The Chew

To me, watching daytime television was torture. The only shows that occupied my favorite networks during the day time were soap operas, talk shows, and trash tv like Jerry Springer and Maury. Regardless, daytime television for me was only seen during snow days and when I decided to play hookie from school. Back then, those shows were nothing but annoying to me. However after a second look, I see how all these shows are strategically planned to appeal to a certain group of people, a certain audience.

This can be seen on the show, The Chew, which airs daytime on ABC Family. The show is structured like the popular morning show The View, but the way it is produced and the dynamics of the show are designed to appeal to a different audience. For example, the variety of personalities and characters that consist of the cast, are designed to attract a larger audience.

Let’s take for example the cast member Mario Batali. He is a prominent figure in the culinary field and is constantly on television not only teaching others how to cook, but sharing his own culinary tips and tricks. He has been on television for numerous years and has a lot of credibility, along with a huge fan base. Therefore, he was cast in order to appeal to those who love to cook or want to learn. Another cast member is Clinton Kelly. He was popular on the show What Not to Wear, and is known for being fashion forward and “in-style” on the latest trends. Nonetheless, we can see how he also draws a certain audience for the show.

These are just two of the five cast members and we can see how their personalities and interests draw in audience members. A strategy employed by the producers to create a large fan base for the show.