It’s the end of an era at NBCUniversal.
The network will no longer produce first-run TV shows, including “Access Hollywood,” “Access Live, “Karamo,” “The Steve Wilkos Show,” and more.
“Karamo,” starring “Queer Eye” veteran Karamo Brown, launched in September 2022 and has completed production. The show will continue airing episodes recorded through the summer. “Access Hollywood,” which stars Zuri Hall and Scott Evans alongside Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover, has been on the air for nearly 30 years, with its first episode airing in September 1996. The show will continue through the summer before concluding its run.
“NBCUniversal is making changes to our first-run syndication division to better align with the programming preferences of local stations,” said Frances Berwick, Chairman of Bravo & Peacock unscripted for NBCUniversal, in a statement. “The company will remain active in the distribution of our existing program library and other off-network titles, while winding down production of our first-run shows. These shows have provided audiences with great talk and entertainment content for many years and we’re very proud of the teams behind them.”
NBCUniversal’s decision to end the syndicated studio show follows a recent trend. Last month, the company announced that Kelly Clarkson’s television show was ending, as other shows such as Sherri Shepherd’s “Sherri” would also not be returning to the airwaves.
“Steve Wilkos,” a spinoff of the “Jerry Springer Show,” has been in production since 2007 and has been touted as Springer’s spiritual successor. Both “Wilkos” and “Karamo” record their shows in Stamford, Connecticut and NBCUniversal will vacate the property later this year.
As “Access” wraps, “Entertainment Tonight” remains one of the last entertainment journalism programs on daytime television. CBS will also continue to air “Inside Edition,” as NBC will still utilize its vast library of content to seed out to stations and other platforms such as old episodes of “Dateline,” “Law & Order, “Chicago PD,” “Maury,” “Jerry Springer,” “Steve Wilkos,” and “Karamo.” Of those shows, only “Chicago PD” and “Law & Order” are producing new episodes.
