| Genre: | Talk show |
| Director: | Alex Tyner |
| Presenter: | Charles Perez |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Location: | CBS Broadcast Center, Manhattan |
| Runtime: | 42–43 minutes |
| Company: | Tribune Entertainment |
| Network: | Syndication |
The Charles Perez Show is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Charles Perez. The show ran for two seasons from December 12, 1994, to January 26, 1996. It featured panel discussions with everyday people, who discussed their personal experiences over a given topic. Perez moderated these discussions and he encouraged audience interaction. The show was taped at the CBS Broadcast Center.
The show was produced and distributed by Tribune Entertainment. It was conceived by Perez, who was influenced by television presenters Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey. The show received a six-week trial run prior to its national launch in March 1995. It received a mixed reception from television critics, who praised Perez's charisma but criticized the show's topic selection. The show premiered to modest ratings, which dwindled over its run. It was canceled in January 1996. The show experienced minor controversy in 1995 after an actor was used to portray a guest's sister; the sister sued the show, with the lawsuit settled out of court.
Perez began his television career as a gofer for the 1993 talk show Jane Pratt; he subsequently worked in production roles on Ricki Lake and The Montel Williams Show.[1] Perez claimed it was his dream to host his own talk show, and he produced the pilot with money lended to him by friends.[2] He described his vision of the show as "the perfect union of Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey."[2] In an effort to target younger demographics, the show emphasized Perez's youth and Latin heritage.[3] Perez adopted his mother's maiden name over his surname, Dabney, in an effort to "get in touch with his Latin side".[1]
Tribune Entertainment scheduled a six-week trial run of the show, which began on December 12, 1994. The trial run was tested on Tribune Entertainment's eight owned-and-operated stations, with a national launch intended for January 1995. The trial run episodes featured topics such as botched plastic surgery procedures and interracial relationships.[3] The show averaged a 2.6 rating in these markets, which resulted in a national launch.
The show attempted to balance its topics between sensational, such as whether blondes have more fun, and serious, such as police brutality.[1] According to producers, Perez, then a 31-year-old, covered topics "from the point of view of his generation".[4]
Ryan Ver Berkmoes of Electronic Media described the show's typical subject matter as "People whose behavior places them out of the norm, [and] people who like to fight on camera."[5]
The Charles Perez Show recruited guests through carts, which provided viewers with upcoming show topics and the show's phone number. Producers typically booked guests who they believed were well-spoken and had a compelling story.[6] According to producer Hilery Kipnes, in order to book guests "you have to be a social worker, a therapist, a used-car salesman and a lawyer. You use the skills you would acquire in all these jobs to convince these [prospective guests] that this is the thing to do."[6]
Prior to their appearance on the show, all guests were required to provide production staff with two forms of identification.[7]
The Charles Perez Show was syndicated worldwide, in which it was distributed by Worldvision Enterprises.[8] In the United States, it was distributed by Tribune Entertainment and placed in first-run syndication on March 6, 1995. With this national launch, the show was picked up by 37 television stations and increased its clearances from 21 percent to 60 percent.[9] The show's final episode was broadcast on January 26, 1996.[10]
The series premiered on December 19, 1994, in which it was broadcast on Tribune Entertainment's owned-and-operated stations.
Seeing low ratings, most likely due to the glut of syndicated talk shows which debuted during Perez's second season, Tribune chose to cancel the program in mid-season, ending with a 1.7 average.
In December 1995, several syndicators alleged that The Charles Perez Show was likely to face cancellation due to law ratings.[11] On January 2, 1996, The Charles Perez Show was cancelled by Tribune Entertainment.[12] Karen Corbin, senior vice president of development at Tribune Entertainment, stated: "Because of increased competition in the talk-show genre, it is difficult to find an economic upside for Charles Perez in the near future."[13]
The show received a mixed reception from television critics. Irv Letofsky of The Hollywood Reporter believed Perez was personable, although he criticized Perez's line of questioning and the show's topics.[14]
New York listed it as one of the worst television shows of 1995.[15]
The show became a source of controversy in March 1995, when a segment aired which producers reportedly knowingly used an imposter to portray another guest's sister to fabricate a personal story for the benefit of the show. The woman whose name was used and her husband sued the show, which settled the lawsuit.[16]