Jennifer Hudson is coming to daytime this fall with the launch of “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on Fox Television Stations.
While the new one-hour talker is not technically Warner Bros. TV’s replacement for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which is coming to an end this year, Hudson’s show is positioned to be the studio’s new flagship daytime talk show once DeGeneres has said her final goodbye after a 19-season run.
As Variety first reported in November, “The Jennifer Hudson Show” also comes from “Ellen” production company Telepictures. “Ellen” executive producers Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly served as showrunners on Hudson’s test show, which was shot last fall on DeGeneres’ stage. The show has been shopped around to station groups since, with Fox TV Stations emerging as the winner.
In addition to being carried by buyer Fox TV Stations, Hudson’s show will also launch on Hearst Television, along with additional station groups representing more than 60% of the country.
“I have experienced so much in my life; I’ve seen the highest of the highs, the lowest of the lows, and just about everything in between, but as my mother always told me, ‘Once you think you’ve seen it all, just keep on living,’” Hudson said in a statement Wednesday. “People from around the world have been a part of my journey from the beginning — twenty years ago — and I’m so ready to join their journey as we sit down and talk about the things that inspire and move us all. I have always loved people, and I cannot wait to connect on a deeper level and let audiences see the different sides of who I am, the human being, in return. And I couldn’t be more thrilled to do it alongside this incredible team. We’re about to have a lot of fun and shake things up a little bit!”
Hudson’s show marks a reunion of sorts between Hudson and Mike Darnell, the president of unscripted and alternative television at Warner Bros. Prior to Warner Bros., Darnell was the longtime head of alternative at Fox, where he oversaw the massive “Idol” franchise. Hudson was a finalist on the show’s third season, in 2004, and although she didn’t win the competition, it set the stage for her career explosion: Soon after, she was cast in the film adaptation of “Dreamgirls” — which earned her the Oscar for best supporting actress.
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