What Killed the Day Time Star?

I remember tuning into Ricki Lake in anticipation of who would ring that infamous doorbell or whether that man would be the father on Maury. I couldn’t wait during the summer, wondering what bizarre things would happen on Jerry Springer, then there was Oprah Winfrey, who brought introspection with every guest, leaving with a brand-new car!

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Honestly, I cannot tell you the last time I watched a talk show. As a matter of fact, what drove me to write this was learning that the Sherri Shepherd and Kelly Clarkson show was ending, and I saw online headlines about how daytime TV is dying. To be honest, I catch daytime shows snippets and Jennifer Hudson guest-dancing down the spirit tunnel on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Usually, I find out about trending topics through headlines, bloggers, my favorite YouTubers, or the actual person on Twitter. And that may be the very reasons why two prominent daytime talk shows are ending.

Here are three reasons I think daytime TV may be dying.

1. Fewer people are subscribing to cable.

Millennials and GenZ have significantly reshaped the cable TV versus streaming landscape.” (cablecompare.com) Nowadays, streaming platforms are the popular choice due to their prices and easy cancellation. With cable, there is usually a contract, and some cable companies have been known to add hidden fees over time. “Depending on where you are and who your provider is, you could be looking at anywhere from $10 to over $32 extra each month.” (cablecompare.com).

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2. The Era of Appointment TV is dead.

Unless a person’s schedule permits, they are either recording their show or watching it at their leisure on streaming platforms. In the late 1990s, the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) was born, and a world where you had to situate your life around your TV shows changed forever. Presently, streaming platforms don’t erase shows over time, so no one can accidentally delete your recorded shows.

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With streaming platforms, you can binge-watch shows that aired in your childhood through the present time. Fans can view all their favorite interviews and performances, and even keep up with them in real time on social media. With these options, the mystery behind celebritism has vanished, diluting their presence on daytime TV. As a matter of fact, celebrities are even talk show hosts, hence Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson. Answer me this: Are there any regular, everyday people daytime talk show hosts anymore? If so, that leads to my next point.

3. People are looking for authenticity rather than censorship; social media is the new talk show.

Where reality TV has become more TV over reality, YouTubers are reigning when it comes to authenticity. Youtubers are the new media, as they are connected to Hollywood and the music industry, bringing exclusives before traditional media. Celebrities or their friends and foes are now being interviewed by YouTubers to either expose someone, advocate for someone, or advocate for themselves. Because daytime TV is built on careful research or covering up, people are more into the platform drama, which has led some heavy hitters to be cancelled. Also, because of this, sometimes the art is not separated from the celebrity, causing irreparable damage to their brand.

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Are daytime talk shows still needed?

Short answer — yes. But for them to succeed, it will have to change its formula, which I am unsure it can. With today’s #canceleverything climate, Networks are more censored than ever before. Apple TV’s show, The Morning Show, really digs into the politics of major networks to ensure people are entertained and distracted rather than informed.

Could it be that this formula no longer works when you can go on TikTok to hear someone’s version of the truth? We are in the times where fiction is being regarded as fact, and that is where Daytime Talk shows and, for the sake of argument, morning shows are needed. But how can they survive?

If daytime TV wants to survive, it’s going to have to stop pretending it’s 1998.

The audience changed. The internet changed. The culture changed. The only question left is whether these shows can change or if their final season is already playing out on social media.

💡What Say You? Is daytime TV done, or is there still a heartbeat under all that studio lighting?

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