Joan Rivers, who has developed a following for her fashion critiques of celebrities, will expand her appraisals to all of pop culture in a new talk show on Bravo. Carrying the working title "Joan
Rivers: Can We Dish?," the flamboyant comedian-critic will be joined by three male sidekicks for commentary on subjects driving watercooler conversation.
Rivers, who along with
her daughter Melissa hosts red-carpet coverage and fashion critiques of events such as the Oscars on the "TV Guide," will also appear in a stand-up comedy special on Bravo--as will Caroline Rhea and
Paula Poundstone.
Bravo, faced with flat prime-time ratings this season in its target adult 18-to-49 demo, announced the new additions in advance of the cable upfront marketplace, which is
expected to break later this month or early June.
The network, which has found success with reality series "Project Runway," is looking to expand offerings in the genre with the introduction of
four new series over the next year.
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In "Heads Up," talented hairstylists will compete, while "The Inn Crowd" offers a competition to choose a team to operate a bed and breakfast, and "Top
Decorator" searches for the next great American interior designer. A fourth show, "War of the Wives," features a pair of husbands training their wives to compete against each other.
Bravo also
announced that a broadband channel targeting gay and lesbian audiences, OUTzone.TV, will launch June 1. The channel, which will receive on-air support on Bravo, is a joint venture with PlanetOut.
Also, broadband service BrilliantButCancelled.com--which has roots in the defunct Trio network, offering critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged shows--will launch May 23.