Living It Up! With Ali & Jack
Encyclopedia
Living It Up! With Ali & Jack was a syndicated daytime television
talk show
show that aired from September 2003 to April 2004, hosted by Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth
and Jack Ford
, based out of New York City.
The show was conceived as a competitor to WABC
/Disney-ABC Domestic Television's Live With Regis and Kelly
, which has dominated mid-morning television since its national premiere in 1988. Ali & Jack was produced by King World (now CBS Television Distribution
), and the syndicator tried to copy Regis and Kellys plan of airing on almost all of WABC's fellow ABC owned and operated stations, and strong local stations in other markets. Viacom
(King World's parent at the time) cleared Ali & Jack on their CBS
and UPN
O&O's, and in New York took Regis and Kelly head-on at 9 AM on WCBS
.
Ali & Jack started at its debut airing in at least 60% of the U.S.
. However, the show failed to pick up any steam in the ratings, receiving critical drubbing from the start because of what critics noted were too many similarities to Regis and Kelly, and what they saw as an apparent lack of chemistry between Ford and Wentworth. Some stations would move the show to late at night to stem their losses (out of the intended mid-morning berth), and others would drop the show altogether even before cancellation or send it to air on weaker sister stations. In other markets the show never aired at all. The show also struggled with backstage strife and being unable to book strong guests, who were usually snapped up by the network morning shows, Regis and Kelly, and The View.
Ali & Jack ended up being the lowest-rated new series in all of syndication
for the 2003-04 TV season, and the show was cancelled by April 2004, through reruns continued until August. King World chairman Roger King was reported in the New York Daily News
as being embarrassed by the show's ratings and derision of being a 'bad Regis and Kelly clone', and told the staff this upon the show's cancellation announcement, refusing to congratulate them on a good run.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
show that aired from September 2003 to April 2004, hosted by Alexandra "Ali" Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth
Alexandra Wentworth is an American comedienne, actress and author who starred in Head Case on Starz.-Early life:...
and Jack Ford
Jack Ford (news anchor)
Jack Ford is an American television news personality specializing in legal commentary who has spent over two decades in front of the TV camera as host and presenter of numerous information and entertainment programs.-Early life:...
, based out of New York City.
The show was conceived as a competitor to WABC
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
/Disney-ABC Domestic Television's Live With Regis and Kelly
Live with Regis and Kelly
Live! with Kelly is a syndicated American television morning talk show, hosted by Kelly Ripa. The show has aired since 1983 in New York City and 1988 nationwide. Tony Pigg has been the show's announcer since its inception...
, which has dominated mid-morning television since its national premiere in 1988. Ali & Jack was produced by King World (now CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution
CBS Television Distribution is a global television distribution company, formed from the merger of CBS Corporation's two domestic television distribution arms CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World Productions, including its home entertainment arm CBS Home Entertainment...
), and the syndicator tried to copy Regis and Kellys plan of airing on almost all of WABC's fellow ABC owned and operated stations, and strong local stations in other markets. Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
(King World's parent at the time) cleared Ali & Jack on their CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
O&O's, and in New York took Regis and Kelly head-on at 9 AM on WCBS
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
.
Ali & Jack started at its debut airing in at least 60% of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. However, the show failed to pick up any steam in the ratings, receiving critical drubbing from the start because of what critics noted were too many similarities to Regis and Kelly, and what they saw as an apparent lack of chemistry between Ford and Wentworth. Some stations would move the show to late at night to stem their losses (out of the intended mid-morning berth), and others would drop the show altogether even before cancellation or send it to air on weaker sister stations. In other markets the show never aired at all. The show also struggled with backstage strife and being unable to book strong guests, who were usually snapped up by the network morning shows, Regis and Kelly, and The View.
Ali & Jack ended up being the lowest-rated new series in all of syndication
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
for the 2003-04 TV season, and the show was cancelled by April 2004, through reruns continued until August. King World chairman Roger King was reported in the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
as being embarrassed by the show's ratings and derision of being a 'bad Regis and Kelly clone', and told the staff this upon the show's cancellation announcement, refusing to congratulate them on a good run.