Meredith Vieira’s new daytime talk show doesn’t launch for another seven months — but in the “we needed it five minutes ago” world of TV, that’s akin to a 24-hour deadline.
So, with Rich Sirop’s appointment Monday as the executive producer of the NBC-produced “The Meredith Vieira Show,” things are kicking into high gear over there.
“Truthfully, we probably started [working on the show] a year ago,” says Sirop, who executive-produced the Vieira-hosted “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” (now hosted by Cedric the Entertainer). “We’ve had a good part of the staff in place for a long time,” says Sirop. “At this point, we’re putting full shows together . . . and seeing how we like the flow from segment to segment and what our branded segments should be.
“We’re also talking about other [talk] shows and watching ‘Steve Harvey’ and ‘Ellen’ to see what’s working on those shows and we’re watching a lot of other shows to see what’s not working — and how we would do it differently.”
“The Meredith Vieira Show” will air on Ch. 4 and will originate from 30 Rock, featuring a set based on an exact replica of Vieira’s home (including several pieces of furniture from her real house). “Meredith’s home is not a celebrity home — it’s a warm place and not very ‘grand’ at all,” says Sirop. “It feels like a lived-in home . . . Meredith is a warm person, and we want the set to replicate that.”
A bandleader — Everett Bradley from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band — has been hired, and Sirop says the show will feature a mixed menu of celebrities and issues-oriented segments. “Meredith dreams of having Prince William and Kate on and she loves Will Ferrell — they go way back,” he says. “Jimmy Fallon and Meredith have a relationship and he’s said he wants to crash the house. Having Jimmy and Seth Meyers and Meredith within two floors of each other . . . there are a lot of people around we can grab through the NBC family.”
Sirop says they’ll produce five test shows in July, and will be up-and-running by the last week of August for the show’s September launch. “Meredith’s busy — she just left Miami [from an industry trade show] to go back to New York, and then she’s heading off to Sochi [for the Olympics],” he says. “I won’t see her for another three weeks, but when she returns we’ll be back in full force.”
Last, but not least…
On Wednesday’s “Access Hollywood”: “Modern Family” co-star Eric Stonestreet (Cam) and Terry Bradshaw (7:30 p.m./Ch. 4) . . . “Girls” co-star Allison Williams to People magazine (Feb. 10 issue) on the last time she was starstruck: “I saw Julie Andrews at a premiere, and every time I see her, my heart skips a beat.” . . . “Football Frenzy Week” continues on Wednesday’s “Live with Kelly and Michael” with Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz stopping by (9 a.m./Ch. 7) . . . “Treme: The Complete Series” is now out on Blu-ray.