Updated: July 9, 2013, 1:17 p.m. PT
NBCUniversal will launch The Meredith Vieira Show next
fall, said NBC Broadcasting chairman Ted Harbert on Tuesday. An announcement that the show has been picked up by NBC's ten owned-and-operated stations is expected to be coming shortly.
The show will star Vieira, who also will serve as an
executive producer. NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution will produce and
distribute.
"All of us at NBCU are so excited about this new show
with Meredith," said Harbert in a statement. "She creates an instant
connection with audiences with her smart, quick-witted and down-to-earth style.
This entertaining and substantive show will be a great way to reach her loyal
daytime fans as well as new ones who will discover why Meredith is one of
America's most loved television personalities."
Taped in New York on a set that resembles Vieira's home --
complete with her actual furniture and family photos -- The Meredith Vieira
Show will be a multi-segmented hour. The multiple-Emmy-winning Vieira has
had a long career in broadcasting, including serving as a journalist on CBS' 60
Minutes, host of ABC's The View, anchor of NBC's Today and
host of Disney/ABC's syndicated game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
"As a journalist on Today and 60 Minutes,
I learned how to really listen to people and help give them a voice. On The
View, I unleashed my own opinionated self and discovered the empowerment
that comes with sometimes heated, but always respectful, discussion. And on Millionaire,
I relished the joy of changing people's lives while having pure fun," said
Vieira in a statement. "All of these experiences, along with being a wife
and mom, have led me here because they all share one common denominator... this
fundamental need we have to connect with and find inspiration in each other.
"Each day, I hope to accomplish what I call the three
H's: Heat, Heart and Humor," said Vieira. "And speaking of the heart,
I want to thank my husband, Richard, and kids, Ben, Gabe and Lily for strongly
encouraging me to take this incredible opportunity... or else they really just
want to get me out of the house."
Vieira currently serves as a special
correspondent for NBC News, working on Today, NBC Nightly News
and the Olympics. She hosted Millionaire through this season, cedingthat role this fall to Cedric the Entertainer.
