Les BrownBROWN(^)
BROWN^
I believe I’m coming back, I don’t think it’s impossible to get back on
again. I wanted to go in a different direction. During the time I
ventured into it, television was based upon a formula the executives
were accustomed to which they’d always implemented—the show must
be based upon conflict and controversy. So you had Phil Donahue,
Oprah Winfrey, Sally J esse Raphael, and Geraldo. My show was based
upon solutions. I believed you could have a show that was not based
upon conflict and controversy—you could have a show where you
would look at what challenges people are facing and who has gone
through a challenge and come out on the other side? Talk to that
person and find out how he or she got ther e. Interview a guest who is in
the middle of a challenge and find one who’s just approaching that
challenge. Have an expert work the person through that process during
the hour of the show, asking what is it that brought you here? There’s
an old saying that goes, “Wherever you find yourself, at some point and
time, you made an appointment to get there.”
The other th ing is th at success leaves clues. What we must do is talk
to someone who’s had the same problem you’ve had and find out from
his or her experience what is it you can do to implement a game plan.
What help and support will you need to work through this problem?
The Les Brown Show was very successful. It was the highest rated
and fastest canc el led talk show i n the history of television. It was
cancelled because, even though it had successful ratings, the producers
of the show wanted me to do a show based upon conflict and
controversy and sensationalism—fathers who sleep with their
fourteen-year-old daughter’s boyfriends—and subjects like that. I
decided to be true to my concept and not venture off into those other
ar eas to do those Jerry Springer type shows, so they cancelled the show
and brought someone else in who was willing to cooperate with what
th ey wanted.
WRIGHT
Did y ou learn any l essons from your highly competitive talk show?