Ricki Lake (TV series)

Ricki Lake
Ricki Lake promo photo, 2001.
Created by	Garth Ancier Gail Steinberg
Presented by	Ricki Lake
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	11
Production
Running time	45 to 60 minutes
Production company(s)	The Garth Ancier Company Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (1993-1995) (seasons 1-2) Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (1995-2001) (seasons 3-9) Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001-2002) (seasons 9-10) Sony Pictures Television (2002-2004) (seasons 10-11)
Distributor	Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (1993–1995) (seasons 1-2) Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (1995–2001) (seasons 3–9) Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001-2002) (seasons 9-10) Sony Pictures Television (2002–2004) (seasons 10–11)
Release
Original network	First-run syndication
Original release	September 13, 1993 (1993-09-13) – May 21, 2004 (2004-05-21)
Chronology
Followed by	The Ricki Lake Show

Ricki Lake is a daytime tabloid talk show hosted by American actress Ricki Lake.^[1][2][3] The series debuted in syndication on September 13, 1993^[4] and ended first-run episodes on May 21, 2004, though the series continued in reruns through the summer until August 27, 2004.

Series background

The show specialized in sensationalist topics involving invited guests and incorporated questions and comments from a studio audience. But unlike most of the counterparts of the day, her primary audience was aimed at teenagers, young adults, college students, and urban viewers (who described themselves as "Generation X") rather than the 25+ audience that advertisers were catering to, plus it was less sensational and tamer compared to the other programs. It was taped at the Chelsea Studios in New York City.^[5][6] During an interview on A Spoonful of Paolo, Lake stated that she almost signed up to do the show for only $5000.^[7]

Methodology

Ricki Lake, 2007.

The methodology for securing guests on the show, common to many shows similar to it, was as such: Producers would brainstorm and come up with a show title or theme. During an aired episode of the program spots would run for shows in pre-production. The goal was to recruit persons who may have a situation in their life that fits with the proposed topic. Hotline messages would be screened and the most promising prospects would be contacted by a production assistant. The potential guest would be interviewed about their situation. Guests chosen to appear on the show were booked airfare to New York City, brought to the television studio and sent to specific "green rooms", inside which they were briefed in more detail on how the show would be taped. One of the producers then sat down with each guest to reiterate the story, including emphasis on various phrases or statements the guest might have made during pre-interviews. Guests were given an appearance and confidentiality contract to sign and installments were recorded in real-time, which took approximately 80 minutes to complete. Lake came into the audience for taped segments and, during the paused portion (where commercial breaks were inserted), she left the audience to consult with producers. The final show was aired approximately one month later. However, if the guest (or guests) lied to the producers prior to coming on air, they were forced off the set and their travel arrangements cancelled. This happened twice during the show's run, and both events aired.

Awards and nominations

In 1994, the show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, but The Oprah Winfrey Show won the award. Other awards the show has garnered includes the Gracie Allen Award, PRISM Certificates & Commendations, and many more.^[12]

Aftermath

Although Sony Pictures Television announced that the show was renewed for the 2004–2005 TV season, Lake decided not to continue with the show, opting to spend more time with her family and having relocated to Los Angeles. Sony did not issue any comments when the show was cancelled. On October 9, 2005, Broadcasting & Cable magazine reported that Lake might return to do a "new" version of her show. A source said it would be a surprise if there was no deal struck by October 2005.^[13] If it were to have happened, it would have likely debuted in September 2006. Lake did not appear at the 2006 NATPE convention to pitch the proposed program to television stations in the United States in January, 2006, only furthering speculation that there would be no show. In a 2009 interview on CNN, she was asked about what was next for her. Lake noted that a follow-up documentary was coming out, and that she was in talks to do another talk show,^[14] but this has yet to come to pass. In follow-up interviews since then such as Oprah in 2010, Lake has consistently said "never say never" about hosting a new show, but that she is happy working on other projects. However, in a February 2011 appearance on The View, when asked about doing another show, Ricki said that she "misses the platform" and that when it comes to hosting another show, "that's certainly a possibility."

In March 2011 it was reported that three television studios, Disney-ABC Domestic Television, Universal Media Studios and CBS Television Distribution, were interested in bringing Lake back to talk television in 2012. This after Lake began appearing on various programs in which she expressed a desire to return to the genre.^[15] On April 20, 2011, Lake signed with Twentieth Television to develop a subsequent talk show for a September 2012 launch. It is described as having more of an Oprah-like format than her previous series.^[16]

Popularity around the world

The show was also popular in other countries, especially in the United Kingdom where it aired on Channel 4, and was aired daily on ITV2, until 2009, as well as in Australia, where the show was screened on three channels: the Seven, Ten and pay TV-exclusive W Channel. The show was also successful in the Netherlands, where it aired on SBS6. Even though it has been out of production since 2004, the show is still screened in various places around the world such as South Africa and in the Middle East.

Production/distribution

Garth Ancier and Gail Steinberg were the original executive producers. Michael Rourke moved into the executive producer role in 2002, during the 9th season, with Michelle Mazur, a former producer in the 1990s of the show, moved into the role of co-executive producer at the start of the 10th season. The theme was written by Jellybean Benítez. The show was produced by The Garth Ancier Company and was distributed by Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (1993–1995), then by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (1995–2001), Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001–2002), and Sony Pictures Television (2002–2004). In the UK the series first appeared on Saturday 1 October 1994 on Channel 4 and continued until 2001.

Satire

Lake's talk show has often been the butt of satire, as noted by the following references below:

• It was repeatedly parodied during the 1990s on Saturday Night Live, with male cast member Jay Mohr impersonating Lake in drag, and in a MTV spoof on the series and its title fonts by actress/singer Debbie Loeb.
• It was mentioned in the chorus of the hit 1998 song "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" by The Offspring: "So if you don't rate, just overcompensate, at least you'll know you can always go on Ricki Lake." Lyricist Dexter Holland said the lyrics were inspired by the sort of young men who went to the show - “Guys who go to malls and get the gangsta rap clothes. Guys on Ricki Lake who don’t listen to their moms.”)^[17]
• It is also mentioned in the 2004 hit by Australian band Butterfingers, "I Love Work", as well as "Strong" by Robbie Williams, "Hole in the Head" by Sugababes and "Little White Lie" by Tanya Stephens.
• The female group Shooter also mentioned the show in their song, "Life's a Bitch" ("Everybody's tellin' all, baring their souls, just to go on The Ricki Lake Show").
• It was also mentioned in an episode of the TV show Family Guy entitled "Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater", in which Brian, attempting to rehabilitate Peter in the ways of a gentleman, electrically shocks Peter every time he looks at a television showing an episode of Ricki Lake.
• In the WB series Gilmore Girls, Rory mentions feeling like she is on The Ricki Lake Show, with Lorelai then replying, "Go, Rory! Go, Rory!"
• The music video for the song "Perfect Match" by the hip hop group Cella Dwellas is largely a satire of Lake's shows about cheating spouses.
• Ricki Lake is also mentioned in the Kesha and Nicki Minaj remix of Britney Spears' "Till the World Ends", referring to Lil' Kim being at the height of her career when Ricki Lake was on air.
• In the fifth episode of the VH1 reality/comedy series This Is Hot 97, Cipha Sounds mentioned that he had a crush on Lake and her show. He also noticed an intern who wore the same attire Lake wore on her show, leading him to believe that she was the real Ricki Lake.
• NYC-based stand-up comedian Matt Smith McCormick produces & hosts a comedy show called "Go Ricki!", where sets & stories are inspired by topics of Ricki Lake.^{[18] [19]}

References

External links

• Ricki Lake on IMDb