The Charles Perez Show

The Charles Perez Show is an hour-long daytime talk show that was hosted by television presenter Charles Perez. ==Production==

Conception and development Perez began his television career as a gofer for the 1993 talk show Jane Pratt; he subsequently worked in production roles on Ricki Lake and The Montel Williams Show. Perez claimed it was his dream to host his own talk show, and he produced the pilot with money lent to him by friends. He described his vision of the show as "the perfect union of Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey." Perez adopted his mother's maiden name over his surname, Dabney, in an effort to "get in touch with his Latin side". Producers wanted 31-year-old Perez to cover topics "from the point of view of his generation", with Perez describing the show as a youth-targeted alternative to news programs like This Week with David Brinkley. The show attempted to provide a balance between light and serious topics and, according to Perez, it produced two "issue" episodes a week. Electronic Medias Ryan Ver Berkmoes summarized the show's typical subject matter as "People whose behavior places them out of the norm, [and] people who like to fight on camera." It featured discussions on topics such as discrimination, guns in schools, street gangs, AIDS, parent-child relationships, strippers, and whether blondes have more fun. ==Broadcast history and release==

The show premiered on December 12, 1994, for a six-week trial on Tribune Broadcasting's eight owned-and-operated stations. In January 1995, following a successful trial run, Tribune Entertainment announced that the show would receive a national rollout. With this national launch, the show was picked up by 37 television stations and increased its coverage from 21 percent to 60 percent of the country. This national launch commenced on March 6, 1995; Tribune Entertainment hoped that an unconventional March launch would give the show an advantage over all the new talk shows set for a fall debut. By September 1995, the show was cleared on 80 television stations covering 86 percent of the country. Additionally, the show was syndicated internationally, in which it was distributed by Worldvision Enterprises. On January 2, 1996, Tribune Entertainment announced that the show was canceled. It was canceled alongside 20th Television's Gabrielle, which The New York Timess Lawrie Mifflin attributed to an overabundance of daytime talk shows at the time. Perez, a gay man, believed that Tribune Entertainment considered his sexual orientation in its decision to cancel the show. ==Reception==

Television viewership and ratings Seeing low ratings, most likely due to the glut of syndicated talk shows which debuted during Perez's second season, Tribune chose to cancel the program in mid-season, ending with a 1.7 average. In December 1995, several syndicators alleged that The Charles Perez Show was likely to face cancellation due to low ratings. On January 2, 1996, The Charles Perez Show was cancelled by Tribune Entertainment. Critical response The show received a mixed reception from television critics. Irv Letofsky of The Hollywood Reporter believed Perez was personable, although he criticized Perez's line of questioning and the show's topics. New York listed it as one of the worst television shows of 1995. ==Litigation==

The show became a source of controversy in March 1995, when a segment aired which producers reportedly knowingly used an imposter to portray another guest's sister to fabricate a personal story for the benefit of the show. The woman whose name was used and her husband sued the show, which settled the lawsuit. ==References==