If the revival of Bethenny Frankel’s talk show is any indication, you just can’t keep a Real Housewives star down. Fox Television Stations and Warner Bros. have picked up the talker from Frankel after it was passed up for the fall 2012 launch.
The former star of The Real Housewives of New York City will host Bethenny, a daily hour-long entertainment chatfest. The series will air in a trial run during the summer on select Fox-owned stations, including those in New York and Los Angeles. The technique previously proved successful for the network with daytime entry The Wendy Williams Show.
The talker will likely air after Season 3 of her Bravo reality series Bethenny Ever After, which is pegged for a Feb. 20 debut. According to a statement released by Fox, Bethenny will cover pop culture, current events, relationships, beauty, fitness and lifestyle topics in Frankel’s no-nonsense style.
“Bethenny is a lightning rod, and from a marketing standpoint, we love the idea of her hit reality series dovetailing into this test,” said Fox TV Stations senior vice-president of programming, Frank Cicha.
Added Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, “A year ago we determined there was a need in the marketplace for a show that provided daytime women the opportunity to hang out with someone who understood their needs, desires and aspirations ... a girlfriend.”
Frankel first made her name on TV when she placed second on NBC’s The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She then starred on The Real Housewives of New York for three seasons before headlining the spinoff series Bethenny Getting Married? and Bethenny Ever After. She also is a regular guest on daytime talker Ellen.
The 41-year-old natural foods chef has written three bestselling books – Naturally Thin, The Skinnygirl Dish and A Place of Yes – and will launch her first novel, Skinnydipping, on May 1. She also created the natural nutritional product line Skinnygirl Daily and the undergarment line Skinnygirl Smoothers n’ Shapers.
Frankel’s talk show will enter a bustling daytime arena. In addition to four new series launching in September starring Ricki Lake, Jeff Probst, Katie Couric and Steve Harvey, Anderson Cooper’s series, Anderson, was recently renewed for a second season. (Check out our list of shows changing the face of daytime here.)
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