With “Sherri” wrapping up production on its first season later this month, two executive holders from “The Wendy Williams Show” era are reportedly out months before the show returns for its second season.
According to Page Six, which first reported the news, executive producer David Perler and co-executive producer Suzanne Bass were given the axe earlier this week from the Sherri Shepherd-hosted talk show as it looks to the future with plans to start its new season with “fresh energy.”
Courtesy of Debmar-Mercury
Perler is said to have only stayed on “to help get through the hump of launching a new show,” a source told the outlet. Meanwhile, Bass, who had been a “sidekick and buffer” to Williams for a decade on “The Wendy Williams Show” during the popular “Hot Topics” segment was not needed in that role as Shepherd is a comedian and actress who could handle things on her own in that respect.
Jawn Murray, a long-time friend of Shepherd’s, will now serve as showrunner of the daytime talk show with producer Debmar-Mercury reportedly looking for a new executive producer to work alongside Murray for the show’s second season. Shepherd is also an executive producer on the series, which sees Joelle Dawson and Fernita Wynn as co-executive producers.
In a statement released to Page Six, Debmar-Mercury acknowledged Perler and Bass were exiting, saying the two “have been integral to Debmar-Mercury’s success in daytime syndication for many years and have helped launch ‘Sherri’… Debmar Mercury wishes them all the best on future endeavors and hopes to work with them in the future.”
Before joining “Sherri,” Perler was a supervising producer on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” and a consulting producer on “The Tony Danza Show.” He later became an executive producer on “The Bonnie Hunt Show,” “Lopez Tonight” and “The Wendy Williams Show.” He also served as a consulting producer on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” Meanwhile Bass was a producer on the Martha Stewart-hosted talk show “Martha” before joining “The Wendy Williams Show” and later “Sherri.”
“Sherri” was renewed for a second season after a strong fall launch earlier this year. The show ranks as the highest-rated new nationally syndicated daytime talk show, topping “The Jennifer Hudson Show” from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Telepictures, which also debuted in the fall.