The Charles Perez Show
A youth-targeted talk show with audience-driven discussions.
The Charles Perez Show was an American daytime tabloid talk show hosted by Charles Perez. It ran in syndication for two seasons from December 12, 1994, to January 26, 1996, and was produced and distributed by Tribune Entertainment. The show was conceived as a youth-targeted alternative to morning news programs, emphasizing audience interaction and single-issue panel discussions.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Talk show
- Director
- Alex Tyner
- Presenter
- Charles Perez
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 2
- Location
- CBS Broadcast Center, Manhattan
- Runtime
- 42–43 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Production
Before he got his own show, Charles Perez started out in TV as a gofer on the 1993 program Jane Pratt, then moved into production jobs on Ricki Lake and The Montel Williams Show. He said hosting his own talk show was his dream, and he made a pilot using money borrowed from friends. Perez described his ideal program as a mix of Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey. To appeal to a younger audience, the show highlighted his youth and Latin background. He even changed his last name from Dabney to his mother’s maiden name, Perez, saying he wanted to reconnect with his Latin heritage. Tribune Entertainment gave the show a six-week test run starting December 12, 1994, on its eight stations, planning a national rollout for January 1995. The test episodes covered botched plastic surgery and interracial relationships, and they earned an average 2.6 rating in those markets, which was enough to get a national launch. Producers chose the topics, pulling from news stories, viewer suggestions, and their own lives. They wanted the 31-year-old Perez to address issues from his generation’s perspective, and he positioned the show as a youth-focused alternative to news programs like This Week with David Brinkley. The program tried to mix light and serious subjects, airing two “issue” episodes each week. According to Electronic Media’s Ryan Ver Berkmoes, the show typically featured people whose behavior was outside the norm and those who enjoyed fighting on camera. Discussions ranged from discrimination, guns in schools, street gangs, and AIDS to parent-child relationships, strippers, and whether blondes have more fun. Perez worked to separate his show from tabloid talk shows, saying his aim was simply to make good television. Guests were recruited through carts that listed upcoming topics and a phone number. Producers looked for guests who were articulate and had interesting stories. Producer Hilery Kipnis noted that booking guests required skills from several professions: a social worker, a therapist, a used-car salesman, and a lawyer. Before appearing, every guest had to show the production staff two forms of identification.
Broadcast history and release
The show premiered December 12, 1994, for a six-week trial on Tribune Broadcasting's eight owned-and-operated stations. After a successful trial, Tribune Entertainment announced a national rollout in January 1995, with the show picked up by 37 stations covering 60 percent of the country. The national launch began March 6, 1995, with Tribune hoping an unconventional March launch would give it an edge over fall debuts. By September 1995, the show aired on 80 stations covering 86 percent of the country. It was also syndicated internationally through Worldvision Enterprises. On January 2, 1996, Tribune Entertainment announced the show's cancellation, alongside 20th Television's Gabrielle. The final episode aired January 26, 1996, and many stations replaced it with court shows. Perez, a gay man, believed his sexual orientation was considered in the cancellation decision.
Reception
The Charles Perez Show received a mixed critical response. The Hollywood Reporter’s Irv Letofsky thought Perez was likable but faulted his questioning and subject matter. New York magazine named it one of 1995’s worst shows. After averaging a 1.7 rating in its second season, Tribune Entertainment canceled the program mid-season. In December 1995, syndicators had predicted the cancellation. Tribune’s Karen Corbin explained that increased competition in talk shows made it hard to see an economic future for Perez.
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