Former senator courts daytime TV
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Al D'Amato, the former U.S. senator from New York, has his sights set on daytime television.
A court show that D'Amato has been shopping to the syndication business for fall 2009 has drawn interest from major syndicators.
D'Amato, a Republican who served in the Senate from 1981 to 1999, was nicknamed "Senator Pothole" for his willingness to meet with constituents and help them with their individual cases. He also was known for his lengthy and at times comical filibusters on the floor of the Senate, one of which found him answering questions from a visiting colleague, reciting names and singing "South of the Border."
He published a book, "Power, Pasta & Politics: The World According to Senator Al D'Amato," in 1995 and founded the consulting firm Park Strategies four years later.
His representatives at Rebel Entertainment Partners declined comment Thursday.
Court shows are one of the most robust genres in first-run syndication, with no fewer than 11 now on the air and two more -- Sony's "Judge Karen" and Program Partners "Family Court With Judge Penny" -- set to debut in the fall. The shows are perceived as one of the safer bets in daytime programming because they continue to draw solid ratings, led by perennial front-runner "Judge Judy."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
