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SYNDIE PICKS Will Martin Short stand tall? Can Queen Latifah rap TV-style? Is the world ready for a daily dose of Richard Simmons?
That's right, it's time for a new crop of daytime syndicated programming. The odds for success in this check-your-local-listings-for-time-and-station genre are slight, but here's a rundown on this season's more high-profile hopefuls.
THE MARTIN SHORT SHOW There's no question Short is great as a talk-show guest, but that doesn't mean he'll be a compelling host. He's delivered some decent sketch comedy along with celeb chat so far, but will he manage to come up with good skits day after day? ''After the first two weeks, it'll become more of a traditional talk show,'' predicts Dick Kurlander, VP of programming at consultants Petry TV, who also points out that too-hip skits could alienate the older females that make up the daytime audience. As it is, he's already coming up short compared with the shows that occupied his time slots last year.
QUEEN LATIFAH What sets this entry apart from the rest of the crowded talk genre is Latifah's abundance of attitude. However, according to Janeen Bjork, a senior programming vice president for consulting firm Seltel Inc., Latifah's skills need fine-tuning. ''She has an easier time with celebrities than with ordinary people. She's still learning to be a host rather than someone who offers an opinion.'' Initial numbers are on par with what Latifah's time periods were averaging a year ago.
RICHARD SIMMONS' DREAM MAKER Simmons gets to play fairy godfather in this update of Queen for a Day. The fitness guru will aim to make his guests' dreams come true by orchestrating a family reunion, say, or arranging a picture-perfect wedding. But will his over-the-top personality start to grate after a while? It premiered last week to less-than-dreamy ratings.
DIVORCE COURT Yes, it's a remake of the dramatization-heavy court show, but now the couples aren't actors. Early numbers look decent, so TV stations might not want to call their divorce lawyers just yet, but with Judge Mablean Ephriam hosting, it can get a little too real, warns Bjork. ''There were moments when I thought, These people are hurting each other.'' Pain and anguish on daytime TV? Now that's a shocker.
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