Syndicated Talk Shows

There are various talk shows that exist in syndication. You’ll probably see them at daytime hours, although some are seen late at night. I’m not going to mention or list all of them. I’m sure that I’ve forgotten some that I’ve seen. I’m only mentioning syndicated talk shows and not ones that are network specific like The View. Hopefully, that will happen later. Please note that the reception segment may not be that good since Wikipedia barely talks about it. Anyways, on to the reviews!

The Meredith Viera Show: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- It worked out well for me to see it at the time that it aired in my region. Description- This, simply put, is a talk show hosted by Meredith Viera. Notable People- Meredith Viera was previously on The Today Show and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Pros- This show might appeal to the more everyman type of person. Cons- A lot of daytime talk shows run the risk of being too bland for one reason or another. This show falls prey to that. It seems too boring and uninteresting focusing mostly on lame topics instead of something that will keep a person coming back all the time. Recommendation- I would pass on this show. Prediction- I have a hunch that this probably won’t last very long. I’ve been wrong before so we’ll see if that ends up being true or not. Reception: mixed. Grade: F.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- I forget why I first watched the show but it might have been just me wanting to see what was on TV at the time. Description- Ellen DeGeneres hosts an interesting and unusual talk show. Notable People- Ellen DeGeneres, well known lesbian comedian, is the host of this show. Pros- This show is quite interesting with its quirky games, audience participation, and wacky guests. It focuses on the everyman a lot. You typically see interesting celebrities. Cons- A lot of the bits go nowhere. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it if you ever can. Prediction- I say that this will probably go on for a long as the host keeps wanting to host the show. Reception: mostly positive. Grade: A+.

Maury: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- I wanted to see what all was on at the time and found nothing good on. Description- Typically, the plot of an episode is around seeing who the real father of a child is. Pros- There are legitimate issues that are being worked out. Cons- This show is a terrible monstrosity with how it affects various families and turns drama into just a one hour way of fighting with each other. Recommendation- There is no reason why any sane, self-respecting person would watch this. Prediction- Since it has lasted as long as it has, I doubt that it will end for a while. Retirement of the host is the only way I see it ending any time soon. Reception: critically panned. Grade: F.

The Doctor Oz Show: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- I honestly can’t remember. Description- Dr. Oz offers medical advice and has various other segments. Notable People- Dr. Oz, formerly a correspondent on Oprah, is the host of this show. Pros- You can learn a lot from this show. Cons- A lot of people have criticized the show and think that the medical evidence isn’t always that good or accurate. Recommendation- I don’t see it as that worthwhile since you can’t trust what is actually important or correct. Prediction- With it lasting as long as it has, it will probably stay on the air until Dr. Oz retires. Reception: mixed. Grade: D.

The Jerry Springer Show: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- Nothing good was on. Description- Jerry Springer gets people to have fights on national TV. Pros- It has a cult following. Cons- There is nothing remotely close to being good about this show since it is basically about causing as many problems as possible among the guests on it. Recommendation- Don’t watch it, unless you enjoy wasting your time watching other people have stupid problems for us. Prediction- Unfortunately, it does well enough in the ratings to keep surviving so until Jerry Springer retires, this shit will remain on the air. Reception: critically panned, even considered the worst TV show by TV guide. Grade: F.

The 700 Club: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- The Christian part of it interested me. Description- Various things are addressed in the show, it is supposed to mostly be a Christian talk show. Pros- Serious stories are shown. You get to see nice Christian stories and viewpoints a lot of the time. Cons- The show is fair too political for its own good. The main host has far too many controversial views over time. Recommendation- I’d pass, although if you skip the first fifteen minutes of the show, you’ll probably see good stuff afterwards. It is right at the point of being very good and outstanding, but fails too much due to all the politics and controversies that keep happening. Prediction- This will probably keep lasting a long time, even if hosts are changed, which would hopefully improve the show. Reception: very negative and controversial. Grade: D+.

Live with Kelly and Michael: Status- Currently syndicated in the various morning hours of the day on various networks throughout the country. Why I’ve seen it- I honestly can’t remember why I started watching it, although it was probably just because of how others in my family had seen it. Description- Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan cohost a morning talk show that is live on the east coast as least. Notable People- Kelly Ripa, former soap opera star, is on the show as the longer tenured of the two hosts. Michael Strahan, former sports player, current sports commentator, and also either current or former cohost of Good Morning America, is the more recent regular cohost. Pros- The show is quite interesting with Kelly’s bubbly personality. It is fun to watch and has interesting guests. Cons- The format isn’t that good, as it has a really long first segment and then various other shorter segments. Recommendation- I’d say that you should watch it if you either have time for it in the morning or you are awake when it airs. Prediction- This will probably last a long time. Only if they lose both cohosts at once somehow would I be concerned about it ending. But, chances are that they would just find replacements should one be needed the way they have before. Reception: positive. Grade: B.

Dr. Phil: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- Probably, a lack of alternatives plus a serious interest in whatever episode might have been airing when I saw it at certain times. Description- Dr. Phil McGraw offers advice and tries to help various people with issues that they have. Pros- This is much better than something like, say, Jerry Springer. Serious issues are addressed and solved sometimes. Cons- There’s a lot of more interesting things than this as it just focuses on random people a lot. Recommendation- I honestly don’t know what to mention here. You could watch it or you might not like it, depending on your viewpoints. Prediction- As usual, this will probably last until Dr. Phil retires, although it is very likely that he gets replaced by a similar type of person in the future should he ever stop hosting. Reception: negative. Grade: C.

Steve Harvey: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- It was on and I wanted to see something of some sort. Description- Steve Harvey hosts a talk show. Notable People- Steve Harvey, who currently hosts Family Feud and is a well-known comedian, is the host of this show. Pros- The show is interesting, despite not featuring notable people on it besides the host. Cons- As usual, it runs the risk of being too bland. Recommendation- It might actually be worth watching, unlike the vast majority of male hosted daytime talk shows. Prediction- I’d say that this will probably last a good while. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

The Doctors: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- It was on immediately after a show that I typically watched at the time. Description- A bunch of doctors offer health advice to the audience. Pros- You can learn interesting things. Cons- There’s been concerns that information on the show may not be accurate. Recommendation- Honestly, if it works out well for you to watch, then watch, but you aren’t really missing anything by not watching this. Prediction- Since they can always replace doctors on this show with other ones, I’d say that this show’s future on television is secured baring a decrease in ratings. Reception: mixed. Grade: B-.

Rachael Ray: Status- Currently syndicated on various networks. Why I’ve seen it- It originally aired at a good time for me to watch it. Description- Part cooking show and part talk show, Rachel Ray hosts a show. Pros- The show is interesting and actually has interesting people a lot. Cons- The cooking segments, as always, are stupid, to me at least. Recommendation- Take it or leave it. Prediction- This will probably last a while. Reception: negative. Grade: C+.