''Ricki Lake'' is a daytime
tabloid talk show
A tabloid talk show is a subgenre of the talk show genre that emphasizes controversial and sensationalistic topical subject matter. The subgenre originated in the United States and achieved peak viewership from the mid-1980s through the end of t ...
hosted by American actress
Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film ''Hairspray'', for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for B ...
. The series debuted in syndication on September 13, 1993, and ended first-run episodes on May 21, 2004, continuing 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
Chelsea Studios, also known as Chelsea Television Studios, is an American television studio and sound stage located at 221 West 26th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
Hist ...
in New York City. During an interview on ''
A Spoonful of Paolo'', Lake stated that she almost signed up to do the show for only $5000.
Topicality
During the series' run, its primary focus was on dealing with personal subjects like parenting skills (including single mothers who are accused of having the lack of experience of taking care of children), romantic relationships (both marital and non-marital), LGBT issues (like discrimination, same-sex couples who want to have children or straight people attracted to a person who is LGBT or the other way around), racism and prejudice (even within their own race and gender), interracial relationships, family discord, revealing secrets, and social topics of the day (like money, looking for work or being on welfare). At times she had lighter shows, ranging from contests (including female impersonators, beauticians, or those who want to prove to others that they do have talent), celebrity guests, and reunions, to granting viewers' personal wishes.
A majority of the shows had surprises waiting in store for the guests, which were revealed by a doorbell ringing if a guest didn't come clean about themselves. This prompted Ricki to bring out another guest who knew the truth about the primary guest's intentions. At times, the guests would find out that someone else had been listening to their confession while they were on stage or in the audience. On one show in 1997 for example, a guy who admitted to having an affair was unaware that his wife was on stage (this after Ricki turn around and saw her sitting on the steps to ask her why she was there). The doorbell (and other surprises) were a major part of the series throughout its run. Lake's talk show sometimes covered serious topics, including domestic violence ("Bad Men, Desperate Woman"), homeless people who live in the NYC subway system ("The Catacomb People") and "Teens on Death Row". Lake also took on shows that dealt with women who were members of the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...
, and during a show involving
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
, she learned that three guests were using the substance just moments after they walked on to the set as she was about to interview them.
One of Lake's most memorable and controversial confrontations happened during the first season, when she found herself dealing with Reverend
Fred Phelps
Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. (November 13, 1929 – March 19, 2014) was an American minister who served as the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, worked as a civil rights attorney, and ran for statewide election in Kansas. He gained nation ...
in a show that involved targeting anyone who carries the AIDS virus and why they deserve to die. (Phelps and his followers from
Westboro Baptist Church
The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is a small American, unaffiliated Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. Labeled a hate group, WBC is known for engaging in homophobic and anti-American pickets, ...
in
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...
had been picketing at funerals for AIDS victims across the United States, leading to several states to enact laws prohibiting or restricting groups from coming within a certain distance of the funerals.) When Phelps and his son-in-law tried to take over the set, a furious and insulted Lake ordered the Phelps family to leave the studio. During the commercial break, the two were forced off the set by the producers and escorted out of the building by security. After Phelps died on March 19, 2014, Lake tweeted on her
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
page that when he was on the show he told her that she worshipped her rectum on camera, which led to Lake taking action off-stage to force Phelps off the show after that remark.
Methodology
![Ricki Lake by David Shankbone](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Ricki_Lake_by_David_Shankbone.jpg)
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 room
In show business, the green room is the space in a theatre or similar venue that functions as a waiting room and lounge for performers before, during, and after a performance or show when they are not engaged on stage. Green rooms typically have ...
s", 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
The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
for Outstanding Talk Show Host, but ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' won the award. Other awards the show has garnered includes the
Gracie Allen Award
The Gracie Awards are awards presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWM) in the United States, to celebrate and honor programming created for women, by women, and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contr ...
, PRISM Certificates & Commendations, and many more.
Aftermath
In 2000, Ricki Lake told her audience on ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' that her contract was up for renewal in 2004. In September 2003, rumors began swirling about the show's demise as Lake was in serious talks to be cast in a 30-minute sitcom for CBS. On January 21, 2004, The Futon Critic reported that "the show's future remains up in the air" due to the sitcom, and because Lake herself was not in attendance at the convention. In February 2004, the show was officially cancelled. Witnessing 9/11 from the rooftop of her New York City apartment, Lake has stated in several interviews that at that point she knew "I am getting out of my marriage, I am getting out of this show". On June 27, 2019, Ricki told Rupaul that two days after the attacks, she had to go back and do topics that, although still loving her show, didn't reflect what she wanted her legacy to be. Surprisingly, Sony Pictures didn't provide any comments when the show was cancelled, despite a large profit the show brought.
On October 9, 2005, ''
Broadcasting & Cable
''Broadcasting & Cable'' (or ''Broadcasting+Cable'') is a weekly telecommunications industry trade magazine published by Future US. Previous names included ''Broadcasting-Telecasting'', ''Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising'', and ''Broadcast ...
'' 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. If it were to have happened, it would have likely debuted in September 2006. Lake did not appear at the 2006
NATPE
The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) is a professional association of television and emerging media executives. The organization was established in 1963.
NATPE implements its mission by providing members with educati ...
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
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, 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, 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
Disney–ABC Domestic Television (doing business as Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, and formerly named Buena Vista Television) is the in-home sales and content distribution firm of Disney Platform Distribution, a su ...
,
Universal Media Studios
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a predeces ...
and
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Media Ventures, Inc. (formerly CBS Television Distribution, Inc. and CBS Paramount Domestic Television, Inc.) is an American television distribution company owned by CBS Studios, part of CBS Entertainment Group, a division of Paramount Glob ...
, 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. On April 20, 2011, Lake signed with
20th Television
20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Compa ...
to develop a subsequent
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
for a September 2012 launch. It is described as having more of an ''Oprah''-like format than her previous series.
Popularity around the world
The show was also popular in other countries, especially in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, where it aired on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
, and was aired daily on
ITV2
ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, a ...
, until 2009, as well as in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, where the show was screened on three channels: the
Seven
7 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
7 or seven may also refer to:
* AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era
* 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era
* The month of
July
Music Artists
* Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...
(1997-2002),
Ten (late 1994-Early 1997) and pay TV-exclusive
W Channel (2002-2004). The show was also successful in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, where it aired on
SBS6
SBS6 is a Dutch free-to-air, free-to-cable commercial television channel, TV channel and is a part of Talpa TV, formerly known as SBS Broadcasting B.V. and now owned by Talpa Network. Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are Net5, Vero ...
. Even though it has been out of production since 2004, the show is still screened in various places around the world such as
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
.
Production/distribution
Garth Ancier
Garth Ancier (born September 3, 1957, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey) is an American television producer and media executive.
Early life
Ancier graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1975 and Princeton University in 1979.
He began his broadca ...
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
John Benitez
John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and the Pointer Sisters ...
. 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
Columbia TriStar Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CTT) was an American television production and distribution company that was active from 1994 to 2002. It was operated as the third name of the early television studio Screen Gems and the fourt ...
(1995–2001), Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001–2002), and
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainm ...
(2002–2004). In the UK the series first appeared on Saturday October 1, 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
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'', with male cast member
Jay Mohr
Jon Ferguson "Jay" Mohr (born August 23, 1970) is an American actor, comedian and radio host. He is known for his roles as film producer Peter Dragon in the TV comedy series ''Action'', Professor Rick Payne in the TV series ''Ghost Whisperer'' (2 ...
impersonating Lake in
drag, and in a
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
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)
"Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" is a song by American punk-rock band the Offspring. It is the fourth track from the band's fifth studio album, ''Americana'' (1998), and was released as its first single in November 1998. The song peaked at number ...
" by
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American rock band from Garden Grove, California, formed in 1984. Originally formed under the name Manic Subsidal, the band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryan "Dexter" Holland, lead guita ...
: "So if you don't rate, just overcompensate, at least you'll know you can always go on ''Ricki Lake''." Lyricist
Dexter Holland
Bryan Keith "Dexter" Holland (born December 29, 1965) is an American musician who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, primary songwriter and last remaining original member of the American rock band the Offspring. He is also the creator of t ...
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.")
* It is also mentioned in the 2004 hit by Australian band
Butterfingers, "I Love Work", as well as "Strong" by British singer
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
, "
Hole in the Head
"Hole in the Head" is a song performed by British girl group Sugababes, released on 13 October 2003 as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Three (Sugababes album), Three''. It was written by Brian Higgins (producer), Brian Higgins, ...
" by British female vocal group
Sugababes
Sugababes are a British girl group composed of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy. The lineup changed three times before returning to the original lineup in 2011.
Formed in 1998 by All Saints manager Ron Tom, Sugababes releas ...
and "Little White Lie" by
Tanya Stephens
Vivienne Tanya Stephenson (born 2 July 1973),Lim, Ann-Margaret (2004)All Woman: Tanya Stephens", ''Jamaica Observer'', 3 May 2004. Retrieved 31 October 2010 .
* 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
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' entitled "
Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater
The second season of ''Family Guy'' first aired on the Fox network in 21 episodes from September 23, 1999, to August 1, 2000. The series follows the dysfunctional Griffin family—father Peter, mother Lois, daughter Meg, son Chris, baby Stewie ...
", 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
''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flagshi ...
'', 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
Kesha Rose Sebert (; born March 1, 1987), formerly stylized as Ke$ha, is an American singer and songwriter. In 2005, at age 18, Kesha was signed to Kemosabe Records. Her first major success came in early 2009 after she was featured on America ...
and
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
remix of
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
' "
Till the World Ends
"Till the World Ends" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale (Britney Spears album), Femme Fatale'' (2011). It was written by Kesha, Dr. Luke, Alexander Kronlund, and Max Martin, while the prod ...
", referring to
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
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
''This Is Hot 97'' is a reality-based docu-comedy television series that debuted on VH1 on March 31, 2014. The series is executive produced by Mona Scott-Young for Monami Entertainment, Toby Barraud, Stefan Springman, Mala Chapple and Ian Gelfand ...
'',
Cipha Sounds
Cipha Sounds (born Luis Diaz; on April 19, 1976) is an American DJ, comedian, and radio and television personality of Puerto Rican descent. He is mostly known for his work as a DJ, a VJ for MTV and as a comedian.
Biography
Radio career
In 19 ...
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.
* From 2016-2018, NYC-based comedian Matt Smith McCormick produced & hosted a comedy show called "Go Ricki!", where sets & stories were inspired by topics of ''Ricki Lake''.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricki Lake
1993 American television series debuts
2004 American television series endings
1990s American television talk shows
2000s American television talk shows
English-language television shows
First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
1990s American LGBT-related television series
Television series by Sony Pictures Television
2000s American LGBT-related television series