• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, 7 hours ago

Overall syndication daytime talk shows -- including celebrity-driven programs -- don’t seem to be the talk of the town. Make that any town.

Two syndicated talk shows will sunset at the end of this year  -- one that is popular (NBCUniversal’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show”) and one not so much (Debmar-Mercury’s “Sherri”). 

Clarkson, a popular singer and the first winner of “American Idol,” will leave the show after completing her current seventh season to have more time for her young family. 

But that's not because of a lack of interest. That show had 1.2 million Nielsen-measured viewers in daytime -- in third place among all daytime time shows.

Not so much for “Sherri,” hosted by Sherri Shepard. The show -- now in its fourth season -- has been posting weak viewership numbers, according to analysts.

Debmar-Mercury executives say the marketplace for daytime shows is changing. But they are not giving up yet, and are now looking for alternative platforms for the show.

This isn’t new, of course. There has been a decline in daytime talk in recent years -- and syndicated over-the-air shows in general.

Three years ago, the highly rated “Dr. Phil” ended at 21 seasons. The same year, “Rachael Ray” ended after 17 seasons.

Before that, “The Ellen DeGeneres" closed down in 2022 after 19 seasons. The same year, “The Wendy Williams Show,” “Maury” and “The Real” also stopped.

Even TV networks-produced and aired daytime talk shows are having it tough. In 2024 CBS ended the 15-year run of “The Talk” with a soap opera.

Over-the-air TV business in general which has seen declines in all dayparts -- not just daytime. Advertising revenue has dramatically declined.

Tangentially, CBS recently made another move at the other end of the TV schedule -- with late night.

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will end May 21. The initial announcement came last year amid a controversial period when Colbert had some humorous criticism around a Paramount Global corporate decision to sell the company.

The company said it was ending the show due to financially weak results and costs for the show.

What’s left for TV stations in the daytime hours? Typically their growing news content, which can be cost-effective. But even those shows aren’t enough for station groups.

And what about late at night? ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” remain. But for how long?

Celebrity-driven talk used to be a major draw in all parts of linear TV. Now, consumers figure they can get their celebrity fix via social media, growing celebrity podcasts, and other digital high profile iterations.

What will then become of the TV landscape more looking like an ho-hum, vacant looking screen desert?