European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 20, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse To a i Ricki Lake leaps but still on top by Jane Hill los Angeles times it s not quite As scintillating As i slept with your Man please forgive me recent topic on the Ricki Lake it is an attention grabber in the world of to syndication facing a glut of competitors on the one hand and the teens talk trash and love it Appeal of Lake s series on the other Oprah Winfrey Sally Jessy Raphael Phil Donahue and Geraldo Rivera Are experiencing a decline in the ratings of their daytime talk shows in the United s series daytime s Long reigning no. 1 talk fest is still Way ahead of the pack with an average rat ing of 8.5 this that s a decline of 13 percent from the same period a year ago through oct. 23. Raphael mean while is Down 20percent, to a 4 rating Donahue at 3.4, is off 29 percent and Rivera with a 3.1, isweld18 percent lower than a year ago. Each Niel sen rating Point represents 954,000 House holds Lake in her second season has leapfrogged Over the Competition More than doubling he rating from a 2 to a 4.9 to become the no. 2 rated talk show. Spokesmen for the Donahue and Raphael programs cited the proliferation of talk shows As the reason for their audience. In Winfrey s Case however some station managers say there May be another Factor her decision this fall to move in what she described As a More positive direction forgoing shows about victims and people with abnormal relationships in favor of topics such As fulfilling your dreams. While some other talk shows Are holding up Maury Pov Ieti s ratings have climbed 5 percent above last season for example and the Gorton Elliot Stowhas gotten off to a decent Start unlike the Marilu Henner and Suzanne Somers efforts it is Lake s show that has riveted the Industry s attention. Lake Star of the cult movie Hairspray is cutting into the younger demographics of Winfrey and other talk shows while also attracting some people who had t been talk show fans. She is appealing to Young viewer with an in your face format in which the studio audience votes on guests and confront parental figures. Recent topics have included younger women who Date older men Romance with prison inmates and cosmetics make overs. Before Ricki Lake the conventional Wisdom was that younger viewers we rent big viewers of daytime talk shows said Jac Fentress vice president of Petry television a firm that Sells National advertising time on local to stations. That will change next season. Syndicator Are trying to drum up interest in talk shows hosted by Carnie Wilson of the Wilson Philip music group Melissa Rivers daughter of Joan Rivers and sex Cosby show kid tempest Bledsoe. Danson pre Zed Letterman stays put by Roger Anderson Scripps Howard celebrity paranoia 1 t now that Ted Dan son and whoops Goldberg have Given each other the heave to and Ted has taken up with Mary Steenburgen Ted advises people Magazine that no less pow Erful a figure than the chief executive of the United states namely president Clinton took him aside during a recent White House do and let him know that the Oval office would look very unkindly upon any caddis behaviour toward Mary who like the president hails from Arkansas. You can t be More threatened than by the presi Dent of the United states Ted Points out. But i understand. I m responsible for my past so i deserve to be Why do we get the feeling that next he s going to ask Al Gore to give him a Good spank ing. \ v vex celebrity paranoia 2 � meantime the Brit ish Magazine Star says that Buckingham Palace is keeping Princess i under tight surveillance not mind you because the Palace usually a thoughtful building is concerned for her welfare but because i Hopes to put together a file documenting her Alleg edly nutty behaviour so Prince Charles can take her tothe Royal cleaners in divorce court. Celebrity housing 1 i speaking of buildings some other British rag is going around saying that Michael Jackson and his Bride Lisa Maria Presley Are going to live in separate ones Anonymous source she s even hired a top Interi or decorator. To turn her new Home into a show piece.". But Why would she want to live in a showpiece when she could be living with the King of pop another Anonymous source she s too inde pendent to live with him in his own a. Celebrity housing 2 i by the same Token published reports Are trumpeting to the world that David Letterman never spends any Given night under the tribe a roof that shelters his Light of Iove Regina Lasko instead preferring to sleep at his own place in Connecticut. One assumes from Alt this that a Michael Lisa Dave Regina commune is out of the question. Celebrity denial 1ientertainment weekly says that a certain nasal folksinger named Bob Dylan is being sued for $5 million by one Ruth Tyrangiel who claims she served As a wife to Dylan in All surname Forno less than 20years and n6w wishes to be remunerated for her pains. Dylan s people the complaint is wholly without basis and is categorically celebrity denials 2 1 again by the Sam Token James Caan is reportedly plenty steamed at the inside edition to show for airing an interview with his sex wife Sheila Caan in which Sheila Adeall kinds of allegations about Jimmy s questionable s people or. Caan vehemently denies each and every one of these statements concerning alleged acts of violence by him toward Sheila Caan. Than you. Bluntly stated or. Caan contends that they Are a " we think we get the idea. Paramount Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen Are also close in Pontiac Moon Holch is playing in . Heaters november 20,1994 sunday Page 11
