With the “Oprah Winfrey Show” officially off the air, the throne has been left vacant for the next daytime host to take a seat as the new ruler of daytime television. Will a single show dominate the ratings for decades to come creating a monster empire like Oprah, or will the ratings be divvied up between various t.v. personalities?
The following is a list of shows that are most likely to grab the lead for daytime ratings:
1. “The View”
Barbara Walter’s panel discussion has been a hit since its debut in 1997. Walters may be in her 80s, but the show is resourceful in that it is able to rotate its panel attracting intelligent hosts to lead thoughtful discussions like this season’s cast including moderator Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasslebeck, Sherri Shepherd and Walters herself. Due to the show’s ability to evolve with time, “The View” is likely to be a daytime contender for years to come.
2. “Ellen”
Ellen DeGeneres has been known for years, but really became a household name after her wildly popular show “Ellen” took off in 2003. Ellen has really displayed her brilliance as a comedian and thinker since the show’s inception. Ellen’s show balances lighthearted, side-splitting humor with poignant interviews that really dig into the essence of the interviewee. The format of “Ellen” is similar to “Oprah”, “Ellen” will take over the old time slot “Oprah” held and Ellen’s show already took in 60,000 viewers in the Chicago area last season compared to Oprah’s 100,000 viewers. Ellen DeGeneres seems primed to take a run as the new super-personality of daytime t.v.
3. “Dr. Phil”
Psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw is a t.v. personality whose career on the tube was launched by none other than the queen herself, Oprah Winfrey. After popular segments on “Oprah” that catapulted his name into notoriety, Dr. Phil created his own daytime t.v. show in 2002 that deals with family problems and other psychological dilemmas that utilizes Dr. Phil’s expertise. The format is different in that interviews with celebrities are not the topic, and the show takes a graver tone dealing with serious issues. However, “Dr. Phil” is likely to steal away some viewers away due to his link with Oprah and his unique format that respectively deals with pressing psychological issues leaving viewers with that feel-good tingle within that Oprah effortlessly left her fans with at the conclusion of her shows.