While Sunday here at TCA was all quiet on the network front, the syndication side snuck in for a Sony breakfast with Greg Behrendt and a Warner Bros./Telepictures lunch with Dr. Keith Ablow, both of whom have talkers launching in the fall.
Behrendt is the guy who wrote "He's Just Not That Into You" and will infuse his stand-up past into a relationship show. Behrendt is a somewhat interesting and amusing dude (you can say "dude" about anyone who used to be in a rock band), as he told his story about battling back from being badly overweight, having a dependency problem and being out of work. Yeah, but just wait until he tries to make a new syndicated talk show work in this day and age.
In the Sony press kit was the story I wrote on the show a couple weeks back, the first piece outlining the content of the rookie show. Many of the panel's questions could have been answered by a quick perusal of my story…but then again, I can barely make it through any of my stories, either. But some of the lady hacks in attendance not only took advantage of the free breakfast spread, but seemed to hit Behrendt up for some free relationship advice. In front of everybody. Sigh.
But in the interest of full disclosure, a chat with Keith Ablow prior to his meeting with the press made me wonder if a) he was going to bill me for the chat and b) if I could afford a second session. Ablow is a forensic psychiatrist (sounds very CSI meets Dr. Melfi) who is hosting a show where he will be a younger Dr. Phil. I just hope his background in the Scott Peterson crap won't mean he will spend too much time on silly celeb/tabloid stuff.
But Ablow has this thing where he looks at you (he resembles Locke from Lost) and puts this Vulcan Mind Meld on you and you really believe him. The guy analyzed my marriage in like 20 seconds, and I think all I had asked him about was if he knew where the men's room was.
Damn you Keith Ablow, you're good.
–Ben Grossman
