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As we approach the 2021, it’s about time we started making New Year’s resolutions. The holiday is upon us, and if we don’t have that list scratched out in a notebook before midnight strikes on January 1, it’s all for naught.

Or we’ve avoided creating a list of resolutions we’re just going to break anyway. Win-win?

One way talk show creators and producers can “win-win” (it’s a troubled segue, I know)

in 2015 is to consider making one – or all – of these New Year’s resolutions.

1. Hire a female late night talk show host. This one is specifically for ABC, because the Alphabet Network is in the best opportunity to make room for another late night talk show with this resolution – though every network should rethink its late night diversity efforts. ABC should pursue comedian, actress and writer Amy Schumer, too. She is the perfect candidate – and the perfect complement – to late night host Jimmy Kimmel. They share a similar ribald sense of humor and, together, would become the de facto late night line-up for college campuses across the country. Schumer already conducts interviews on her Comedy Central sketch show, Inside Amy Schumer, and is a natural at it. More than that, she could easily outrank the boys (Seth Meyers and James Corden) in the ratings race.
2. Heck, focus on diversity in general. With Arsenio Hall and Chelsea Handler’s departure over the summer, late night television got very white and male really quick. It didn’t help matters much when CBS named two more white guys (Stephen Colbert and Corden) as replacements for two older white guys (David Letterman and Craig Ferguson). And while Comedy Central broke the pattern by building a show around Larry Wilmore (though the change from The Minority Report to The Nightly Show is a little bothersome), the big leagues of late night – NBC, CBS and ABC – are dominated by white guys.

1. Reintroduce the daytime variety talk show. Daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres stands alone as the only daytime talk show host who hosts a classic daytime talk show. (Does that sentence count as onomatopoeia?) You know, the type of show Dinah Shore, Merv Griffin and Rosie O’Donnell once hosted. Those shows have all but disappeared. Why not bring one back?
2. Bring the panel talk show back to late night. While you could argue that The View introduced us all to the concept of the panel talk show, the modern version of the panel show truly began with Bill Maher on Comedy Central. In 1993, comedian Maher introduced the talk show world to Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. (Okay, Sunday morning political talk shows were doing the panel thing well before Maher. Maher brought the comedy element to the format.) The show featured a rotating panel of celebrity guests, political pundits, musicians, authors, comedians and more. Guests would discuss “hot topics” of the day – political issues, news makers, pop culture. Personalities would invariably clash, and Maher was quick to stoke the fire. Chelsea Handler kept the late night panel show alive with Chelsea Lately. Maybe it’s time to re-introduce the concept to the broadcast network crowd.
3. Embrace the late night evolution. If you do a Google search, you’ll discover an interesting research paper by Stephen Winzenburg that talks about how The Tonight Show’s Jimmy Fallon is using less of the show to interview celebrities and news makers, filling that time instead with comedy sketches, musical numbers and a whole lot of board games with movie stars. It’s enough to make you think Fallon was adopting a daytime sensibility to late night television. The truth is probably closer to adopting a digital sensibility – shareable content that will inevitably drive more viewers to the program. Think about it. Are you more likely to share an interview with Emma Stone or Emma Stone lip-syncing “All I Do is Win” by DJ Khaled? Once shared, you’re going to tune into Fallon (or DVR it or watch it on Hulu) next time there’s a lip sync battle or Emma Stone shows up, aren’t you? Maybe that’s why Fallon’s ratings are nearly double all of his competition? Late night producers need to embrace this new way of sharing content in order to build viewers and fans. 

Dr. Mehmet Oz has a lot of fans. And if a recent study is to be believed, those fans are getting bad health advice about half the time. So, too, are viewers of The Doctors.

Researchers, most of whom are medical practitioners and educators from the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia, published their findings in the British Medical Journal, in a paper titled “Televised medical talk shows – what they recommend and the evidence to support their recommendations: a prospective observational study

.”

What they found was that, on average, about half of the health recommendations either had no evidence to support the recommendations or, worse, were contradicted by established scientific evidence.

Advice from Dr. Oz was found to be incorrect or unsupported more than half the time, while for The Doctors, advice was a little better. They were right more than 60 percent of the time. Also alleged in the study was that conflicts of interest were rarely shared.

So as a fan of those shows, what should you do? First, be skeptical of anything you hear on the shows. Before you follow any recommendation, do your own research or talk to your doctor to verify the veracity of any claim.

This isn’t the first time Dr. Oz’s TV medical advice has been called into question. In early June 2014, Oz was called before Congress to talk about his involvement with endorsing certain weight loss supplements.

Specifically, Senator Claire McCaskill questioned Oz about his support for those weight-loss aids, primarily

green coffee bean extract supplements. She spotlighted a show from 2012 in which Oz called green coffee bean extract a “magic weight loss cure for every body type.”

“I don’t get why you need to say this stuff because you know it’s not true,” McCaskill said.

Dr. Oz promised to publish a list of specific products he believes will help Americans lose weight.

Last year, it looked like ABC’s daytime talk show The View was on its last legs. Ratings were faltering and the chemistry between hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd and Jenny McCarthy never seemed to gel.

Those troubles led to a complete revamp for the 2014-2015. Behar, Shepherd and McCarthy left the program in various ways, replaced by heavy hitters Rosie O’Donnell, Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace.

Now, only a few months into this newest version of the show, rumors are bubbling up that the cast isn’t getting along – so much so that Perez may be off the show. To take it a step further, there are more substantial rumors that suggest ABC could be considering shutting down the show entirely.

Perez is leaving – except no, she’s not
Earlier this week, Variety reported Perez wouldn’t return to The View after her run on Fish in the Dark. Perez stars in the Broadway play and his missed some days at the roundtable while in rehearsal. Variety’s sources were unnamed.

Reasons for the Perez’s rumored departure include feuding with O’Donnell and struggles with understand the show’s format and flow.

As soon as the rumors surfaced, both ABC and O’Donnell denied the rumors. O’Donnell made the announcement on Thursday’s View telecast. “No matter what you read anywhere, Rosie Perez is also coming back after she is done rehearsing her play,” she said.

Perez and O’Donnell have also dismissed all rumors regarding in-fighting between the two hosts.

Rumors about feuds and hosts dismissals aren’t new this year. TMZ.com reported last month that ABC might replace Goldberg and O’Donnell next season because of bickering between the duo. If anything, Goldberg would return, as her contract runs through next season. O’Donnell signed a one-year, $4 million contract. ABC could, technically, not offer O’Donnell a new contract for next season.

ABC could cancel ‘The View’ – technically
Further stirring the pot are reports from The Daily Mail and Fox News that ABC executives are considering shuttering the long-standing daytime program.

Fox News’ unnamed source is quoted as saying, “You can’t keep hiring and firing, trying to save a sinking ship.”

The report suggests that ABC isn’t pleased with The View’s ratings – about where they were a year ago. Conversations about whether to give the show another revamp and one more season to grow its audience or cut the show loose are reported as ongoing.

Production of The View was recently moved from ABC’s daytime division to its news division. Rumors also persist that ABC News could extend Good Morning America by and hour to replace The View.

ABC denies the rumors and maintains that the show is doing well – even dominating the competition – and will be back next season. 

As Jimmy Fallon takes the lead as the sixth host of The Tonight Show, we all want to bone up on our Tonight knowledge, right? To get you started – and to ensure you have all the water cooler chat ammunition you might need – here’s a quick primer to all the great information on The Tonight Show we have on tap!

1.  The History of ‘The Tonight Show’

Start here. Find out why The Tonight Show is such an important part of the American television landscape – and why everyone is making such a big deal about the show’s newest host.

2.  Hosts of ‘The Tonight Show’

Next, find out more about all six hosts of The Tonight Show – Steve Allen, Jack Paar, Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon. Wonder why so many show hosts have names that begin with the letter ‘J’.

3.  Johnny Carson Biography

If you read no other biography about Tonight Show’s hosts, you gotta read about Johnny. It’s safe to say that he is truly the king of late night television – the gold standard to which every talk show host aspires. He is the reason why a new host is such a big deal for The Tonight Show.

4.  ‘The Tonight Show’ Band

The Tonight Show band is almost as iconic as the show itself. And the show’s bandleaders are nearly rock stars in their own right (some have been rock stars, in fact). Besides, who doesn’t want to learn more about guys named Skitch and Questlove?

5.  The Letterman-Leno Shift

Jay Leno’s tenure on Tonight is marked by controversial host transitions. The first is this one – and it is legendary. Should David Letterman been the next host of Tonight? A lot of people think so (maybe even Johnny Carson). So why isn’t he? Find out.

6.  The Leno-O’Brien Shift

When Leno retired from Tonight in 2009, he didn’t leave without a fight. And though he got a primetime show, when it went sour, Leno had no intention of leaving the network. That left Conan O’Brien in a tough spot. How’d he react? It’s a story to hear!

7.  Leno’s Second Retirement

You think Leno’s latest departure would be completely without controversy? Not so. 

8.  ‘Tonight Show’ Host Controversies

And to be fair, Leno is hardly the first Tonight host to cause a brouhaha. Find out who else has stirred up trouble over the last six decades.

9.  Jimmy Fallon Biography

Finally, learn a little bit more about the show’s sixth host. Many believe – myself included – that he’ll be the greatest Tonight host since Carson. More »

10.  How to Get Free Tickets to Tonight

And if that all sounded like loads of fun, then check out the show for yourself!

Dr. Phil was Born …:

… on September 1, 1950, in Vinita, Oklahoma, to parents Jo and Jerry. His father was an equipment supplier in the oil industry. The family later moved to so that Jerry could pursue his dream of becoming a psychologist.

Growing up with Dr. Phil:

A student at Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas, the tall McGraw was a star football player. He even garnered a scholarship to the University of Tulsa. An injury forced a transfer to Midwestern State University back in Texas.

McGraw graduated from Midwestern with his bachelor’s in psychology. He followed that up with a masters in experimental psychology from Midwestern and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of North Texas.

Dr. Phil McGraw’s Net Worth:

Dr. Phil has an estimated net worth of $450 Million.

Dr. Phil’s First Job:

While completing his residency, McGraw owned a construction business with his brother-in-law. He then worked in private practice and conducted life skills seminars with his father before launching Courtroom Sciences Inc., a trial consulting firm advising Fortune 500 companies.

In 1996, Oprah Winfrey hired his company to prepare her for the Amarillo, Texas, beef trial, in which the talk show host was in court in defense of statements made that proponents of the beef industry considered libelous. She was so impressed with McGraw, that she credited him for the victory.

Not long after, McGraw began appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, offering advice and discussing — life strategy.”

Becoming a Talk Show Host:

The success of those appearances led to the creation of Dr. Phil in 2002, produced by Winfrey’s Harpo Productions. Prior to the launch of The Rachael Ray Show, also an Harpo production, Dr. Phil set the ratings record for a new, syndicated talk show.

Key Moment in His Career:

Taking on Oprah’s case – and winning. The queen of all media help nurture Dr. Phil into the successful talk show host he’s become. Since then, Dr. Phil has authored successful self-help books, formed the Dr. Phil Foundation to combat childhood obesity, and introduced members of his family (Robin and Jay) to the wonderful world of television.

What Does the Future Hold?:

More of the same, as Dr. Phil uses his brand to team-up with companies like Match.com, in which Dr. Phil shares relationship advice.

And Just for Fun:

• Avid tennis player, golfer and SCUBA diver.
• Has appeared as himself in Scary Movie 4, Frasier and The Simpsons.
• Is six-feet-four-inches tall.
• Is paid homage on Sesame Street by the character ‘Dr. Feel’.
• Once ranked by a web site as one of the ‘100 Unsexiest Men in the World’
• Now resides in Beverly Hills.
• Came under fire for publicly talking about giving advice to a distraught and hospitalized Britney Spears in 2007.
• Staff was criticized for bailing out Florida teen alleged to have taken part in a brutal videotaped assault on a “friend” so that that teen could appear on the show.