Steve Harvey will end his afternoon talk show in Chicago next spring after his contract with NBC Universal is up. The popular talk show has broadcast his show in Chicago for five seasons and will wrap filming in May 2017.
According to the Chicago Tribune , Steve Harvey is ending the show in Chicago to start a new TV show in Los Angeles in September 2017.
The show taped at NBC Tower and is co-produced by NBC Universal and Endemol Shine North America. An NBC spokeswoman confirmed last Friday that production will stop next May; over 100 staffers were notified of the decision.
Steve Harvey will have a new TV show to be co-produced by himself and IMG, a media company in New York linked with WME, an organization that represents the talk show host.
Steve Harvey will be part owner of the new production that has yet to be named. NBC Universal will distribute the program and be carried on all NBC-owned stations.
Does the end of Steve Harvey’s show indicate his new program will be vastly different? Sources say it will be more “celebrity-driven,” which is one of the main reasons behind the talk show host’s move to Los Angeles.
Steve Harvey took over where Oprah Winfrey left off in 2011 when she ended her longtime talk show to move on in her career. When she moved to Los Angeles to start the OWN network, Harvey kept the Chicago TV industry going strong after her departure. Rosie O’Donnell had her own talk show in 2011 that was filmed in the same studio as Oprah’s show, but it didn’t even last six months. It’s a common occurrence for successful television shows in Chicago to relocate to larger media locations, such as Los Angeles or New York. For instance, Phil Donahue originally filmed his show in Dayton before moving to Chicago in 1974, and ultimately taking the program to New York in 1985. It lasted 10 more years on the air after the move to New York.
#Chicago is losing @IAmSteveHarvey show – heading to #LosAngeles https://t.co/gyhYiEBV15 via @crainschicago
— NABJCC (@NABJCC) November 12, 2016
Deadline reports that NBC will be shopping Steve Harvey’s new show to other networks as well. Shows with this magnitude of success typically have an initial pick-up of two years.
The Steve Harvey Show currently features everyday people as guests in his segments, but the number of celebrity guests has increased. A panel of stars sometimes weigh in on various situations facing couples, and Harvey frequently interviews them about their own lives and challenges. With his move to Los Angeles, Steve will have a bigger selection of celebrities to join his show.
Insiders say it’s been challenging for Harvey to commute from his home in Chicago to Los Angeles where he hosts Little Big Shots, Funderdome, and Family Feud . Little Big Shots is about young talents who perform music, sing, and dance. The show premiered in March and was an instant hit for NBC. It’s been renewed for a second season.
#SteveHarveyShow Reportedly Moving to LA https://t.co/y7myjlxbdF
— B96 (@B96Chicago) November 15, 2016
When it comes to the format of the Steve Harvey Show , that will remain mostly intact since it’s proven itself to be a ratings hit. It seems that ending the afternoon talk show in Chicago to start a new one in Los Angeles is more about easing his travel schedule and allowing better access to celebrity guests, which have also been a popular part of his program.
Fans can be comforted by the fact that although the Steve Harvey Show is ending its production in Chicago, the show will be back next fall without skipping a beat. The most significant changes will take place behind-the-scenes, which means one of America’s favorite talk show hosts will be back to deliver great television for his viewers.
[Featured Image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images]