While Bravo star Bethenny Frankel toasted to her talk show’s nationwide pick up with Ellen DeGeneres last week, the official word came down on Monday from the show’s production companies.
“I am so excited for this next adventure,” Frankel said in a statement. “Hosting a talk show this summer and connecting with women every day made me realize that I have found my true passion.”
“My heartfelt thanks go out to my dedicated fans who tuned in and helped make this great opportunity happen,” she continued. “This show will be for us. I am truly grateful for FOX’s support of the show as well as Warner Bros.’ and Telepictures’ belief in me. I can’t wait to get started!”
FOX Television Stations and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution will begin airing the show nationwide starting in 2013.
“This is what can happen if you put something different in daytime – the ratings prove it,” FOX TV Stations programming SVP Frank Cicha said.
“Throughout this test, the Bethenny program pushed boundaries, overhauling traditional talk topics with an energy and freshness we haven’t seen in a long time,” he continued. “Congrats to Bethenny Frankel and the entire Warner Bros. team for playing like winners on this one.”
During the test period, Bethenny, which is executive produced by the reality star and DeGeneres, aired for six weeks in select cities: New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas, Phoenix and Minneapolis.
After a very strong ratings start on its first June airing, the show had a dip in audience after that point. The good thing is that it did especially well with women ages 25-54, its key demographic.
When the show airs, it will remain to be seen how it does in an increasingly crowded field, which includes newcomers Katie Couric, Steve Harvey, returning host Ricki Lake and upcoming daytime talker Queen Latifah.
How do you think Bethenny will fare in the crowded talk show field next year?
