NASHVILLE – Emmy-nominated daytime talk show “Pickler & Ben” returns for its second season on September 17th. The show is quickly becoming a household name and will be distributed in 175 markets – a 483% increase over the 30 markets at the launch of season one. (View the complete and most up-to-date list of markets where “Pickler & Ben” airs here.)
Hosted by Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron, and recorded in front of a live studio audience in Nashville, “Pickler & Ben” features the best in lifestyle and entertainment. Its first season, which debuted in September 2017, wowed audiences with its heart and spirit, and featured a roster of celebrity guests including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Molly Sims, Luke Bryan, Christian Siriano, Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire, Yolanda Hadid, Kelly Osbourne, Jillian Michaels, Kristin Cavallari, Ty Pennington and more.
“Pickler & Ben,” which is not your typical talk show, highlights feel-good stories featuring guests from across the country; zany comedic bits where Kellie and Ben demonstrate that they are “all-in” on entertaining the audience – from goat yoga to fencing lessons; and cooking segments with celebrity chefs including Cat Cora, Carla Hall, Richard Blais, Gail Simmons, Duff Goldman and Sunny Anderson. (View the 2018 season promo reel here.)
Executive producer Faith Hill and the show’s Creative Director, Kelli Bishop, spent the summer curating fresh new looks for the set, with Faith hand-picking many of the items. Mixing elements of traditional and modern design, Hill and Bishop want the set to create a feeling of love and comfort so every guest feels like they are being welcomed into our home with open arms.
“I love everything about this show, especially the opportunity to shine a light on people who are doing amazing things,” Kellie Pickler said. “And working with Ben is like working with the big brother I never had.”
“This is the show I’ve always wanted to do and I hope we get to do it for decades,” said Ben. “Working with Kellie is unique, unpredictable and more fun than I could have ever expected.”
“Kellie and Ben’s enthusiasm is infectious,” said creator and executive producer Lisa Erspamer. “We never know what’s going to happen on set from day to day, making this show fun for those of us working behind the scenes as well as for the viewers! We can’t wait to deliver more laughter, love and endless excitement to audiences across America this fall!”
“From the moment they were cast, we knew we had lightning in a bottle with Kellie and Ben,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Local Media for The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), which produces the show in partnership with Hill, Erspamer, co-founder of Happy Street Entertainment, and Jason Owen, president and CEO of Sandbox Entertainment. “It’s a testament to their talent, as well as the hard work and insight of the entire ‘Pickler & Ben’ team and our partners, that this show is more than tripling the number of households it’s reaching in season two.”
“Pickler & Ben” received three Emmy nominations in its first season, a rare feat for a new syndicated program. Hosts Kellie Pickler and Ben Aaron were nominated for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Hosts, show director Joe Terry and associate director Wesley MacMillan were nominated for Outstanding Directing in a Talk Show/Entertainment News/Morning Program and set hairstylist Debbie Dover Hall was nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling.
To stay up to date on episodes and get a behind-the-scenes look at Kellie and Ben in action, follow “Pickler & Ben” on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Find out when and where the show airs and request tickets to a taping at picklerandben.com.