Daytime TV viewers are seeing a huge shift in the landscape after a number of longtime talk shows came to an end this year. Ellen DeGeneres, for one, wrapped her show after 19 seasons, and The Wendy Williams Show was canceled after 13 seasons when its namesake host was unable to return for the final season amid health and financial struggles. To that end, Sherri Shepherd is stepping in with her own show, Sherri, and she sees a specific void in the daytime TV slate that she plans to fill.
Sherri Shepherd was one of many guest hosts who stepped in for Wendy Williams when she was unable to return for Season 13 of her show. The decision was eventually made to cancel The Wendy Williams Show and give the time slot permanently to Shepherd. However, the former co-host of The View told People, she’s going to put her own spin on her series, filling a hole that’s been left in the world of daytime TV, particularly since the end of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Shepherd said:
Ellen [DeGeneres] is gone, and I love Kelly Clarkson because she's naturally authentic, but people underestimate a standup comic and that's where we come in. We create magic where there is none, and there is really nobody I think who can fill that void, but I'm here and that's what I'm bringing.
The Kelly Clarkson Show has been tapped to take over Ellen DeGeneres’ vacated time slot, and the American Idol winner is apparently putting her show through a complete overhaul in order to do that. Every host has their strengths, however, and where DeGeneres is known for her comedy, Kelly Clarkson is more musically inclined. Singing is and will likely remain a big part of the former Voice coach’s show, clearing the lane for Sherri Shepherd and comedy background.
The actress said as a guest host on The Wendy Williams Show, she stayed within the format that Wendy Williams had established, but with her own eponymous talk show, Sherri Shepherd looks forward to bringing her own flavor and finding “the lightness and the humor of a hot topic story.” She said:
It literally will be everything I haven't been able to display. You only got to see snippets of what I do when I'm a guest on a talk show or when I was on The View.
Sherri Shepherd seems excited about being able to call the shots on her own series, but when Sherri premieres, there’s one person who likely won’t be tuning in. Wendy Williams threw some shade at the woman who’s replacing her, saying that what Shepherd brings to the table is “really not my thing.” To each her own!
As well as Wendy Williams and Ellen DeGeneres, Maury Povich hung up his hat after a 31-year talk show career. NIck Cannon saw his talk show axed after just one season, and The Real was also canceled following the end of its eighth season. In the musical milieu, meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson will be joined by fellow American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson, who’s set to debut her own show this fall.
Viewers who are excited to see Sherri Shepherd put her stamp on the world of daytime TV can do so this fall, with the premiere of Sherri coming September 12 (check your local listings for time and channel). You can also see what other premieres are coming soon with CinemaBlend's 2022 TV Schedule.
