The Charles Perez Show
| The Charles Perez Show | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Talk show |
| Directed by | Alex Tyner |
| Presented by | Charles Perez |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Production location | CBS Broadcast Center |
| Running time | 42–43 minutes |
| Production company | Tribune Entertainment |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | December 12, 1994 – January 26, 1996 |
The Charles Perez Show is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Charles Perez. Taped in Manhattan, the show ran for two seasons from December 12, 1994, to January 26, 1996.
Production[edit]
Conception and development[edit]
In 1992, Perez began his television career as a gofer for the talk show Jane Pratt.[1] He eventually progressed to production roles on Ricki Lake and The Montel Williams Show.[1]
Perez described his vision of the show as "the perfect union of Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey."[2]
Tribune Entertainment scheduled a six-week trial run of the show, which began on December 12, 1994. The trial run was tested on Tribune Entertainment's eight owned-and-operated stations, with a national launch intended for January 1995. The trial run episodes featured topics such as botched plastic surgery procedures and interracial relationships.[3] The show averaged a 2.6 rating in these markets, which resulted in a national launch.
The show placed emphasis on Perez's youth and Latin heritage.[3] Perez adopted his mother's maiden name over his actual surname, Dabney, in an effort to "get in touch with his Latin side".[1]
Topic selection[edit]
The show attempted to balance its topics between sensational, such as whether blondes have more fun, and serious, such as police brutality.[1]
Guest recruitment[edit]
The Charles Perez Show recruited guests through carts, which provided viewers with upcoming show topics and the show's phone number. Producers typically booked guests who they believed were well-spoken and had a compelling story.[4] According to producer Hilery Kipnes, in order to book guests "you have to be a social worker, a therapist, a used-car salesman and a lawyer. You use the skills you would acquire in all these jobs to convince these [prospective guests] that this is the thing to do."[4]
Broadcast history and release[edit]
The Charles Perez Show was placed in first-run syndication in the United States, in which it was distributed by Tribune Entertainment. The series premiered on December 19, 1994, in which it was broadcast on Tribune Entertainment's owned-and-operated stations. The show made its national launch on March 6, 1995; it was picked up by 37 television stations, which increased the show's clearances from 21 percent to 60 percent.[5] The show's final episode was broadcast on January 26, 1996.[6]
Internationally, The Charles Perez show was distributed by Worldvision Enterprises.[7]
Reception[edit]
Television viewership and ratings[edit]
Seeing low ratings, most likely due to the glut of syndicated talk shows which debuted during Perez's second season, Tribune chose to cancel the program in mid-season, ending with a 1.7 average.
In December 1995, several syndicators alleged that The Charles Perez Show was likely to face cancellation due to law ratings.[8] On January 2, 1996, The Charles Perez Show was cancelled by Tribune Entertainment.[9] Karen Corbin, senior vice president of development at Tribune Entertainment, stated: "Because of increased competition in the talk-show genre, it is difficult to find an economic upside for Charles Perez in the near future."[10]
Critical response[edit]
The show received a mixed reception from television critics. Irv Letofsky of The Hollywood Reporter believed Perez was personable, although he criticized Perez's line of questioning and the show's topics.[11]
Litigation[edit]
The show became a source of controversy in March 1995, when a segment aired which producers reportedly knowingly used an imposter to portray another guest's sister to fabricate a personal story for the benefit of the show. The woman whose name was used and her husband sued the show, which settled the lawsuit.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Dominguez, Robert (October 27, 1995). "Perez Has a Host of Latino 'Success' Stories to Tell". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024.
- ^ Collins, Michael (July 30, 1995). "Newsfeatures". Associated Press – via LexisNexis.
- ^ a b Smith, Sid (December 19, 1994). "Slow Capote". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b Kolbert, Elizabeth (June 11, 1995). "Wages of Deceit: Untrue Confessions". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018.
- ^ Davies, Jonathan (March 9, 1995). "Barter income boom forecast; ASTA: Upfront, scatter markets seem promising". Associated Press – via LexisNexis.
- ^ Carmody, John (January 2, 1996). "The TV Column". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024.
- ^ Benson, Jim (March 19, 1995). "Tribune Boosts Int'l, Firstrun". Variety. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024.
- ^ Mifflin, Lawrie (December 20, 1995). "Falling Ratings Threaten All Except Top Talk Shows". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024.
- ^ Mifflin, Lawrie (January 3, 1996). "2 Daytime Talk Shows Are Canceled". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 30, 2023.
- ^ Hevrdejs, Judy; Conklin, Mike (January 3, 1996). "'Charles Perez' Latest Talk Show to Be Drowned Out". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 25, 2024.
- ^ Letofsky, Irv (December 14, 1994). "'Charles Perez'". The Hollywood Reporter – via LexisNexis.
- ^ "Couple settles with talk show over bogus guest paymemt follows lawsuit over a 'Charles Perez' segment where an actress played the wife and discussed personal matters with wife's sister". Morning Call. March 5, 1996.
External links[edit]
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