Television
January 24, 2012
FOX Television Stations, Warner Bros. Partner for Six-Week Preview of “Bethenny”
(January 24, 2012 – New York, NY) – FOX Television Stations and Warner Bros. will debut a six-week preview of “Bethenny,” announced Frank Cicha, Senior Vice President of Programming, FOX Television Stations and Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Expected to begin this summer, the program will be available on select FOX-owned stations in markets, including New York and Los Angeles.
In making the announcement, Cicha stated, “Bethenny is a lightning rod, and from a marketing standpoint, we love the idea of her hit reality series dovetailing into this test.”
“Bethenny” will be a daily, one-hour entertainment talk show starring author, entrepreneur and reality star, Bethenny Frankel. Broadcast from Burbank, CA, produced by Telepictures Productions and executive produced by Frankel and Ellen DeGeneres, the program will feature Bethenny’s no-nonsense perspective on everything from pop culture and current events to relationships, beauty, fitness and lifestyle segments. The program will be an honest, informative and entertaining destination, where daytime viewers can learn, laugh and get inspired.
"A year ago we determined there was a need in the marketplace for a show that provided daytime women the opportunity to hang out with someone who understood their needs, desires and aspirations... a girlfriend,” said Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. “The research is clear that Bethenny is that person. Fox shared our vision and we have partnered with them to demonstrate to the rest of the country how compelling such a show can be."
“Bethenny is a rare talent, whose sense of humor, relatability and rags to riches success story lend themselves to her being a natural talk show host. Her ability to resonate with television viewers and her enthusiastic following is already proven. By crossing over to daytime, Telepictures will be able to build upon that success and develop this franchise into a daytime go-to destination,” added Hilary Estey McLoughlin, President, Telepictures.
Frankel added, "I'm absolutely thrilled to be working with Telepictures, Ellen DeGeneres and FOX in doing what I believe is the next best step in my life and my career. My passion is connecting to, inspiring and being inspired by my fans. I'm ready for the challenge of this new adventure, and I'm going to tackle it like I do everything else in my life. The queen of too much information is coming to daytime.”
Frankel first garnered national attention after she was named first runner-up on NBC’s “The Apprentice: Martha Stewart.” Following that, she starred in Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York” for three seasons. Later, she starred in Bravo’s spin-off series, “Bethenny Getting Married?” and continued with a second successful season called “Bethenny Ever After.” A third season of the program will premiere on Bravo in February 2012. Frankel will also continue to regularly appear on "Ellen."
Bethenny Frankel is a three-time “New York Times” best-selling author of “Naturally Thin,” “The Skinnygirl Dish” and “A Place of Yes.” Her first novel, “Skinnydipping,” is set for release on May 1, 2012. Frankel is a formally trained natural food chef and creator of: Skinnygirl Margarita; Skinnygirl Daily, a high-quality, all-natural nutritional product line which specializes in making health and wellness more accessible; and Skinnygirl Smoothers n’ Shapers, a line of problem-solving undergarments for every day.###