Steve Harvey Announces Facebook Watch Series 7 Months After NBC Canceled His Talk Show
Steve Harvey is coming back to daytime television seven months after NBC canceled his syndicated talk show, Steve
Facebook Watch announced Monday that the comedian and TV host will debut a new series, STEVE on Watch, on the digital platform in January.
According to Variety, Harvey, 62, has already taped the first few episodes and filmed segments in Atlanta between Dec. 3 and 6 at the Tyler Perry Studios. The first batch of episodes will reportedly run for 10 weeks, with multiple segments per week.
The show will be produced by Endeavor Content’s Film 45 and Steve Harvey Global’s East 112 label. Ianthe Jones will serve as an executive producer.
“Reaching my audience anywhere and everywhere they are has always been the goal,” Harvey said in a statement. “Facebook Watch viewers are the most energetic, engaged community, and so are my amazing fans. Getting all those people to directly engage on a platform like this is the perfect evolution of the show.”
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STEVE on Watch will feature Harvey giving his take on everyday life and “issues affecting his audience,” as well as interviews with performers, musicians, viral stars and others. Variety said.
NBC canceled Steve in May. In its place, the network has been airing The Kelly Clarkson Show, which was recently renewed for a second season.
The end of Harvey’s show came as a surprise to many. In its second season, it averaged about 1.8 million viewers a week, putting it at no. 5 among syndicated talk shows. But the news was shocking to Harvey, who had previously expressed uncertainty over whether he would stay with the network.
“I thought I was until they made an announcement a couple weeks ago that they wanted to give Kelly Clarkson the owned and operated NBC Networks, and that’s my slot,” he said during an interview at Variety‘s Entertainment Summit in January.
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“I’m an honorable guy, I’m just an old school guy, and I just thought that you’re supposed to talk to people and go, ‘Look, you’ve been good business for us. This is what we’re thinking of doing. Are you okay with that?’ ” he said. “No, you don’t just put something in the paper and say, ‘I’m going make this move right here,’ because it’s crazy.”
STEVE on Watch premieres Jan. 6 on Facebook Watch.
