PASADENA, Calif. -- Leeza Gibbons isn't letting cancellation get her down.
Despite the fact that her daytime talk show, "Leeza," was dropped by NBC, it's still rolling along with nary a change. It's still produced by Paramount, it's still got the same staff, it's still turning out exactly the same sort of shows.The only difference is that, instead of airing on a network, it's going to be airing in syndication this fall.
And the fact is that NBC didn't drop "Leeza" after six years because of bad ratings. It was never a blockbuster, but it did pretty well for the network. But that network didn't own "Leeza," a fact that played a big part in NBC's decision to drop it in favor of the new "Later Today," and hourlong follow-up to "The Today Show" that will premiere in September.
"It's been an excellent relationship," Gibbons said. "We developed a very loyal audience and really enjoyed being part of the NBC team. It was a business affairs decision on their part because there are not enough hours in the day."
Not enough hours to air programming that NBC owns as well as programming it doesn't. The decision to drop "Leeza" was made with the same logic that caused the network to cancel the soap opera "Another World," which it did not own, in favor of one that it does own, the new "Passions."
"And these two new programs simply didn't leave enough hours in the day," Gibbons said. "They needed a place to put their shows and they had slots that were filled with our show, so they couldn't keep everything.
"So it made sense for NBC to devote the few hours of the day that they have to programs that they own," Gibbons said with rancor. "And it gives us a chance to run free in syndication."
How well that works out remains to be seen. But it will get its chance -- "Leeza" has been syndicated to stations covering more than 90 percent of the nation (including KJZZ-Ch. 14 in Utah).
NOT SO SMART: The fact is that, in the realm of daytime talk shows, "Leeza" is a fairly upscale entry; it attempts to look at issues without exploiting them and is far less smarmy that "Sally," "Jerry," "Ricki" and that ilk.
And, while Gibbons herself isn't the best host, you've got to like that she'll acknowledge that, "I've learned I'm not as smart as I thought I was."
And the former "Entertainment Tonight" reporter and weekend anchor admits it took her awhile to get up to speed as a talk-show host.
"My husband says I learned how to interrupt quite nicely," she said with a laugh.
"I found that to be very freeing. It's caused me to challenge who I am and what I think about things."
WHY DO THEY DO IT? "Leeza" doesn't humiliate its guests the way, say, "The Jerry Springer Show" does, but still, you've got to wonder why some of these people want to air their dirty laundry on national television.
Increasingly, it seems there is a limitless supply of people who don't care how they end up on TV.
Gibbons and her executive producer, Jose Pretlow, see it somewhat differently -- although they can't entirely justify what happens on all the daytime talk shows.
"I think it's a multiple answer as to why they do it," Gibbons said.
"I think, fundamentally, the thing that all talk-show guests and viewers have in common is, we need to be heard. So often, people feel suppressed or we feel victimized or we feel there's no forum for us to have our point of view validated -- or even aired. That is just a common need that we all have."
Pretlow said he believes that a lot of people come on talk shows because "they want some sort of vindication. They want some sort of stamp from someone else saying, 'You know what? You're right.' "
Gibbons said that she herself is surprised by some of what her guests have to say.
"Most people want to confront their lives," she said. "They want to be in charge of their lives. They want to be in the driver's seat.
"Some of them just enjoy the attention, quite honestly."