Matt Buckler: Wendy Williams' talk show career comes to end

Jun. 15—Wendy Williams hasn't been seen on her talk show all season long.

And she won't be seen next season, or the season thereafter.

That's because it was reported Tuesday by Variety that Williams' show will be airing its final episode Friday. The show airs at noon on WTIC-TV61.

The cancellation ends a 13-year run in syndication for Williams. The show started out on the Fox-owned television stations and then branched out to the entire country.

As has been the custom all season, Williams won't be in the studio for the final episode. There will be a tribute, however, to her long career on the air. It isn't easy to launch a long-running talk show, but Williams was able to do it.

Health issues put Williams on the sidelines. She had hoped to make it back during the season, but that never was possible.

Williams' exit is followed by a big question — will she be replaced?

Denbar-Mercury, which syndicates Williams' show, announced it has signed a deal with Sherri Shepherd, a former talk show host, to occupy some of the time periods left vacated by Williams.

Williams, however, will be difficult to replace. Her combination of gossip and guests proved to be a perfect fit for daytime television.

There were rumors that her show was going to end after last season. This time, however, the rumors became reality.

'Abbey' activity

"Downton Abbey" fans have just about one week to subscribe to Peacock. That's because on June 24, "Downton Abbey: A New Era," will make its streaming debut.

Peacock is going the extra mile — it is creating an entire "Downton Abbey" channel, including all six seasons of the hit series, the first movie, and a documentary special, "The Manners of Downton Abbey."

Diehard fans of the series probably have already seen all those shows, but they'll have an opportunity to refresh their memories.

In the newest movie, a film crew comes to Downton. Robert Crawley, played by Hugh Bonneville, doesn't like the idea, but he needs the money to fix the place.

Don't you wish a film crew would come over to your house?

Sherman in studio

As long as former NFL all-pro defensive back Richard Sherman doesn't have a personality transplant, he should be the perfect choice to occupy the studio position during Amazon's coverage of "Thursday Night Football" this year.

As a player, Sherman was the most outspoken player in the league, unafraid to blast anyone and everyone.

If he can do that in the studio, it would be an asset. Most commentators are made out of marshmallow fluff, while Sherman is pure Tabasco sauce.

He'll be joining ex-player Tony Gonzalez and host Charissa Thompson in the Amazon studio, with more addition expected.

Ex-players have been known to change and become more mellow when the camera is on them. They want to tell viewers what they think they should hear, rather than what we want to hear.

If Sherman can resist the temptation to be everybody's friend, the Amazon pre-game and post-game shows could be worth watching.

Apple soccer exclusive

Cable TV no longer will be enough for fans of Major League Soccer.

Apple has signed a 10-year deal with the league, starting in 2023, which will give the streaming service exclusive coverage of every game.

Currently the games are seen on a combination of Fox, FS1, ABC, and ESPN.

Next season the games will be available in one place. Of course, you will have to sign up and pay extra for it. Someone should give the MLS a red card for making this deal — the future is arriving too quickly.

Follow Matt Buckler for more television, radio, and sports coverage on the JI's Twitter @journalinquirer, and see his articles on the Journal Inquirer Facebook page.