The Bonnie Hunt Show is coming to an end
After a two year stint in syndication, The Bonnie Hunt Show is coming to an end. In a syndicated world where the gossip-mongering of TMZ, The Insider and Extra thrive, a sweet talk show like Bonnie's just didn't cut the mustard. Apparently, there's only room for one show like that and it's called The Ellen DeGeneres Show.Warner Brothers, which syndicates The Bonnie Hunt Show, announced its decision to take it off the air at the end of this season. Bonnie addressed her staff immediately. I'm sure Bonnie Hunt's agent is busy lining up new projects for her. She's too funny, too talented and too good to be out of work for long. I hope the employees on her show do as well.
It's true that this is no big surprise. Unlike previous "nice" talk show successes like Regis & Kelly, Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen, Bonnie failed to catch fire. It wasn't that she wasn't as affable or guest-friendly as the other two ladies, it was simply that the program was a little wan.
It lacked the quirkiness of Ellen's dancing and comedy bits. It didn't have Rosie's intensity and passion. Ellen could do an entire segment on the phone with a contest winner and make it hilarious. Rosie would go on and on about Drake's Cakes like she was working for the company... and it was funny. Maybe Bonnie needed a Regis as a comic foil?
Like Bob wrote when Bonnie premiered, the show had potential. Ultimately, though, the ratings did her in. The numbers never improved since the premiere in 2008.

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