The Talk on CBS = Low Ratings

[jhc2010]

Any thoughts on what CBS does with The Talk? The show has hit rock bottom in the ratings and I'm sure affiliates are upset it is dragging down their daytime lineup providing a poor lead-in to local programming on most stations at 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM CT.

You can view the latest Daytime TV ratings here:
http://soapoperanetwork.com/2021/08/daytime-broadcast-ratings-for-the-week-of-august-2-6-2021

Is it time for CBS to add another game show to its schedule? What about giving the hour back to affiliates?

[Ccook]

I see CBS cutting bait with The Talk all right. But don't forget, Let's Make a Deal follows in many areas (through the afternon feed). LMAD could go to 2 PM which would give it almost full in-pattern clearance, then to save a buck or two, they revert 3 PM/10 AM to affiliates.

[pannoni1]

Since soaps aren't really coming back, an O&O move of LMAD to 2 PM Eastern/Pacific could potentially open the door for another game show to lead into TPIR. With so many on in primetime right now, as well as talks for possible revivals, there's easily room for one to move to daytime, and this could be the greatest opportunity that you'll see in a long time. My ultimate dream would to have PYL (no bonus round) and Pyramid (have returning champs and make the $100K a tournament format, allow to win both $10K and $25K in a show without augmenting both to $25K), move from ABC to CBS and lead into Price just as it was in the mid-80s.

[Ccook]

That's workable. Then we have a hinted-at revival of Split Second (with the intellectual property of Hatos-Hall in new hands) which would fit in at either 10 or 10:30, provided CBS doesn't greenlight PYL or Pyramid. Of course this is merely me with a tin foil hat on, so nothing is to be taken seriously.

[imhomerjay]

I don’t gamble as a rule. But I would bet plenty of cold hard cash CBS isn’t ever picking up daytime versions of any of the ABC games. That’s just not realistically the nature of the business.

I’d bet nearly as much that the the O and Os aren’t moving Deal to 2 if the Talk is silenced.

Best bet is the hour is given back. CBS seems fine with their two games. I don’t see any realistic scenario of that changing in the near term.

[Ccook]

That would leave a gap for locals between Bold and the Beautiful and the afternoon feed of LMAD. How about getting all CBS stations on board with the morning feed then have local from 2 on?

[imhomerjay]

If they want the afternoon feed you just slide it to 2. Or put it at 10 and let stations move it as desired. Not hard to do.

But always remember if the show delivers a good target audience that advertisers want, regardless of what total numbers are, it  can be in better shape than things look on the surface. There’s more than one dimension.

[RatRace10]

Why do the Pacific Time Zone network feeds always air most of the network shows an hour early anyway? TPIR and The View at 10 instead of 11, LMAD at 9 or 2 instead of 10 or 3, national news at 5:30 instead of 6:30, etc.? Never made sense to me.

[imhomerjay]

Sometimes more lucrative to have the network shows out of the way to fill in the more valuable later slot with a syndicated/local show.

[Ccook]

If they want the afternoon feed you just slide it to 2. Or put it at 10 and let stations move it as desired. Not hard to do.

True. Delaying is nothing new. Awhile back, our CBS station delayed Young and the Restless to 3 PM and it won the time period vs. the other network stations. They've since put it back in pattern but it was a gamble that worked.

[SeaBreeze341]

I agree with imhomerjay; there's no reason to add anything new (especially gameshows).  I'd love a flashback to the past with Pyramid & PYL opening up the daytime slate before TPIR.  LMAD airs at 10 AM Eastern in my area, and that's good enough.  As mentioned in the past, they're not bumping it for more gameshows, and there's no need to add to the network. FWIW, both might bomb, and we're bad to having a void on CBS.

The Talk is probably done, but it will not take much change to take care of the void.   Maybe they'd add another new talk show, but really, there are a ton of syndicated programming that would fill up all the local affiliates, IMO

[plinkostick1]

My guess is it stays around for at least another year, they just added the first male co-host and somewhat "finalized" the cast after a year of very erratic changes. They probably want to see how the current cast turns out over a while. If they do cancel I'd wager it goes back to the affiliates, probably filled with another talk show or newscast. A "wish list" would be 25k pyramid and say a match game hosted by someone other than Baldwin. But I'm also not sure of any "exclusivity" associated with the ABC shows.

[imhomerjay]

Almost definitely a year, plus or minus, before they would make a move if one is to be made. And while multiple hosts obviously costs more than one, talk remains a reasonably low cost alternative—and unlike NBC & ABC, expanding their morning news franchise isn’t a readily obvious play.

Giving up the time can be on the table, but that can also be part of a give and take with the affiliates. Don’t just give it up for nothing in return if you can get something.

The View also had some rough patches and has recovered. CBS may yet be able to right the ship.

[EaglesWings4500]

In my area   it is

10 AM -- TPIR

11  AM-- The Y&R

12 PM-- Local News

12:30 PM-- The Bold and The Beautiful

1 PM-- The Talk

2 PM- LMAD

3 PM-- The Kelly Clarkson Show

4 PM- Local News

4:30- Right This Minute

[Reloaden]

The Talk always been an ok show it went downhill over the last few years when everyone from the panel left.


I remember reading articles about Niecy Nash getting a talk show. Her show could def replace The Talk.