Image Credit: Andrei Jackamets/Bravo
A story from The Hollywood Reporer today revealed that Bravo breakout star Bethenny Frankel is currently filming the pilot for an advice-based talk show. Neither Frankel’s rep nor the production company Telepictures (Ellen, Lopez Tonight) would confirm or comment on talk of development. Though in a recent profile with THR, Frankel announced “I want to be on TV in a format where I can have a longer conversation with my fans rather than 140 characters on Twitter. It probably will be a talk show.”
Whether, like me, you teared up along with Frankel during the Bethenny Ever After season 2 finale or shake your fist at the sky over this acerbic woman’s sudden ubiquity, her success is a thing to marvel.The best-selling life books, the enormously lucrative sale of Skinny Girl to Beam Global, now the next step towards Skinny Girl world domination with her cleanse, the cherubic baby, the genuinely steady and good-humored husband. Me, I’m a fan. I know she’s crass and brash, all sharp edges and one-liners. I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I find her endlessly endearing on her reality show — whether she’s trying to keep from crying to her kind-eyed therapist or apologizing to her salt-of-the-Earth assistant after flipping out over the pink Thanksgiving bird. I like her interactions with her husband and in-laws; I admire that she kept in her bats— meltdown at her birthday party; and I like that the messiness of life continually forces her to acknowledge her crazy and lean on not just her wit but her community of people too.
This all plays enormously well on a reality show. I’m nervous though about the possibility of a talk show where Bethenny is up on stage, radiating in her fans’ goodwill while helping in her no-nonsense way to tidy up their lives. I like this woman, but I’m not sure her strength is listening. People make her itchy, right? At least that’s what we’ve been led to believe (and I admire her for being such an honest misanthrope). She’s great in a spotlight — just look at her in the finale up on stage at her sold-out book signings — but that is performance. And I think it’s that sound-bitey, sharp-tongued, all bones-and-sinew brand expert that turns some people so off.
That’s why I hope there’s something uncontrolled about her talk show pilot; that there’s room for others in the studio. If her show gets picked up, it’ll be interesting to see if Frankel is actually a a curious person, if she’s capable of truly listening to people or just continually anxious for whomever to hurry up and stop talking so she can hit them with a killer one-liner. No matter what, I’ll always have Season 3 of Bethenny Ever After, which goes into production soon.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Hamptons, Jill and Kelly are having a very toxic conversation about today’s news. “It’s just creepy, it’s weird,” Kelly whines. “Please, that woman is not a talk show host. She’s a talker. She’s a talk.” Poor Jill, who’d give anything for Bethenny to come over and doze on her summer house bed again, can only smile with that same pinched expression of righteous grief she’s worn throughout Season 4 during tense moments. She halfheartedly questions Bethenny’s motives, wondering with faux-innocence if her former friend’s marriage will survive such success. Secretly, she pines. Perhaps if she’d played her cards differently, Jill can’t help but think, she could have been the next Gayle King.
What do you think PopWatchers? Is the idea of this woman getting a talk show reason to cheer or sneer? Do you root for Bethenny? Do you too admit to getting misty during Bethenny Ever After reruns? Did the headline to this story drive you crazy? (I know, I know, there will never be another Oprah.)
Read more:
‘Bethenny Ever After’ premiere review: ‘Sometimes she pushes it way too hard’
I agree. I’m one of the few who sort of endlessly loves Bethenny, even when she’s crying hysterically for no reason at her birthday party. The girl has major issues, and I support her, but I’m not sure her own talk show is the right outlet for her. Regardless, I’ll check it out.
Justin you summed it up perfectly. Added bonus points for having to watch Jill (and Ramo-ogrico for that matter)having proclaim how happy they are for Bethenny– through clenched teeth at the next RHONY reunion show.
I’ve loved Bethanny ever since she lost to WhatsHerFace on Martha Stewart’s Apprentice. I guess her career has proved Martha wrong. I love the idea of her doing a talk show, but having worked for Dr. Phil, I can tell she’s going to be a mean boss. That doesn’t mean I won’t watch.
She’s really fantastic on other people’s talk shows — she can get out enough interesting information in a short amount of time and still be funny. I think she would be a WONDERFUL Oprah #2. I definitely trust her opinion.
Although … she would look just perfect with 5-8 more pounds on her, she looks kinda sickly sometimes.
I think the winner is a host on QVC, which is a good gig, very lucrative if you’re good at it, but Bethenny indeed seems poised for world domination.
I love her. She reminds of my mother and I swear that’s a compliment! She is great when she comes on Ellen. I could totally watch a talk show based around her.
And I just read the part about Jill wanting to be Gayle and I laughed out loud!
Love Bethany and her family. If she maintains her sense of self and her devotion to her family, she has a fan for life.
Spot on once again, Karen. Bethenny’s too busy trying to be clever and get in one-liners to listen to the other side of the conversation.
Oprah was a class act, especially compared to this untalented narcissist.
I don’t know. I’d say having the smarts and wherewithal to start your own beverage company after all the major labels reject your idea, turn it into a multimillion dollar business, and then sell BACK to one of these companies at an immense profit takes quite a bit of talent. It’s fine if you don’t like her. But she is quite talented, maybe just not in the traditional showbiz way.
Quite talented at snowing her fans!
Your story is a verbatim sound bite by Bethenny. If you believe a word of that story, then I have some oceanfront property in Arizona you might be interested in!
Agreed, she is so excellent at telling her lies. Anyone who works in any of the industries she says she is involved in, can see the BS. Beth is a great story teller, and you all believe her modern day fairy tale.
I will definitely watch, hopefully they will find a new approach and not mimic what is already out there. I think Jill would make an excellent guest, it would be reminiscent of when Tyra had Naomi Campbell on her show and basically spent the hour calling her out for being a conniving beyotch.
Oh please what kind of advise can she give anyone when she doesn’t even realize her own husband is gay!
you wish, troy
Why would Troy care one way or another?
Troy is wrong on one count, however, that Bethenny does not know or know the rumors. Why else would she embellish there first meeting with, “he was with a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model”?
We’re on the same page, Karen. BTW, your recaps of the Housewives are excellent. I love the way you write! Superb!
Why is this hideous woman so popular? Her personality is incredibly annoying, not to mention the fact that she looks like a corpse. YOU ARE ALL DISEASED.
Agree. I’ve never seen her on Ellen but saw the video of her on Leno. She is inarticulate. I felt as if I was watching a woman entering menopause speaking like a Cali Valley Girl.
Not intelligent, at all. And the whole selling beverage for giant profit is a scam. Where is the proof?
ew… Screeching certainly seem interested in tearing her down, judging by her multiple comments on this page. is someone a little jealy?
Gretchen:
“ew…a little jealy?” No, but are you old enough to be on this site?
lol. i probably am younger than you. you seem to be a bitter, jealy woman.
“Hideous” is an appropriate word for Ms. Frankel. Why anyone admires this rude, mean, annoying, and neurotic woman is baffling.
It’s almost humorous the way Ms. Frankel’s fans can’t think of any other way to defend their idol when someone criticizes her than to say that the person is jealous; or is Jill or Kelly in disguise. Believe it or not, Bethenny fans, some of us do not admire her.
Agreed. I do not admire her at all. I think she is excellent at telling her tale and she does not care who she hurts. Her stories do not make any sense, including the story of her selling “her alcohol”
I like Bethanny. I don’t agree with her much of the time, but she is who she is without being mean spirited. She’s honest and witty and I’d probably love to have a beer with her. Somewhere, Kelly Bensimone is shoving gummy bears into her mouth and wailing “She’s not a chef, she’s a cook! She never went to advice school! Bravo sold SKinny Girl For Her! BUY MY CANDY
Not mean-spirited?!
I agree with you Karen. I was determined not to watch Bethenny Ever After, but soon found myself sucked in! Real Housewives of New York is not the same show without her.
She’s downright nauseating.
This is the only person Weiner could have sexted, that people would have had sympathy for him.
This woman is a disease that needs a cure
In a word, no. No one will be Oprah excep Oprah. If Bethenny wants to throw her hat into the talk show ring so be it and good luck.
Yeah, bring it on.
Bethenny has a limited repertoire. No long lasting appeal, as evidenced by the ratings drop of her second season.
Is that you, Jill?