In the late 80s, Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford changed the face of daytime television with a formula that has since been copied, altered and stolen by just about everyone. The idea that two people could carry-on a twenty-minute conversation about what they did last night and current events is what made “LIVE! with Regis and Kathie Lee” both different and special.
Regis and Kelly Ripa continued the “host chat” segment on “LIVE!” from 2001-2011, and then, after Regis left the show in 2011 (he never actually “retired”), Michael Strahan continued the tradition with Ripa until his departure earlier this year. Now, “LIVE!” is on the hunt for the next co-host to sit beside Ripa every morning and share stories and opinions. They’ve been looking since Strahan’s exit in May, and it appears like we won’t know who the person is until at least the start of the new year.
I’m here to say that this search should be called-off immediately! Stop the auditions and interviews.
It was a HUGE deal when Regis left “LIVE!” And that co-host search, which lasted from mid-Nov. 2011 to Sept. 2012 was interesting and very competitive. Everybody couldn’t wait to see “who would replace Regis”. Strahan’s time on the show and overall impact on the landscape of daytime TV (outside of his controversial exit) paled in comparison, and so this latest search hasn’t produced the same interest or buzz.
And yet, “LIVE! with Kelly” is still the No. 2 talk show in the country (behind only “Dr. Phil”). Why? Certainly Ripa has been a staple with the show now for nearly 16 years and she remains very popular with viewers. But I would argue the biggest reason for the show maintaining it’s level of success is actually the guest host rotation.
Why do people still watch “Saturday Night Live” every week? These days, it’s certainly not for the recurring cast members (even though they, and executive producer Lorne Michaels, might like to believe that). It’s for the celebrity guest hosts and the musical acts. It’s the level of their popularity (not the show’s regulars) that determine how well “SNL” does in the ratings each week. And the numbers back this up, with last week’s superstar Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga pairing lifting the show to a season high rating.
Prior to James Corden assuming his duties as host of “The Late Late Show” back in March 2015, there was a three-month gap following Craig Ferguson’s last show. CBS needed to keep the show alive during that time. So they asked various celebrities, including Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Judd Apatow, Will Arnett, and even Regis to fill-in for limited number of nights.
This idea of using temporary hosts drew a lot of media attention. John Mayer was praised on multiple websites for his guest hosting gig (including bringing-on the Left and Right Sharks from Katy Perry’s Super Bowl Halftime Show). Regis interviewed David Letterman and Paul Schaffer together in a rare conversation leading-up to their “Late Show” finale. During this time, in Feb. 2015, Entertainment Weekly included an article titled: “Why You Should Be Watching ‘The Late Late Show’ Right Now”.
The concept of using a different late night talk show host every week was intriguing – and effective. It’s time to bring it to daytime. Having a new celeb alongside Ripa every week (or a few per week) is the answer.
The benefits:
– Seeing celebrities in this unfamiliar role, on live morning TV, makes for interesting and compelling viewing
– It serves as a great promotional platform for actors and artists to promote their latest projects, much more so than a simple 5-minute guest shot
– On days when the guest line-up may be a little light, viewers will still tune-in to watch the co-host, to see how she/he handles those duties
– If the temp co-host isn’t great – no problem, she/he will be gone in a day or two
This is, pretty much, what the producers of “LIVE!” have been doing for the past six months. The fact that the show’s ratings have remained strong proves that audiences like the rotating co-host concept.
In an age when variety sells, and consumers (especially young consumers) are always looking for new, hot, and fresh, “Live with Kelly and ????” works for me. And it’s the ideal way for this show to reinvent itself and once again breathe new life into the daytime chat genre.