on to create BitTorrent and Zooko Wilcox-O'Hearn...
. - In the Philippines, the program airs on Talk TVTalk TV (Philippines)Talk TV is an English language all-news and talk channel in the Philippines. It is a joint venture of Southern Broadcasting Network & Solar Entertainment Corporation...
. - In the Czech Republic, The Talk airs on Prima Love.
- In the United Kingdom, The Talk airs on Universal's Diva TV.