Hearst Television has picked up Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution’s new talk show starring Drew Barrymore, sources report.
Like Bethenny Frankel before it, Barrymore did her deal with Ellen DeGeneres' A Very Good Production company, and DeGeneres would be an executive producer on the program.
Hearst is said to be interested in Barrymore because magazines published by its parent company do well when the actress appears on covers.
That Warner Bros. was in talks with the actress on a development deal was reported over the summer, although until now there’s been no movement on the project.
The move comes as there seems to be a lack of new projects coming to first-run syndication. NBCUniversal this season produced the only new nationally-cleared first-run strip, Harry, starring Harry Connick Jr. The show, which airs on Fox-owned stations in major markets, is averaging a 1.3 live-plus-same-day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Last week, Connick Jr. got a cameo on NBC’s Today, replacing the ousted Billy Bush as a guest host in the 9 a.m. hour.
Tegna this season also launched its talk show starring T. D. Jakes, but the show isn't cleared across the entire country.
